Traceability and authentication in agri-food production: a multivariate approach to the characterization of the Italian food excellence elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), a vasoactive nutraceutical

A research platform for food authentication was set up by combining stable isotope ratio analysis, metabolomics by gas and liquid mass-spectrometry and NMR investigations, chemometric analyses for food excellences. This multi-analytical approach was tested on samples of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), a species belonging to the same genus of common garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), mainly produced in southern Tuscany-(Allium ampeloprasum). The isotopic composition allowed the product to be geographically characterized. Flavonoids, like (+)-catechin, cinnamic acids, quercetin glycosides were identified. The samples showed also a significant amount of dipeptides, sulphur-containing metabolites and glutathione, the latter of which could be considered a molecular marker of the analyzed elephant garlic. For nutraceutical profiling to reach quality labels, extracts were investigated in specific biological assays, displaying interesting vasorelaxant properties in rat aorta by mediating nitric oxide release from the endothelium and exhibited positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effects in rat perfused hear

The role of mediating structures in organizational creativity

Since Ilya Prigogine has revealed that non-equilibrium has a constructive role and irreversibility cannot be ruled out in appearance, management studies have also foregone a structural change, agreeing with the laws of chaos and complexity. Self-organization, self-reference and sensemaking have become the most important features for a new theory of the firm, undermining the foundations of well-established and reliable models. In management studies, this scientific path is still developing and continuously interlacing with other schools of thought. This paper gets into this intertwining of contributions and research issues, involved in understanding the drivers of processes of innovation and the evolution of organizations and, in particular, in explaining strategic innovation in dynamic and far from equilibrium environment. The basic idea is that organizational creativity can be considered the more suitable answer to external and internal perturbations. Creativity, in fact, is essentially a cognitive resource, necessary for surviving in a complex competitive landscape. In this paper, the organizational learning process, traditionally intended as adaptive behaviour, is viewed as a process of situated and distributed cognition, evolving towards new shared mental models and based on the interaction between a variety of mediating structures: i) the role of people in organizational sub-communities, ii) sub-cultures, social rules and values, iii) the division of labour, iv) mediating artifacts, v) discourses, languages, vi) visual, verbal or other abstract mediating tools. The thesis is that a firm’s creativity is fulfilled only if some of these well-established mediating structures are intentionally broken or renewed towards a new state of the organization, maybe far from equilibrium

I bambini si raccontano. Opportunità e implicazioni etiche

In questo capitolo si presente la prospettiva emergente della ricerca che vede i bambini come protagonisti del loro processo di crescita, coinvolti come agenti sociali attivi, nella definizione e costruzione della loro infanzia. Si propone di abbandonare un approccio volto a studiare in modo restrittivo gli effetti delle azioni di marketing ma di adottare una prospettiva più ampia che tenga conto dell’interpretazione che i bambini fanno quotidianamente dell’offerta (production of consumption), delle modalità di consumo di prodotti, servizi e comunicazione attraverso lo studio delle pratiche quotidiane, delle relazioni di potere, delle relazioni sociali che impattano sul consumo. Si identificano inoltre gli approcci e le metodologie più adeguate per studiare i bambini evidenziando quanto le implicazioni di tipo etico impongono scelte restringenti sui metodi da usare o un loro adattamento

Il ruolo del consumo nel processo di trasformazione del sé: quando il marketing deve offrire un contributo

Con cadenza regolare ogni disciplina viene rivista anche radicalmente per l’introduzione di nuovi paradigmi e sfide legate al contesto ambientale. Attualmente, ci si sta interrogando sul contributo che il marketing sta offrendo alla società e alla sua efficacia nel generare teorie e implicazioni manageriali in grado di migliorare effettivamente la vita dei consumatori. In questo lavoro si propongono alcune riflessioni sugli indirizzi che la consumer research dovrebbe seguire per rispettare questo nuovo mandato

Big, thick, small… are data what really matters?

We are witnessing a transformation in our marketing departments through the generation of new content, programs and degree courses that can better provide the competencies now required in the job market, which asks for a more quantitative and multidisciplinary outlook capable of confronting various business roles. Research needs to open up to new methodologies, ones that are able to take advantage of these new opportunities, in order to understand our digital society. The current debate on which method should be considered the most appropriate to approach marketing research—and thus how to transfer its knowledge to our students—is not a trivial one. When a new paradigm emerges along with new resources, it is important not to fall into the mistake of focusing on its myth and believing it to be the best and only means by which to observe our reality