A System Dynamics Approach to Analysing the Effect of Clientelism on Public Organizations Performance in Italy

This paper tries to analyse the effects of political clientelism on the performance of public utilities and organizations in Italy. Shortly, clientelism consists in a series of reciprocal convenience-based relationships between politicians and individuals, commanding unequal resources and involving mutually beneficial transactions in terms of economic, social and political consequences. The motivation of this research stems from the fact that analysing the effect of clientelism may contribute in (1) improving the quality of electoral strategies and the resulting public policies and (2) managing the performance of public organizations according to a sustainable perspective. Hence, the key issues of the paper are the following: is clientelism a sustainable mechanism to enlarge the consensus of a given party? How does clientelistic practice impact on public organizations management and subsequent performances? What should public managers do to limit the effect of clientelism and maintain satisfying performance results in providing services towards citizens? In the light of the above questions, the paper points out the cause-and-effect relations among those variables underlying such clientelistic practices by using a System Dynamics approach which allows one to frame a complex system and understand its development over time.clientelism; consensus; public actions sustainability; performance management; System Dynamics.

A systemic support to business model innovation: enhancing resilience-building processes of SMEs in times of crisis

Purpose. The work proposes Dynamic Business Modeling (DBM) to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in implementing business model innovation (BMI) to increase their resilience during crises. Design/methodology/approach. Drawing on System Dynamics and secondary data case studies, DBM is investigated as a way to make changes to business model elements and architecture in response to changing conditions. Findings. The case-based analysis shows how DBM can help SMEs overcome BMI barriers during crises by enhancing the understanding of the interdependence between financial and non-financial factors. Practical and social implications. The work shows how DBM can speed up BMI in SMEs, contributing to the scientific discussion by proposing a systemic methodological solution for SMEs to overcome BMI barriers. Originality of the study. The work offers a qualitative perspective of DBM for SMEs coping with crises through BMI. It serves as groundwork for future applied research on SMEs’ BMI

A Dynamic Performance Management Approach to Evaluate and Support SMEs Competitiveness: Evidences from a Case Study

The role of Performance Management (PM) systems has become crucial for steering Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to successfully compete during the ongoing critical economic transition. To improve decision-maker strategic learning processes, traditional PM frameworks need to be combined with System Dynamics (SD) modeling. This paper shows how to design and use a Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) approach to assess and support SMEs competitiveness. The emerging framework is applied to a real case of a small business to analyze the empirical effectiveness of the approach hereby suggested

Understanding the Microfoundations of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Toward a Value-Based Method and Theory

Despite the progressmade by scholars, empirically investigating entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) remains problematic because of the inherent complexities and nonlinearities of interactions among EE actors. The research to date has shown a tendency to focus on macrolevel ecosystem dynamics while neglecting the microfoundations of EEs. We contend that this negligence is due to a lack of appropriate methodologies that can capture EE microfoundations through a systemic value-based perspective. To fill this gap, in this article,we propose a novelmethodological approach, the value system method, which enables framing EEs through critical causal interdependences between key actors’ business models that foster value-exchange processes. Finally, the study provides a set of research and policy implications for fostering the understanding of EE microfoundations toward a value-based method and theory

Business model innovation for the sustainable development goals

Business model innovation can be a key driver to realizing the transformation needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, the SDGs can support organizations as they identify and tackle opportunities for business model innovation. This study uses a constructive research method to build a managerial approach that supports business model innovation for the SDGs. The approach helps organizations assess their contribution to the SDGs, explore and prioritize SDG-oriented business opportunities and risks, and formulate business model innovation strategies accordingly. The proposed approach was developed through participatory action research conducted in collaboration with two companies operating in the medical and educational sectors and then applied to Ørsted, a multinational power company, which is strongly committed to a sustainability-driven business transformation and aspires to contribute strongly to SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (Climate action). The study furthers the academic and practical debate on business model innovation for sustainability by providing new academic and practical knowledge on how organizations can use the SDGs to stimulate business model innovations

Prevention and Mitigation of Rural Higher Education Dropout in Colombia: A Dynamic Performance Management Approach. [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Dropout in higher education is a socio-educational phenomenon that has the scope to limit the benefits of education as well as to widen social disparities. For this reason, governments have implemented various public policies for its prevention and mitigation. However, in rural populations, such policies have proven to be ineffective. The aim of this paper is to simulate public policy scenarios for the treatment of school dropout in rural higher education in Colombia from a Dynamic Performance Management approach. Methodology: To achieve the aim, a parameterised simulation model was designed with data from Colombian state entities in rural higher education. Five simulations were carried out. The analysis of the results was carried out using descriptive statistics and comparison of means using the Wilcoxon Sign Rank statistic. Results: The adoption of such an approach based on simulations suggests that policies to expand the coverage of educational credits and financial support, as well as the addition of a family income subsidy, allow for a reduction in the number of dropouts. Conclusions: A dynamic, data-driven approach can be effective in preventing and mitigating dropout in these areas. It also highlights the importance of identifying the key factors contributing to dropout. The results also suggest that government policies can have a significant impact on school retention in rural areas

Conceptualizing Innovative Business Planning Frameworks to Improving New Venture Strategy Communication and Performance. A Preliminary Analysis of the “Dynamic Business Model Canvas”

Business planning is a fundamental activity that start-up entrepreneurs are called to carry out in order to attract new investors, business angels, and venture capitalists, to subsidize a new business idea. The key-tool universally used to communicate a new venture strategy to these players, as well as to other stakeholders, is the business plan, i.e. a framework including the business idea description, the product(s), the market sector(s), the core-assets, the budget, the business sustainability and profitability, and so on. As such, a major success factor for drawing up a business plan is the capability to clearly and synthetically communicate the business strategy. Among the others, one of the most innovative and popular business plan scheme is the Business Model Canvas which frames the business formula according to a unique framework divided into different sections corresponding to the main elements related to the expected business development. The aim of this paper is to explore how System Dynamics modelling can be combined with Business Model Canvas to better communicate new venture strategies and, as a result, speed up the acquisition of subsidies and other sources of funding. To this end, after analysing the strengths and limitations of the Business Model Canvas, the paper illustrates and discusses an approach that combines such a framework with System Dynamics modelling, also through an empirical application to a real start-up company. This approach is here named Dynamic Business Model Canvas

Adopting a Dynamic Performance Governance Approach to Frame Interorganizational Value Generation Processes into a University Third Mission Setting

In recent years, the literature on Higher Education policy and management emphasized an increasingly entrepreneurial role played by Universities in contributing to the socio-economic development of their regional and local areas. Besides Education and Research, this crucial role identifies a Third Mission to be fulfilled by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), which entails social engagement, networking and collaboration with other stakeholders to generate sustainable community outcomes. This chapter introduces the use of the Dynamic Performance Governance approach to analyze the academic network value generation processes underlying Third Mission activities in Universities. The emerging findings – supported by the exploration of an illustrative example focused on University-Industry-Government partnerships – suggest that this approach is particularly valuable in supporting academic networks to frame and evaluate the outcomes, and associated performance drivers, related to Third Mission activities

Designing Performance Management Systems in Academic Institutions: a Dynamic Performance Management View

This paper illustrates how to design and implement performance management systems in universities by identifying and modeling those factors impacting on academic performance through a dynamic performance management view. Particularly, combining performance management with System Dynamics modeling may allow academic decision-makers to better identify key-performance drivers for pursuing a sustainable performance improvement in universities. In the second section of the paper, a number of examples based on empirical findings from a field project aimed at designing a dynamic performance management model for the University of Palermo are discussed