Multi-principal collaboration and supplier’s compliance with codes-of-conduct

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to articulate propositions on how collaborating multi-national corporations (MNCs) can manage their supplier base in order to reduce the risk of suppliers’ non-compliance with shared codes-of-conduct. Design/methodology/approach The study utilises a conceptual theory development approach. In doing so, it utilises key tenets of agency theory that are applied in a multi-principal–supplier relationship context and synthesised in a series of propositions. Findings The study shows that MNCs have a variety of mechanisms for reducing the risk of suppliers’ non-compliance by decreasing information asymmetry, increasing their bargaining power and simultaneously use of both rewards/sanctions, and reputation-based safeguards. Research limitations/implications This is a conceptual theory development study, offering testable propositions, which have then to be empirically validated. Practical implications The study showcases that managers of MNCs who find themselves in relationships with non-compliant suppliers have at their disposal a variety of mechanisms to reduce the risk of suppliers’ non-compliance. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that explore suppliers’ non-compliance with codes-of-conduct at the level of a relationship, rather than a single firm. In this way it proposes a theoretical framework grounded in agency theory on managing relationships between multi-principal collaborators and their suppliers

Towards an integral computer environment supporting system operations analysis and conceptual design

VITROCISET has in house developed a prototype tool named System Dynamic Analysis Environment (SDAE) to support system engineering activities in the initial definition phase of a complex space system. The SDAE goal is to provide powerful means for the definition, analysis, and trade-off of operations and design concepts for the space and ground elements involved in a mission. For this purpose SDAE implements a dedicated modeling methodology based on the integration of different modern (static and dynamic) analysis and simulation techniques. The resulting 'system model' is capable of representing all the operational, functional, and behavioral aspects of the system elements which are part of a mission. The execution of customized model simulations enables: the validation of selected concepts with respect to mission requirements; the in-depth investigation of mission specific operational and/or architectural aspects; and the early assessment of performances required by the system elements to cope with mission constraints and objectives. Due to its characteristics, SDAE is particularly tailored for nonconventional or highly complex systems, which require a great analysis effort in their early definition stages. SDAE runs under PC-Windows and is currently used by VITROCISET system engineering group. This paper describes the SDAE main features, showing some tool output examples

Critical analysis of Big Data Challenges and analytical methods

Big Data (BD), with their potential to ascertain valued insights for enhanced decision-making process, have recently attracted substantial interest from both academics and practitioners. Big Data Analytics (BDA) is increasingly becoming a trending practice that many organizations are adopting with the purpose of constructing valuable information from BD. The analytics process, including the deployment and use of BDA tools, is seen by organizations as a tool to improve operational efficiency though it has strategic potential, drive new revenue streams and gain competitive advantages over business rivals. However, there are different types of analytic applications to consider. Therefore, prior to hasty use and buying costly BD tools, there is a need for organizations to first understand the BDA landscape. Given the significant nature of the BD and BDA, this paper presents a state-of-the-art review that presents a holistic view of the BD challenges and BDA methods theorized/proposed/employed by organizations to help others understand this landscape with the objective of making robust investment decisions. In doing so, systematically analysing and synthesizing the extant research published on BD and BDA area. More specifically, the authors seek to answer the following two principal questions: Q1 – What are the different types of BD challenges theorized/proposed/confronted by organizations? and Q2 – What are the different types of BDA methods theorized/proposed/employed to overcome BD challenges?. This systematic literature review (SLR) is carried out through observing and understanding the past trends and extant patterns/themes in the BDA research area, evaluating contributions, summarizing knowledge, thereby identifying limitations, implications and potential further research avenues to support the academic community in exploring research themes/patterns. Thus, to trace the implementation of BD strategies, a profiling method is employed to analyze articles (published in English-speaking peer-reviewed journals between 1996 and 2015) extracted from the Scopus database. The analysis presented in this paper has identified relevant BD research studies that have contributed both conceptually and empirically to the expansion and accrual of intellectual wealth to the BDA in technology and organizational resource management discipline

A bibliometric analysis of family firm internationalization research: current themes, theoretical roots, and ways forward

This paper presents a bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review of 161 core contributions concerning family firm internationalization. A bibliographic coupling analysis and a co-citation analysis reveal the richness of family firm internationalization research and help to organize this large body of work into five thematic clusters and seven theoretical roots. By examining the linkages between research themes and theoretical roots, we advance an integrative framework, clarifying the variety of research paths available regarding the internationalization of family firms, and identifying new and important research avenues for further developing the field

Fiducia, rischio e performance nelle relazioni distrettuali: una interpretazione basata sulla relational view

Obiettivo del lavoro di tesi è quello di approfondire la relazione tra fiducia inter-organizzativa, rischio e performance all’interno di contesti distrettuali. Tale finalità viene perseguita utilizzando come framework teorico alcune delle considerazioni in argomento prodotte dalla Resource-based view con particolare riferimento all’impostazione di Relational view. Nella prospettiva richiamata, la capacità di costruire relazioni fiduciarie e di gestire le problematiche di risk management su scala locale e internazionale possono essere utilmente interpretate come capacità distintive e, pertanto, fonti di rendite relazionali tra imprese. Il lavoro si sviluppa introducendo il modello di analisi proposto per poi descrivere la metodologia e le risultanze di una indagine empirica svolta nel distretto calzaturiero fermano-maceratese.The aim of the present thesis is to study the relation between inter-organizational trust, risk and performance in the context of industrial district. The resource-based view approach, and in particular the Relational view perspective, will be recognized as theoretical framework. In a resource-based view, in fact, the building trust and risk management capabilities can be considered as distinctive lead firm relational capabilities and they can be recognized as sources of competitive advantage in a networked environment. The work begins with a description of the research model developed. Then, the methodology will be deepened and the results of an empirical research will be discussed

La logistica nel florovivaismo

Dopo un’analisi descrittiva e statistico-economica del comparto florovivaistico marchigiano, nel lavoro sono illustrate i principali vincoli e le opportunità connesse ad un miglioramento della logistica. L’analisi mostra un’offerta ancora frammentata e non adeguata a soddisfare completamente le esigenze della domanda. Sebbene siano presenti forme di associazionismo a livello orizzontale, il coordinamento verticale di filiera è quasi del tutto assente. Viene proposta in conclusione una serie di possibili interventi migliorativi, da realizzare tanto sul versante trasportistico, quanto in quello logistico in senso stretto e, complementarmente, attraverso opportune azioni di marketing territoriale

Fiducia, rischio e performance nelle relazioni distrettuali: una interpretazione basata sulla relational view

Obiettivo del lavoro di tesi è quello di approfondire la relazione tra fiducia inter-organizzativa, rischio e performance all’interno di contesti distrettuali. Tale finalità viene perseguita utilizzando come framework teorico alcune delle considerazioni in argomento prodotte dalla Resource-based view con particolare riferimento all’impostazione di Relational view. Nella prospettiva richiamata, la capacità di costruire relazioni fiduciarie e di gestire le problematiche di risk management su scala locale e internazionale possono essere utilmente interpretate come capacità distintive e, pertanto, fonti di rendite relazionali tra imprese. Il lavoro si sviluppa introducendo il modello di analisi proposto per poi descrivere la metodologia e le risultanze di una indagine empirica svolta nel distretto calzaturiero fermano-maceratese.The aim of the present thesis is to study the relation between inter-organizational trust, risk and performance in the context of industrial district. The resource-based view approach, and in particular the Relational view perspective, will be recognized as theoretical framework. In a resource-based view, in fact, the building trust and risk management capabilities can be considered as distinctive lead firm relational capabilities and they can be recognized as sources of competitive advantage in a networked environment. The work begins with a description of the research model developed. Then, the methodology will be deepened and the results of an empirical research will be discussed