Balancing theory and practice: a review of the state of PLS-SEM research by the community of Italian management scholars

Management researchers have traditionally perceived the need to balance between rigor and relevance, thus simultaneously advancing theory and offering managerial insights. The selection of proper research methods plays a fundamental role. Among them, structural equation modeling (a second-generation technique for multivariate analysis) has witnessed remarkable popularity in the last decades to assess relationships among constructs. There are two main approaches to structural equation modeling: the covariance-based approach (CB-SEM) and the variancebased approach (PLS-SEM). However, until recently, the PLS-SEM has been to a large extent ignored and many scholars have considered structural equation modeling as synonymous with CB-SEM. In the last decade, PLS-SEM has gained a huge interest from social sciences researchers from all over the world and many management journals (such as Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Management, and many others) have published special issues on this method. The renewed interest in PLS-SEM has been largely driven by the extensive work of management and marketing scholars such as Joseph F. Hair, Jr., Tomas M. Hult, Christian M. Ringle and Marko Sarstedt (Hair et al., 2017; Hair et al., 2018). Their well-known book about this method [\u201cA primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)\u201d] has received more than 20,000 citations in Google Scholar since the publication of its first edition in 2014. Given that the use of this method could support the Italian management scholars to further increase their participation to the international debate on management issues, we recently co-edited the Italian version of this book (Hair et al., 2020). The purpose of this extended abstract is to provide a comprehensive review of the state of PLS-SEM research by the community of Italian management scholars

Data-driven use of cross-border e-commerce platforms and export performance: The mediating role of foreign market knowledge acquisition

Frame of the research: Cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) is gaining popularity as a foreign market entry mode. Specifically, many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) choose to rely on digital e-commerce platforms (or marketplaces) that provide them with inexpensive and rapid access to a large base of potential foreign customers. The few studies available on this topic have implicitly assumed that SMEs embrace this channel with the sole intent of increasing export sales (i.e., to exploit existing opportunities). This study argues that SMEs can also implement a data-driven approach that uses cross-border e-commerce platforms as inexpensive tools to acquire foreign market knowledge by leveraging the large volume of data available on these digital platforms. Purpose of the paper: This work proposes and tests a model in which a firm’s exploration-driven use of cross-border e-commerce platforms enhances foreign market knowledge acquisition, which improves both the overall export performance of the firm and the exploitation of foreign opportunities through e-commerce. Methodology: Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to estimate the proposed model. Data for analysis were collected from a sample of 110 Italian exporters belonging to the food and beverage industry. Results: The findings highlighted that the exploration-driven use of cross-border e-commerce platforms had a positive relationship with the export performance of firms. The results also implied that this effect was fully mediated by the level of foreign market knowledge (about customers, competitors, market conditions, business laws and regulations) acquired through the use of cross-border e-commerce platforms. Research limitations: Only exporters belonging to a specific industry were considered in the empirical analysis. Thus, caution is recommended when generalizing these results. Practical implications: The findings encourage export managers to embrace cross-border e-commerce platforms for both sales and market research purposes by deploying a data-driven approach to cross-border e-commerce platforms. Originality of the study: To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study providing empirical evidence about the effects of using a data-driven approach to cross-border e-commerce platforms

Nicolae Ceauşescu portrayed by the italian press (1968-1974)

Il contributo si concentra sui modi in cui Nicolae Ceauşescu e la Romania comunista furono presentati al pubblico italiano dalla stampa nazionale, sia di partito che d’opinione, tra il 1968 e il 1974, periodo in cui il leader romeno godette indubbiamente di un ampio apprezzamento nel mondo occidentale. In particolare, viene messo in luce come gli interessi di diversi gruppi di potere, sia politici che economici, influenzassero in quegli anni l’immagine e il giudizio che della Romania comunista erano offerti dalla stampa italiana. Alcuni giornali, tra i quali soprattutto «l’Unità» e «La Stampa», espressioni di mondi e interessi contrapposti, si distinsero allora nell’opera di manipolazione della verità a proposito di Nicolae Ceauşescu e del suo regime in Romania, omettendo o sfumando le informazioni sui caratteri autoritari del sistema o esaltandone in maniera strumentale i meriti e le “aperture”

Business-to-business branding: a review and assessment of the impact of non-attribute-based brand beliefs on buyer\u2019s attitudinal loyalty

Business-to-business branding has received increasing attention from researchers in the last few years. Nonetheless, there is no agreement on the relative contribution of a brand versus an offering\u2019s functional attributes to the industrial buyer\u2019s preferences. Drawing on models from the business-to-consumer context, this paper demonstrates that non-attribute-based brand beliefs are predictors of hedonic outcomes as measured by industrial buyers\u2019 attitudinal loyalty, while attribute-based brand beliefs are not. Moreover, the moderating role of the buyer\u2019s level of knowledge for the value-generating process is identified, suggesting that the impact of non-attribute-based brand beliefs on attitudinal loyalty is greater for buyers with a low level of knowledge

Public services co-production: exploring the role of citizen orientation

Purpose\u2013 Since the introduction of \u201cnew public management\u201d in the 1980s, public officials have looked for solutions to increase citizen participation in services planning and provision. Despite recent advancements in co\u2010production and value\u2010creation literature, the public sector is still lagging behind. A few studies have recently tried to investigate factors leading to public officials' resistance to adopting these new practices and tools, but they only analyze structural and objective antecedents. This has led to unconvincing results. The purpose of this paper is to broaden the perspective by adopting public officials' point of view, developing a scale for the construct \u201ccitizen orientation\u201d and investigating its explanatory power.Design/methodology/approach\u2013 A mail survey is conducted among a sample of Italian town mayors. Factor analysis and regressions are used, respectively, to develop the scale for citizen orientation and to test the hypotheses.Findings\u2013 Results support the hypothesis, showing that public officials' citizen orientation is a significant antecedent of the intention to increase the level of co\u2010production.Research limitations/implications\u2013 Results could have been influenced by the degree of new public management development within the specific research setting. Further studies with larger samples are needed to strongly corroborate findings.Practical implications\u2013 Findings imply that a cultural change is needed among public officials in order for public organizations to become facilitators of value co\u2010production processes.Originality/value\u2013 This paper develops a scale for citizen orientation as an adaptation of the customer orientation construct to explain public officials' attitude toward co\u2010production within local government. This perspective complements the more common approaches based only on objective antecedents

Marketing issues for business-to-business firms entering emerging markets: an investigation among Italian companies in Eastern Europe

Purpose.The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore marketing issues for foreign industrial companies of large, small and medium size entering emerging markets (EMs), particularly transition economies in Eastern Europe. The vast majority of current studies about emerging markets focus only on defining suitable strategies related to large consumer goods corporations. Design/Methodology/Approach.The research adopted a multiple case study approach. Five Italian companies belonging to different business-to-business industries that have entered emerging countries in Eastern Europe were selected for investigation.Findings.Empirical analysis uncovered recurring issues related to: institutional factors causing market uncertainty and instability; difficulties in building a sales network; a need for product adaptation to guarantee satisfactory performance; choices related to communication, branding and trade fairs; and considerations about competition and first mover advantage. Results can be interpreted as an extension of the analysis of institutional voids by Khanna and Palepu (1997).Research limitations.The study is based on the analysis of five case studies of companies operating in specific emerging markets, namely in Eastern Europe Countries (EEc) Further research based on different samples and different emerging countries is needed before generalizing results. Practical implications.The study shows that the main institutional void affecting business-to-business companies entering EMs is the lack of locally developed sales and after-sales networks. This institutional void slows the entry process of business-to-business companies in EMs. Given these constraints, from the perspective of business-to-business SMEs, it may be fruitful to pursue niche positioning in EMs. Originality / value. The study analyzes emerging markets opportunities and entry strategies from the business-to-business marketing perspective, uncovering the most critical issues

Differences between public administrators\u2019 and elected officials\u2019 perspectives on the role of the citizen in service quality improvement processes

Purpose \u2013 According to the \u201cNew Public Management\u201d paradigm, citizens are viewed as active participants through all the different steps of service planning and provision. Nonetheless, citizens\u2019 involvement is still far from being systematically applied within local governments. The purpose of this paper is to give a contribution to this stream of research by investigating whether a part of this resistance could be explained by the differences between public administrators and elected officials\u2019 perspectives on the role of the citizens in service quality improvement processes.Design/methodology/approach \u2013 A mail survey was conducted among a sample of Italian town municipalities in May and June of 2010. A total of 102 questionnaires were returned (59 from politicians and 43 from public managers), and these questionnaires were then analysed through t-tests and regressions.Findings \u2013 Findings support the existence of a statistically significant difference between public administrators\u2019 and elected officials\u2019 attitudes. Differences exist in three main issues: the relative importance of citizens as sources of inputs to improve public service quality, the objectives of citizens\u2019 involvement and the structure of citizens\u2019 preferences.Research limitations/implications \u2013 Results could have been influenced by the degree of New Public Management development within the specific research setting (Italian local governments).Practical implications \u2013 Formalising the role, the timing and the contribution of citizens\u2019 involvement to the municipal decision-making process could help to mitigate the mentioned dualism.Creating a favourable cultural background and sharing a citizen-oriented vision within the Whole organisation, from top levels to front-line employees, is fundamental.Originality/value \u2013 This paper is the first to suggest that these resistances toward involving citizens in quality improvement processes could be due to the differences between administrators\u2019 and elected officials\u2019 perspectives

Public administrators' engagement in services co-creation: factors that foster and hinder organisational learning about citizens

Citizens and public organisations are increasingly engaging in the co-creation of public services. To be successful, such co-creation efforts require public organisations to engage in organisational learning about citizens' value-creation processes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the antecedents of such organisational learning, drawing on Payne, Storbacka, and Frow's framework about value co-creation management. A model consisting of five factors is suggested and tested via a survey administered to a sample of 204 local government administrators in Italy. The findings highlight the significance of two positive antecedents (public administrators' level of citizen orientation and expected benefits from co-creation) and three negative antecedents (perceived citizens' lack of competencies and experience, perceived biases in citizens' perceptions, and lack of resources) of organisational learning. From the managerial perspective, the model tested in this study can be used by public organisations to evaluate their level of organisational learning

Marketing performance measurement in hotels, travel agencies and tour operators: a study of current practices

As successful tourism firms invest heavily in marketing to defend or improve their competitive position, they increasingly need to measure their marketing performance. Previous studies related to tourism have largely focused on financial and operational performance, but the marketing perspective has been largely overlooked. Drawing on an in-depth investigation involving 12 hotel chains, 8 travel agencies and 8 tour operators, this study provides an overview of the state-of-the-art marketing performance measurements among some of the leading tourism firms in Italy. Several issues and unanswered questions are also identified

Heritage preservation: is it a motivation for agritourism entrepreneurship?

Objectives. Previous studies on agritourism entrepreneurship have identified a variety of economic and non-economic motivations driving farm operators to start the agritourism activity. Nonetheless, local heritage preservation and enhancement have been completely overlooked. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether \u201cheritage preservation and enhancement\u201d (in its three facets related to: tangible rural heritage; agrifood heritage; rural way of life heritage) is a specific non-economic motivation for agritourism entrepreneurship.Methodology. A survey on a sample of 226 Italian agritourism operators was conducted in March 2015. Data were first analysed through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and then through the importance-performance analysis (IPA).Findings. The results show that there are 5 different groups of motivations to start the agritourism business, namely: i) economic motivations; ii) personal and family-related motivations; iii) tangible rural heritage preservation and enhancement; iv) agrifood heritage preservation and enhancement; v) rural way of life heritage preservation and enhancement. Hence \u201cheritage preservation and enhancement\u201d (in its three facets) has a pivotal role and it is more important than economic motivations. Similarly operators are more satisfied for having contributed to heritage preservation than for having obtained economic benefits from the agritourism activity.Research limits. Caution should be paid before extending these results to countries other than Italy (where, for example, agrifood heritage has a strong and peculiar tradition and connection with the territory).Practical implications. Operators are well aware of their contribution to the preservation and enhancement of local heritage but also perceive that tourists are not always able to appreciate the value of this contribution and have misconceptions about the essence of agritourism. This may be the result also of the use of the label \u201cagritourism\u201d to indicate offerings (such as agri-spas or basic accommodation services) which do not primarily focus on the link with local heritage. Therefore, it is important that \u201cauthentic agritourism\u201d operators that focus on heritage (in its three facets) are able to share the efforts to make potential guests aware about the uniqueness of their offering, emphasizing the strong link with the local heritage.Originality of the study. This is the first study in the literature stream about agritourism entrepreneurship to demonstrate that locale heritage preservation and enhancement is a distinct, key motivation for agritourism operators