Implementing a Digital Strategy:Learning from the Experience of Three Digital Transformation Projects

The rapid growth of digital technologies and the extraordinary amount of data that devices and applications collect each day are increasingly driving companies to radically transform the business architecture through which they create and appropriate value. However, companies may fail to extract value from digital transformation due to the disconnection between strategy formulation and strategy implementation. Through the analysis of three case studies of firms that digitally transformed their business - namely ABB, CNH Industrial, and Vodafone -, this article presents a framework than can help companies implement their digital transformation strategy and thereby renovate their business model

Crowdfunding performance, market performance, and the moderating roles of product innovativeness and experts' judgment: Evidence from the movie industry

Reward-based crowdfunding (CF) has emerged as a method to solicit funds for innovative projects. Yet, little is still known about the ability of reward-based CF to act as a signal in the eyes of future consumers, and thus boost the future market performance of new products that innovators intend to commercialize using the campaign funds. In addition, scant research has clarified the boundary conditions that can magnify or weaken the efficacy of this CF signal. Given the relevance of reward-based CF for supporting innovation, understanding when the CF campaign performance works as an effective signal is of great interest, especially in business settings characterized by high product quality uncertainty. By using the movie industry as a setting, we contribute to fill this gap. Specifically, we argue that the positive effect of the reward-based CF performance is moderated by two important factors influencing consumers' purchase decisions: the degree of product innovativeness and the expert judgment about the product. Elaborating on the effects of product innovativeness, we posit that this product feature should moderate the positive relationship between CF and subsequent market performances in an inverted U-shaped fashion. Favorable expert recommendations, on the other hand, should weaken the efficacy of the CF performance as a signal. Results from a sample of 1059 new movies (of which 152 released in theaters) confirm these predictions and offer several remarkable implications for innovators

Extrafine beclomethasone/formoterol in severe COPD patients with history of exacerbations

The FORWARD study is a randomised, double-blind trial that compares the efficacy and safety of 48 weeks treatment with extrafine beclomethasone dipropionate/formoterol fumarate (BDP/FOR), 100/6 μg pMDI, 2 inhalations BID, vs. FOR 12 μg pMDI, 1 inhalation BID, in severe COPD patients with a history of exacerbations. Co-primary endpoints were exacerbation rate over 48 weeks and pre-dose morning FEV1 at 12 weeks. The ITT population included 1186 patients (69% males, mean age 64 years) with severe airflow limitation (mean post-bronchodilator FEV1 42% predicted). Salbutamol as rescue therapy, theophylline and tiotropium (if stable regimen prior to screening) were allowed. Compared to FOR, BDP/FOR: (1) reduced the exacerbation rate (rate ratio: 0.72 [95% confidence interval 0.62–0.84], p < 0.001); (2) improved pre-dose morning FEV1 (mean difference: 0.069 L [0.043–0.095] p < 0.001); (3) prolonged the time to first exacerbation; (4) improved the SGRQ total score. The percentage of patients with adverse events was similar (52.1% with BDP/FOR and 49.2% with FOR). Pneumonia incidence was low, slightly higher with BDP/FOR (3.8%) than with FOR (1.8%). No difference for laboratory values, ECG or vital signs. Extrafine BDP/FOR significantly reduces the exacerbation rate and improves lung function of patients with severe COPD and history of exacerbations as compared to FOR alone

Graphene-based absorber exploiting guided mode resonances in one-dimensional gratings

A one-dimensional dielectric grating, based on a simple geometry, is proposed and investigated to enhance light absorption in a monolayer graphene exploiting guided mode resonances. Numerical findings reveal that the optimized configuration is able to absorb up to 60% of the impinging light at normal incidence for both TE and TM polarizations resulting in a theoretical enhancement factor of about 26 with respect to the monolayer graphene absorption (about 2.3%). Experimental results confirm this behaviour showing CVD graphene absorbance peaks up to about 40% over narrow bands of few nanometers. The simple and flexible design paves the way for the realization of innovative, scalable and easy-to-fabricate graphene-based optical absorbers

Graphene-based perfect optical absorbers harnessing guided mode resonances

We numerically and experimentally investigate graphene-based optical absorbers that exploit guided mode resonances (GMRs) achieving perfect absorption over a bandwidth of few nanometers (over the visible and near-infrared ranges) with a 40-fold increase of the monolayer graphene absorption. We analyze the influence of the geometrical parameters on the absorption rate and the angular response for oblique incidence. Finally, we experimentally verify the theoretical predictions in a one-dimensional, dielectric grating and placing it near either a metallic or a dielectric mirror

The effect of spatial variables on the economic and environmental performance of bioenergy production chains

The aim of this paper is to understand the impacts of spatial variables on the performance of bioenergy production chains (BPCs). Even though the strong debates continue on the use of first generation biomass for bioenergy production, many countries continue to utilize it as an alternative energy source. Several studies have been carried out on biomass transformation efficiency, on environmental impacts of using crop in biofuel production, and on its negative effects on increasing food prices. However, less attention has been paid to the role played by the spatial variables on the performance measures of BPCs. In this paper, we analyse how three spatial variables, i.e. cultivation area size, land dispersion, and accessibility to cultivation areas, can affect the performance of energy-balanced BPC, which produces its own electric and thermal energy demand. The chain is represented as a network of processes, where all inputs and outputs are geographically referred and analysed in a theoretical case example. We propose an enterprise input–output (EIO) model, which can be used as an accounting tool to compute the main materials and energy flows-related costs and as a planning tool to evaluate the chain performance in different scenarios. Finally, the proposed model is applied to an actual case study, to investigate the opportunity to establish a sunflower-based BPC in Apulia region (Italy) and to assess its performance. Results show that higher land dispersion degree and less area accessibility levels reduce the economic and environmental performance of the BPCs. The construction of the energy-balanced chain reduces the negative environmental impacts caused by fossil energy use in the processes of the BPC. Managerial implications can also be obtained from actual case study about the biodiesel plant location decisions

Building an outward-oriented social family legacy: rhetorical history in family business foundations

Scholars have recently paid growing attention to the transfer of family legacies across generations, but existing work has been mainly focused on an inward-oriented, intra-family, perspective. In this article, we seek to understand how family firms engage in rhetorical history to transfer their social family legacy to external stakeholders, what we call “outward-oriented social legacy.” By carrying out a 12-months field study in three Italian family business foundations, our findings unveil three distinctive narrative practices—founder foreshadowing, emplacing the legacy within the broader community, and weaving family history with macro—history—that contribute to transferring outward-oriented social legacies

Iron entry route in horse spleen apoferritin Involvement of the three-fold channels as probed by selective reaction of cysteine-126 with the spin label 4-maleimido-tempo

AbstractApoferritin has been selectively labeled with a maleimide nitroxide derivative at Cys-126, located in the hydrophilic 3-fold channels. Titration of this derivative with Fe(II), which gives rise to the initial Fe(III)-apoferritin complex, produces, at low metal-to-protein ratios, a decrease of the intensity of the label EPR signal due to the occurrence of a magnetic dipolar interaction. A label-metal distance ranging between 8–12 Å can be estimated from titrations performed with VO(IV), which is known to bind in the 3-fold channels, and likewise produces a decrease in the label EPR signal. The present findings indicate that iron binds in the hydrophilic channels in its higher oxidation slate and that these channels represent the metal entry route at least at low metal-to-protein ratios