L'approccio dei sistemi vitali e il suo contributo all'analisi degli aspetti sociali dell'industria italiana del fast food: il caso di studio KFC

L'industria del fast-food, nota anche come Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), è uno dei segmenti della ristorazione in più rapida crescita, soprattutto nel mercato italiano. Questa evidenza è alla base dello sviluppo, della crescita e delle strategie dei grandi marchi che dominano il settore. In genere, queste multinazionali, per poter operare in modo capillare in un mercato intercontinentale e molto spesso mondiale, optano per lo sviluppo attraverso una rete di franchising. L’evoluzione associata all’espansione, è contrassegnata dalle influenze sociali, culturali e territoriali, proprie di uno Stato: invero, se da un lato, è più facile immaginare che nei Paesi americani le catene di fast food, in virtù dello stile di vita del popolo, sempre più intento a consumare pasti veloci, abbiano maggiore probabilità di sviluppo e sopravvivenza, dall’altro lato, risulta chiaro capire come, nel territorio italiano, maggiormente legato alle tradizioni culinarie, sia più complesso che tali catene abbiano possibilità di successo. Alla luce di quanto espresso, obiettivo dell’elaborato sarà rispondere ai seguenti quesiti: “Come riescono le grandi multinazionali della ristorazione ad entrare in un contesto avverso come quello del mercato italiano? Ponendo un focus sul settore QSR, come i grandi player mondiali sono riusciti a superare le forti barriere all’ingresso del belpaese? Analizzando i casi storici e l’evoluzione nel corso del tempo, il modello di franchising è stata un’agevolazione per questo settore? Analizzando la tematica attraverso la lente dell’approccio sistemico vitale, quali sono state le determinanti del successo dei leader di mercato?” Ciò posto, grazie a un metodo di ricerca qualitativo fondato sulla letteratura esistente, nonché su report scientifici si tenterà di offrire un quadro quanto più completo e esauriente possibile sulle problematiche esistenti in subiecta materia; per di più, si evidenzieranno le possibili soluzioni che sono state apportare in letteratura, per l’appunto, a tale tematica. L’originalità del lavoro, tuttavia, si concretizzerà nella creazione di una strategia, comprensiva di raccomandazioni, che, laddove osservate, siano capaci di garantire un successo diretto e immediato all’ azienda. Sul punto, si chiarisce che tale strategia deve essere elaborata tenendo, tuttavia, conto delle specifiche esigenze non solo dell’azienda, ma anche del contesto ambientale, politico, culturale, sociale ed economico in cui l’impresa stessa è intenzionata ad approdare, atteso che ogni luogo è diverso da un altro, essendo ancorato alle proprie tradizioni. Quindi, nel dare risposta al quesito, si terrà conto anche degli studi eseguiti in ordine ai mercati che ci consentono di valutare i fattori che conducono ai loro cambiamenti, oltreché di comprendere gli errori che possono essere commessi dagli imprenditori, comportando un insuccesso della loro attività. Ulteriormente, si analizzerà nello specifico, l’istituto del franchising, sicché per quanto concerne il segmento del fast food, il successo si lega anche alla condivisione dei valori propri del marchio; in altre parole, il rispetto delle procedure e degli standard, non deve essere visto come un limite alla creatività, ma come uno strumento capace di garantire -già in partenza- qualità e profitto, che nel caso di specie, viaggiano di pari passo. Di riflesso, la lente ritenuta ideale per analizzare il fenomeno è stata quella dell’approccio sistemico vitale (ASV)

Web-based platforms in support of industrial symbiosis Initiatives. A bibliometric review

The main purpose of this contribution is to depict most promising web-based solutions in terms of best configuration for symbiotic network. By examining 10 existing and functioning Wb-platforms of which only some have been previously explored in the previous literature, the paper aims at underling main contributions that platforms can provide to industrial symbiosis. Thanks to a mixed research method, the paper shows that the most promising way for enhancing Wb-platforms within industrial symbiosis framework is to consider multiple platforms for integrating the results obtained from the different platforms and for assessing multi-criteria procedures

3D probability tomography: theoretical developments and applications to high-resolution geophysical prospecting

The theory of the 3D multipole probability tomography method (3D GPT) to image source poles, dipoles, quadrupoles and octopoles, of a geophysical vector or scalar field dataset is developed. A geophysical dataset is assumed to be the response of an aggregation of poles, dipoles, quadrupoles and octopoles. These physical sources are used to reconstruct without a priori assumptions the most probable position and shape of the true geophysical buried sources, by determining the location of their centres and critical points of their boundaries, as corners, wedges and vertices. This theory, then, is adapted to the geoelectrical, gravity and self potential methods. A few synthetic examples using simple geometries and three field examples are discussed in order to demonstrate the notably enhanced resolution power of the new approach. At first, the application to a field example related to a dipole–dipole geoelectrical survey carried out in the archaeological park of Pompei is presented. The survey was finalised to recognize remains of the ancient Roman urban network including roads, squares and buildings, which were buried under the thick pyroclastic cover fallen during the 79 AD Vesuvius eruption. The revealed anomaly structures are ascribed to wellpreserved remnants of some aligned walls of Roman edifices, buried and partially destroyed by the 79 AD Vesuvius pyroclastic fall. Then, a field example related to a gravity survey carried out in the volcanic area of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy) is presented, aimed at imaging as accurately as possible the differential mass density structure within the first few km of depth inside the volcanic apparatus. An assemblage of vertical prismatic blocks appears to be the most probable gravity model of the Etna apparatus within the first 5 km of depth below sea level. Finally, an experimental SP dataset collected in the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius volcanic district (Naples, Italy) is elaborated in order to define location and shape of the sources of two SP anomalies of opposite sign detected in the northwestern sector of the surveyed area. The modelled sources are interpreted as the polarization state induced by an intense hydrothermal convective flow mechanism within the volcanic apparatus, from the free surface down to about 3 km of depth b.s.l.

Imaging multipole gravity anomaly sources by 3D probability tomography

We present a generalized theory of the probability tomography applied to the gravity method, assuming that any Bouguer anomaly data set can be caused by a discrete number of monopoles, dipoles, quadrupoles and octopoles. These elementary sources are used to characterize, in an as detailed as possible way and without any a priori assumption, the shape and position of the most probable minimum structure of the gravity sources compatible with the observed data set, by picking out the location of their centres and peculiar points of their boundaries related to faces, edges and vertices. A few synthetic examples using simple geometries are discussed in order to demonstrate the notably enhanced resolution power of the new approach, compared with a previous formulation that used only monopoles and dipoles. A field example related to a gravity survey carried out in the volcanic area of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy) is presented, aimed at imaging the geometry of the minimum gravity structure down to 8 km of depth bsl

The strange connection between epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and dapsone: from rash mitigation to the increase in anti-tumor activity

The presence of an aberrantly activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in many epithelial tumors, due to its overexpression, activating mutations, gene amplification and/or overexpression of receptor ligands, represent the fundamental basis underlying the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Drugs inhibiting the EGFR have different mechanisms of action; while erlotinib and gefitinib inhibit the intracellular tyrosine kinase, monoclonal antibodies like cetuximab and panitumumab bind the extracellular domain of the EGFR both activating immunomediated anti-cancer effect and inhibiting receptor function. On the other hand, interleukin-8 has tumor promoting as well as neo-angiogenesis enhancing effects and several attempts have been made to inhibit its activity. One of these is based on the use of the old sulfone antibiotic dapsone that has demonstrated several interleukin-8 system inhibiting actions. Erlotinib typically gives a rash that has recently been proven to come out via up-regulated keratinocyte interleukin-8 synthesis with histological features reminiscent of typical neutrophilic dermatoses. In this review, we report experimental evidence that shows the use of dapsone to improve quality of life in erlotinib-treated patients by ameliorating rash as well as short-circuiting a growth-enhancing aspect of erlotinib based on increased interleukin-8 secretion

Mapping ESG's studies in business management field: A review based on bibliographic coupling analysis

Profound changes in the economic scenario are occurring. One of these is the increase in demand for and interest in Environmental social governance (ESG) aspects that have led firms to fundamentally rethink and reshape their business model, priorities, and purposes. The ESG narrative is that it is now recognized as a key determinant of future value creation. However, no review has explored the ESG literature by applying a bibliographic coupling analysis, especially to capture current and future research trends of ESG within a business management field. Therefore, the objectives of this review are twofold: i) to identify and examine in-depth clusters representing the latest research themes in the ESG field; ii) to propose insights into avenues for further research through a review of the articles included within each thematic cluster. We achieve these objectives by conducting a bibliographic coupling to provide a prospective approach, utilizing VOSviewer software Based on an analysis of 903 papers, 4 clusters were identified. In addition, a qualitative approach was made to complete the bibliographic coupling analysis. Therefore, all articles included in each cluster were read with the aim of identifying their most outstanding contributions, as well as the main research methods and theoretical perspectives employed. Finally, the paper offers potential new areas for further exploration

Trends and patterns in ESG research: A bibliometric odyssey and research agenda

The paper provides a detailed analysis of the ESG literature with the aim of bringing clarity to this area of research and proposing a research agenda. An overview of the development of the literature on ESG pillars is offered through a review of 903 peer-reviewed articles. The paper identifies four thematic clusters: impacts of ESG disclosure and practices, sustainability, accounting, and responsible investments. The main research streams and sub-streams for each cluster are discussed, highlighting the most frequent theoretical perspectives and methodologies. Furthermore, the evolution of ESG research across time is delineated. The paper also identifies future research directions within each cluster to advance knowledge, and proposes an integrative framework based on focal themes and their reciprocal connections

Application of the geoelectrical 3D probability tomography in a test-site of the archaeological park of Pompei (Naples, Italy

The 3D geoelectric probability tomography method has been previously developed as a powerful approach to localize in the subsoil the sources of the apparent resistivity anomalies detected on the ground surface. We show that this method can be successfull