Linking country-level causal conditions to women on boards: a set theoretic approach

The core assumption of this thesis is that the more gender-neutral are cultural, welfare and labor institutions, the higher will be the number of women on boards of directors. The logic of set-theory and the assumption of causal complexity inform the development of propositions, which assume the existence of two equifinal and mutually non-exclusive bundles of causal conditions that can lead to a higher number of women on boards

Institutional complementarities and gender diversity on boards: a configurational approach

Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: To address the lack of a complementarities-based approach in studies of board diversity, this paper seeks to understandwhether and howcertain country-level factors are causally and jointly related towomen on boards and the nature of their complementarities (are they synergic or substitutes?). Moreover, we intend to learn more about the adoption/diffusion of board gender quotas, by taking into account their role in the existing national configurations (whether they are necessary and/or sufficient conditions). Research Findings/Insights: Using fs/QCA, our findings reveal a particular configuration of country-level conditions that supports the existence of a joint causal relation between given institutional arrangements. Furthermore, we find that board gender quota legislation is not a sufficient condition on its own to achieve a higher number of women on boards. Such evidence suggests that its diffusion across countries could be the result of institutional isomorphismor social legitimacy more than to rational reasons. Theoretical/Academic Implications: For scholars, our paper refines and expands insights from the extant comparative corporate governance literature. By finding support for the “bundled” or jointly causal nature of given institutional factors,we open a window for further research that investigates board-level phenomena in a complementarities-based perspective. Practitioner/Policy Implications: For policymakers, this study provides some insights that could better drive their choice about which mix of policies is necessary to improve female representation on boards, and especially in which institutional areas they should be implemented. It is particularly relevant, because once gender quotas are endorsed at board level, they could have ambiguous effects on firm performance and corporate governance

The antecedents of e-learning adoption within Italian corporate universities: A comparative case study

The implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in business education appears to be influenced by a number of organizational issues, such as culture and technological sophistication. However, extant research has had very little to say about the antecedents that shape the adoption and diffusion of ICT across companies. In order to shed light on the phenomenon under investigation, this paper presents a comparative case study between five Italian companies that have instituted a corporate university. By distinguishing companies in typical cases and deviant cases with regard to the extensive use of e-learning technologies, our findings provide some useful insights about the antecedents that make companies more or less prone to employ the new frontiers of technology in their CUs

Aprirsi alla disabilità in azienda: le sfide del disability management

Promuovere in azienda un orientamento positivo alla disabilità superando pregiudizi e discriminazioni migliora l’identità e l’integrazione dell’individuo al lavoro contribuendo alla crescita di un’organizzazione attenta alla protezione del capitale umano, orientata al valore e al benessere. Valorizzare l’impegno e il contributo dei lavoratori disabili aiuta la generazione di perfomance soddisfacenti

EMERGING MODELS FOR CORPORATE WELFARE AND HR MANAGEMENT IN THE SERVICE-DOMINANT LOGIC

large body of research highlights the key-role of human resources in the new service economy. The service-dominant logic considers them as operant resources in value co-creation. Internal marketing policies, total rewards strategies and corporate welfare initiatives underline the importance of getting employees motivated, engaged, and satisfied. By combining HRM, IT and service systems issues, this paper aims to explore the emergence of new professional services providers in the Italian context and their innovative solutions in managing corporate welfare programs through integrated service systems. Through a systematic review, our findings describe the common features of emerging corporate welfare service systems and suggest several future paths of research in order to advance empirical knowledge in this high-potential field

In Vivo Phenotyping for the Early Detection of Drought Stress in Tomato

Drought stress imposes a major constraint over a crop yield and can be expected to grow in importance if the climate change predicted comes about. Improved methods are needed to facilitate crop management via the prompt detection of the onset of stress. Here, we report the use of an in vivo OECT (organic electrochemical transistor) sensor, termed as bioristor, in the context of the drought response of the tomato plant. The device was integrated within the plant's stem, thereby allowing for the continuous monitoring of the plant's physiological status throughout its life cycle. Bioristor was able to detect changes of ion concentration in the sap upon drought, in particular, those dissolved and transported through the transpiration stream, thus efficiently detecting the occurrence of drought stress immediately after the priming of the defence responses. The bioristor's acquired data were coupled with those obtained in a high-throughput phenotyping platform revealing the extreme complementarity of these methods to investigate the mechanisms triggered by the plant during the drought stress event