Exploring the connection between relational capital and female entrepreneurs

.Among intangible assets of contemporary companies, relational capital (RC) is a relevant strategic asset as well as a dimension of intellectual capital. In this scenario, micro-enterprises are key drivers of economic growth, and woman entrepreneurs are key developers of these businesses. So, the purpose of this study is to carry out a literature review analyzing how RC contributes to the startup phase of women-owned micro-enterprises. Another purpose is to understand whether and to what extent the studies conducted so far have addressed some issues such as “How and why women entrepreneurs use relational capital? What are the main benefits they get using relational capital? What are the main obstacles they face?” A literature search on Scopus was conducted, using a set of selected keywords. Scopus was used since it has quality publications. Selected papers were analyzed and classified, in an attempt to identify the main topics and results obtained from the research and analysis carried out so far. The contribution of the present research is to make the international literature focus on the connection between gender studies and RC. Particularly, the literature review emphasizes the topic proposed as emerging issue, which gives us the opportunity to identify new trends and future directions of research. This paper aims to advance knowledge and practice in the area of gender and management, using RC based on empirical research, theoretical developments, practice and current issues. The main evidences are related to a better understanding of the debate on gender and relational capital, considering that female entrepreneurship is central to the development and welfare of economies. Deep knowledge on how women entrepreneurs manage business relation can contribute to improving the effectiveness policies that promote the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy

Exploring human capital: discrimination factors and group-specific performance in the football industry

The aim of the study is to investigate whether discrimination factors exist within professional football clubs, concerning the management of their human capital, by analysing the correlation between the footballers’ wages and their performance. An analysis was conducted to show that discrimination, based both on nationality and race, can affect the strategies adopted by football club managers and in the professional footballer labour market, where players are considered to be the human capital of football enterprises. The research framework consists of an analysis of the existing literature on discrimination in sports and of a quantitative analysis based on an exploratory approach, where the wage differences among Italian Serie A league footballers are compared to the performance of each group of players (organised by race or nationality). The results of the analysis of data for all Italian Serie A clubs show that discrimination (in pay) exists against Italian and white players. In contrast, when small and big clubs are considered separately, the findings relating to small clubs highlight that foreign and black players face such discrimination. The results suggest that managers of professional football clubs apply a discrimination strategy. In addition, the results provide practical implications on the types of discrimination errors that are committed by the management of big and small football clubs. Big clubs tend to overrate the contributions of foreign and/or black players compared to those of Italian and white players, while small clubs tend to overrate the contributions of Italian and white players compared to those of foreign and black players. To reduce discrimination, clubs have to correlate how much players are paid with their performance. Further research is recommended to identify the impact of wage inequality on the football labour market and on professional team management

Changing the University System Management: a study of the Italian scenario

Over recent years, the Italian University System has been handling a phase of deep changes, which have had significant impact on its mission and on the way it operates. The most important of these changes have been to the organisation of universities, their recruitment procedures and in terms of improvements to the quality and efficiency of the university system itself. In this perspective, the objective of this research was to carry out a critical analysis of the process of change, with special reference to improving efficiency by making the transition from cash-based accounting to accrual accounting. In order to achieve this objective, the starting point was the legislation of reference that sets out the terms for the move to financial accrual accounting. A comparative analysis was then carried out at an international level, with the purpose of highlighting the strengths and weaknesses identified during the implementation of these new procedures within the public field. This was followed by an analysis of the details of the theory defining the accounting principles to be used in the process of preparing university’s financial statements. Finally, the study identified the main critical points relating to implementation of the new accounting system, offering, at the same time, several thoughts concerning possible subsequent analyses on this topic

The balanced scorecard logic in the management control and reporting of small business company networks: a case study

The purpose of this paper is to assess and integrate the application of the balance scorecard (BSC) logic into business networks identifying functions and use that such performance measuring tool may undertake for SME’s collaborative development. Thus, the paper analyses a successful case study regarding an Italian network of small companies, evaluating how the multidimensional perspective of BSC can support strategic and operational network management as well as communication of financial and extra financial performance to stakeholders. The study consists of a qualitative method, proposing the application of BSC model for business networks from international literature. Several meetings and interviews as well as triangulation with primary and secondary documents have been conducted. The case study allows to recognize how BSC network logic can play a fundamental role on defining network mission, supporting management control as well as measuring and reporting the intangible assets formation along the network development lifecycle. This is the first time application of a BSC integrated framework for business networks composed of SMEs. The case study demonstrates operational value of BSC for SME’s collaborative development and success

Socio-economic value co-creation and sports tourism: evidence from Tasmania

Tasmania, the island state of Australia has been steadily escalating its appeal as a tourist destination. The state government's 'sports-tourism' partnership with the Hawthorn Football Club plays a key role to promote the tourism industry, and to contribute to various socio-economic issues of Tasmania. This case study attempts to analyse the relationships and interactions of these two partners, as they both work interdependently towards their multifarious goals. The findings descriptively portray the influence of relationship marketing (RM) on the mutually beneficial relationship value of Tasmania and Hawthorn, where RM steers their initial mutual value alongside their interdependence and multifarious socio-economic goals, towards a win-win outcome and further socio-economic value co-creation for all associated stakeholders. The findings contribute to the contemporary understanding of interrelations and interdependence among the stakeholders from sports-tourism, destination marketing and socio-economic development perspectives and suggest its research and practical significance

Glucose-lowering agents and reduced risk of incident non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: new insights

Maybe, given the multiple pathways involved in the NAFLD pathogenesis and the single response from single- agent therapies (that stands from 30% to 50%) observed in the RCTs published so far (3), the combination of different agents with various mechanisms of action may be the best way to treat NAFLD and its advanced forms (11). In this regard, for instance, the GLP-1 RA, semaglutide, is being investigated in combination with the nonsteroidal Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, cilofexor, and with the acetyl- CoA carboxylase inhibitor, firsocostat, in a phase 2 proof- of-concept trial (NCT03987074). Semaglutide is also being investigated in combination with empagliflozin (gliflozin) in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, 3-arm parallel group trial (NCT04639414). Moreover, considering the heterogeneity of NAFLD patients, it might be even more suitable to identify specific individuals for a definite therapeutic strategy (11). However, the research on this topic is still at the beginning and further studies are needed to improve our understanding for intercepting NAFLD patients who would have a higher probability of treatment response with a specific agent as monotherapy or, better, with a combination therapy (3)

Management control of contractual networks: the business network scorecard

The paper presents an analysis of the management control systems, introducing a useful instrument to summarise performance achieved from the organizational network model, with a view to establishing the competitive advantage and the creation of value on the long term. The research approach is based on the qualitative methodology. The research is developed according to the study of national and international literature. The contribution proposes theoretical proof to support the new management control instrument for contractual networks: the Business Network Scorecard. The approach adopted for the development of the network management control instrument (Business Network Scorecard) refers to the principles of the Balanced Scorecard and value creation. So, the reporting system of network performance aims at highlighting the joint results of an economic-financial nature as well as those of an intangible nature. Through a logic of interception of large aggregates, the results achieved by the network are proposed through the matrix of network objectives, the multidimensional network model, including perspective indicators, 4 indicators of synergy and the comparison report of joint and individual performance of companies

Modernização na fabrica segundo a otica de operarios e operarias

Orientador: Liliana Rolfsen Petrilli SegniniDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de EducaçãoMestrad

Perseverança e resistencia : a engenharia como profissão feminina

Orientador: Liliana Rolfsen Petrilli SegniniTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de EducaçãoResumo: Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as relações de gênero na engenharia brasileira contemporânea, focalizando as décadas de 80 e 90, anos em que o ambiente econômico e o grupo profissional dos engenheiros passaram por importantes transformações. Entende-se que a gradativa feminização do trabalho no campo da engenharia significa rompimento dos valores que tendem a discriminar as mulheres em carreiras predominantemente masculinas como é o caso da engenharia ainda hoje. Há que se considerar também que as mulheres que fizeram essa opção profissional tiveram que enfrentar padrões de gênero aceitos no interior das famílias, das escolas e do mundo do trabalho. Nesse sentido, o estudo procurou compreender quais as possibilidades de inserção das mulheres na engenharia, sob que condições constróem suas carreiras, como se percebem como estudantes e profissionais da engenharia, como são percebidas pelo coletivo masculino nos espaços escolares e nos ambientes de trabalho e, enfim, como vivenciam subjetivamente essas experiências. A investigação combinou a análise de dados estatísticos sobre formação escolar e emprego com a realização de entrevistas com profissionais de ambos os sexos e dirigentes sindicais. No sentido de captar a evolução dos padrões de gênero imbricados nas engenharias, procurou-se incluir na pesquisa de campo engenheiros(as) formados(as) nas décadas de 70, 80 e 90Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyse the gender relations in Brazilian contemporary engineering, focusing on the decades of 1980 and 1990, years in which the economic atmosphere and the professional group of engineers went through important changes. It is understood that the gradual work feminisation in engineering area means the rupture with values which tend to discriminate women in careers where men are the majority, as it is the case of engineering even nowadays. It must also be taken into account that the women who have made such professional choice had to face the gender standards accepted in the core of the families, of the schools and in the labour world. In this sense, the study tried to understand which insertion possibilities the women have in engineering, under which conditions they build their careers, how they see themselves as engineering students and professionals, how they are seen by the male groups at college and at work places and finally, how they live subjectively these experiences. The investigation has combined the statistical data analysis about academic education and employment with interviews made with professionals, males and females, as well as with trade union leaders. Aiming to gather the evolution of gender standards imbricated in the different fields of engineering, engineers (of both sexes) who finished university in the decades of 1970, 1980 and 1990 were included in the field researchDoutoradoEducação, Sociedade, Politica e CulturaDoutor em Educaçã