Designing, Producing and Using Artifacts in the Structuration of Firm Knowledge: Evidence from Proprietary and Open Processes of Software Development.

In the paper we study the recursive nature of artifacts in the production and the socialization of organizational knowledge. In this respect, artifacts are interpreted both as the product (output) of organizational knowledge processes and, at the same time, as tools easing the development of other artifacts. We compare different practices of knowledge creation and diffusion in complex software production processes with the aim of understanding the effects of interplay between (1) coordination and control practices, (2) mediating artifacts and development tools, and (3) interactions between different actors in the development process. We aim at identifying the peculiar traits emerging in contrasting development paradigms, namely the closed, fully proprietary one widespread in the gaming console industry, and the open model of free/open source software developmentvideo/computer game industry; artifacts; free/open source software; video game consoles

Designing, Producing and Using Artifacts in the Structuration of Firm Knowledge: Evidence from Proprietary and Open Processes of Software Development.

In the paper we study the recursive nature of artifacts in the production and the socialization of organizational knowledge. In this respect, artifacts are interpreted both as the product (output) of organizational knowledge processes and, at the same time, as tools easing the development of other artifacts. We compare different practices of knowledge creation and diffusion in complex software production processes with the aim of understanding the effects of interplay between (1) coordination and control practices, (2) mediating artifacts and development tools, and (3) interactions between different actors in the development process. We aim at identifying the peculiar traits emerging in contrasting development paradigms, namely the closed, fully proprietary one widespread in the gaming console industry, and the open model of free/open source software development.video/computer game industry; artifacts; free/open source software; video game console

Organizational choices as drivers of work intensity

In this paper we offer some new insights into the interpretation of the relationship between the introduction of Information Technology devices and their effects on working time. Prevailing theories suggest a mechanistic link between technology adoption and its effects on work, both in terms of quantity and quality. In contrast, we claim that technology adoption is a means to implement organizational choices regarding both the technical and the social structure of tasks. Drawing our evidence from a case study describing the introduction of a new ERP system in a car rental company, we show how these organizational changes affect the pace of work activities, the balance between working and leisure time and the balance between production and learning time

Assessing the economic impact of public industrial policies: an empirical investigation on subsidies.

Empirical literature findings do not provide a clear-cut interpretation of the effects of public aid on firms’ performances. We contribute to this literature analysing the effects of public regional subsidies on investment using a new dataset covering all the firms in the Italian province of Trento, along with a record of public aid granted in the last 15 years. We find permanent positive effects of aid on firms’ size, but no effect is found on factor substitution, nor on technical change. Moreover, subsidies do not improve either profitability or productivity. These results help better define the scope for local aid.regional policy; public subsidies; propensity score matching

The role of competencies and interests in developing complex IT-artefacts: the case of a metering system.

In this paper we aim at contributing to the ongoing debate on the relationship between artefacts and organizational structuration. Current literature emphasises the role of artefacts as mediators between interests of different categories of actors, namely between designers and users. Alternatively, it concentrates on the processes of learning and interacting between each actor and the artefacts themselves. We explore an arrangement which is not captured by these characterizations, and yet is becoming more and more common, that is situations in which complexity imposes an integration of different actors focusing on knowledge domains which are only partly overlapping. To explore these issues, we examine the dynamics surrounding the design of a complex artefact: an electronic metering system developed by a consortium of firms. The main results emerging from the case study are 1) the relevance of each actor's interests as the main rationale for explaining the technical features of the artefact; 2) the role of negotiation and consensus in determining the final shape of the artefact in term of its features; 3) the bundling/unbundling of features within the physical object as the cooperative effort rises/falls.artefacts; interests; ambiguity; competencies

Noi per Genova. The coordination of volunteers in the Genoa flood of 2014 / Noi per Genova. Il coordinamento dei volontari durante l’alluvione di Genova del 2014

Volunteers represent a valuable asset during emergencies caused by natural phenomena. A recent flurry of contributions has underscored the capabilities of so-called digital volunteers to provide effective contributions by providing useful information, helping mitigate the damage and supporting the recovery in the aftermath of disasters. Social media have been identified as specific enablers of volunteer work, as they provide a bottom-up coordination tool. We contend that albeit useful for broadcasting information and corroborating other sources of information, the use of social media by a vast network of volunteers cannot substitute for the highly contextual knowledge developed locally on the scene. We explore the issue by analyzing volunteer work – both digital and physical – occurring during the Genoa flood of 2014

Anatomical substrates and neurocognitive predictors of daily numerical abilities in mild cognitive impairment.

Patients with mild cognitive impairment experience difficulties in mathematics that affect their functioning in the activities of everyday life. What are the associated anatomical brain changes and the cognitive correlates underlying such deficits? In the present study, 33 patients with Mild Cognitive Impairments (MCI) and 29 cognitively normal controls underwent volumetric MRI, and completed the standardized battery of Numerical Activities of Daily Living (NADL) along with a comprehensive clinical neuropsychological assessment. Group differences were examined on the numerical tasks and volumetric brain measures. The gray (GM) and white matter (WM) volume correlates were also evaluated. The results showed that relative to controls, the MCI group had impairments in number comprehension, transcoding, written operations, and in daily activities involving time estimation and money usage. In the volumetric measures, group differences emerged for the transcoding subtask in the left insula and left superior temporal gyrus. Among MCI patients, number comprehension and formal numerical performance were correlated with volumetric variability in the right middle occipital areas and right frontal gyrus. Money-usage scores showed significant correlations with left mesial frontal cortex, right superior frontal and right superior temporal cortex. Regression models revealed that neuropsychological measures of long-term memory, language, visuo-spatial abilities, and abstract reasoning were predictive of the patients' decline in daily activities. The present findings suggest that early neuropathology in distributed cortical regions of the brain including frontal, temporal and occipital areas leads to a breakdown of cognitive abilities in MCI that impacts on numerical daily functioning. The findings have implications for diagnosis, clinical and domestic care of patients with MCI

J.D. Thompson’s Organizations in Action 50th anniversary: a reflection

At the 50th anniversary of James D. Thompson’s fundamental book, Organizations in Action, TAO Digital Library proposes a reflection on this great master’s legacy and the evolution of organizational studies. Twelve researchers, from different disciplinary fields, analyze both the texts utilized for teaching and the contribution of several important journals, particularly in recent decades. The outcome is an overall picture that may stimulate different, divergent evaluations and, even more importantly, desirable, deeper reflections

Rider at work: una lettura multidisciplinare

The debate on the problems of light-delivery rider work and, more in general, of the work in the gig economy, is rich and extensive. The problems posed to the interpretation of these increasingly relevant phenomena are numerous and exposed to changes both on the supply and demand side. However, they can be traced back to the configuration of the subjects at work, of the work activity, of the enterprises involved. This ebook presents contributions addressing these issues from different disciplinary points of view. The proposed interpretations allow useful comparisons and may constitute the beginning of a broader and more articulated discussion

Humans, resources, or what else?

The literature on human resource management shows growing attention to the “personal” dimension of the subject-organization relationship, while the subjectivist contributions do not disregard the discussion on managerial implications. This ebook proposes a reflection on this apparent convergence. It discusses the internal criticism arising from the mainstream literature and the criticism originating from different disciplinary perspectives (organization, sociology of science, psychology of work, and labor law). Alternatives to the idea of human resources are proposed through the reflection on the goals of the processes of actions and decisions, the ontological reflection on the idea of man, and the epistemological reflection on the choices that allow overcoming the objectivism/subjectivism antinomy