Images and economic behaviour

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Beyond rationality: images as guide-lines to choice

In this paper I will discuss a representation of the decision-making process that is based on images production, and exploitation, in order to propose theoretical refinement of the link between decisional behaviour and mental images in economic contexts. To do so, I will start by shortly presenting Beach and Mitchell' s model (1987). I will then extend it to economics, by comparing its implications with those deriving from two more traditional approaches, both the neoclassical one and those recently from Simon' s bounded rationality theory: The most significant consequences of an image-based model appear to be: i) wider cognitive foundations for the decision process; ii) the need to extend the concept of rationality by enlarging its relationship with that of imagination; iii) a new and fuller "image" of the economic agent.

Resistance to change. Exploring the convergence of institutions, organizations and the mind toward a common phenomenon

Resistance to change is not a new concept in economic literature (Coch and French 1948, Boulding 1956). However, in the last few decades it has acquired specific connotations and meanings that deserve attention. The first aim of the paper is to analyze how the concept has evolved since its introduction by Lewin (1946) and how it has diversified. Having acknowledged that resistance characterizes institutions, organizations and the mind, we suggest that the convergence toward such phenomenon is not surprising. Indeed, it may be explained by taking the bounds that affect the cognitive and emotional counterparts of economic behavior into account. We finally reinterpret resistance to change as a heuristic that helps manage the natural tendency of human beings to fear, uncertainty and its expected effects.Change - cognitive economics - heuristic - emotions - resistance

An innovative approach for health care delivery to obese patients: from health needs identification to service integration

In Europe, more than half of the population is overweight or obese, and effort to design, validate, and implement innovative approaches is required to address social and health unmet needs of obese patients in terms of health promotion, disease prevention, and integration of services. The challenge is improving the collaboration between the different health and care stakeholders involved in the lives of obese patients, changing the socio-cultural attitude towards food intake and other behaviours leading to a negative impact on their health-related quality of life. The digital transformation of health and care can support changes in healthcare systems, healthy policy, and approaches to patient care and better implementation of the different health promotion and disease prevention strategies between all the stakeholders and support obese patients. Based on the previously experience adopted by Blueprint Partners with the Blueprint persona and user scenario in the context of models of care and prevention, health policies and analysis of risk factors affecting health and quality of life of obese subjects, the study aimed to simulate an integrated care pathway, through a multidisciplinary approach, developing and applying solutions and good clinical practices addressing the social and health unmet needs of obese patients. A pilot study assessed the quality of life (QoL), adherence to the Mediterranean diet, efficacy and interoperability of a digital health platform, Paginemediche. it. A qualitative approach has been adopted to identify and specify key digital solutions and high-impact user scenarios in Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA). To achieve a successful result, an iterative and collaborative approach has been followed to develop a user-centred perspective to the identification of solutions addressing health needs with different complexity along the entire life-course. Four initial key topic areas were chosen and used to identify different digital solutions that may meet the needs of the population segments defined by both age and the complexity of their health status. All data, derived from the industry representatives in the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA), were collected via a survey to how digital solutions best met the needs of the various population segments represented by personas. Subsequently, innovative solutions were designed based on how a user from a target group interacts with technologies, developing "personas" belonging to specific "population segments" with different conditions and needs. Then, a high-impact user scenario, based on the correlation of personas' needs, good clinical practices and digital solutions available targeting needs which playing a role in the health and care delivery for the persona, has been developed. In the end, to evaluate how digital solutions and technologies can support obese patients during their weight loss or management of their related comorbidities in current service provision, ten obese patients were enrolled to evaluate a Digital Health platform, pagininemediche.it, developed. Matilde, the Blueprint persona developed, highlighted some of the main needs (social support, development of a health-friendly environment and educational program on healthy nutrition and physical activity) that may be addressed by integrating innovative solutions in the care of obese patients. Based on her profile, a high-impact user scenario diagram correlates health and social needs with digital solutions and can help key actors in the creation of a well-integrated care approach. Moreover, the evaluation of the digital platform, paginemediche.it, demonstrated how digital solutions can motivate and support obese patients in changing habits towards a healthy lifestyle, although no further statistical significance has been identified in the quality of life assessment because of the limited number of the patients, and short period of observation. Overweight or obese patients tend to be marginalized and the subject of a real social stigma. Digital solutions may be useful to overcome psychological factors that prevent obese patients from starting their journey for a lifestyle change. The suggested approach, which considers health needs, IT skills, socioeconomic context, interoperability, and integration gaps that may influence the adoption of innovative solutions tailored to improve health outcomes is person-centred, and identify what is important for obese patients. The implementation of a persona and user scenario approach may also be useful for the early involvement of end-users in solutions' design and adaptation, increasing adherence, and the effectiveness of digital solutions. Persona profiles, the user scenario, and the related digital solution also consider the potential benefits that can derive for both patients and health system in term of reduced emergency room admissions, waiting lists, and health related expenditures

L'agente che rappresenta se stesso: economia, matematica ed eterogeneità

Il primo obiettivo di questo lavoro è una ricostruzione delle opinioni di Boulding e Samuelson sul ruolo della matematica in economia. Approfondiremo a tal fine le argomentazioni presentate da Boulding (1948) in occasione della recensione alle Foundations of Economie Ana/ysis, e la posizione espressa da Samuelson (1952) alcuni anni dopo, nell'ambito di un più ampio dibattito sviluppatosi sul tema. Verranno poi evidenziati i risultati recentemente proposti dalla letteratura economica che rendono a nostro avviso il tema ancora attuale e ne sollecitano una revisione critica. Con l'intento di procedere in quest'ultima direzione, argomenteremo che il protagonista della teoria economica presenta caratteristiche di eterogeneità strutturale rilevanti per la sua stessa "identità". Tale eterogeneità trae origine in parte dalla natura ontogenetica e filogenetica dei processi percettivi, pionieristicamente illustrata da Hayek, ed in parte dall'esistenza di formati non proposizionali per la rappresentazione della conoscenza, le immagini mentali. In accordo con questa prospettiva e contrariamente a quanto espresso dalla metafora dell'agente rappresentativo, l'eterogeneità caratterizza gli individui che compongono il mercato e ne influenza il comportamento. Un problema per la teoria è dunque come "tenerne conto", come cioè rappresentare in termini teorici le specificità individuali senza perdere il proprio necessario carattere di oggettività. A nostro avviso risulta a tal fine significativa un'analisi del comportamento economico strutturata su più livelli; gli strumenti matematici, pur essendo fondamentali ad uno specifico stadio dell'analisi che proveremo a caratterizzare esplicitamente, non sono tuttavia esaustivi a livelli successivi.

Il concetto di image nel pensiero di Kenneth Boulding e le implicazioni per la teoria economica contemporanea

Alcuni recenti contributi alla teoria economica contemporanea utilizzano il concetto di image nell'analisi dei processi decisionali e nella teoria dell'impresa.Nel primo caso i punti di riferimento sono rappresentati soprattutto dalla Carneige school of behavioral economics, con riferimento in particolare a Simon e March recentemente estesi anche a Shackle. Nel caso della teoria dell'impresa, questo filone viene integrato con la tradizione austriaca sul ruolo del coordinamento e dell'imprenditorialità. Entrambi i filoni di ricerca condividono un approccio "cognitivo" all'analisi economica. Tuttavia, in nessun caso si tiene in considerazione il rilevante contributo di Kenneth Boulding sul concetto di image, a cui egli ha dedicato un intero volume e alcuni saggi. Obiettivo di questo paper è di colmare questa lacuna e di discuterne la rilevanza per la teoria economica contemporanea. Pubblicato negli anni '50, "The image" spiega come il comportamento umano sia guidato da un repertorio di immagini.In particolare si fa riferimento all'immagine che si ha del mondo, la quale include una rappresentazione del sè. Attraverso l'esame di aspetti propri della biologia, della scienza organizzativa, dell'economia, della sociologia, della psicologia sociale e della politica Boulding evidenzia come il legame tra immagine e comportamento attraversi trasversalmente il territorio di diverse discipline. Proprio in virtù di questo intenso potere unificante, egli suggerisce di individuare nei processi di costruzione e trasformazione delle immagini il fondamento teorico di una scienza, l'"Eiconics", intesa come spazio di dialogo per ricercatori che operano in diversi campi di sapere. In tale percorso logico le immagini presentano alcune caratteristiche di fondo: sono path-dependent, overo legate alla storia dell'individuo e alla traiettoria evolutiva già percorsa, resistono ai cambiamenti quando raggiunte da nuovi flussi di informazione, sono elemento di coesione sociale in quanto creano sistemi di valori condivisi, sono duttili e in grado di assumere nuove forme. Tali caratteristiche sembrano suggerire rilevanti punti di contatto con temi attualmente dibattuti nell'ambito del problem-solving, in particolare con le modalità di rappresentazione mentale del problemi. Esse possono inoltre arricchire l'analisi sulle organizzazioni, suggerendo indicazioni nuove sulla loro natura, sopravvivenza ed evoluzione. Inoltre, sviluppando le indicazioni di Boulding, sembrerebbe emergere un nuovo concetto di cambiamento quando correlato alla evoluzione delle immagini e la plasticità in esse insita.

Resistance to change. Exploring the convergence of institutions, organizations and the mind toward a common phenomenon

Resistance to change is not a new concept in economic literature (Coch and French 1948, Boulding 1956). However, in the last few decades it has acquired specific connotations and meanings that deserve attention. The first aim of the paper is to analyze how the concept has evolved since its introduction by Lewin (1946) and how it has diversified. Having acknowledged that resistance characterizes institutions, organizations and the mind, we suggest that the convergence toward such phenomenon is not surprising. Indeed, it may be explained by taking the bounds that affect the cognitive and emotional counterparts of economic behavior into account. We finally reinterpret resistance to change as a heuristic that helps manage the natural tendency of human beings to fear, uncertainty and its expected effects

Resistance to change. Exploring the convergence of institutions, organizations and the mind toward a common phenomenon

Resistance to change is not a new concept in economic literature (Coch and French 1948, Boulding 1956). However, in the last few decades it has acquired specific connotations and meanings that deserve attention. The first aim of the paper is to analyze how the concept has evolved since its introduction by Lewin (1946) and how it has diversified. Having acknowledged that resistance characterizes institutions, organizations and the mind, we suggest that the convergence toward such phenomenon is not surprising. Indeed, it may be explained by taking the bounds that affect the cognitive and emotional counterparts of economic behavior into account. We finally reinterpret resistance to change as a heuristic that helps manage the natural tendency of human beings to fear, uncertainty and its expected effects

Chefs in Future Integrated Healthcare - Current State and Innovation Needs: A First Overview of the NECTAR Project (aN Eu Curriculum for Chef gasTro-Engineering in Primary Food Care)

: People in need of care, chronic or acute, often present problematic food intake and special nutritional needs. Integrated, person-centred and pro-active food and nutritional care delivery has been proven effective for people in health care. However, skills mismatches have been reported in different professions involved, which also applies to the role of chefs in healthcare. The EU funded project NECTAR aims at closing this gap by creating a new job profile, called Chef Gastro-Engineering (CGE). The current publication summarizes the status quo in hospitals and gives a perspective on the future role of chefs in integrated healthcare delivery