Action Research / La recherche-action / La ricerca-intervento

After an historical overview on the reflection about the relationship between researcher and “research object” in action research, the paper proposes a typology, based on the different epistemological views, to interpret the different methodological proposals

Bidding for Complex Projects: Evidence From the Acquisitions of IT Services

Competitive bidding (as auctions) is commonly used to procure goods and services. Public buyers are often mandated by law to adopt competitive procedures to ensure transparency and promote full competition. Recent theoretical literature, however, suggests that open competition can perform poorly in allocating complex projects. In exploring the determinants of suppliers’ bidding behavior in procurement auctions for complex IT services, we find results that are consistent with theory. We find that price and quality do not exhibit the classical tradeoff one would expect: quite surprisingly, high quality is associated to low prices. Furthermore, while quality is mainly driven by suppliers’ experience, price is affected more by the scoring rule and by the level of expected competition. These results might suggest that (scoring) auctions fail to appropriately incorporate buyers’ complex price/quality preferences in the tender design.Procurement Auctions, Scoring Rules, IT Contracts, Price/Quality Ratio

Italiani e stranieri nelle imprese ferraresi

The paper presents the main results of a recent research which explores in depth some characteristics of social relations within and around the workplaces employing both Italian and immigrant workers. The study is founded upon two complementary standpoints: the Theory of Organizational Action, elaborated by Bruno Maggi, and Norbert Elias’ Theory of Established- Outsiders Figuration. In conclusion, taking into account the results of research, we illustrate some general principles on which migration policies should be based

The Determinants of Suppliers’ Performance in E-Procurement: Evidence from the Italian Government’s E-Procurement Platform

Participation of small businesses in the market for public contracts is widely recognized as a key policy issue. It is also commonly held that the adoption of e-procurement solutions can be effective in pursuing such an objective. To this end, we analyze the transactions completed in the period 2004-2007 through the Italian Government’s e-procurement platform, that is, the marketplace managed by the Italian Public Procurement Agency (Consip S.p.A.). Although descriptive statistics indicate that micro suppliers are the most represented group of firms in the marketplace, our econometric treatment provides some evidence that the former are less successful than all other suppliers in getting public contracts. Degree of loyalty with buyers, location and the use of other MEPA negotiation tools, also emerge as relevant factors of success in the e-procurement market.E-Procurement, Small Suppliers, Request For Quotations, Performance, Public Contracts, Count Data

Handicap e inclusione sociale. Un esame della normativa italiana

The ideal of individual self-realisation, which has become one of the fundamental values of Western societies, is likely to generate a non-inclusive vision of the social system, if not coupled with a strong idea of social integration. An inclusive welfare state protects against this risk of a social-darwinistic vision of the social system. The critical examination of the Italian Law 104/1992 (and subsequent modifications), often referred to as a good example of inclusive normative, shows a latent conception of the social system as an entity demanding a “functional” adaptation of individuals with disabilities: e.g. people with disabilities have to prove their capabilities or acquire skills to enter tasks in “normal” work situations. Instead, the authors contend that work situations, as well as other life-situations, are always adaptable to the needs of well-being of the individuals

The relevance of Giddens' structuration theory for organizational research

Anthony Giddens' Structuration Theory is probably one of the sociological theories more directly referenced and more widely used, in a variety of ways, in organizational research. Why is that, and what does it mean for organizational research? In this paper we explore this issue by reviewing some early, influential contributions, within the organizational field, that used Giddens' theory as the main reference. We will show that the actual utilizations of such theory are very heterogeneous in many relevant concepts, although they are all moved by similar theoretical needs. We also propose that in order to properly answer to those needs, organizational research should focus on some key elements that, while being central in Giddens' contribution, are not always interpreted consistently by "Giddensian" organization scholars. Finally, we will argue that it is possible for the organization reflection, even when it is not built upon Structuration Theory, to share and realize Giddens' main "message" to the organizational discipline: the need for an organization theory truly based on an epistemological view that allows to overcome the objectivist / subjectivist dilemma

Critical behavior of the site percolation model on the square lattice in a L×M geometry

Relevant aspects of the critical behavior of the site percolation model in a L×M geometry (L≪M) are studied. It is shown that this geometry favors the growth of percolating clusters in the L-direction with respect to those growing in the M-direction, causing pronounced finite-size effects on the percolation probabilities. Scaling functions have an additional parameter, namely M, which introduces a dependence of these functions on the aspect ratio L/M. At criticality, the probability of a site belonging to the percolation clusters (PL,M) behaves like PL,M∝Lβ/vφ(L/M) with β=5/36 and v=4/3, where φ is a suitable scaling function. Using scaling arguments it is conjectured and then tested by means of Monte Carlo simulations, the following asymptotic behavior φ(L/M)∝(L/M)δ, (L→∞,M→∞, δ=1), for the leading term. Systematic deviations of the Monte Carlo data from the conjectured behavior are due to second order corrections to the leading term which can also be under-stood on the basis of scaling ideas. Finite-size dependent “critical probabilities” are also functions of L/M as it follows from scaling arguments which are corroborated by the simulations.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Percolation on the square lattice in a LxM geometry : Analysis of percolation clusters properties

A study of the site percolation model on the square lattice in a L×M geometry at critically is presented. For L≪M one observes the growth of numerous percolation colation clusters in the L-direction in contrast to the absence of percolation in the M-direction. Consequently, relevant properties of these clusters such us for example the average number of clusters (NCL), the cluster length distribution (P(l,L), with l=cluster length in the M direction) and average cluster length (lCL), are studied by means of the Monte Carlo technique and analyzed on the basis of finite-size scaling arguments. The following behavior is found:NCL≅(3/8) (L/M)−δ, with δ=1; andlCL≅2.0L. Also the distribution P(l, L) is of the exponential-exponential type and their characteristic exponents are evaluated.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicada

Presencia de Therioaphis bonjeaniae Hille Ris Lambers & van den Bosch, 1964 (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea, Drepanosiphidae) en Portugal continental

Therioaphis bonjeaniae Hille Ris Lambers & van den Bosch, 1964, recorded for the first time from Continental Portugal allows us to enlarge the distributional data of the species in the Iberian Peninsula. Information on morphometric characters of the studied samples is also provided.Se actualiza la distribución en la Península Ibérica del pulgón Therioaphis bonjeaniae Hille Ris Lambers & van den Bosch, 1964, citado por primera vez en Portugal Continental. Se aporta también información sobre caracteres morfométricos de las muestras estudiadas