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1 – 10 of 50Chiara Campailla, Andrea Martini, Federico Minini and Marco Sartor
The new standard ISO 45001 is expected to give a significant boost to the growth of the number of companies that have adopted and certified an occupational health and safety (OHS…
Abstract
The new standard ISO 45001 is expected to give a significant boost to the growth of the number of companies that have adopted and certified an occupational health and safety (OHS) management system. The structure of the new standard reflects the Annex SL, thus facilitating the organizations in aligning and integrating their management systems. The requirements of the standard lead companies, across the Deming Cycle, to the continual improvement of OHS performance starting from the essential process of leadership and commitment, through the implementation of the key processes of planning (context analysis, risk assessment, operational planning, and control), of the support processes (communication and participation, competence and awareness of resources, and documentation management) and, finally, the processes of performance evaluation (monitoring, auditing, and management review). The advantages are a full control of compliance obligations, a significant reduction in the injury indexes, a reduction in the associated costs, and an improvement in corporate image.
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Veronica Alampi Sottini, Caterina Contini, Andrea Martini and Silvio Menghini
The organic production technique is a significant innovation for both process and product aspects of the agricultural sector. In less favoured areas, organic production…
Abstract
The organic production technique is a significant innovation for both process and product aspects of the agricultural sector. In less favoured areas, organic production contributes to develop the potential revitalisation of the production sector and also supports the application of endogenous development models, thus favouring sustainable development both on socio‐economic and ecological bases. The paper focuses on a case study about the possible growth of organic production in a mountain area of the Florence province, in Tuscany. The organic and non‐organic agricultural activities of the area are illustrated, with regards to the whole territorial organisation and the need to maintain agricultural activities for territorial defence. The potential development of the organic product supply is described as a result of a direct survey on the major distribution channels. The main reasons for the delayed expansion of the organic production are outlined in a direct survey on the farms of the area.
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Mariano Corso, Andrea Giacobbe and Antonella Martini
The purpose of this paper is to put forward a model to map the evolution of a business Community of Practice (CoP) in terms of learning and knowledge management processes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to put forward a model to map the evolution of a business Community of Practice (CoP) in terms of learning and knowledge management processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical evidence is based on seven case studies and the analyses of three best practices from secondary sources. Two of those cases are analyzed longitudinally from inception, while the others are retrospective. Cases were chosen in order to cover different kinds of industries and, especially, to analyze sharing of different kinds of knowledge (from call‐centre operators to complex new products knowledge).
Findings
The article sheds light on the different evolutionary paths that business CoPs follow and the role of the dynamics of the organizational commitment and the people involvement. It was noticed that a high level of commitment from both the organization and its members is related to the effectiveness of the Community in supporting learning and knowledge management processes.
Research limitations/implications
The case studies and best practice examples reported are all based on the experiences of Western companies – although some, if not all, may have global operations. It is possible that some of the conclusions (e.g, levels of organizational commitment and individual participation, evolutionary stages and drivers), may not be valid for Asian‐headquartered companies.
Practical implications
This article aims to develop actionable knowledge to support management in understanding how to manage a business CoP, in order to create value for both the organization and its members. The proposed model can be used for mapping the CoP evolution, while identifying the appropriate governance tools to cultivate, stimulate and drive the Community evolution.
Originality/value
In the model, the evolution of a Community has been assessed in terms of its vitality – i.e. its effectiveness in supporting knowledge management and learning. This vitality depends on the combination of the organization's commitment and members' involvement. Therefore, supporting a Community in its evolution means stimulating and maintaining the commitment (animation and promotions levers) of these two parties.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how R&D originality functions in an open innovation process after the introduction of knowledge spillovers (KSs).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how R&D originality functions in an open innovation process after the introduction of knowledge spillovers (KSs).
Design/methodology/approach
To examine the research framework, the authors use hierarchical regression based on questionnaire data from 211 emerging enterprises in China.
Findings
Consistent with the proposed framework, the authors find that the KS effect mediates the positive relationship between openness and innovation performance. In addition, R&D originality weakens the impact of the KS effect on innovation performance.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation is that the questionnaire survey the authors choose for data collection has some natural defects; furthermore, the testing method and research framework need to be improved.
Practical implications
Several implications of the findings for managerial practices are discussed.
Originality/value
First, the research expands the existing theoretical construct by introducing the KS effect into the open innovation process; second, the authors reveal the negative impact of R&D originality on the open innovation process.
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Hui Huang, Daniele Leone, Andrea Caporuscio and Sascha Kraus
The present article aims at rising stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations, by exploring how knowledge-based activities are designed to promote…
Abstract
Purpose
The present article aims at rising stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations, by exploring how knowledge-based activities are designed to promote innovation and create value. This process concerns not only buyers and sellers of industrial products/services but, more widely, larger networks of healthcare actors which include patients, payers and health institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
To answer the research question, we adopted a conceptual approach aimed at reaching overall comprehension of healthcare innovation mechanisms. We have tracked the pivotal extant studies for catching the roots and dynamics at the base of diffusion of healthcare innovation. This article demonstrates, based on previous literature and theoretical speculations, the contribution that innovative knowledge-based activities (e.g. market access approach) make to intellectual capital in healthcare organizations to promote innovation and create value.
Findings
The results show that three knowledge-based activities of the healthcare ecosystem shape the basis of the proposed conceptual framework. First, a value co-creation strategy to develop capabilities for each health stakeholder is intended as human capital. Second, the market access approach to promote innovation is reported to the relational capital. Third, a digital servitization strategy is referred to the structural capital.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides implications for the stream of literature about intellectual capital in healthcare organizations. It aims at exploring three knowledge-based activities as value co-creation, market access and digital servitization that respond to different intellectual capital levels components (human, relational, structural).
Originality/value
This article provides a conceptual framework based on the linkage of two fundamental streams of management studies, which correspond to innovation diffusion and intellectual capital management. This offers a more solid conceptualization for managing intellectual capital in healthcare organizations with respect to previous studies and creates value in the ecosystem.
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Rajesh Shah, Blerim Gashi, Vikram Mittal, Andreas Rosenkranz and Shuoran Du
Tribological research is complex and multidisciplinary, with many parameters to consider. As traditional experimentation is time-consuming and expensive due to the complexity of…
Abstract
Purpose
Tribological research is complex and multidisciplinary, with many parameters to consider. As traditional experimentation is time-consuming and expensive due to the complexity of tribological systems, researchers tend to use quantitative and qualitative analysis to monitor critical parameters and material characterization to explain observed dependencies. In this regard, numerical modeling and simulation offers a cost-effective alternative to physical experimentation but must be validated with limited testing. This paper aims to highlight advances in numerical modeling as they relate to the field of tribology.
Design/methodology/approach
This study performed an in-depth literature review for the field of modeling and simulation as it relates to tribology. The authors initially looked at the application of foundational studies (e.g. Stribeck) to understand the gaps in the current knowledge set. The authors then evaluated a number of modern developments related to contact mechanics, surface roughness, tribofilm formation and fluid-film layers. In particular, it looked at key fields driving tribology models including nanoparticle research and prosthetics. The study then sought out to understand the future trends in this research field.
Findings
The field of tribology, numerical modeling has shown to be a powerful tool, which is both time- and cost-effective when compared to standard bench testing. The characterization of tribological systems of interest fundamentally stems from the lubrication regimes designated in the Stribeck curve. The prediction of tribofilm formation, film thickness variation, fluid properties, asperity contact and surface deformation as well as the continuously changing interactions between such parameters is an essential challenge for proper modeling.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the major numerical modeling achievements in various disciplines and discusses their efficacy, assumptions and limitations in tribology research.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2023-0076/
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