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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Paolo Biancone, Valerio Brescia, Federico Chmet and Federico Lanzalonga

The research aims to provide a longitudinal case study to understand how digital transformation can be embedded in municipal reporting frameworks. The central role of such…

Abstract

Purpose

The research aims to provide a longitudinal case study to understand how digital transformation can be embedded in municipal reporting frameworks. The central role of such technology becomes increasingly evident as citizens demand greater transparency and engagement between them and governing institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilising a longitudinal case study methodology, the research focusses on Turin’s Integrated Popular Financial Report (IPFR) as a lens through which to evaluate the broader implications of digital transformation on governmental transparency and operational efficiency.

Findings

Digital tools, notably sentiment analysis, offer promising avenues for enhancing governmental efficacy and citizenry participation. However, persistent challenges highlight the inadequacy of traditional, inflexible reporting structures to cater to dynamic informational demands.

Practical implications

Embracing digital tools is an imperative for contemporary public administrators, promoting streamlined communication and dismantling bureaucratic obstructions, all while catering to the evolving demands of an informed citizenry.

Originality/value

Different from previous studies that primarily emphasised technology’s role within budgeting, this research uniquely positions itself by spotlighting the transformative implications of digital tools during the reporting phase. It champions the profound value of fostering bottom-up dialogues, heralding a paradigmatic shift towards co-creative public management dynamics.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 July 2023

Valerio Brescia, Paolo Esposito, Stefano Amelio and Paolo Pietro Biancone

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a crisis that has hit the European economy and the currently existing systems. To cope with the crisis, Europe has started an investment aiming…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a crisis that has hit the European economy and the currently existing systems. To cope with the crisis, Europe has started an investment aiming the energy transition and crisis. Portugal, Spain and Greece have received the approval of their National Recovery Plans from the European Commission, with a definition of spending up to 2026 through the European Union (EU) Next Generation Found. The study investigates whether the Green Deal policies are relaunched by the plans financed and whether the pandemic has changed and conditioned the priorities of the energy transaction. The study uses the lens of corporate social responsability (CSR) and relapse measurable across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

The Green Deal policies supported by new European investments in the three countries were analyzed through a content analysis (CA) technique to investigate the associated practical and theoretical elements.

Findings

The energy theme has a relevance compared to other issues in the investment plans envisaged in Greece, Portugal and Spain. The analysis highlights energy efficiency, sustainable energy and reduction of consumption among the main themes. Energetically, sustainable building plays a central role. The study highlights the relationship between Green Deal policies, CSR, SDGs and management tools adopted.

Originality/value

The study strengthens the relationship between the Green Deal, CSR and SDGs by identifying policies that have already been implemented and theoretical and practical gaps on which politicians and scholars will have to investigate and support in the process of development and continuity of the identified pillars.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 August 2021

Silvana Secinaro, Francesca Dal Mas, Valerio Brescia and Davide Calandra

This study aims to offer a bibliometric and coding analysis of blockchain articles published in the accounting, auditing and accountability fields.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to offer a bibliometric and coding analysis of blockchain articles published in the accounting, auditing and accountability fields.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected using the Scopus database and a bibliometric and qualitative coding analysis with the keywords “blockchain” and “accounting” or “auditing” or “accountability.” Of the 514 initial sources, 93 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and conference proceedings in the areas of business, management and accounting were finally selected. Nonscientific sources such as nonpeer-reviewed books and white papers were excluded.

Findings

This study reveals a promising and multidisciplinary field of research dominated by scholars and less by practitioners. Qualitative research, especially discourse analysis, is the most used method among authors. This study gives some useful insights about blockchain's definition and characteristics, business models, processes involved, connection with other technologies and relationships with accounting theories. Among the most interesting insights, the results confirm that technology as an external force can create an intersection among several research areas: accounting, auditing, accountability, business, management, computer science and engineering fields. Finally, in terms of research themes, although blockchain has a clear effect on auditing accounting, the links with the area of accountability are less clear and validated.

Originality/value

This study highlights the current state of the field, combining methodological approaches and providing valuable future research insights. Additionally, it is also a starting point for professionals to fully understand blockchain's characteristics and potential with a constructive and systemic approach.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 August 2021

Giuseppe Grossi, Paolo Pietro Biancone, Silvana Secinaro and Valerio Brescia

The purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of popular reporting (PR) in an Italian city as a dialogic accounting tool for promoting citizens’ engagement with digital…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the usefulness of popular reporting (PR) in an Italian city as a dialogic accounting tool for promoting citizens’ engagement with digital platforms. This study aims to contribute to the debate on democratic accounting technologies with a focus on PR and digital platforms, using the theoretical lens of dialogic accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal case study is used to analyse the implementation and evolution of PR in the city of Turin, Italy and explore how the city involved its citizens with digital platforms.

Findings

This study contributes to the debate on public accountability through dialogic accounting tools.

Research limitations/implications

Multiple sources (surveys, interviews and interventionist workshops) are used to analyse Turin, Italy as a longitudinal case study.

Practical implications

This study offers practical reflections for legislators, politicians and public managers who need new knowledge and empirical analysis of the effective implementation of the PR as a tool for dialogue and empowering public accounting to hold continuous dialogue with the citizens.

Originality/value

PR can be considered a useful dialogic accounting tool for politicians, managers and government experts to encourage citizens’ engagement in a pluralistic society.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 29 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 September 2023

Alberto Cavazza, Francesca Dal Mas, Maura Campra and Valerio Brescia

This study aims to investigate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to vertical farms to evaluate whether disrupting technology supports sustainability and increases…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to vertical farms to evaluate whether disrupting technology supports sustainability and increases strategic business model choices in the agricultural sector. The study responds through empirical analysis to the gap on the subject of AI-driven business models present in the growing sector literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes the case of “ZERO”, a company linked to the strategy innovation ecosystem of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy. The empirical data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and the analysis of public news on the business model available in the analyzed case study. The research is empirical and uses exploratory, descriptive analysis to interpret the findings. The article focuses on the evaluation of AI impact on the agricultural sector and its potential to create new business models.

Findings

The study identified how AI can support the decision-making process leading to an increase in productivity, efficiency, product quality and cost reduction. AI helps increase these parameters through a continuous learning process and local production, and the possible decrease in prices directed toward the goal of zero km food with fresh products. AI is a winning technology to support the key elements of the vertical farm business model. However, it must be coupled with other devices, such as robots, sensors and drones, to collect enough data to enable continuous learning and improvement.

Research limitations/implications

The research supports new research trends in AI applied to agriculture. The major implication is the construction of ecosystems between farms, technology providers, policymakers, universities, research centers and local consumer communities.

Practical implications

The ZERO case study underlines the potential of AI as a destructive technology that, especially in vertical farms, eliminates external conditions by increasing productivity, reducing costs and responding to production needs with adequate consumption of raw materials, boosting both environmental and social sustainability.

Originality/value

The study is original, as the current literature presents few empirical case studies on AI-supporting business models in agriculture. The study also favors valuable strategic implications for the policies to be adopted in favor of new business models in agriculture.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2022

Paolo Pietro Biancone, Valerio Brescia, Federico Lanzalonga and Gazi Mahabubul Alam

This paper aims to explore the literature on vertical farming to define key elements to outline a business model for entrepreneurs. The research aims to stimulate entrepreneurship…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the literature on vertical farming to define key elements to outline a business model for entrepreneurs. The research aims to stimulate entrepreneurship for vertical farming in a smart cities' context, recognising urban agriculture as technology to satisfy increasing food needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research conducts a structured literature review on 186 articles on vertical farming extracted from the Scopus. Moreover, the bibliometric analysis revealed the descriptive statistics on this field and the main themes through the authors' keywords.

Findings

Different perspectives showed the multidisciplinary nature of the topic and how the intersection of different skills is necessary to understand the subject entirely. The keywords analysis allowed for identifying the topics covered by the authors and the business model's elements.

Research limitations/implications

The research explores a topic in the embryonic stage to define key strands of literature. It provides business model insights extending George and Bock's (2011) research to stimulate entrepreneurship in vertical farming. Limitations arise from the sources used to develop our analysis and how the topic appears as a frontier innovation.

Originality/value

Originality is the integration of literature strands related to vertical farming, highlighting its multidisciplinary nature to provide a holistic understanding of the themes. In smart cities' context, innovations allow traditional business models to be interpreted in a novel perspective and revealed the elements for transforming vertical farming from innovative technology to an effective source of food sustenance. Finally, the paper suggests a new methodology application for the analysis of word clusters by integrating correspondence analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 October 2021

Mauro Sciarelli, Anna Prisco, Mohamed Hani Gheith and Valerio Muto

The present research aims to identify the determinants for users' behavioral adoption of Blockchain, exploring the relationships among these variables and investigating whether…

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Abstract

Purpose

The present research aims to identify the determinants for users' behavioral adoption of Blockchain, exploring the relationships among these variables and investigating whether the proposed model can provide a more comprehensive manner to understand the adoption of Blockchain technology.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach and extends it with external constructs: “reduced cost” and “efficiency and security”. This paper used a quantitative and exploratory approach through the collection and analysis of data from a total of 108 Italian innovative SME. We have used the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach using SmartPLS for model evaluation.

Findings

The results show that “efficiency and security” is an important driver of firms' decision-making process to adopt Blockchain. Moreover, the results show that perceived usefulness is a strong predictor of the intention to use Blockchain in business processes.

Originality/value

This research advances the literature on technology adoption in business processes, focusing on a particular technology: Blockchain. The field has been strengthened by investigating the determinants of technology adoption, adding new perspectives; both reduced cost and efficiency, and security.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 May 2022

Nikolaos Grigorakis and Georgios Galyfianakis

The empirical analysis dealt in this paper emphasizes on the impact of military expenditures on out of pocket (OOP) healthcare payments. A sizeable body of defence economics…

Abstract

Purpose

The empirical analysis dealt in this paper emphasizes on the impact of military expenditures on out of pocket (OOP) healthcare payments. A sizeable body of defence economics literature has investigated the trade-off between military and public health expenditure, by testing the crowding-out or growth-stimulating hypothesis; does military expenditure scaling up crowd-out or promote governmental resources for social and welfare programs, including also state health financing?

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, panel data from 2000 to 2018 for 129 countries is used to examine the impact of military expenditure on OOP healthcare payments. The dataset of countries is categorized into four income-groups based on World Bank's income-group classification. Dynamic panel data methodology is applied to meet study objectives.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that military expenditure positively affects OOP payments in all the selected groups of countries, strongly supporting in this way the crowding-out hypothesis whereby increased military expenditure reduces the public financing on health. Study econometric results are robust since different and alternative changes in specifications and samples are applied in our analysis.

Practical implications

Under the economic downturn backdrop for several economies in the previous decade and on the foreground of a potential limited governmental fiscal space related to the Covid-19 pandemic adverse economic effects, this study provides evidence that policy-makers have to adjust their government policy initiatives and prioritize Universal Health Coverage objectives. Consequently, the findings of this study reflect the necessity of governments as far as possible to moderate military expenditures and increase public financing on health in order to strengthen health care systems efficiency against households OOP spending for necessary healthcare utilization.

Originality/value

Despite the fact that a sizeable body of defence economics literature has extensively examined the impact of military spending on total and public health expenditures, nevertheless to the best of our knowledge there is no empirical evidence of any direct effect of national defence spending on the main private financing component of health systems globally; the OOP healthcare payments.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

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