This book is intended as atribute to Gianluca Spina, the influential and inspiring Professorof Business Management & Organization and Supply Chain Management at theSchool of Management of Politecnico di Milano, who very sadly passed away earlyin 2015. It brings together seven of his most important papers, published inrenowned international journals, and supplements these papers with insightfulcommentaries from friends and colleagues who highlight key messages and valuesof enduring validity. The selected papers offer a clear sense of Spina’sresearch journey over the years and cover the main research streams thatdistinguished his work. They have also been chosen on account of their highimpact, as reflected by the number of citations received, and to represent the mostimportant research collaborations that Spina had established within Italyand abroad. An introductory chapter relates his research to major developmentsin the field of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Strategy and also outlines thevery important contribution that Gianluca Spina made to Management Education.
