Routledge-Giappichelli Studies in Business and Management – serie

This book offers a fresh method of assessing and managing risks in SMEs, by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. In small and medium companies, the risk management process cannot be often formalised and procedures are usually integrated unconsciously into the decision-making process. Therefore, to enhance the flexibility of these companies, increase their market share and allow them to grow and manage risks more effectively, the first step is to improve the way decisions are made.Consequently, it is fundamental for those companies to improve the awareness about the way reasonable decisions are made, which can be achieved only through a proper knowledge and the definition of the Risk Appetite Framework. Therefore, by improving knowledge, the risk appetite and awareness in the decision making, companies will implicitly start developing a risk consciousness, which can be translated into a sound risk approach. SMEs need to understand the importance of an effective internal control system. Hence, the central point is the necessity to start reconsidering the company as a unique entity, by adopting a holistic approach.The book explores whether small and medium companies should adopt a formalised risk management process and, more importantly, the role that the development of an appropriate risk mindfulness and approach to expand existing functions plays in these entities. It suggests an appropriate way of thinking about risk, starting with the amalgamation of both past and present theories, and enabling SMEs to find a solution to improve the effectiveness of their risk management strategies.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges that marketing faces in understanding, managing and measuring the dynamics of modern consumer behaviours and successfully managing the customer experience. The reader will gain a deeper knowledge of the approaches to consumer behaviour and learn about the theoretical and empirical challenges of studying customer experience management. It also considers the post-modern consumer, which requires a move beyond the purely rationalist perspective of traditional marketing and provides methodological support for firms and scholars who wish to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioural consumer reactions. More specifically, it explores the changes in consumer behaviours, the limitations of traditional measurement approaches and the importance of capturing small insights with neuromarketing metrics, with a chapter contributed by a leading expert. A new three-point perspective on consumer behaviours is set out that combines behaviour (what people do) with the declared (what people say) and the perceived (what people feel). This approach acknowledges the complexity of consumer behaviours and the methodological bias derived from the use of the traditional techniques (principally the survey) or from big data. Only a holistic perspective can capture the heterogeneous nature of consumer behaviour.The book thereby takes up the theoretical debate about the definition, management and measurement of customer behaviour. It also examines measurement methodologies, an area that has received little attention elsewhere. Besides addressing the scientific community in the field, the book will also be a valuable practical resource for marketing managers, entrepreneurs and consultants who want to implement innovative strategies to manage the customer experience.

Computational finance is increasingly important in the financial industry, as a necessary instrument for applying theoretical models to real-world challenges. Indeed, many models used in practice involve complex mathematical problems, for which an exact or a closed-form solution is not available. Consequently, we need to rely on computational techniques and specific numerical algorithms. This book combines theoretical concepts with practical implementation. Furthermore, the numerical solution of models is exploited, both to enhance the understanding of some mathematical and statistical notions, and to acquire sound programming skills in MATLAB®, which is useful for several other programming languages also. The material assumes the reader has a relatively limited knowledge of mathematics, probability, and statistics. Hence, the book contains a short description of the fundamental tools needed to address the two main fields of quantitative finance: portfolio selection and derivatives pricing. Both fields are developed here, with a particular emphasis on portfolio selection, where the author includes an overview of recent approaches. The book gradually takes the reader from a basic to medium level of expertise by using examples and exercises to simplify the understanding of complex models in finance, giving them the ability to place financial models in a computational setting. The book is ideal for courses focusing on quantitative finance, asset management, mathematical methods for economics and finance, investment banking, and corporate finance.

Computational finance is increasingly important in the financial industry, as a necessary instrument for applying theoretical models to real-world challenges. Indeed, many models used in practice involve complex mathematical problems, for which an exact or a closed-form solution is not available. Consequently, we need to rely on computational techniques and specific numerical algorithms. This book combines theoretical concepts with practical implementation. Furthermore, the numerical solution of models is exploited, both to enhance the understanding of some mathematical and statistical notions, and to acquire sound programming skills in MATLAB®, which is useful for several other programming languages also. The material assumes the reader has a relatively limited knowledge of mathematics, probability, and statistics. Hence, the book contains a short description of the fundamental tools needed to address the two main fields of quantitative finance: portfolio selection and derivatives pricing. Both fields are developed here, with a particular emphasis on portfolio selection, where the author includes an overview of recent approaches. The book gradually takes the reader from a basic to medium level of expertise by using examples and exercises to simplify the understanding of complex models in finance, giving them the ability to place financial models in a computational setting. The book is ideal for courses focusing on quantitative finance, asset management, mathematical methods for economics and finance, investment banking, and corporate finance.

System, Actor and Process: Keywords in Organization Studies is intended as an epistemological ‘compass’ to navigate through the multifaceted key concepts typically used in organizational practice and research. The book illustrates thirty-four keywords using a tripartite structure: each keyword is briefly discussed from three points of view, namely the system-centered, actor-centered and process-centered conception of organization, which reflects the options emerging from contemporary epistemological debate in organizational studies and, more generally, in social sciences, namely objectivism, subjectivism, and the Weberian "third way". Primarily addressed to researchers and academics in organization studies, this book is also a useful resource for undergraduate or postgraduate students, for whom it may represent a thorough introduction to organizational concepts. It will also be a valuable tool for managers to apply in their everyday practice.

This book explores the role of accounting and reporting practices, such as corporate and integrated reports, as organizations attempt to represent sustainability.By relying upon the case of a large international oil and gas company and its recent development of integrated reporting, this book argues that the ambiguity of sustainability as a concept, and the impossibility to fully capture it through accounting and reporting practices, does not mean that any attempt to represent it inevitably leads to distortion or obfuscates ‘reality’. Rather, the way in which this concept is presented through accounting and reporting practices can have a constructive effect on the organization through the aspirations that these representations entail.The book demonstrates that accounting and reporting practices, such as integrated reporting, are not expected to offer complete representations of organizations’ sustainability. Rather, these practices offer a number of representations (e.g. graphs, diagrams, tables, grid) that affect the way in which organizations understand and report on sustainability, changing its meaning over time. Finally, this study demonstrates that undefined concepts, such as ‘sustainability’, and practices, such as ‘integrated reporting’, mutually construct each other. The attempt to represent sustainability within the organization and the debates that this process generates, make accounting and reporting practices unfold themselves, and evolve.The book will be of interest to scholars in the field of accounting, management and sustainability, as well as practitioners from a wide array of additional fields, such as planning and control, organizations’ strategy, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and corporate reporting.

This book explores the role of accounting and reporting practices, such as corporate and integrated reports, as organizations attempt to represent sustainability.By relying upon the case of a large international oil and gas company and its recent development of integrated reporting, this book argues that the ambiguity of sustainability as a concept, and the impossibility to fully capture it through accounting and reporting practices, does not mean that any attempt to represent it inevitably leads to distortion or obfuscates ‘reality’. Rather, the way in which this concept is presented through accounting and reporting practices can have a constructive effect on the organization through the aspirations that these representations entail.The book demonstrates that accounting and reporting practices, such as integrated reporting, are not expected to offer complete representations of organizations’ sustainability. Rather, these practices offer a number of representations (e.g. graphs, diagrams, tables, grid) that affect the way in which organizations understand and report on sustainability, changing its meaning over time. Finally, this study demonstrates that undefined concepts, such as ‘sustainability’, and practices, such as ‘integrated reporting’, mutually construct each other. The attempt to represent sustainability within the organization and the debates that this process generates, make accounting and reporting practices unfold themselves, and evolve.The book will be of interest to scholars in the field of accounting, management and sustainability, as well as practitioners from a wide array of additional fields, such as planning and control, organizations’ strategy, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and corporate reporting.

System, Actor and Process: Keywords in Organization Studies is intended as an epistemological ‘compass’ to navigate through the multifaceted key concepts typically used in organizational practice and research. The book illustrates thirty-four keywords using a tripartite structure: each keyword is briefly discussed from three points of view, namely the system-centered, actor-centered and process-centered conception of organization, which reflects the options emerging from contemporary epistemological debate in organizational studies and, more generally, in social sciences, namely objectivism, subjectivism, and the Weberian "third way". Primarily addressed to researchers and academics in organization studies, this book is also a useful resource for undergraduate or postgraduate students, for whom it may represent a thorough introduction to organizational concepts. It will also be a valuable tool for managers to apply in their everyday practice.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges that marketing faces in understanding, managing and measuring the dynamics of modern consumer behaviours and successfully managing the customer experience. The reader will gain a deeper knowledge of the approaches to consumer behaviour and learn about the theoretical and empirical challenges of studying customer experience management. It also considers the post-modern consumer, which requires a move beyond the purely rationalist perspective of traditional marketing and provides methodological support for firms and scholars who wish to measure cognitive, emotional and behavioural consumer reactions. More specifically, it explores the changes in consumer behaviours, the limitations of traditional measurement approaches and the importance of capturing small insights with neuromarketing metrics, with a chapter contributed by a leading expert. A new three-point perspective on consumer behaviours is set out that combines behaviour (what people do) with the declared (what people say) and the perceived (what people feel). This approach acknowledges the complexity of consumer behaviours and the methodological bias derived from the use of the traditional techniques (principally the survey) or from big data. Only a holistic perspective can capture the heterogeneous nature of consumer behaviour.The book thereby takes up the theoretical debate about the definition, management and measurement of customer behaviour. It also examines measurement methodologies, an area that has received little attention elsewhere. Besides addressing the scientific community in the field, the book will also be a valuable practical resource for marketing managers, entrepreneurs and consultants who want to implement innovative strategies to manage the customer experience.

Digitalization is changing the world of work. Technology is shifting the relationship between workers and machines and how work is organized; new skills are becoming increasingly relevant in the workplace where workers no longer work for a single company, in 9-to-5 jobs, five days a week. Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is revolutionizing the way managers can design, control and improve their activities. While the nature of the tasks and the interdependences between individuals are changing, the impact of intelligent technologies is severely questioning the span of control of leaders and the effectiveness of their leadership styles. The authors sketch out the main changes occurring in the business landscape and identify the new expectations that organizations are formulating for leaders across several industries. In an age in which new leadership models are about to emerge, they describe how the relevant changes impact and shape the managerial arena.This book sets the stage for a new way of thinking on the nature of the relationship between HR and technology. It examines the influence of Industry 4.0 and Innovation 4.0, (i.e. the connection between physical and digital processes in industrial production, where human competencies and machine potential are strictly interconnected throughout the entire value chain), from a myriad of viewpoints: namely in terms of structures, practices, influences (learning, training and communication), competencies and roles. A chapter is also dedicated to the understanding of the impact of Innovation 4.0, in the context of European Universities through E-learning Experiences where a multiple-case study analysis is provided.

Our planet faces massive economic, social, and environmental challenges. To deal with these challenges, the United Nations has promoted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to define global priorities and aspirations for 2030, and Governments worldwide have already agreed on these goals. In order to approach them practically, private and public organizations have to contribute to make SDGs happen by identifying and executing sustainable strategies as key drivers of their visions and business models. Building on the emerging concept of Integrated Thinking (IT), this book explores how modern organizations can leverage a long-term integrated strategy to reconcile financial stability with social and environmental sustainability and create enduring value for all stakeholders.By focusing on the value-creating role of business organizations in delivering on the promise of sustainable and inclusive development, the book enriches the debate on Integrated Thinking and Integrated Reporting (IR), with particular emphasis on the value creation process.This book offers an opportunity to discuss the way in which business organisations can rethink their management processes, accounting tools and reporting solutions, as they strive for both competitiveness and growth while contributing to the achievement of the SDGs, and long-term value creation more broadly. Based on the analysis of different case studies, the book explores how organizations are approaching these challenges and how they are connecting SDGs, to business models and strategies. Analysing the impact of SDGs on materiality, connectivity, and stakeholder engagement, this book provides an insight into how Integrated Thinking, Management and Reporting is currently practiced and in which way these managerial innovations can contribute to SDGs.

The growth of global corporations has led to the development of new business strategies whose complexity and configuration rest on corporate networks; corporate cross-culture and intangible corporate and product assets. In global markets, corporations compete in a competitive marketspace dimension, in other words, competitive boundaries in which space is not a stable element of the decision-making process, but a competitive factor whose complexity depends on markets increasingly characterized by time-based competition and over-supply. In view of today's fierce competition from US and Southeast Asian corporations, this book highlights global business development policies based on innovation, sustainability and intangible assets.The book assesses competitive business management from a global perspective, examining business development policies linked to the profitability of global firms. It forces readers to actively think through the most fundamental policies developed by global firms in the current competitive landscape and provides answers to questions such as: What are the new drivers of global capitalism?; How do global businesses deal with new local nationalism?; Which governance systems and behavioural norms qualify global businesses?; What are the main business policies that characterize competitive business management in a global competition perspective?Competitive Business Management neatly explains the global business management domain and helps readers to gain an understanding of global development business policies.

The purpose of this book is to offer insights into the complex and often unclear context of public sector management, providing a new theoretical and practical approach to the analysis and interpretation of these issues. The book is grounded in the awareness that the public sector has too often shown inefficiencies, despite the expensive measures taken, and from manifold perspectives such as the economic, social, organizational, and institutional ones, among others. It acknowledges the lack of behavioral, cultural, and context-oriented research in the field, thus proposing to innovate the debate and to expand the current understanding of which organizational features characterize modern public administrations, what factors influence the predominance of different models, with a special focus on the Italian setting, benefiting from a wholly comprehensive innovative methodological approach.The findings offer key implications for theory, practice, and policy-making, contending the importance of holistic approaches to the debate and abandoning pre-constituted schemes to put forth the relevance of behavioral models. It offers a key message: contextual-specific and cultural factors influencing individual behaviors are important and should better influence policy-making processes, towards "glocalization" in order to improve quality.

In her book, Dr Ulpiana Kocollari presents a unique contribution to the debate on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability by clearly expressing how the configuration of a firm’s social dimension can help identify inclusive corporate governance models, define innovative management processes and reshape performance measurement systems for the evaluation and assessment of sustainable economic, social and environmental results.Moving a step further, a firm’s social dimension is defined within the configuration of stakeholders – resources – rewards patterns intrinsic to their interactions with their environment and embedded in their business activities. Based on this approach, a framework is provided to guide firms in identifying management activities grounded in and suited to their prevalent patterns, in order to support current and future strategies and establish adequate measurement and communication tools for pursuing their mission.The book contains original theoretical and empirical material and particular attention is paid to the principal social and environmental impact measurement models (i.e. Global Reporting Initiative, Social Return on Investments, Social Balanced Scorecard, etc.), analysing their main features in order to pinpoint their adequacy in assessing the social dimension and to tailor their use more closely to the specific patterns to which they refer. Finally, a detailed application of the analysis framework, which the author has identified is proposed for Innovative Start-Ups with a Social Goal and for Benefit Corporations, in order to detect the patterns embedded in their social dimension and their distinctive traits, which influence their management and measurement processes.

Knowledge capital is at the core of the socio-economic global system. Profit and not-for profit firms, institutions, and organizations, in general, face unique opportunities and threats related to knowledge management. Digital technologies and digital transformation offer a wide array of opportunities for value creation. At the same time, organizations need to foster newer, faster, and more dynamic ways of mobilizing and managing knowledge. Emerging trends, such as artificial intelligence, collective intelligence, agile methodologies, open innovation, and co-creation enable new business models and managerial paradigms that need to be understood and conceptualized. This book offers an extensive overview of the most recent trends in knowledge management and the most advanced theoretical approaches, while, at the same time, providing a wide array of case studies and evidence-based knowledge management practices. It takes into account the interrelation between ICT and knowledge management challenges, in terms of human/non-human interactions, which requires extraordinary organizational change and renewal. Further, the book presents an up-to-date examination of and guidance for the implementation of knowledge management in an era of unprecedented human/non-human interaction. The book conveys the results of more than a decade of research and applied experience in the field of knowledge management carried out by the author. It is intended not only for students and academics but also for managers and practitioners who are interested in deepening their understanding of knowledge and learning.

This book offers a fresh method of assessing and managing risks in SMEs, by adopting a multidisciplinary approach. In small and medium companies, the risk management process cannot be often formalised and procedures are usually integrated unconsciously into the decision-making process. Therefore, to enhance the flexibility of these companies, increase their market share and allow them to grow and manage risks more effectively, the first step is to improve the way decisions are made.Consequently, it is fundamental for those companies to improve the awareness about the way reasonable decisions are made, which can be achieved only through a proper knowledge and the definition of the Risk Appetite Framework. Therefore, by improving knowledge, the risk appetite and awareness in the decision making, companies will implicitly start developing a risk consciousness, which can be translated into a sound risk approach. SMEs need to understand the importance of an effective internal control system. Hence, the central point is the necessity to start reconsidering the company as a unique entity, by adopting a holistic approach.The book explores whether small and medium companies should adopt a formalised risk management process and, more importantly, the role that the development of an appropriate risk mindfulness and approach to expand existing functions plays in these entities. It suggests an appropriate way of thinking about risk, starting with the amalgamation of both past and present theories, and enabling SMEs to find a solution to improve the effectiveness of their risk management strategies.

Knowledge capital is at the core of the socio-economic global system. Profit and not-for profit firms, institutions, and organizations, in general, face unique opportunities and threats related to knowledge management. Digital technologies and digital transformation offer a wide array of opportunities for value creation. At the same time, organizations need to foster newer, faster, and more dynamic ways of mobilizing and managing knowledge. Emerging trends, such as artificial intelligence, collective intelligence, agile methodologies, open innovation, and co-creation enable new business models and managerial paradigms that need to be understood and conceptualized. This book offers an extensive overview of the most recent trends in knowledge management and the most advanced theoretical approaches, while, at the same time, providing a wide array of case studies and evidence-based knowledge management practices. It takes into account the interrelation between ICT and knowledge management challenges, in terms of human/non-human interactions, which requires extraordinary organizational change and renewal. Further, the book presents an up-to-date examination of and guidance for the implementation of knowledge management in an era of unprecedented human/non-human interaction. The book conveys the results of more than a decade of research and applied experience in the field of knowledge management carried out by the author. It is intended not only for students and academics but also for managers and practitioners who are interested in deepening their understanding of knowledge and learning.

In recent years, luxury goods markets have faced significant changes that have influenced both the dynamics of the competition, as well as their strategies. The principal changes include the following: new geographical market development, such as in the Far East, India, and some parts of Africa (these countries are added to a list of already relevant countries that are involved in luxury goods consumption, such as the Emirates, Russia, and South America);diffusion of new media and new technologies in communication, which is characterized by a high degree of interaction; the evolution of distribution channels is underway – these channels are moving towards new forms of integration that utilize both physical digital channels. This has forced firms to revise their strategies and implement multichannel marketing strategies to continue to operate in increasingly international markets that are characterized by increasingly more demanding and informed consumers.This book will enable readers to gain a clear insight into how the luxury goods market operates and amongst other things, focuses on: recent internet and social media strategies adopted by luxury companies and their brands;how luxury companies manage their communication and distribution channels to compete in the market and the impact of digital marketing on their competition;the main models of direct and indirect distribution in the digital channels;how consumers react to multichannel strategies;trends, social commerce and CSR and how luxury companies react;identifying the different social media strategies for luxury companies.

Varying factors such as the aging of the population, the increasing burden of chronic conditions and the recent global pandemic have highlighted the need for a redesign of healthcare production processes. This book provides a useful framework to capture the necessary organizational conditions to successfully implement operations strategies within healthcare organizations. The Operations Management (OM) function has become crucial; in fact, it is essential for managing the flow of both patients and supplies, in an efficient, responsive and flexible manner. The book outlines the models and operational solutions to these two key areas that characterize OM in healthcare: patient flow logistics, with the goal of optimizing the entire production cycle from first access by the patient to discharge and follow-up; and supply chain management, with the goal of ensuring that resources are successfully managed throughout the production lifecycle. The examples and case studies included in the book are based on the experience of the author who has had the opportunity to do research and training in the area of operations management, within different types of healthcare delivery organizations at both the national and international level, and often at publicly owned institutions. The book is a useful guide for students, managers and policy makers interested in the development and implementation of the OM function in healthcare delivery organizations.

Varying factors such as the aging of the population, the increasing burden of chronic conditions and the recent global pandemic have highlighted the need for a redesign of healthcare production processes. This book provides a useful framework to capture the necessary organizational conditions to successfully implement operations strategies within healthcare organizations. The Operations Management (OM) function has become crucial; in fact, it is essential for managing the flow of both patients and supplies, in an efficient, responsive and flexible manner. The book outlines the models and operational solutions to these two key areas that characterize OM in healthcare: patient flow logistics, with the goal of optimizing the entire production cycle from first access by the patient to discharge and follow-up; and supply chain management, with the goal of ensuring that resources are successfully managed throughout the production lifecycle. The examples and case studies included in the book are based on the experience of the author who has had the opportunity to do research and training in the area of operations management, within different types of healthcare delivery organizations at both the national and international level, and often at publicly owned institutions. The book is a useful guide for students, managers and policy makers interested in the development and implementation of the OM function in healthcare delivery organizations.

This book disentangles the foundations of coopetition (i.e., concurrent competition and cooperation) by exploring in-depth the intellectual legacy of Eastern and Western perspectives. In particular, it detects the foundations of coopetition in three Chinese streams of thought; Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, and in five Western schools of thought; David Hume, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Frederich Hegel and Søren Kierkegaard. In such a way, it unveils four logics used to tackle the essence of coopetition, respectively either/or, both/and, both/or, and either/and.The key objectives of the book are: firstly, to adopt a paradoxical lens to investigate the foundations of coopetition strategy. Secondly, to offer an interpretive framework that detects the different forms, tactics and patterns of coopetition. Thirdly, to discuss the implications of the framework proposed for other paradoxical strategies and to distil a bouquet of managerial implications. In such a way, the volume combines existing foundational perspectives with a contemporary interpretation of the coopetition phenomenon, thereby offering a valuable understanding of the current business and management world.The guiding principles of the book enable readers to extricate the dichotomy between the phenomenon of coopetition and coopetitive strategy, appraise the rationale for distinguishing between deliberate (planned) coopetition strategy and emergent (unplanned, but conscious) coopetition strategy, and understand how to deal with coopetition tensions.

This book disentangles the foundations of coopetition (i.e., concurrent competition and cooperation) by exploring in-depth the intellectual legacy of Eastern and Western perspectives. In particular, it detects the foundations of coopetition in three Chinese streams of thought; Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, and in five Western schools of thought; David Hume, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Frederich Hegel and Søren Kierkegaard. In such a way, it unveils four logics used to tackle the essence of coopetition, respectively either/or, both/and, both/or, and either/and.The key objectives of the book are: firstly, to adopt a paradoxical lens to investigate the foundations of coopetition strategy. Secondly, to offer an interpretive framework that detects the different forms, tactics and patterns of coopetition. Thirdly, to discuss the implications of the framework proposed for other paradoxical strategies and to distil a bouquet of managerial implications. In such a way, the volume combines existing foundational perspectives with a contemporary interpretation of the coopetition phenomenon, thereby offering a valuable understanding of the current business and management world.The guiding principles of the book enable readers to extricate the dichotomy between the phenomenon of coopetition and coopetitive strategy, appraise the rationale for distinguishing between deliberate (planned) coopetition strategy and emergent (unplanned, but conscious) coopetition strategy, and understand how to deal with coopetition tensions.

Over a hundred years after the first socialist revolution broke the global monopoly of capitalism, a new class of socialist-oriented socioeconomic development is coming to the fore. Capitalism is still dominant worldwide, although its hegemony is no longer undisputed, and humankind is now faced with a key existential challenge. This book proposes an alternative path to overcoming the worldwide crisis of globalized capitalism. It offers a novel, balanced and historically rooted interpretation of the successes and failures of socialist economic construction throughout the last century. The authors apply a multidisciplinary, holistic and purpose-based methodology to draw basic lessons from stylized facts, emerging in different areas of knowledge, ranging from political economy to biology, and from key national socioeconomic experiences, with a particular focus on China. The book is divided into three parts. The first is mainly theoretical and general in nature, identifying the major contributions bequeathed by the hard sciences to their social counterparts. Consistent with these findings, the authors offer a stylized interpretation of the contemporary state-of-the-art of the debate on the core concepts of economic science and advance a few elementary theories about what socialism in the 21st century could look like. The second and third parts analyze and discusses the core features of a few select experiences, which have evolved in certain countries since 1917, some of which are still unfolding. The book will find an audience among academics, researchers and students in the fields of economics, political science, history, and geography, as well as, policy makers, particularly in developing countries.

Over a hundred years after the first socialist revolution broke the global monopoly of capitalism, a new class of socialist-oriented socioeconomic development is coming to the fore. Capitalism is still dominant worldwide, although its hegemony is no longer undisputed, and humankind is now faced with a key existential challenge. This book proposes an alternative path to overcoming the worldwide crisis of globalized capitalism. It offers a novel, balanced and historically rooted interpretation of the successes and failures of socialist economic construction throughout the last century. The authors apply a multidisciplinary, holistic and purpose-based methodology to draw basic lessons from stylized facts, emerging in different areas of knowledge, ranging from political economy to biology, and from key national socioeconomic experiences, with a particular focus on China. The book is divided into three parts. The first is mainly theoretical and general in nature, identifying the major contributions bequeathed by the hard sciences to their social counterparts. Consistent with these findings, the authors offer a stylized interpretation of the contemporary state-of-the-art of the debate on the core concepts of economic science and advance a few elementary theories about what socialism in the 21st century could look like. The second and third parts analyze and discusses the core features of a few select experiences, which have evolved in certain countries since 1917, some of which are still unfolding. The book will find an audience among academics, researchers and students in the fields of economics, political science, history, and geography, as well as, policy makers, particularly in developing countries.

While there is a vast amount of literature examining firm’s networks from an industrial organization perspective, the financial implications of networking remain underexplored. This book fills this gap, by investigating the phenomenon of business networks in the context of management and governance processes, and the related effects on interactions with the financial system in general, and credit institutions in particular. Networking is examined both from the demand (firms) and supply (banking institutions) perspective, thus, the book offers several contributions. It outlines the critical issues connected to business aggregations from the point of view of the management of information flows, and addresses the problem of identifying the role of banking ecosystems, in light of the transformations taking place in the financial industry, considering the growing complementarity between bank and market instruments in corporate financing. It explores the problem of identifying rating models for business networks, as well as, for individual participants on a stand-alone basis. Further, the book analyses a sample of networks in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and profiles a number of specific business cases.The book will be of particular interest to researchers and scholars in the field of banking and finance but also entrepreneurship and small business management. It will also find an audience among scholars from a wide array of additional fields, working on the relationship between financing concerns and growth opportunities.

While there is a vast amount of literature examining firm’s networks from an industrial organization perspective, the financial implications of networking remain underexplored. This book fills this gap, by investigating the phenomenon of business networks in the context of management and governance processes, and the related effects on interactions with the financial system in general, and credit institutions in particular. Networking is examined both from the demand (firms) and supply (banking institutions) perspective, thus, the book offers several contributions. It outlines the critical issues connected to business aggregations from the point of view of the management of information flows, and addresses the problem of identifying the role of banking ecosystems, in light of the transformations taking place in the financial industry, considering the growing complementarity between bank and market instruments in corporate financing. It explores the problem of identifying rating models for business networks, as well as, for individual participants on a stand-alone basis. Further, the book analyses a sample of networks in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and profiles a number of specific business cases.The book will be of particular interest to researchers and scholars in the field of banking and finance but also entrepreneurship and small business management. It will also find an audience among scholars from a wide array of additional fields, working on the relationship between financing concerns and growth opportunities.

Megaprojects, also referred to in the literature as Large Engineering Projects or Major Projects, are generally defined as large-scale investment initiatives worth 1b€/$ or more and, facing similar problems independent of the country where they are implemented and the industry they belong to. The common feature of most megaprojects is that they are difficult to design and manage so that their realization and completion is always extremely expensive, often over budget and delivery deadlines also are not met. In the worst-case scenario, they remain unfinished. This book, through its multidisciplinary approach, offers food for thought and alternative interpretations for the complex world of megaprojects. While much research has been conducted and differing approaches have been developed over the last 20 years, there is still a lot of debate surrounding the topic, and a holistic approach for effectively managing these initiatives is still missing. What is clear to all researchers and experts in the field is that a traditional-linear management approach is simply not sufficient, as at many stages of a megaproject, iterative and feedback effect occurs due to stakeholder involvement and increasing and continuous interaction between them. The book promotes the debate among all categories of stakeholders involved in the megaproject’s supply chain, in order to increase the awareness of complex phenomena relating to the critical issues and common problems they face, all over the world, and to seek performance improvement across the whole life cycle of a megaproject, including the selection, design, construction, operation and de- commissioning.The multidisciplinary approach cultivated in the book conveys an innovative way to study megaprojects and their inherent complexities.

Megaprojects, also referred to in the literature as Large Engineering Projects or Major Projects, are generally defined as large-scale investment initiatives worth 1b€/$ or more and, facing similar problems independent of the country where they are implemented and the industry they belong to. The common feature of most megaprojects is that they are difficult to design and manage so that their realization and completion is always extremely expensive, often over budget and delivery deadlines also are not met. In the worst-case scenario, they remain unfinished. This book, through its multidisciplinary approach, offers food for thought and alternative interpretations for the complex world of megaprojects. While much research has been conducted and differing approaches have been developed over the last 20 years, there is still a lot of debate surrounding the topic, and a holistic approach for effectively managing these initiatives is still missing. What is clear to all researchers and experts in the field is that a traditional-linear management approach is simply not sufficient, as at many stages of a megaproject, iterative and feedback effect occurs due to stakeholder involvement and increasing and continuous interaction between them. The book promotes the debate among all categories of stakeholders involved in the megaproject’s supply chain, in order to increase the awareness of complex phenomena relating to the critical issues and common problems they face, all over the world, and to seek performance improvement across the whole life cycle of a megaproject, including the selection, design, construction, operation and de- commissioning.The multidisciplinary approach cultivated in the book conveys an innovative way to study megaprojects and their inherent complexities.

The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution has prompted companies to adapt to a new business paradigm based on digital interconnection and the ability to respond quickly to the needs of consumers and users.These conditions are closely related to the advent of digital technologies that enable the real-time integration of devices and the control of production systems through technological platforms.Based on this logic, this volume aims to investigate the forms and methods being used by the company at present to confront the new business paradigm, commonly known as Industry 4.0, as well as the impact of new digital technologies on corporate evolutionary dynamics and related business models. More specifically, technological challenges will assess the impact of new technologies on productivity and investment in complementary resources—including human, organizational, and managerial capital—as well as the effects related to the introduction of Internet of Things (IoT)-based production processes.By following this approach, the focus subsequently shifts to drone technology, which is considered by many to be one of the most revolutionary Industry 4.0 technologies. In addition to investigating the history and potential applications of drones, many of which proved to be fundamental during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume emphasizes the related ethical and social aspects such as the degree of knowledge regarding and the public acceptance of drones. The academic and professional approach of this volume allows it to serve as a guide for professionals, entrepreneurs, and academics with a particular interest in both digital innovation and the drone sector.