Gabriela Citlalli Lopez-Torres, Giovanni Schiuma, Jaime Muñoz-Arteaga and Francisco Javier Alvarez-Torres
The paper investigates how visibility, information technology and innovation management impact sustainability performance. It proposes a framework explaining the role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper investigates how visibility, information technology and innovation management impact sustainability performance. It proposes a framework explaining the role of visibility in driving firms' sustainable performance and the relevance of innovation management and information technologies in enhancing organisational visibility. This study intends to add to the discussion within the management literature about the potential of innovation management to drive sustainability. It seeks to provide insight into the practices that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can adopt to improve their sustainable performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using empirical methods, the study investigates SMEs in central Mexico. The demographic information in the dataset includes 15 years as an average length of service from firms. Of the surveyed firms, 70% were from the manufacturing sector and 30% were from the service sector, as these are the most representative sectors of the productive region. A variance-based structural equation model approach was used to test the hypotheses, processed with the partial least squares (PLS) regression method.
Findings
The research results show that visibility significantly impacts sustainability performance. Innovation management has a higher influence on visibility than information technologies, emphasising the need to improve the quality of information in firms, not just the tools. The findings support managers in comprehending the crucial importance of visibility in aiding firms to achieve higher sustainability performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study only examined a sample of Mexican SMEs; therefore, the findings' generalizability must be considered within this context. Secondly, the survey only focused on services and manufacturing firms and a more detailed analysis of the sector could provide further clarity on the relationships between variables. As a result, future research should consider these limitations and explore additional contexts to improve the overall understanding of the topic. Moreover, the scale used to measure the variables was adapted from other researchers with similar context research and reflective variables.
Practical implications
The results provide helpful information for SME managers about the importance of focusing on innovation management processes and employing information technologies as crucial managerial strategies. This will aid in increasing visibility and supporting the development of sustainability performance in firms.
Social implications
The world red-code, among others, with climate change and social gaps, has generated the need to contribute to sustainable development, and it has mobilised people on all levels all over the world for the simple purpose of preserving life. Therefore, society, as a crucial group that affects and is affected by this red-code situation, should act in favour of visibility, the use of high-quality information (e.g. transparent, accessible and relevant) and information technologies to promote sustainable practices. This could mean that society should be prepared to incorporate new capabilities and spaces to interchange knowledge as a participatory community that can contribute to better sustainable dynamics that could expand its participation in public decisions. Also, the government should encourage digital democracy (e.g. develop social participation platforms), opening and harmonising rules and mechanisms combining high-quality information with IT to provide flexible and adequate services that support sustainable development, such as efforts towards constructing sustainable and smart cities.
Originality/value
This study explores how innovation management can drive firms' sustainability performance, which is crucial for improving competitiveness. The question of how to enhance sustainability performance through managerial drivers is a critical one. This study empirically investigates the nexus of visibility and sustainability performance, innovation management and information technology with visibility.
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Alberto Michele Felicetti, Antonio Palmiro Volpentesta, Roberto Linzalone, Giovanni Schiuma and Salvatore Ammirato
Digital platforms for the provision of food information-based services (FISs) represent a consolidated business with increasing revenue streams for entrepreneurs. Such platforms…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital platforms for the provision of food information-based services (FISs) represent a consolidated business with increasing revenue streams for entrepreneurs. Such platforms have transformed and clarified the nature of uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in the traditional food sector entrepreneurial processes. Anyway, a clear understanding of the value of digital platforms for FISs is not yet consolidated in the literature. With this paper, the authors try to fill this gap through a critical literature review of scientific research that combines knowledge on food consumer's behavior and user's knowledge behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors carried out a critical literature review of scientific research combining knowledge of food consumer's and food information user's behavior. This allowed the identification of the main value components of FISs.
Findings
The authors propose a multidimensional framework for modelling the value proposition of digital platforms for FISs. Three main value dimensions have been identified: relevance, credibility, and accessibility. These dimensions concur with the consumer's perceived value of consumers in terms of benefits increase and cost reduction.
Research limitations/implications
The research was intended to shed light on aspects characterizing consumers' perception of food information value. The authors put in evidence that the informational perspective of food communication is under-investigated. This study attempts to provide a holistic overview of the dimensions impacting on consumers' perception of the value of information for food consumers, opening new research perspectives.
Practical implications
The framework represents a tool for positioning food information offerings on the market, with the objective to analyze the value proposition of FISs according to a consumer perspective and to understand gaps of current offering of FISs. Moreover, it may support the design of a new generation of digital platform for food information provision, which would respond to consumers' expectations and information needs, highlighting emerging business opportunities for digital entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
Few research works provide a characterization of value proposition of digital platforms providing food information to consumers. In particular, to date, literature lacks of a holistic overview of the dimensions influencing consumer's perception of the information value of food communications.
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Angelo Rosa, Alessandro Massaro, Giustina Secundo and Giovanni Schiuma
This study aims to provide a methodology and tools to design new organizational processes and artificial intelligence (AI)-based scoring to optimize the resources management in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a methodology and tools to design new organizational processes and artificial intelligence (AI)-based scoring to optimize the resources management in healthcare units.
Design/methodology/approach
Process design and process data-driven simulation: the processes are designed by the business process modeling and notation and the unified modeling language standards. Data processing is performed by Correlation matrix analysis and by Fuzzy c-Means data clustering. The matching between the two methods provides the most indicated final corrective actions of the “TO BE” organizational model.
Findings
This proposed method, experimentally applied in this work merging the lean management model (LMM), process mining (PM) and AI methods, named process mining organization (PMO) model (Rosa et al., 2023 (b)), is able to improve organizational processes of a hospitalization unit (HU) by developing three propaedeutic phases: (1) analysis of the current state of the processes (“AS IS”) by identifying the critical issues as bottlenecks of processes, (2) AI data processing able to provide additional classified and predicted information allowing the “TO BE” workflow process and (3) implementation of corrective actions suggested by the PMO in order to support strategic decision-making processes in the short, medium and long term by classifying an order of priority about the healthcare procedures/protocols to perform.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of the proposed case study is in the limited number of available digital data to process. This aspect reduces the capability to interpret result. In any case, the proposed methodology is a “launch” work to define a new approach to integrate organizational processes including workflow design and AI scoring. Future work will be focused on managerial implications due to use of the discussed method: design and development of new human resource (HR) organizational protocols following data analysis to optimize costs and care services and to decrease injury compensation claims.
Practical implications
Main implications are in healthcare managerial scenarios: design and development of new HR organizational protocols following data analysis to optimize costs and care services and to decrease injury compensation claims.
Social implications
Care services optimization is addressed on HUs.
Originality/value
The design of HR organizational processes integrates AI-driven data decision-making processes. This case study examines AI-based innovation analytics addressed on resource efficiency.
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Paola Scorrano, Elena Borin, Alkis Thrassou, Federica Cavallo and Giovanni Mastroleo
The paper aims to interpret sustainable regional development (SRD) as an exchange ecosystem in which stakeholders provide reciprocal access to resources, benefiting both…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to interpret sustainable regional development (SRD) as an exchange ecosystem in which stakeholders provide reciprocal access to resources, benefiting both individual and systemic levels. This paper suggests that knowledge, as a shared and value-transcribed critical resource, nourishes a community’s motivational system (CMS), orienting it toward SRD. This inherently raises questions regarding the nature of social business models (SBM) that can best support community’s motivational system, as well as their sustainable regional development derivatives.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs the Fuzzy Expert System (FES) to analyze companies participating in the three most representative Italian consortia, aiming to empirically address the knowledge gap regarding the influence of social business model on sustainable regional development.
Findings
Applying our theoretical framework to Agro-food Protection Consortia – a specific type of hybrid social, regional value-oriented business organization – this paper demonstrates that knowledge sharing along environmental, social and economic dimensions enhances sustainable regional development. Using the IF (condition) → THEN (action) logic of fuzzy method, the study identified knowledge exchange as a key condition motivating actors to contribute to sustainable regional development. This dynamic approach enables better alignment between stakeholders and regional goals.
Originality/value
This paper presents practicable participatory strategic guidelines that balance informal and formal governance mechanisms with the catalytic and enhancing connection of strategic business initiatives for Sustainable Regional Development.
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Reyes González-Ramírez, Jose Gasco and Juan Llopis
Despite the evident link between digitalisation and sustainability, many organisations have these two strategies operating on a parallel basis and not in a coordinated manner…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the evident link between digitalisation and sustainability, many organisations have these two strategies operating on a parallel basis and not in a coordinated manner. Hence the objective of this work, which consists of proposing a model to analyse the connection existing between both strategies within the business environment, additionally relating them to innovation and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Design/methodology/approach
With that aim, the results of a survey answered by 98 managers of Spanish enterprises are examined using the PLS software, especially suited for the study of structural equations like the one put forward in this paper.
Findings
The conclusions drawn suggest that the most innovative firms are indeed the ones that invest to a greater extent in digitalisation and sustainability. It was also possible for us to verify that digitalisation exerts a positive influence on sustainability and that both the latter and digitalisation directly relate to CSR strategies. However, innovation as such does not constitute a requirement for CSR; instead, these Social Responsibility actions will take place when innovations rely on digitalisation and sustainability strategies.
Originality/value
Until now, most studies have addressed digitalisation and sustainability independently, with contradictory theoretical approaches in the literature about these two topics and a paucity of empirical results about the link between digitalisation and sustainability. The present study clarifies the relationships between sustainability and digitalisation, also relating them to innovation and CSR in the business environment.