Monica Fait, Demetris Vrontis, Amedeo Maizza and Federica Cavallo
The purpose of this paper is to observe how the motivational engagement system of the consumers should be established so that communities of practice became a driver to reducing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to observe how the motivational engagement system of the consumers should be established so that communities of practice became a driver to reducing the informative asymmetries of sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes a conceptual framework called connection, discussion and influence (CDI), along which the motivational dimensions to disclose sustainability can be formed. The framework has been tested on 200 firms in the Italian wine industry. A correlation analysis proved to be suitable for identifying groups of representative variables representing the engagement motivations that characterize participation in sustainability-oriented virtual communities.
Findings
The findings of this paper suggest that the pro-social behavior represented by the exchange of knowledge oriented toward sustainability is enhanced by the engagement of online community members. This happens when the online community is structured so as to activate a virtuous circle between CDI.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is the interviewees do not actually participate in a virtual community, but have only been asked if they would be potentially interested in participating in one, and about the importance they give to specific motivations.
Practical implications
The paper provides important reflections for companies operating in the wine industry that have been called to intervene in the disclosure of sustainability.
Originality/value
The virtuous circle described here is the main contribution of the paper, as it can serve as a driver for managers of virtual communities that choose to disclose their idea of sustainability to reduce informative asymmetries and to engage consumers.
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Paola Scorrano, Monica Fait, Amedeo Maizza and Demetris Vrontis
The link between wine and tourism is increasingly important for the competitive advantage of the territory and its productions, and it must be adequately communicated, in…
Abstract
Purpose
The link between wine and tourism is increasingly important for the competitive advantage of the territory and its productions, and it must be adequately communicated, in particular, online. Therefore, monitoring the level of convergence between online brand identity and online brand image is increasingly important to implement an efficient strategy of recall of a territory. This paper thus aims to propose an operative framework – assessing Web convergence (AWC) – designed to detect and analyse the online brand image and compare it with online brand identity.
Design/methodology/approach
The AWC framework is designed to extract information from the Web, process it through text-mining techniques – cluster analysis – and interpret it from three perspectives – functional, holistic and sensitive. The operative framework was applied to Napa Valley because it is the most frequently cited wine destination on the top 100 travel blogs.
Findings
The empirical application shows that the proposed logical framework can yield important reflections even in cases such as Napa Valley’s, a destination that already enjoys strong notoriety. In spite of the apparent qualitative homogeneity of the topics discussed, observation of their composition in terms of the three dimensions revealed the existence of a gap on some topics identified between what is communicated by the wine tourism destination and what is perceived and in turn communicated by bloggers.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the research is represented by the application of the operative process to a single case study (Napa Valley). The contribution given to managerial studies is the ability of the framework to provide an operative vision of the importance of knowing the blogger’s perception of the brand identity communicated by the company. Testing the framework in other contexts will confirm that the protocol is generalisable.
Practical implications
The identification of the themes that characterise brand identity and brand image in the Web provides a flow of information that, if interpreted according to the functional, holistic and sensitive perspective, transforms the themes into useful knowledge for decisional purposes.
Originality/value
The managerial literature has highlighted, as in today’s communication environment, a strong brand can be created and maintained by strengthening the linkage between identity and image. The proposed framework may be considered an important protocol because it allows a tourism destination to increase the flow of information on which to build or strengthen the brand identity by aligning with the brand image. This could be particularly useful for smaller and less-popular destinations.
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Lea Iaia, Demetris Vrontis, Amedeo Maizza, Monica Fait, Paola Scorrano and Federica Cavallo
The purpose of this paper is to identify the distinctive elements of CSR communications that characterize the communications models of family businesses in the Italian wine…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the distinctive elements of CSR communications that characterize the communications models of family businesses in the Italian wine industry, and to compare them with nonfamily businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a case study approach, a sample of large and medium companies practicing corporate social responsibility was identified. The content of their websites was examined using content analysis and text mining (correspondence analysis techniques and word association analysis using the T-Lab software).
Findings
The analysis indicates that the ownership structure nature makes a difference in the online CSR communications process. The cultural identity in both family and nonfamily businesses is founded on intangible factors such as tradition; however, being a family business is a fundamental driver in the online CSR communications process, no longer forming a bond among players in the wine industry, but rather linking with other wine family businesses.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of this work is the small size of the investigated sample. An added value it contributes is its focus on the Italian wine industry. The paper provides the essential elements that family and nonfamily wine businesses should consider in customizing their CSR communications with the brand’s specific details.
Originality/value
The authors highlighted the similarities and differences of family and nonfamily wine businesses in terms of their online CSR communications. The authors also observed how the family wine business identity, in its multidimensional construct, has common factors with what we call “familiness.” This research could establish a starting point for further work within this important sector.
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Antonio Iazzi, Andrea Vacca, Amedeo Maizza and Francesco Schiavone
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of corporate governance mechanisms, namely, board of directors and auditors, on tax aggressiveness in Italian companies…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of corporate governance mechanisms, namely, board of directors and auditors, on tax aggressiveness in Italian companies listed on the Milan Stock Exchange.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a population of 168 Italian non-financial firms listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, holding shares in at least one foreign subsidiary in countries other than Italy in fiscal year 2018. Data on corporate boards and auditors were collected through the evaluation of companies’ annual reports over the period 2011–2018. Five panel data analyses with fixed effects were performed for each tax aggressiveness index, yielding 1,176 observations to test the research hypothesis.
Findings
This paper finds that corporate board characteristics, such as size, gender diversity and CEO duality, and auditors’ features, such as external audit quality, increase corporate tax aggressiveness.
Practical implications
This study provides investors with an understanding of corporate boards’ and auditors’ roles in preventing agency conflicts and evaluating a company’s tax approach. Furthermore, the findings are useful for international political bodies in regulating corporate board composition and managerial monitoring.
Originality/value
Almost all studies focusing primarily on corporate governance mechanisms’ effects on tax aggressiveness are within the US context. Empirical evidence on the topic in the European contexts is limited. The legislative discrepancy between countries is reflected in the computation of indices measuring tax aggressiveness, affecting US studies' generalizability across nations. This paper extends the literature on the topic by investigating other unexplored corporate governance mechanisms. Five indices were used to measure corporate tax aggressiveness and to assess analysis reliability and data robustness. Moreover, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to investigate the link between corporate governance mechanisms and tax aggressiveness in Italy.
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Antonino Galati, Maria Crescimanno, Alfredo Coelho and Amedeo Maizza
Tianzhou Ren, Jing Li, Xiaofen Yu, Maria Rosaria Marcone and Amadeo Maizza
Effective knowledge management has played a crucial role in propelling the green transformation of organisations and industries. Nevertheless, its underutilisation in the real…
Abstract
Purpose
Effective knowledge management has played a crucial role in propelling the green transformation of organisations and industries. Nevertheless, its underutilisation in the real estate sector has impeded the progress of green transformation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical and practical analysis of the green transformation of the real estate industry through the lens of knowledge management and to provide a valuable reference to facilitate the industry’s green transformation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study entailed applying induction and deduction method, using China’s real estate industry as a typical case, and collecting and analysing the public data, corporate reports and literature of China’s real estate industry. On this basis, the authors conducted an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms through which the green transformation has empowered the sustainable development of China’s real estate industry, as well as the critical role of knowledge management.
Findings
The study has revealed that the primary challenges encountered by China’s real estate industry during the green transformation have stemmed from significant disparities in the knowledge base among different industry entities, the complexities related to knowledge integration and the “difficulty” of applying green knowledge across the entire life cycle. To address these issues, the authors recommend several strategic actions, including creating a dedicated green knowledge platform for the real estate industry, establishing a knowledge-sharing mechanism, enhancing knowledge acquisition on both the supply and demand sides and intensifying the focus on the application of green knowledge within the real estate industry.
Research limitations/implications
This research holds considerable theoretical and practical significance concerning the comprehension and promotion of knowledge management’s role in the green transformation of China’s real estate industry. These insights can be applied to significantly enhance the theoretical framework of knowledge management, and the research outcomes provide substantial support for propelling the green transformation in China’s real estate industry and contributing to the sustainable development of the overall economy in China.
Originality/value
From a knowledge management perspective, this study introduces a series of solutions and recommendations, presenting new research ideas and pathways for advancing the green transformation of the real estate industry. In addition to guiding the industry’s sustainable development, it also significantly contributes to enhancing the theoretical framework of knowledge management.
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Lea Iaia, Amedeo Maizza, Monica Fait and Paola Scorrano
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiential dimension of certain Italian agrofood products’ websites, which are seen as exemplifying best practices in the terms…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiential dimension of certain Italian agrofood products’ websites, which are seen as exemplifying best practices in the terms of the representation of the brand-land relationship, including their link with the territory of origin in the sense of terroir.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted after the conception and experimentation of a model (called SObER), the fruit of detailed studies of experiential marketing (Schmitt, 1999a, b). The model was tested using the user-based focus group technique (Mich, 2007) and verified with reference to certain consortia brands considered to reflect best practices in communication of the brand-land connection.
Findings
The analysis made it possible to identify the key elements for expressing both the experiential dimension and the brand-land relationship of traditional agrofood products, ensuring their effective online communication.
Research limitations/implications
Although the research uses a benchmarking technique, it focuses on specific case studies; thus, the outcomes can be generalised by means of an extension of the analysis.
Originality/value
The value of the analysis carried out lies in the creation of a model aimed at the assessment of agrofood products and, more generally, their link with the territory of origin in the online context. In addition, the marketing literature on the experiential dimension applied to website tools is still limited. For this reason, this work may stimulate future in-depth analysis with reference to the proposed model.
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Hadjer Troudi and Djamila Bouyoucef
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, the verification of applicability of reasoned action theory to analyze consumer behavior in Algerian context; and second, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, the verification of applicability of reasoned action theory to analyze consumer behavior in Algerian context; and second, the identification and analysis of factors influencing purchasing behavior in green food sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors proposed a model based on reasoned action theory that combines two types of variables, the green marketing type and personal type, in order to predict purchasing behavior of green food. The authors have established a structural equations modeling, with a path analysis on a sample of 304 Algerian consumers from Algiers town.
Findings
The model was confirmed and the results showed how green marketing and personal factors influence the green food purchasing behavior in direct and indirect way, in presence of the mediating variables’ attitude toward green food and intention to buy green food.
Research limitations/implications
There is no database or any information concerning green consumption in Algerian context. There is a lack of information about green production in food field. The choice of reasoned action theory as a theory explaining the decision-making process leading to purchasing act is based on fact that the Algerian field of food sector is virgin of this type of analysis, so the authors thought it is appropriate to apply the reasoned action theory as a first initiative in this field. Also, a more recent and more innovative psychological theory should be applied in the future studies.
Practical implications
The study will give researchers interested in Algerian context a better understanding of consumer behavior, especially in green product case, and will open new paths for future research in the same field by the application of another psychological theory that is more recent and innovative; the study can open research paths for other fields as well, such as consumer behavior toward green cosmetic products in Algeria.
Social implications
The implications of this research can assist marketers for better positioning in green food market using the results indicated in research. The better understanding of factors influencing consumer purchasing behavior will encourage contractors to invest in this field in Algiers town context.
Originality/value
The study was established in a context where consumer market data of green food are non-existent, so the research represents an orientation to green food marketers toward a better positioning in relation to influence factors of their market target.
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The concept of green marketing has emerged as a panacea for reducing the negative impact of business activities on the environment. Many studies have investigated the impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
The concept of green marketing has emerged as a panacea for reducing the negative impact of business activities on the environment. Many studies have investigated the impact of green marketing on green purchase behavior, sustainable competitive advantage, etc., without much being explored about how green marketing translates into firms' profitability, particularly among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets. This study, therefore, investigates the influence of green marketing on perceived SME profitability alongside the mediating effect of green purchase behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research approach was adopted, where a cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect the data from 400 SME owners/managers in Ghana. Using Statistical Package for Social Science, the data were analysed through descriptive statistics, correlation and macro Process version 3.4.1.
Findings
The results reveal that the dimensions (environmental knowledge, environmental concern, green price, green advertising and green product) of green marketing distinctively have significant positive effect on perceived SME profitability as well as green purchase behaviour. Furthermore, green purchase behaviour significantly mediates the relationship between green marketing dimensions and perceived SME profitability such that the indirect effects are far greater than the direct effects.
Practical implications
SME managers should include the green marketing dimensions in their business plans and develop strategies to implement them in order to enhance green purchase behaviour of their products and services which will, in turn, lead to profitability.
Originality/value
In augmenting green marketing literature, this study provides an insight into how SMEs can leverage on the distinct dimensions of green marketing to influence green purchase behaviour and profitability in an emerging market context.