Bernhard Smandek, Andreas Barthel, Jens Winkler and Peter Ulbig
There is a growing awareness of intellectual property (IP) rights in European public research institutes. Since 2008 a non‐binding recommendation of the European Commission has…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a growing awareness of intellectual property (IP) rights in European public research institutes. Since 2008 a non‐binding recommendation of the European Commission has been, in effect, proposing a consistent policy for IP in research and development (R&D). While there is a broad consensus on the overall goal – achieving a higher competitiveness of European industry in the international market place – there are, however, conflicting expectations on the micro‐management: are technology transfer agencies to be considered as profit‐centers, cost‐centers, mediators or all of the above? This paper seeks to provide an answer
Design/methodology/approach
The Physikalisch‐Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the national metrology institute of Germany with 1,900 employees and an annual budget of €145 million. It has established a micro‐management policy for IP rights, which is successfully fostering the development of modern instrumentation for metrology and may serve as an example for other public institutions as well. While it is obliged by law to operate as a regular market participant when licensing patents, there are additional conditions, some with the status of a law or a binding government decision as well.
Findings
The BSC approach, implemented at PTB, provides guidelines to reconcile seemingly conflicting requirements for a public entity while at the same time generating economic benefits in terms of additional income from licensing. In the authors' opinion this approach keeps costs at a reasonable level, fosters inventors' motivation and furnishes data for decisions for the technology transfer office as well as for the leadership of the institution.
Originality/value
To manage this conflict of goals the authors developed and implemented a balanced score card (BSC) system for IP management in order to optimize licensing income generation, cut costs, keep the inventor's motivation high and simultaneously realize macro‐economic technology transfer tasks. The BSC was originally introduced for the private sector by Norton and Kaplan in 1992, in response to a failure of purely monitoring financial indicators. The balanced score card considers economic and non‐economic factors, often denoted as “soft”. It is balanced with respect to result‐oriented indicators, like licensing income, and with respect to process‐oriented indicators, like the acceptance rate of inventions for patenting. And it tries to deduce from a trend of an indicator in the past a prediction of future development, associated with recommendations for actions to influence the ongoing process. The paper discusses the issues.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Details
Keywords
Daniela Carlucci and Antonio Lerro
Organizations are increasingly aware that to face complexity and uncertainty in today's business landscape, it is important to properly exploit, combine, and continuously develop…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations are increasingly aware that to face complexity and uncertainty in today's business landscape, it is important to properly exploit, combine, and continuously develop their intellectual capital (IC). In this introduction to the special issue the aim is to develop some theoretical and managerial reasons explaining the importance of IC to achieve business excellence; then, to call for renewed analysis in the IC research stream aimed to investigate what are the new key intellectual capital dimensions and traits to be better developed and managed in order to deal with the fluidity of business, uncertainty, crisis, change, turbulence and high competitive pressure.
Design/methodology/approach
The approaches, evidences and insights discussed in this introduction are largely based on the discussion of the topics of the conference “International forum on knowledge assets dynamics” organized in June 2010 in Matera, Italy. At this conference, leading experts discussed the importance of intellectual capital for organizational business excellence in the twenty‐first century, the new IC key‐value drivers to manage in order to face emergent competitive scenarios, and research and management practices for addressing complexity, uncertainty and changes of today's business landscape.
Findings
The outcomes of this introduction and the contributions to the special issue reflect the emerging discussion about the role of IC management constructs. This discussion is largely focused on the importance of translating IC management within organizational components for achieving business excellence, highlighting approaches and tools in different contexts of analysis.
Originality/value
This introduction as well as all the contributions to the special issue deal with different aspects, which are important in the discussion of the role played by IC in achieving organizational business excellence as well as the approaches, tools, methods and techniques to better disentangle the mechanisms by which IC dimensions, separately or interdependently, contribute to improve companies' organizational performance.
Details
Keywords
Ana María Salazar, María Fernanda Reyes, Olga Pedraza, Angela Gisselle Lozano, María Camila Montalvo and Juan Camilo Rodriguez Fandiño
Different studies relate the presence of depression to lower cognitive performance and higher functional dependence in older people; however, this is not entirely clear. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Different studies relate the presence of depression to lower cognitive performance and higher functional dependence in older people; however, this is not entirely clear. The purpose of this study is to validate the existence between the association of these conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in which the memory, metamemory and global functionality test performance of depressed and non-depressed participants was compared between two groups, one cognitively healthy and other with cognitive decline. The participants were 420 older adults, with an average age of 69 and five years of schooling.
Findings
The importance of describing cognitive performance in older adults with depression may provide evidence to support an adequate differential diagnosis and the design of an adequate future therapeutic plan. Identifying and preventing depression in the elderly can improve health and well-being in the elderly.
Originality/value
Depression is a prevalent and highly disabling disease. When it is suffered by an older person, it is associated with higher mortality, functional dependence, poor physical health, worse quality of life indicators and psychological well-being. In the elderly, the clinical diagnosis of depression is difficult, as it has a high comorbidity and is often confused with other health conditions prevalent during older adulthood.
Details
Keywords
Emili Vela, Aina Plaza, Gerard Carot-Sans, Joan Carles Contel, Mercè Salvat-Plana, Marta Fabà, Andrea Giralt, Aida Ribera, Sebastià Santaeugènia and Jordi Piera-Jiménez
To assess the effectiveness of an integrated care program for post-acute care of stroke patients, the return home program (RHP program), deployed in Barcelona (North-East Spain…
Abstract
Purpose
To assess the effectiveness of an integrated care program for post-acute care of stroke patients, the return home program (RHP program), deployed in Barcelona (North-East Spain) between 2016 and 2017 in a context of health and social care information systems integration.
Design/methodology/approach
The RHP program was built around an electronic record that integrated health and social care information (with an agreement for coordinated access by all stakeholders) and an operational re-design of the care pathways, which started upon hospital admission instead of discharge. The health outcomes and resource use of the RHP program participants were compared with a population-based matched control group built from central healthcare records of routine care data.
Findings
The study included 92 stroke patients attended within the RHP program and the patients' matched controls. Patients in the intervention group received domiciliary care service, home rehabilitation, and telecare significantly earlier than the matched controls. Within the first two years after the stroke episode, recipients of the RHP program were less frequently institutionalized in a long-term care facility (5 vs 15%). The use of primary care services, non-emergency transport, and telecare services were more frequent in the RHP group.
Originality/value
The authors' analysis shows that an integrated care program can effectively promote and accelerate delivery of key domiciliary care services, reducing institutionalization of stroke patients in the mid-term. The integration of health and social care information allows not only a better coordination among professionals (thus avoiding redundant assessments) but also to monitor health and resource use outcomes of care delivery.
Details
Keywords
Nicola Marotta, Andrea Demeco, Lucrezia Moggio and Antonio Ammendolia
This study aims to evaluate the relevance of telerehabilitation during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic based on the prevalence of participation and activity International…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the relevance of telerehabilitation during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic based on the prevalence of participation and activity International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains in a population with disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
We perfomed an observational study of ICF files of people with disabilities pre- and post-three-months lockdown imposed by the government to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
ICF qualifiers such as performing the daily routine (d230), using communication devices and techniques (d360) and doing housework (d640) showed a significant decrease of the disabilities (p < 0.05). Instead, a significant increase (p < 0.05) in disability was evident in relating with strangers (d730); informal social relationships (d750); acquiring, keeping and terminating a job (d845); complex economic transactions (d865); community life (d910); and recreation and leisure (d920).
Practical implications
Telerehabilitation should not be regarded as home-based rehabilitation delivered through technology. The results show how telerehabilitation should be a functional diagnostic tool and monitoring of patients’ rehabilitation needs.
Originality/value
Through a comprehensive classification scale of disability, it is possible to redefine the term telerehabilitation.
Details
Keywords
Aristeidis Gkoumas and Federico D’Orazio
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the art-based project of Full Llove Inn as a tactical urbanism intervention and urban tourist attraction. The project consisted of an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the art-based project of Full Llove Inn as a tactical urbanism intervention and urban tourist attraction. The project consisted of an elevated room-car, displayed in the public space of Amsterdam from August 2006 to September 2007.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was conducted between December 2017 and November 2018 in Amsterdam. The study applied the methodological tools of semi-structured interviews, textual analysis and participatory observation.
Findings
Full Llove Inn provided an extraordinary allure for visitors and residents. It created a sense of intra-personal and inter-personal existential authenticity for local and non-local guests, respectively, while introducing a pop-up hotel as a new form of tactical initiative.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the inability to contact non-local guests for interviews, the only source of data was based on tourist experiences about Full Llove Inn derived from the hotel guest book.
Practical implications
The research suggests that pop-up hotels may be used by Destination Management Organizations as a means of strengthening the brand image and creating a competitive edge for cities.
Social implications
The research indicates that art-inspired tactical interventions in the public space of civic environments could constitute a social capital while generating interactions between residents and visitors.
Originality/value
For the first time in the tourism literature, this study investigates the impact of tactical projects on destination branding from the perspective of both locals and visitors.
Details
Keywords
Cristian Rizzo, Andrea Sestino, Rada Gutuleac and Bernardo Bertoldi
Food waste is increasingly becoming a major issue for retail companies. However, there is still limited knowledge of how new forms of collaborative consumption (CC) may impact…
Abstract
Purpose
Food waste is increasingly becoming a major issue for retail companies. However, there is still limited knowledge of how new forms of collaborative consumption (CC) may impact firms' behavior. This paper identifies and examines how the enablers of food waste and firms' tendency to cooperate with their customers may affect the adoption of measures oriented to diminish waste reduction, as well as the use of mobile technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
A empirical study has been conducted on a sample of international firms operating in the food sector as retailers (i.e. restaurants, bar and catering services) or in similar activities (i.e. hotels and accommodations). The authors tested an empirical model aimed at revealing the possible mediating role of customer cooperation in affecting the impact of food waste enablers on (1) waste recovery measures and (2) the adoption of mobile technologies for food recovery.
Findings
The results of this study showed how customer cooperation mediates the impact of food waste enablers on the intention to use mobile applications for food recovery but not on the adoption of food recovery measures that, instead, mainly depends on waste causes internal to the firm.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies that tries to identify and evaluate the impact of the different enablers of food waste on firms' pro-environmental behaviors. Interestingly, the authors show how customer cooperation is a decisive factor to promote new forms of CC in the food industry. Importantly, customer cooperation acts as a bridge between the drivers of food waste and a firm's intention to adopt measures against it. By actively involving customers, firms can gain insights, develop effective strategies and foster a culture of waste reduction that benefits both the business and the environment.
Details
Keywords
Alessandro Bonadonna, Andrea Matozzo, Chiara Giachino and Giovanni Peira
The purpose of this paper is to analyze farmer behavior, considering their attitude toward food waste with particular focus on their involvement in the last phase of the process…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze farmer behavior, considering their attitude toward food waste with particular focus on their involvement in the last phase of the process, the retail phase. It assesses the different approaches applied to food waste management and its future.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 35 farmers in the Porta Palazzo market, the biggest food market in the Turin Area (north-west Italy), was identified and a survey was carried out to determine the behavior and perception of farmers regarding food waste and the management of unsold food.
Findings
Results show that there is a high level of interest on the ethical and charitable aspects of food waste and unsold food. However, awareness and knowledge of the initiatives organized by institutions are not sufficient.
Practical implications
If policy makers and institutions have an understanding of farmer behavior, they can implement ad hoc initiatives to reduce food waste and build on the work already done by farmers. Additionally, farmers can help customers to better understand the products.
Originality/value
This study analyzes the perception of the food waste phenomenon for one type of traditional operator in the food supply chain, the farmer. The originality of the paper lies in the fact that it has not only considered the perception of food waste but also the management of unsold food in a market area.
Details
Keywords
Marco Setti, Luca Falasconi, Andrea Segrè, Ilaria Cusano and Matteo Vittuari
– The purpose of this paper is to provide insights on the relationships between consumers’ income and household food waste behaviors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide insights on the relationships between consumers’ income and household food waste behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Attitude toward food waste is a paradigmatic (economic) non-standard decision making. Based on behavioral economics concepts and empirical evidences, the study analyzes the frequency of household food waste and its main drivers with a focus on individual income. Through a panel of 1,403 Italian consumers, food waste behavior and its determinants are modeled for five food typologies using proportional odds models that adopt stepwise procedures and genetic algorithms.
Findings
Results suggest the existence of complex relationships between per capita income and household food waste behavior. When considering food typologies that include high value added products, this relation can be explained by an inverse U-shaped curve: mid-to-low income consumers purchase higher amounts of lower quality products and waste more food.
Research limitations/implications
The research highlights the importance of understanding the main socio-economic and behavioral determinants of household food waste, and the need for further researches.
Practical implications
The research motivates specific pricing, commercial and policy strategies as well as organizational technological, and educational solutions to prevent/reduce household food waste.
Social implications
Lower income class consumers show a greater attitude to waste certain food typologies. In turn, this implies that food waste can further worse economic inequality and relative poverty.
Originality/value
The study identifies different patterns of relationship among individual income and consumers’ food waste behavior, and describes the conditions that limit a household “Food Waste Kuznets Curve.”