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Using an abductive perspective, this study aims to review the scientific literature about the governance and management of the digital supply chain (DSC) in the context of the business organizations, providing an overview of the state of the art of the research and outlining a future research agenda with a knowledge management (KM) focus.

After investigating the Scopus database, 54 articles were identified as relevant and then subjected to an initial discernment. After this assessment, 34 articles focusing on operations management were further analyzed through both a bibliometric analysis and a content analysis.

The DSC represents a research area of increasing attention, with relevant contributions to several aspects of the field, as well as about KM. At the same time, the results show that the scientific literature on DSC models, solutions and applications is fragmented. Although the analysis has found a heterogeneous literature, two main streams of research seem to emerge: KM in the business culture development about DSC and KM in the business technological evolution about DSC.

Although there exists growing interest in the scientific community, or perhaps because of this, area of research remains fragmented and under-theorized, thus requiring more systematic studies considering both economic and social aspects of the DSC. This study aims to provide innovative insights about this evolution, especially highlighting the two main contributions of KM in DSCs that have been revealed (business culture development and business technological evolution).

In China food waste during the catering service process namely the back end of the entire food supply chain has neither received sufficient attention nor been evaluated precisely even though it has been the cause of food security concerns. In response considering the complex tacit knowledge embedded at the front end of the Chinese catering supply chain this article aimed at addressing relevant issues from the viewpoint of tacit knowledge.

This article is conceptual in nature. From the perspective of knowledge management (KM), we used a deductive method to explore intricate tacit knowledge embedded at the front end of the catering supply chain in China.

The key challenges in preventing food waste in the Chinese catering supply chains are: (1) a variety of knowledge icebergs in Chinese catering culture, (2) the complex tacit dimension of knowledge in Chinese cookery, and (3) difficulties in bringing standardization to the Chinese catering business. The three KM-based step-by-step solutions are: (1) standardizing the essential cookery techniques of Chinese cuisine, (2) encouraging catering enterprises to create online knowledge-sharing platforms to reduce food waste for all stakeholders, and (3) using big data to build a nationwide KM system.

Our research indicates that the of a comprehensive KM system specific to the Chinese catering supply chain is crucial for standardizing the essential cookery techniques of Chinese cuisine and analyzing big data, which could help improve Chinese catering processes and gastronomic habits in reality, so as to more effectively prevent food waste.

Our research contributes to the literature by connecting the reduction of food waste issues with the KM perspective. A key to more efficiently reducing food waste in China lies in the lack of a deeper, more systematic understanding of the tacit dimension of knowledge in Chinese cookery and impressive dietary culture, namely the front end of the catering supply chain.

The purpose of the study is to analyse the stock market response to a spin-off announcement concerning a food and beverage (F&B) business unit.

The study uses a sample of approximately 107 spin-offs, 84 of which are operating in the F&B sector surveyed by the Zephyr–Bureau Van Dijk database. The event study approach is applied to the identified sample. The results demonstrate that the effect of an event on the stock price of a firm allows identification of the abnormal return as the difference between the current and expected returns.

The study finds that investors adjust positively to the closing of the spin-off deal. The peak of performance is reached on the day of the announcement.

Empirical evidence could be distorted by the mono-industry database, analysed in a “favourable time span.” The role of information transfer on spin-offs, in terms of diffusion and reduction of information asymmetries, could be developed.

The study represents a pioneering investigation of a category of mono-industry spin-offs. Previous doctrinal contributions underline the fact that abnormal returns corresponding to announcement effects are amplified in the case of information asymmetries but underestimate the effects deriving from the strategic business unit's nature as a spin-off.

Previous research focused on open innovation (OI) suggests that enterprises benefit from adopting the journey; however, the relationship among OI, marketing journey and knowledge-intensive innovation marketing activities (KIIMA) remains unclear. The present study proposes a conceptual model of the marketing journey linking heterogeneous modes of marketing collaboration to knowledge-intensive activities.

The conceptual model was tested via ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regression based on a sample of data drawn from the Eurostat database.

The results indicate that strategies are a robust proxy for evaluating KIIMA, and partnerships, heterogeneous sources of knowledge and different marketing modes for collaboration among European knowledge-intensive firms are core antecedents of KIIMA, such as new-product development and marketing innovation, as well as firms' sustainable competitive advantage.

This study fills the gap by tracking the role of the journey within marketing collaborations on KIIMA, and it intervenes in the debate about interactive marketing innovation mechanisms. The study contributes to OI, knowledge management and the marketing literature by identifying the heterogeneous modes for marketing collaborations under which the marketing journey enhances knowledge-intensive activities such as those for marketing innovation.

The effect of digital transition on knowledge management (KM) processes is becoming relevant for companies operating in different industries and the body of literature examining this impact is rapidly growing. This paper aims to critically analyse the literature on the impact of digital transition on KM by rethinking the SECI model proposed by Nonaka and proposing the WISED model for the digital knowledge-creating company.

The systematisation of existing studies on the topic and the analysis of the evolution of knowledge creation process in the era of digital transition was carried out through a bibliometric approach.

According to the traditional epistemological and ontological dimensions and considering the innovative KM processes identified by this study (i.e. webification, informalisation, systematisation, explicitation and digitalisation), the results highlight how the proposed WISED model can be adopted by organizations to manage knowledge through the use of digital technologies.

Digital transition seems to open up new horizons that can expand the potential use of the WISED model for organisations and society.

Although Business Process Management (BPM) is a critical issue and small- and medium-sized family firms (SMFFs) frequently adopt process organization, very little literature focuses on the processes by which family firms remain distinctive (Chrisman et al., 2016) or on their approach to BPM. The current research aims to fill this gap by analyzing dynamic companies’ attitudes to process-driven ability that concern exploitative as well as explorative processes. The purpose of this paper is to identify which kinds of dimensions may build an ambidextrous state in BPM in SMFFs, also favored by entrepreneurial IT capabilities and influenced by a stable but changeable context.

The authors referred to vom Brocke et al.’s (2014) study as it allows a focus on BPM research in the context of SMFFs. Then, the authors adapted the framework to the context of SMFFs. In addition, an empirical analysis has been made for applying the framework’s principles on effective BPM requirements to SMFFs. In the research, the authors applied grounded theory, according to which observation and theorization are linked by circularity, as they represent moments being managed simultaneously. The theorization emerged in different moments of the empirical surveys, influencing the next data gathering and the data gathering was the object of a de-structured matching and analysis process.

Specific cultural and cognitive aspects, values and abilities affect the company behavior of SMFFs in terms of BPM, and this is influenced by the connection between the family and the business. Therefore, it confirms that the family is a missing variable in organizational research (Dyer, 2006) also in BPM. A good BPM permits the definition of business abilities of running the current processes, along with of acclimatizing the company to a changeable context. In regard to the exploitative and explorative strengths typical of organizational ambidexterity, the research favors, respectively, transactional excellence with a focus on net cost reduction and transformational excellence based on net revenue generation. This approach requires consideration of the difference between external and internal contingencies as well as of the different processes to manage. However, despite IT-based BPM tools and the new era of IT-based process thinking, technology appropriation is only one of our dimensions, and each dimension plays a role in good BPM behavior; only a combination of dimensions favors effective and flexible BPM.

The research contributes to the literature on BPM through theoretical implications, in particular two main implications. First, the research emphasizes the impact of familiness on good BPM practice. Family appears to be a missing variable in organizational research on BPM, even though familiness affects process specificity and mechanisms. Second, the research is based on certain category dimensions that characterize management models common in the literature, allowing the application of BPM in FFs by taking advantage of their confidence and adaptability. Limitations are related to different points of view on the model’s scope and design, the recipient and the research method.

The research has two main practical implications, representing managerial potential, that improve the significance and originality of the research in internal and external contexts. In the internal context, this permits a new BPM mind-set.

The research is original for the following two reasons. First, when FF complexity grows and/or new organizational issues emerge, FFs are faced with two challenges: an increased number of complex processes to handle, along with a lack of IT-based BPM for organizational ambidexterity. In such a context, this research can suggest a solution. Second, the research is based on dimensions that have been widely characterized in general management models. For this reason, FFs may already be familiar with these dimensions. In addition, the model strongly valorizes the familiness impact on BPM development and takes into consideration the context awareness of the company.

The study aims to investigate the interplay among digital technologies, intellectual capital and innovation. Thus far, there have been scant research on such intricate bundle of interactions. Also, the findings of previous studies were rather inconclusive, because conflicting results emerged over time. Building on the existence of heterogeneous evidences, this study solved the detected criticism by suggesting a curvilinear relationship among digital technologies, digital skills of human capital and intellectual property. Specifically, we argue that the relationship between digital technologies and intellectual property is inverted u-shaped.

Hypotheses are tested by applying a generalized linear model (GLM) regression analysis and a quadratic model for non-linear regression. The study analysed a large-scale sample of micro-data drawn from Eurostat. Such sample embraces the population of firms operating in all European member states.

Overall, the results of the study confirm that digital technologies are curvilinearly related to intellectual property. Precisely, the curve is inverted u-shaped. Notably, results show that digital skills only matter when employees have very demanding duties to accomplish. In all other cases, digital skills do not affect intellectual property significantly.

The research is solely focused on firms' operating in the European Union. Future studies should extend the analysis to other geographies.

At a real impact level, the study suggests that intellectual property is only partially fostered by digital skills and digital technologies. In this sense, digital skills might be overrated.

Differently from prior research, this study originally detangles the impact of digital technologies on firm's intellectual capital by suggesting the existence of an inverse u-shaped relationship between variables.

This study aims to extend the knowledge in the domain of intellectual capital and entrepreneurship by investigating whether happiness may have a positive influence on entrepreneurial initiative and intellectual property or not.

The used large-scale dataset for 2018 is drawn from the Eurostat. It includes information on individual happiness, sustainability, start-ups, creativity, intellectual property and quality of life, grouped by European countries. Hypotheses are tested through using the linear regression method.

The findings confirm that happiness, along with creativity, fosters both entrepreneurial initiative and intellectual property.

Future studies should test the model by extending the analysis to different world regions and by considering further variables, such as country culture.

The study suggests that policy makers have to focus on improving life conditions and sustainability as a means to foster local economies and communities.

This cutting-edge study is unique in its genus, because the prior literature never focused on these topics jointly. At an academic level, it ties happiness to creativity and to “the entrepreneurial spirit”, thus opening up to a new and vast domain of researches.

The aim of this work is to increase awareness of the potential of the technique of text mining to discover knowledge and further promote research collaboration between knowledge management and the information technology communities. Since its emergence, text mining has involved multidisciplinary studies, focused primarily on database technology, Web-based collaborative writing, text analysis, machine learning and knowledge discovery. However, owing to the large amount of research in this field, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify existing studies and therefore suggest new topics.

This article offers a systematic review of 85 academic outputs (articles and books) focused on knowledge discovery derived from the text mining technique. The systematic review is conducted by applying “text mining at the term level, in which knowledge discovery takes place on a more focused collection of words and phrases that are extracted from and label each document” (Feldman et al., 1998, p. 1).

The results revealed that the keywords extracted to be associated with the main labels, id est, knowledge discovery and text mining, can be categorized in two periods: from 1998 to 2009, the term knowledge and text were always used. From 2010 to 2017 in addition to these terms, sentiment analysis, review manipulation, microblogging data and knowledgeable users were the other terms frequently used. Besides this, it is possible to notice the technical, engineering nature of each term present in the first decade. Whereas, a diverse range of fields such as business, marketing and finance emerged from 2010 to 2017 owing to a greater interest in the online environment.

This is a first comprehensive systematic review on knowledge discovery and text mining through the use of a text mining technique at term level, which offers to reduce redundant research and to avoid the possibility of missing relevant publications.

Entrepreneurial knowledge spurs innovation and, in turn, generates a competitive advantage. This paper aims to explore if entrepreneurial knowledge combined with the attitude to innovate can overcome the key “imperfections” of the innovation process generated by dynamic, current technological progress in the knowledge-intensive sector. The “imperfections” identified in risk management, asymmetric information in the knowledge management process and hold-up problems can all disrupt collaborative partnerships and limit opportunities for innovation.

A theory-building approach is applied which offers a case study analysis of two small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These two SMEs operate in Europe but in two different territories: the UK and Italy. The study explores three key imperfections, risk management, asymmetric information in the knowledge management process and hold-up problems, which occur in the innovation process.

The entrepreneurs face these imperfections by adopting an open innovation model. Notwithstanding, both entrepreneurs had to deal with all “imperfections”, and their skills, attributes, attitude and aptitude allowed them to grow their business and continually develop new products. Therefore, the imperfections do not limit the innovative capacity of an entrepreneur but rather enhance their challengeable attitude. In this regard, the case studies induce a further analysis on entrepreneurial knowledge intertwined with entrepreneurial risk management and networking skills.

The empirical significance of the two cases does not allow theorisation. However, this research offers interesting results which can be strengthened by a comparative case study with other countries or deeper investigation by applying a quantitative approach.

By leveraging entrepreneurial knowledge, the imperfections noted in the innovation process can be overcome. Entrepreneurial knowledge is recognised as the main asset of an enterprise if it is combined with external talent or human resources. Entrepreneurs aim to develop innovative approaches and ideas through establishing both formal and informal collaborative partnership relationships which are used thanks to the entrepreneurs’ networking skills, knowledge and abilities.