Giuseppe Modarelli, Christian Rainero and Stefano Amelio
The purpose of this study is to provide a bidimensional perspective to study the role that diversity and occupation play in corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide a bidimensional perspective to study the role that diversity and occupation play in corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Design/methodology/approach
Five big American companies were selected from a ranking carried out by a globally recognised website for finding flexible and inclusive jobs (www.flexjob.com). After a gap evaluation, content analysis and click analysis were carried out on the institutional websites.
Findings
This analysis provides insight into best practices for inducing employees to select inclusive and non-toxic working environments.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to its original application of game-based inclusiveness, the limited cases and exploratory research approach should be considered as limits of the study.
Practical implications
The research illustrates the internal relevance of sustainability and diversity, creating best practices for bidimensional CSR by matching the offer of and demand for social-inclusive recruitment and employment.
Originality/value
In pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal No.10, regarding reduction of inequalities, games as an inclusive practice could be used to avoid toxic work environments and promote well-being in the workplace.
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Keywords
Damiano Cortese, Christian Rainero and Valter Cantino
This paper aims at understanding whether firms conceive and use social media as disseminators, as well as amplifiers, of their results concerning sustainability and responsibility…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at understanding whether firms conceive and use social media as disseminators, as well as amplifiers, of their results concerning sustainability and responsibility and whether this practice stimulates stakeholder engagement and participation, laying the foundation for a dialogue on corporate social responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach
This research analyses the theoretical background of communication related to sustainability and responsibility and the company–stakeholder dialogue in the food sector. An inductive interpretive approach is provided by conducting a qualitative content analysis related to the communication practices of the food company Ferrero (Italy) from June 2015 to September 2019.
Findings
Companies can use social channels to present their vision, values, approaches and choices related to sustainability and responsibility. Social media can become useful networks to reach stakeholders requiring and claiming for transparency about more and more relevant topics – allowing, at the same time, a two-way relationship and dialogue.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the paper is that it presents the observation of a single firm.
Practical implications
The managerial implications relate to the value created by a dialogical communication: this is a strong foundation for enhancing relationships capable of maintaining and increasing the company's reputation. The establishment of an interchange about sustainability and responsibility represents a new way to direct the company and its stakeholders towards mutual support in creating value.
Originality/value
This article contributes to enriching the debate on the degree of knowledge, understanding, response and reaction to social media–based corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication.
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Christian Rainero and Giuseppe Modarelli
In the disruptive technologies era, the lack of convincing business cases on blockchain (BC) adoption about food supply chain, the existence of uncertainties and barriers to…
Abstract
Purpose
In the disruptive technologies era, the lack of convincing business cases on blockchain (BC) adoption about food supply chain, the existence of uncertainties and barriers to adoption due to knowledge scarcity on characteristics as well as the potentialities and risks involved in it, have triggered the need to investigate the first multinational BC adoption for food supply chain in Europe, to consider how it can guarantee knowledge for the consumption/purchase decision-making and the creation-mechanism of consciousness for sustainable behavioral choice.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors provide a field exploratory analysis based on customers' perceptions and real knowledge about BC (as a knowledge-constructive tool) in the food and beverage sector. This connected with the need for an informed context, favoring sustainable conscious decision-making related to both the food chain and innovation acceptance. This analysis included the use of innovation acceptance as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic orientation through a survey- and interview-based field analysis (80 respondents).
Findings
The findings of this study can be considered as antecedents of innovation acceptance in the sector. The analysis assesses consumers' scarce knowledge and perceptions on the BC system, the scarce usage level and the higher acquiring propensity for traceable foodstuffs generating bi-directional/dimensional value, considering that consumption habits could change through security and certainty antecedents and induced knowledge provided by external technological intervention.
Originality/value
By trying to match innovation and the knowledge-construction need as a vehicle for acceptance, the theoretical contribution would empower the literature on food traceability from the perspective of strategic BC application through a from-knowledge-to-knowledge strategy.
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Christian Rainero and Giuseppe Modarelli
This work highlights the potential of blockchain from a public management (PM) angle. Given the limited presence of blockchain's broad-spectrum, empirical-applicative evidence in…
Abstract
Purpose
This work highlights the potential of blockchain from a public management (PM) angle. Given the limited presence of blockchain's broad-spectrum, empirical-applicative evidence in the public sector, as well as theoretical systematisations that can exemplify its potential within this scope, the authors have concentrated their efforts on structuring a referring model.
Design/methodology/approach
After identifying a gap and conducting a preliminary literature review related to public administration (PA), the authors propose a paradigm focused on a conceptual synthesis methodology, starting from a longitudinal analysis and a coding activity that are able to structure a clear framework of theoretical parallelism regarding blockchain's main functionalities, as well as future perspectives in the public sector.
Findings
The main results yielded a specific longitudinal literature review and constitute a referring model of blockchain's systematised functionalities through a conceptualised matrix. The outcome of the conceptualisation process frames and systematises a rapidly growing controversial phenomenon, furnishing a specific referring paradigm for the issue as it relates to policymakers.
Originality/value
The study's originality resides in the two views the authors created, both from the literature review and from the conceptual synthesis for public sector operative practice via an anthropocentric lens, conveyed by a three-year range of analysis.
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Enrico Bonetti, Chiara Bartoli and Alberto Mattiacci
The purpose of this paper is to enrich the knowledge about blockchain (BC) technology implementation in the agri-food industry by providing an interpretive framework of the key…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to enrich the knowledge about blockchain (BC) technology implementation in the agri-food industry by providing an interpretive framework of the key marketing opportunities and challenges, related to the adoption of BC for Geographical Indication (GI) products.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts an explorative qualitative research design through the cognitive mapping technique applied to the cognition of different market players involved in agri-food BC projects: farmers, distributors, companies and consultancies.
Findings
This study presents a comprehensive examination of the marketing impacts of BC across various marketing objectives, including product enhancement, brand positioning, consumer relationships, market access and supply chain relationships. It highlights the capability of BC to facilitate data-enabled ecosystems within the agri-food sector, involving supply chain actors and control agencies. Additionally, the study sheds light on the challenges (technological, collaborative, political, financial and organizational) associated with the implementation of BC in the marketing of agri-food products.
Research limitations/implications
This work provides a comprehensive examination of the relevance of BC in the marketing activities of firms, particularly in the context of quality food products. It highlights the main areas of impact and effects and emphasizes the complexity of the phenomenon, which extends beyond its technical issues. Furthermore, it offers a systematic exploration of the challenges associated with the adoption of BC in marketing activities, thus contributing to a broader understanding of the implications of BC adoption in companies' marketing strategies.
Practical implications
The practical implications for this work addresses both GI companies and policy makers. Implications for companies relate to the market benefits associated with the implementation of BC, which allow further strengthening of market positioning, relationships of trust within the supply chain and integration between physical and digital market channels. The study also systematizes the challenges underlying the implementation of BC projects. The implications for policy makers regard the role they have to play in BC projects at regulatory, financial and policy levels.
Originality/value
Studies focusing on BC applications in marketing are still limited and characterized by a very narrow perspective (especially in the food industry). This study contributes to the conceptual design of the marketing applications of BC in the agri-food sector. The value of the study also lies in having framed the marketing impacts of BC in a holistic perspective, along with the technological and non-technological challenges that are related to the integration of BC in marketing strategy and operations.