Ernesto de nito

University of Salerno | UNISA · Department of Economics and Statistics DISES

Purpose Megaprojects stimulate and challenge public opinion across countries, generating extensive reactions from citizens. Given their ability to attract public attention, they may also influence public participation in collective choices and political decision-making. These issues are relevant for evaluating projects, but are unfortunately rarely...

The understanding of the interactions between megaproject and social impact assessment disciplines is crucial and an effective implementation of a multi-dimensional perspective has been positively correlated with project success and failures avoidance. Current literature aims to encompass this role, extending the analysis of the impacts to the broa...

This article presents a review of the literature about e-learning experiences in tertiary education over the past 20 years, since the 2000s. At this point, an increasing use of web-based technologies started to affect the spread of e-learning. The methodological approach used in the study was quantitative. The main results showed that the developme...

Purpose The paper focuses on how knowledge visualization supports the development of a particular multiobjective decision-making problem as a portfolio optimization problem in the context of interorganizational collaboration between universities and a large automotive company. This paper fits with the emergent knowledge visualization literature bec...

In this paper, the authors depict strategies and tools adopted by criminal organizations and legal firms in order to control the business of public works. They conclude that criminal firms adopt different models to enter and to control the public procurement business. Through an empirical research, based on official documents and interviews with le...

Purpose In this paper, we depart from extant conceptualisations of knowledge translation mechanisms to examine projects as a way to achieve effective knowledge transfer. Our empirical analysis focused on a university–industry research project in the automotive industry. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis was based on a qualitative...

This chapter analyzes the concept of competency from a managerial perspective, exploring the competence model in the Public Sector from a theoretical and a practical view. First, we explore the concept of competency, distinguishing a rationalist and positivist approach—entity-based perspective—and a more sociological background—social construction...

Purpose According to Fee (2009), e-learning systems have three components: technology, learning content and e-learning design. Few studies have examined e-learning design as an educational process, although universities are increasingly using e-learning as they become more entrepreneurial. This article aimed to investigate how universities approach...

Purpose The literature on corruption and whistleblowing is increasing over the past years. However, the authors contend that individual reactions to a corrupt proposal could differ from the mentioned behaviours. On these grounds, the authors contend that a “grey zone” between accepting corruption and whistleblowing does exist. This paper aims to ex...

The dynamics of knowledge processes represents a major research topic in management studies. The interpretation of the different tools and methods as enablers for knowledge creation has important implications for achieving innovation, namely in lean product development contexts. Previous researchers have classified the different tools and methods i...

This study explores policies of collaborative governance between public and private actors through a specific case that sees the development of city areas previously abandoned or landlocked. It employs the case study methodology, analyzing the specific case of San Vincenzo’s Pier in the port city of Naples. The analyzed case reveals that a collabor...

The relationship between the management of knowledge and the Japanese concept of obeya is a neglected topic. Previous studies have classified the different tools and methods adopted in Lean Product Development in the light of the Socialisation–Externalisation–Combination–Internalisation (SECI) theoretical framework for knowledge management. Followi...

Purpose - Political system in Italy has known over the years frequent government turnovers, making the government average institutional life very short. Horovitz, Hoff and Milanovic (2009) define political instability as “a basic source of variation in institutions and practices (… whose) frequency and character depend on voter preferences, politic...

In this paper, the authors depict strategies and tools adopted by criminal organizations and legal firms in order to control the business of public works. They conclude that criminal firms adopt different models to enter and to control the public procurement business. Through an empirical research, based on official documents and interviews with le...

Purpose This paper aims to study knowledge integration mechanisms in an interdisciplinary research project. It develops the theoretical literature on the concept of knowledge integration, particularly the adoption of different organizational mechanisms. The research helps to explain how to adopt different integration mechanisms in the various steps...

Paolo Canonico is based at Università di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy. He is Associate Professor of Organization Studies at University of Napoli Federico II, Italy. His research interests are broadly related to the study of knowledge and human resources in project-oriented organizational forms. His research appeared in journals such as Interna...

PurposeThe study aims to contribute to the literature on board behavior and performance in public sector organizations, by investigating conflicts as a fundamental and inevitable part of interactions between board members. Despite impressive advances in studying the behavioral dimensions of governing bodies, several gaps still remain in our knowled...

Purpose – This paper aims to consider how and to what extent it is possible to interpret a performance management system (PMS) as a typical control mechanism or in a more innovative way as a learning tool. PMSs are typically used for planning and coordination purposes. However, they may also be used as an opportunity to foster learning inside the o...

In recent years, Italy launched a spending review process to pursue budgetary retrenchments through expenditure cutbacks at the central, regional, and local level. This paper tries to interpret a diverse set of spending review initiatives realized in Italy during the last three years as part of an extensive program of organizational development, th...

Quando si parla di camorra ci si sofferma in genere sugli aspetti più sensazionalistici legati al comportamento criminale: il controllo militare del territorio, la predazione delle attività economiche, la violenza arbitraria, gli stili di vita e gli eccessi dei capi. Minore attenzione viene prestata ai fattori di genesi e riproduzione dei clan, al...

The paper explores the relationship between coordination mechanisms and typologies of knowledge in a wine firm. Allocating knowledge as either process related or outcome related, we illustrate the nature of knowledge that emerges in each category and discuss the main coordination mechanisms used to integrate knowledge. We used a single case study,...

PurposeIn recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed towards the field of governing bodies research. However, little attention has been paid to the behavioural perspective on studying public boards. Aiming to fulfil this gap this paper offers a review of the international literature addressing boards behaviour within the unique...

The article investigates the relationship between Performance Management Systems (PMS) and IS in a single Italian Public University, starting from the gap that exists between what is declared in University policy statements— ostensibly oriented towards empowerment—and what is actually implemented by public managers. We are particularly interested i...

The chapter investigates the relationship between Performance Management Systems (PMS) and IS in a single Italian Public University, starting from the gap that exists between what is declared in University policy statements¿ ostensibly oriented towards empowerment¿and what is actually implemented by public managers. We are particularly interested i...

This research represents a continuation and a more in depth analysis of a previous systematic research conducted few years ago by some of the authors (Hinna et al., 2010; Hinna et al., 2012). In order to focus on the need to deepen the study on board dynamics in public organizations, this study presents an overview of international literature regar...

The episode described above is used to provoke reflection on certain features of modern capitalism, in particular with reference to the role of the privatization. Starting from this event, we became involved in a debate on how much the privatization process has influenced (and, more importantly, will influence) the nature of the economic relationsh...

This paper refers to the concept of public governance in the light of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). While TCE is well developed and widely applied in the private sector, only a few studies have adopted such framework to investigate the provision of public services. We aim at pointing out the coherence between peculiar typologies of transactions...

Purpose – This article sets out to investigate the relationship between performance management systems (PMSs) and knowledge in public universities. In particular, this paper intends to verify how different choices related to PMS affect the nature of knowledge, in terms of the well-known tacit vs explicit dichotomy. Design/methodology/approach – T...

The study explores the role of the Electronic Ticketing Systems in the Integrated Tariff Systems (ITS), focusing on the relationship between technology and control from the perspective of the Critical IS Research. More specifically our work reflects upon the impact of the “smart card technology” on the process of control and power centralization fr...

Purpose – Knowledge creation is increasingly singled out as an important activity in a wide range of sectors. At the same time, projects are considered to be the loci where much of knowledge creation takes place. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the current issues within this area and point out a few directions for future research....

Looking at the global context, it has been widely acknowledged that the diffusion and huge increase of the criminal economy has severe effects on the legal economy (Roberti 2008; Council of Europe 2005), since it pollutes financial institutions, altering the market equilibrium, damaging the democratic institutions and widening the grey zone, where...

Logistic systems are more and more becoming key elements in building sustainable competitive advantage for business systems. In particular, logistic platforms (in Italian, interporti) carry out a highly central role in the Italian economic system, facilitating interconnections between various transport modalities and increasing the importance of po...

Developing an effective and a integrity-centered management education system represents a priority. In fact, in an era of relentless change and increasing complexity, the importance of creating a fruitful context for the development of managerial education is increasingly being interpreted as crucial. Our contribution aims at analyzing the main tre...

Purpose This paper aims to deal with knowledge integration in projects, focusing on teams that deal with exploitative nature of knowledge work and implement standard solutions with minor refinements developed over time. In the research the authors seek to analyze how the organizational control mechanisms adopted within project teams that deal with...

In this paper, we analyze the mechanisms adopted by criminal firms in order to thrive in the business of public works. We submit that resource dependency theory (RDT) can shed light on this area. We find that criminal firms use a variety of techniques to alter the behavior of actors in procurement processes. We claim that the best way to analyze th...

The article provides a theeoretical framework for understanding how project teams, community of practice and collectivities of practice allow the control of innovation processes and activities.

Every training process aims to a deep transformation of individual competencies. The success of these programs strongly depends on the level of commitment of the actors involved playing different roles (Public Government, financing body, providers, trainers, firms, workers) and mainly on the presence of a crucial aspect: trust. Trust favors the wil...

The aim of this research is to analyze governance models for tariff integration systems in the local public transport sector both in Italy and in some regions of Europe. In particular, it aims to study and compare coordination models chosen by the key players, their role (especially that of the political policy-driver) and the degree of decisional...

Compared to the debate on corporate governance in the private sector and to the literature on the macro level of governance in the public sector, the micro-level governance of public organisations remains a neglected area of discussion. Against this backdrop, the paper presents an overview of international literature regarding boards in the public...

In recent years managerial studies have dealt quite extensively with the organizational issues of project teams. In particular the analysis have focused on the interpretation of the social dimensions in such settings. Two different research perspectives have emerged, concerning the relationship between project team and Community of Practice (CoP)....

The logistic system as an element giving a competitive advantage to individual organizations and business firm systems alike, is now becoming increasingly relevant (Håkansson e Persson, 2004). In particular, logistic platforms (in Italian, interporti) carry out a highly central role in the Italian economic system, in that apart from facilitating in...

The ability to create knowledge usable for new products represents a crucial feature for the success of high technology firm (Keller, 2001). As a consequence, the adoption of project teams within the R&D domain has become a frequent solution in many organizations (Iansiti and West, 1999; Thamhain, 2003). In particular, we focus our analysis on a fi...

This paper discusses Claudio Ciborra's critique of traditional economic rationality. It recounts his account of the Mann Gulch Disaster. The important aspect of his reading of the disaster is that apparently irrational actions may provide appropriate ...

Today knowledge and cluster represent two fashionable concepts that can be applied in many fields and in many researches. They belong to different areas, but both are influencing more and more the organizational behavior. Recently many authors have written about these topics, so contributions are rich and various: many are the positions and the poi...