A Black Swan in the district? An IMP perspective on immigrant entrepreneurship and changes in industrial districts

IMP Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matilde Milanesi ◽  
Simone Guercini ◽  
Alexandra Waluszewski
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Black Swan ◽  
Network Approach ◽  
Immigrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Marketing ◽  
Local Setting ◽  
Industrial Network

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changes of the Italian textile district of Prato, considered an exemplary case of the industrial district (ID) model, using a business network perspective. The “Black Swan” metaphor is used to address the changes in the Prato textile district in order to understand whether such changes have been an unexpected and unpredictable phenomenon, or they can be explain with a different theoretical tool-box, namely, that developed by the industrial network approach. Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilizes already published studies on the changes of the textile/fashion companies located to the Prato area. Both studies that have been carried out within an ID approach and those carried out with an Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) point of departure are considered in the research. Both types of studies were utilized to identify empirical observed changes of the producer, respectively user setting that the Prato located companies was related to, including identification of changes affecting both the local setting and the larger network it was related to. Findings – The utilization of the IMP model proposes a learning ground that exceed the local context and open ups of investigations of opportunities and threats stemming from interactions across spatial borders. Analysed from an interactive point of view, in the specific context of Prato, the exploitation of the opportunities given by establishing relationship between natives and migrants actors goes through the creation of interactions among actors representing specific resource combinations and activity structures – within and outside the local community. Originality/value – The paper concerns how the same research object – the changes of the Prato district – appears from another perspective different from the ID theory, namely, the industrial network approach developed by scholars of the IMP Group.

Industrial heritage: towards a sustainable adaptive reuse of wheat milling heritage buildings in Jordan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monther Jamhawi ◽  
Shatha Mubaideen ◽  
Basem Mahamid
Keyword(s):  
Cultural History ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Adaptive Reuse ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Heritage ◽  
Heritage Buildings ◽  
History Of

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a framework for the adaptive re-use of wheat milling buildings setting in modern urban contexts in Jordan. This paper also aims to highlight the industrial heritage with a focus on wheat milling buildings, which date back to the beginning of the 20th century, as they document and represent significant aspects of the socio-cultural history of Jordan.Design/methodology/approachThe approach to this statement will be through a theoretical investigation into the notion of industrial heritage, a historical overview of wheat milling in Jordan, as well as a case study analysis to support the theoretical framework following a value-based approach for the case of Baboor Al-Qisar. Baboor Al-Qisar is a wheat milling structure that the Department of Antiquities (DoA) is willing to adaptively reuse as an industrial museum that tells the local narrative of wheat milling and points out the non-physical values associated with the building’s original use.FindingsThe paper introduces a framework for wheat milling buildings incorporation within the modern urban context as industrial heritage museums or socio-cultural facilities. The findings offer a reflection on approaching similar case studies as a tool for their conservation, management and promotion to create new tourist destinations as a form of sustainable urban regeneration.Originality/valueThis research bridges the gap between practice and theory in terms of adaptive reuse strategies within the Jordanian local context. No similar studies have been done on wheat milling structures from the 20th century in the country with local community engagement as an integral part that is carried out within the functionality and future use of the site.

Tourism research on island destinations: a review

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Parra-López ◽  
José Alberto Martínez-González
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Descriptive Approach ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Areas Of Interest

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to synthesize the published works about tourism in the island. Island destinations, especially smaller ones, suffer the negative effects of tourism more than other destinations. This is because of the characteristics of island destinations and the negative impacts arising from their inadequate management by different stakeholders. For these reasons, and conversely because tourism favors the social and economic development of islands, there has been a great deal of research published on insular tourism in the literature at a global level. Despite the number of studies carried out from different approaches, none have synthesized this scientific production. Thus, the main contribution of this paper is the use of a bibliometric and descriptive approach to carry out a thorough review of studies published on tourist development in island destinations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a bibliometric and descriptive approach to carry out a comprehensive review of the published studies on tourism development in island destinations in the past decade with special emphasis on the items analyzed, places of analysis and scientific journals that have addressed this topic.FindingsThe results of the analysis of the literature show the interest of the study of tourism in island destinations. This interest is partly due to the attraction that tourists have for this type of destinations and the need to promote their sustainable management as tourism destinations (Cusick, 2009, Hall, 2011, Cave and Brown, 2012, López, Orgaz, Marmolejo and Alector, 2016). In addition, tourism in island destinations constitutes an opportunity for economic development and benefits both the local population and its visitors (Fabinyi, 2010; Porter et al., 2015).Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this paper is the great diversity of tourist destinations made up of islands, the complex nature of these destinations and tourism and the quantity and diversity of research carried out into them. This aspect has already been highlighted by other authors and makes it complex to determine which research should be included or excluded in this review.Practical implicationsImportantly, the results allow researchers and decision-makers to identify the main areas of interest in the study of island tourism and the reasons for this interest. They also indicate new areas of interest and in-depth studies. Thus, professionals have a map that shows the most relevant factors in tourism development for this type of destination and the variables that, both from a positive and a negative point of view, influence its development.Social implicationsThis research shows that the main areas of interest is island destination are the quality of life of the local community, stakeholder collaboration, sustainability, diversification and seasonality, marketing, consumer behavior/perception and segmentation, planning of tourism activity, information and technology, competitiveness and efficiency.Originality/valueAs evidenced by the amount of research carried out, there is a great deal of interest in tourism in island destinations. This interest arises from the specific characteristics and the interest of tourists themselves in this type of destination, as well as from the negative impacts and opportunities generated by island tourism. Nevertheless, the number of references obtained for tourism in island destinations (N= 949) represents only 0.2 per cent of the total number of studies referring to only “island” in the SCOPUS consultation (339,607 studies). Thus, one of the contributions of this paper has been to highlight the need to continue studying and reviewing in greater depth research on insular tourism.

scholarly journals Developing business students’ employability skills through working in partnership with a local business to deliver an undergraduate mentoring programme

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Spence ◽  
Denis Hyams-Ssekasi
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Employability Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Local Business ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Working collaboratively with local business is vitally important in the delivery of higher education (HE) in further education (FE). The purpose of this paper is to explore an effective way of engaging local employers to enhance the employability skills of students through a closely monitored and supported mentoring relationship. The project was developed in order to address the employability needs of final year business students at a HE facility offered by a college situated in the North West of England. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through the use of reflective journals and a series of focus groups with mentors and mentees. Findings – Overall both mentors and mentees reported positive responses to the mentoring scheme. From the mentees point of view self-confidence, employability skills and networks were enhanced. Mentors reported satisfaction in contributing to the local community. Challenges were found in matching mentors with appropriate mentees. A perceived poor match negatively affected the relationship. Mentors reported that mentees lacked career direction and seemed to have limited understanding of what was expected in the mentoring process. Research limitations/implications – The scope of this study is one mentoring scheme in one institution and therefore has limited generalisability. However, there are implications for the development of further mentoring schemes in other institutions in the UK and beyond. Originality/value – This mentoring scheme was carried out in FE that offers HE courses in a northern town with above average levels of unemployment and with a diverse ethnic population. The scheme involves senior managers volunteering to support business undergraduates.

Exploring the dark side of cooperative buyer-seller relationships

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Grandinetti
Keyword(s):  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Marketing ◽  
Cooperative Relationships ◽  
First Case ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to study the dark side of cooperative buyer-seller relationships to improve our knowledge of this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach A selective definition of dark side has been adopted, linking it to relationships of a cooperative nature within which one of the two partners assumes an opportunistic behavior. Taking into account this definition, the first part of the paper critically reviews those studies which have analyzed cooperative relations along the supply chain, drawing attention to the formation of a dark side. The second part of the paper re-examines the association between cooperation and opportunism, taking the point of view of the disadvantaged partner and adopting the networking perspective developed by the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group. Findings The literature review enables one to identify two types of dark side. In the first case, the partner at a disadvantage is aware of what is going on, but remains trapped in the relationship because of a power imbalance and a strong dependence. In the second case, the relationship is spoilt by one partner keeping a secret from the other, exploiting an information asymmetry. The main constructs of the IMP approach have made possible to shed light on the two different types of dark side – trap and secret – that were examined from the perspective of the disadvantaged partner. Practical implications The analysis of the disadvantaged partner has made it possible to understand what strategies he can use to prevent or mitigate such a disadvantaged position. Originality/value The paper develops an original view of the phenomenon of dark side in cooperative relationships.

Designing social living labs in urban research

Info ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 53-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Franz
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Living ◽  
Urban Research ◽  
Living Labs ◽  
Research Questions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a more socially centred understanding of living labs for urban research questions by reflecting on current technologically centred and innovation-driven approaches. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of literature review complemented by conceptual knowledge from practical experiences. Findings – Urban living labs, as they were introduced from a technological and economic point of view, have to be translated into the context of social sciences. By doing so, they may be a promising tool to stimulate co-creation and collaboration also in urban research projects that focus on social research questions and include diverse target groups. Socially centred living labs take into account the local context by developing a space of encounter for the participants in the urban living lab and by implementing a set of living methods that suit both the research design and the local requirements. Originality/value – This paper argues that urban living labs can be a valuable tool in urban research to include researchers, politicians, local stakeholders and residents in an open concept of co-creation. It argues that a locally contextualised design in terms of space and methods is necessary to create an environment of trust and collaboration.

scholarly journals Spaces of learning – practising the SDGs through geographical fieldwork methods in a nature park

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Skou Grindsted ◽  
Thomas Theis Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Community Analysis ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Local Politicians ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Sustainability Challenges

Purpose While the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and visions for sustainability education apply to many methods, they can be hard to put into practice. This study aims to concern an undergraduate geography course designed not only to teach geographical methods but also to engage with the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and apply them to various local urban sustainability issues in a real-world context. Design/methodology/approach By means of a mixed-method approach, the authors examine a fieldwork course that invites students into learning situations in which they combine critical thinking with entrepreneurial solutions to local sustainability challenges. The authors examine the learning material from the students’ cases and explore the geographical knowledge the students’ practise. Findings Fieldwork helps students contextualise the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and thereby apply them to analyses in a local context. Students learn first-hand how their planning proposals can be seen as counterproductive by some local stakeholders while remaining attractive to others. Originality/value Student tasks are developed in collaboration with a local municipality and students present their findings to local politicians and stakeholders. Presenting and localising the SDGs within a local community not only encourages students to undertake a local community analysis but also provides new perspectives to local stakeholders.

In-kind donations, cash transfers and local procurement in the logistics of caring for internally displaced persons

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech D. Piotrowicz
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Cash Transfers ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate humanitarian supply chains in the context of the Ukrainian crisis as example of complex emergency. The paper focuses on a selection of support modes: in-kind donations, cash-based assistance and local procurement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a case-study approach and interpretive paradigm. Findings are based on the analysis of primary sources including interviews with three Polish humanitarian organizations, internal documents, and secondary sources such as published reports.FindingsFindings indicate that in a middle-income urbanized country such as Ukraine non-standard modes such as cash transfer programs and local procurement can be employed, since the necessary infrastructure and market are operational. However, each mode has limitations, so they should match the local context and the needs of diverse social groups.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings and recommendations are specific to the case analyzed, Ukraine, and its socio-economic context. The research contributes to discussions about mode selection, stressing the links between mode, stage of the disaster response and local context.Practical implicationsApplying cash transfers and local procurement can reduce supply chain costs, such as transport and warehousing. Shortened supply chains enable faster responses and increased agility.Social implicationsCash transfers and procurement involve the local community and beneficiaries, and can better fulfill needs maintaining people’s dignity. However, for vulnerable groups and those in conflict zones, in-kind goods are a better option.Originality/valueThe author argues that the much-discussed dichotomy of cash or goods does not reflect reality; local and regional procurement should be added as important support modes in middle-income countries in crisis.

scholarly journals Remodelling urban planning education for sustainable development: the case of Serbia

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 658-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Maruna ◽  
Danijela Milovanovic Rodic ◽  
Ratka Colic
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Master's Degree ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Pedagogical Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Master’S Degree

Purpose The paper aims to present a pedagogical model tailored to the development of key competences in the urban planning profession in post-socialist transitional countries that is based on the creation of an integrated platform for dialogue and the development of professional competences as part of the process, whereby students produce their final projects. Design/methodology/approach The pedagogical model is based on the principles of education for sustainable development and focuses on the establishment of a repeatable platform for dialogue between students and mentors, members of the mentoring team, the local community, external members of the consulting team of experts and foreign master’s degree programmes, in the process of producing students’ projects. The proposed method addresses several dimensions, including: the education of students, teachers, professionals and local experts, the establishment of a network for cooperation and collaboration and the delivery of practical and usable results. Findings The paper provides a comparative overview of the pedagogical model’s application in producing the final master’s degree projects of three generations of students, as well as its alignment with the needs of re-defining the role and reach of the profession of urban planner in an environment of post-socialist transition. The model was improved, enhanced and optimised through this process and then corroborated with its practical implementation. Originality/value The innovative pedagogical model comprises an instrument to enhance the professional capacities of all participants in the production of final master’s projects: academics, practitioners and future professionals/students, through discussions of topical issues, innovative modes of work and new professional responses grounded in the local context and tested by a broad range of stakeholders. It is of particular importance for countries in transition experiencing a shift in the paradigm of professional action, especially as the proposed pedagogical model establishes a problem-solving platform that surpasses academia.

Investigating interdependencies of sustainable supplier selection criteria: an appraisal using ISM

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avanish Singh Chauhan ◽  
Gaurav Kumar Badhotiya ◽  
Gunjan Soni ◽  
Prem Kumari
Keyword(s):  
Supplier Selection ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Micmac Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Supplier Selection ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Because of the increased global competition and the need for environment consciousness, organisations have started focusing on incorporating sustainability dimensions into suppler selection criteria. In the past decade, sustainable supplier selection has received much attention from researchers as well as industry practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to identify various sustainable supplier selection criteria (SSSC) and underlying interdependencies among prominent selection criteria to develop a framework for sustainability dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The sustainable criteria for supplier selection were established through comprehensive literature review. An interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach is used to investigate the interrelationships among these criteria. Findings A total of 21 SSSC under 3 dimensions (social, environmental and economic) are established. Ten criteria related to quality, capability, flexibility, waste management, pollution prevention, local community, employment practice, labour, etc. are exhibiting strong driving as well as dependence power, as demonstrated through ISM and matriced’ impacts croises-multiplication applique’ and classement (MICMAC) analysis. The findings show that delivery/service, eco design and rights of stakeholders are the “key” criteria having a high-driving and low-dependence power. These criteria require high attention from managers, while other criteria having low-driving and high-dependence power require secondary actions. Research limitations/implications The inter-relations for the development of ISM model and MICMAC analysis were obtained through the opinion of industry experts and academicians, which may tend to be subjectively biased. Further exploration is proposed to statistically validate the developed interdependency model. Practical implications This paper might act as a reference for the supplier development managers of organisations by providing an appraisal of various SSSC based on their interdependencies. Originality/value This study contributes to the knowledge base by proposing a framework of the interrelationships of the SSSC and also provides an additional perspective for managing these criteria based on ISM.

scholarly journals The position of the farm holiday in Austrian tourism

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 697-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Quendler
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Relative Position ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Tourist Destinations ◽  
Tourist Accommodation

AbstractTourism is vitally important to the Austrian economy. The number of tourist destinations, both farms and other forms of accommodation, in the different regions of Austria is considerably and constantly changing. This paper discusses the position of the ‘farm holiday’ compared to other forms of tourism. Understanding the resilience of farm holidays is especially important but empirical research on this matter remains limited. The term ‘farm holiday’ covers staying overnight on a farm that is actively engaged in agriculture and has a maximum of 10 guest beds. The results reported in this paper are based on an analysis of secondary data from 2000 and 2018 by looking at two types of indicator: (i) accommodation capacity (supply side) and (ii) attractiveness of a destination (demand side). The data sets cover Austria and its NUTS3 regions. The results show the evolution of farm holidays vis-à-vis other forms of tourist accommodation. In the form of a quadrant matrix they also show the relative position of farm holidays regionally. While putting into question the resilience of farm holidays, the data also reveals where farm holidays could act to expand this niche or learn and improve to effect a shift in their respective position relative to the market ‘leaders’. However, there is clearly a need to learn more about farm holidays within the local context. This paper contributes to our knowledge of farm holidays from a regional point of view and tries to elaborate on the need for further research.

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