Logistics and Agri-Food: Digitization to Increase Competitive Advantage and Sustainability. Literature Review and the Case of Italy

This paper examines the current challenges faced by logistics with a focus on the agri-food sector. After outlining the context, a review of the literature on the relationship between logistics and strategic management in gaining and increasing competitiveness in the agri-food sector is conducted. In particular, the flow of the paper is as follows: after examining the aforementioned managerial problem and its broader repercussions, the paper proceeds to address two main research questions. First, how and by which tools can digitization contribute to improving supply chain management and sustainability in logistics? Second, what are the main managerial and strategic implications and consequences of this for the agri-food sector in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, cost reduction, and supply chain optimization? Finally, the paper presents Italy as a case study, chosen both for its peculiar internal differences in logistical infrastructures and entrepreneurial management between Northern and Southern regions (which could be at least partially overcome with the use of new technologies and frameworks) and for the importance of the agri-food sector for the domestic economy (accounting about 25% of the country’s GDP), on which digitization should have positive effects in terms of value creation and sustainability.

How to defend your dissertation

Many applicants for academic degrees are sure that their main task is to write a good dissertation. In fact, it is necessary to solve not one, but at least two tasks: first, of course, to prepare the work, and secondly, to successfully protect it. But this is not so much a scientific as a managerial problem that requires its own ways and methods of solution. The methods of its solution are discussed in the proposed work. The book is aimed primarily at applicants defending PhD theses, but it may also be of interest to those who are preparing for the defense of doctoral theses or are interested in the organization of scientific activities.

What Is Pseudo-Transformational Leadership?

The notion of pseudo transformational leadership first appeared back in 1999. The lack of a clear definition of the term has led to confusion because of certain similarities with transformational leadership. Few publications on the subject and the developing theory have been presented. However, numerous studies have included the concept as a reference for unethical leadership, and as an opposing term to genuine or authentic transformational leadership, which is common in times of change and visible in corporate scandals. Transformational leadership is described to provide a baseline to compare it with what this leadership style is not. The chapter focuses on a managerial problem that needs to be studied because of its implications in organizational performance. The objective of this study is to present the main characteristics of the pseudo transformational leadership style by analyzing leaders' behaviors and their impact on followers and the organizational culture.

“Paper Wave”, “Paper Pressing” And “Paper Genocide” As Applicable To The Russian Education System

The article considers the metaphors of “paper wave,” “paper pressing” and “paper genocide” as reflecting the social realities of the Russian education system, which are nonetheless poorly understood in sociolinguistics and mostly tabooed within respectable Russian academia and top-management. The relevancy and applicability of these metaphors are substantiated as their criteria, social contexts, and basic connotations are specified. “Paper genocide” is analyzed in journalistic and academic contexts as a term that reproduces the most significant aspects of genocide but with a social and non-criminal meaning. “Paper genocide” helps draw attention to the most acute social and managerial problem, a deadlock within the contemporary Russian education system.

IPTEKS ESTIMASI BIAYA BAGI USAHA KECIL MENENGAH DALAM PERENCANAAN BIAYA

Small and medium enterprise has been growing fast in Manado City and has its own markets and also create its competitive advantage. Most of government programs are reflect the effort to support small and medium enterprise in term to increase the wealth of Indonesian people. Some of problems faced by small and medium enterprise are relate to managerial problem, such as administration and financial reporting. Moreover, limited of knowledge about management technology for the owners of small and medium enterprise plays the role in case to take decision on running business. High-low method is one of managerial tool to make cost estimation which help the owners to make decision such as cost planning. Keywords : small and medium enterprise, fixed cost, variable cost, high-low method

IPTEKS ESTIMASI BIAYA BAGI USAHA KECIL MENENGAH DALAM PERENCANAAN BIAYA

Small and medium enterprise has been growing fast in Manado City and has its own markets and also create its competitive advantage. Most of government programs are reflect the effort to support small and medium enterprise in term to increase the wealth of Indonesian people. Some of problems faced by small and medium enterprise are relate to managerial problem, such as administration and financial reporting. Moreover, limited of knowledge about management technology for the owners of small and medium enterprise plays the role in case to take decision on running business. High-low method is one of managerial tool to make cost estimation which help the owners to make decision such as cost planning. Keywords : small and medium enterprise, fixed cost, variable cost, high-low method

Re-creating the engagement in managerial learning

When defending his doctoral dissertation, Umberto Eco was accused of narrative fallacy because he presented his research as if it were a detective novel. He should have presented only his conclusions. However, this criticism inspired Eco to claim that “[e]very scientific book should be ... the report of a quest for some Holy Grail” (Eco, 2011, p. 7). Aquestpresupposes engagement on both sides of the knowledge exchange. Building upon our own research, we have produced a model-theoretic scheme for management studies in support of the practicability of Eco’s claim. The idea is to re-create the engagement when establishing problem-solving competence in managerial learning: We start with an analysis of real-life cases of successful managerial problem solving (“best practices”). Next, we attempt to find the common denominator of those successful solutions. Lastly, we instantiate the principles found in the previous step in new problem situations, and thus provide new uses for them.

Action Research Methodology as a Managerial Tool: Discussion and Implications

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of action research methodology as a managerial tool. A practical example was employed to explain the dynamic process of action research and its role in understanding a managerial problem: observe, reflect, plan, & act. This paper argues that the implementation of this tool in organizations can be considered as a foundation for managerial problem solving. Employing action research can facilitate the crafting of appropriate strategies and lead to highly desirable results, and thus three points should be recognized: (1) the intention in a given situation is to get a deep understanding and to construct a social reality based on participants’ perceptions; (2) involving managers to help in understanding what might be done to improve the situation and what action should be implemented to overcome the problem; (3) implementing the recommended solutions (action), as well as repeating and evaluating the process is to be considered the cornerstone to improve an undesired situation.