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- Ammirato, Salvatore, et al.
(författare)
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A new typology to characterize Italian digital entrepreneurs
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1355-2554 .- 1758-6534. ; 26:2, s. 224-245
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Strong agreement in the extant business literature emphasizes that digital developments are key to economic growth internationally. This is in spite of the recorded high levels (up to 50 percent) of failure among digital companies and entrepreneurs. The purpose of this paper is to identify the digital debates in Italy, explore current policies and develop a typology that characterizes digital entrepreneurs (DEs) and their start-up companies in Italy.Design/methodology/approach: The digital debates and policies are explored through an extensive telephone survey of the self-perceptions and identified supports required by 348 Italian active DEs. Quantitative statistical techniques were used including factor analysis, cluster analysis and ANOVA, to identify motivations, profiles and critical success factors relevant to the sample.Findings: The study identifies three main clusters among the DEs: emerging very young; emerging business focused and experienced. These clusters vary with the entrepreneurs’ background and competence base, motivation and satisfaction factors. The different kinds of profiles require specific kinds of supporting policies identified by the sample that focus on financial, educational and/or networking provision.Originality/value: The paper affirms the central role of digital entities in modern economies expressed in the current literature and increases knowledge of the perceived success factors identified by DEs. The identification and classification of self-reported characteristics of Italian DEs and to what extent these characterizations might be useful for tailored interventions to support their success are the main contributions of this study. Accordingly, an authentic, original and self-reported portrayal has been constructed of the self-perceptions of Italian DEs. Finally, the study explores the implications for actions and new policies considering self-perceived profiles, needs and expectations of DEs.
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| 2. |
- Ammirato, Salvatore, et al.
(författare)
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Thinking about Geography : the Effect of Socio-Economic and Cultural Differences on Styles of Thinking
- 2011
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Ingår i: Proceedings of 6th IFKAD 2011 International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics, 15-17 June 2011, Tampere, Finland. - Matera, Italy : Institute of Knowledge Asset Management. - 9788896687055 ; , s. 1036-1045
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: This study follows a previous one based on a comparison of styles of thinking among university students from two Italian regions with substantial socio-economical and cultural differences (Sofo, Berzins, Colapinto & Ammirato, 2009). This paper explores whether university students at some European universities report markedly different thinking style preferences from each other. A sample of students from two universities of Western Finland were surveyed using the Thinking Style Inventory (TSI) (Sofo, 2008); statistical results have been analysed and compared with the data from the two Italian samples in the 2009 study.Design/methodology/approach: The TSI approach is useful to identifying differences in thinking styles. The paper explores possible connections between thinking style and established different economic and socio-cultural variables. The TSI measures preferences for stylistic aspects of intellectual functioning and is based on the theory of reality construction (Sofo, 2008) whereby people create their own realities through their ways of thinking. A sample of total 624 European university students from Italy and Finland was tested and compared. The fifty items on the TSI require respondents to assess their ways of thinking using a likert-scale. To verify reliability and consistency of the TSI instrument, reported data have been studied calculating the Cronbach alpha coefficient.Originality/value: This paper presents new results of a study which is the first of a kind in comparing thinking styles of students coming from three different EU regions. Over the past few decades, researchers have hypothesized that difference in socio-economic status impacts on thinking style. However our previous study (Sofo et al., 2009) affirms that other factors such as greater ease, freedom of mobility and the massive use of ICT can have a positive effect in mitigating difference in thinking style. This study offers a confirmation in the earlier study on a larger scale.Practical implications: A practical significance of this study is that if economic and socio-cultural differences impact on preferred ways of thinking and learning of university students, the impacts may very well be mediated through various methods such as pedagogy or ICT. Student learning capability is a factor of thinking style. Differences do exist among three EU regions located in northern Italy, southern Italy and in western Finland. It is suggested that supporting a range of student thinking styles through a greater diversity and sensitivity of teaching styles can mitigate any deleterious effects emanating from the differences. This result unveils the rising significance of additional possible mediating variables that may have emerged as increasingly significant within the new global order.
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| 3. |
- Sofo, Adriano, et al.
(författare)
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Earthworm-driven changes in soil chemico-physical properties, soil bacterial microbiota, tree/tea litter decomposition, and plant growth in a mesocosm experiment with two plant species
- 2023
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Ingår i: PLANTS. - : MDPI. - 2223-7747. ; 12:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Earthworms and soil microorganisms contribute to soil health, quality, and fertility, but their importance in agricultural soils is often underestimated. This study aims at examining whether and to what extent the presence of earthworms (Eisenia sp.) affected the (a) soil bacterial community composition, (b) litter decomposition, and (c) plant growth (Brassica oleracea L., broccoli; Vicia faba L., faba bean). We performed a mesocosm experiment in which plants were grown outdoors for four months with or without earthworms. Soil bacterial community structure was evaluated by a 16S rRNA-based metabarcoding approach. Litter decomposition rates were determined by using the tea bag index (TBI) and litter bags (olive residues). Earthworm numbers almost doubled throughout the experimental period. Independently of the plant species, earthworm presence had a significant impact on the structure of soil bacterial community, in terms of enhanced α- and β-diversity (especially that of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Myxococcota, and Verrucomicrobia) and increased 16S rRNA gene abundance (+89% in broccoli and +223% in faba bean). Microbial decomposition (TBI) was enhanced in the treatments with earthworms, and showed a significantly higher decomposition rate constant (kTBI) and a lower stabilization factor (STBI), whereas decomposition in the litter bags (dlitter) increased by about 6% in broccoli and 5% in faba bean. Earthworms significantly enhanced root growth (in terms of total length and fresh weight) of both plant species. Our results show the strong influence of earthworms and crop identity in shaping soil chemico-physical properties, soil bacterial community, litter decomposition and plant growth. These findings could be used for developing nature-based solutions that ensure the long-term biological sustainability of soil agro- and natural ecosystems.
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