Applying the System Dynamics Approach in Evaluating Clinical Risk Management Policies in Three Healthcare Companies

The role of goal setting practice on sales and on the broader commercial system: a case study

The Retirement and Early Retirement in Italy: a System Dynamics approach

The main aim of this study is underline that System Dynamics approach allows the building of a general framework in which psychological, economic, social, legal and organizational variables converge to describe the retirement behaviour and its main unintended consequences. It’s emphasized that organizational commitment and psychological contract breach play a considerable role in the dynamics of retirement behaviour. In the first part of this paper, an analysis of main contributions in the retirement and early retirement fields is outlined. Further, the psychological, social, economical and legal approach to retirement behaviour is also briefly remarked. In the second part, retirement pheno…

The Role of Entrepreneurship Education in Fostering Entrepreneurial Intentions and Performances: A Review of 30 Years of Research

espanolMuchos academicos han enfatizado en las fuertes relaciones entre el emprendimiento, el trabajo independiente y el crecimiento del mercado laboral en la sociedad contemporanea. En todo el mundo se han disenado varios programas academicos y de entrenamiento a fin de aumentar la propension al emprendimiento. Este articulo busca mostrar las evidencias empiricas acerca de los efectos de los programas educativos de emprendimiento sobre el atractivo percibido y la viabilidad percibida de la iniciacion de una nueva empresa, los activos de capital humano relacionados al emprendimiento y los resultados del emprendimiento. Se han analizado los moderadores que afectan la relacion entre la educac…

L’effetto “primacy-recency” quale bias dell’intervistatore nei processi di selezione del personale

La ricerca ha indagato le variabili che intervengono nel modulare la presenza di bias durante l’intervista individuale nel processo di selezione del personale. In un primo studio, la valutazione della selezione del personale quale leva gestionale per il governo delle risorse umane, la professionalità degli intervistatori esperti e i bias commessi durante la gestione del processo di costruzione del giudizio sul candidato, sono risultati tra loro legati in modo statisticamente significativo. Un secondo studio ha, invece, dimostrato il ruolo dell’accountability nel contenere gli errori connessi ad una gestione non adeguata del processo di costruzione del giudizio sul candidato.

A Model of Goal Dynamics in Organizations: Goal Setting, Goal Commitment, Training and Management by Objectives

The purpose of the present work is to build a suitable system dynamics model for goal dynamics in organizations, as proposed by Barlas & Yasarcan (2008). The proposed model does not bear any ambition of being exhaustive: the main objective of this paper is to propose a model of goal dynamics in which Goal Setting, Management by Objectives and Training are viewed as human resource practices able to enhance workers’ goal commitment, and therefore, improve organizational performance. A causal loop and a quantitative model of goal dynamics in organizations are described. A base run and 4 different scenarios are provided. Limitations of the present research and conclusions are finally discussed.…

SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL TO HELP DECISION MAKERS IN ADOPTING EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES AIMED TO PREVENT THE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Entrepreneurial self-identity, perceived corruption, exogenous and endogenous obstacles as antecedents of entrepreneurial intention in Italy

Although entrepreneurship is considered one of the most powerful drivers of national economies around the world, there is little consensus about what informal factors foster entrepreneurial intention. In accordance with recent literature, entrepreneurial self-identity perception, the perception of corruption in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and perceived exogenous and endogenous obstacles to entrepreneurship were hypothesized as antecedents of college students&rsquo

Building Long-Term Manufacturer-Retailer Relationships through Strategic Human Resource Management Policies: A System Dynamics Approach

This paper is the result of a research project conducted by the authors with a manufacturer operating in the high-tech industry. It is based on the hypotheses that in order to successfully support retail stores, a manufacturer has to design policies based on Human Resources Management (HRM) practices aimed to increase retailers employees’ sales effectiveness, and external-oriented policies to foster potential customers’ acceptance of company product benefits. In order to support decision makers to explore alternative scenarios and to foster managerial learning on how to build strong and long term successfully manufacturer-retail outlets relationships, a System Dynamics model has been built.…

A GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR A STANDARDIZED COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE

The methodological rigour in the competence assessment represents a strategic choice to achieve a successful promotion of human capital. The role of personal and professional competences has been recognized in every professional areas and a huge number of studies have contributed to better understand how competence affect individual and organizational behaviour and what are the best methods to assure its effective assessment. The paper aims to propose an operative and standardized competence assessment procedure coherent with the more recognized international qualification frameworks, even if allowing customized reports. The proposed procedure is the result of the operationalization of a ge…

A nonlinear System Model of Retirement Behavior in Italy

Applying the Goal Setting Practice in the Dynamic Balance Scorecard Learning and Growth Perspective

Reactancia psicológica como explicación de la resistencia de los italianos a observar las medidas de seguridad durante el brote de COVID-19

Are maximizers more normative decision-makers? An experimental investigation of maximizers' susceptibility to cognitive biases

Abstract The present study tested the hypothesis that maximizers – people who routinely seek to make optimal decisions rather than quickly settling for an acceptable one – are less susceptible to cognitive biases. Experiment 1 showed that high maximizers are less swayed by irrelevant differences in the framing of a decision-making scenario than are low maximizers. Experiment 2 confirmed that maximizers are also less likely to neglect important base rate information when making decisions. Experiment 3 showed that maximizers are less likely to stick with a bad plan in which they have already invested (the sunk-cost bias) and therefore are quicker to switch to a more attractive alternative pla…

The effects of corruption in entrepreneurial ecosystems on entrepreneurial intentions

Although researchers have identified corruption as a factor capable of affecting the entrepreneurial ecosystem at the national level of analysis, scholars have reported conflicting results regarding the exact nature of the relationship between corruption and entrepreneurial intentions. This paper formulates some propositions about the complex relationship between corruption and entrepreneurship at different levels of analysis and it suggests and explores the socio-cultural consequences of such domains&rsquo

La validité du contenu d’un questionnaire de mesure des représentations sociales de la psychologie.

Interactive Learning Environment as Innovative Teaching Method for Entrepreneurship Education

The main aim of this paper is to show an innovative web-based interactive learning environment (ILE) for promoting and improving entrepreneurship in a complex and non-linear business context. The web-based ILE allows the interaction among participants both at national and international level in order to stimulate the sharing of knowledge and experience. The adoption of an ILE as teaching method will help entrepreneurs to become more aware of their entrepreneurial attributes and skills and see entrepreneurship as a realistic and interesting career path.

Psychometric Properties Of A Questionnaire Measuring The Antecedents Of Entrepreneurship Education Intention

A limit of the questionnaires measuring Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) is the lack of a multidimensional vision of its antecedents. The definition of a multidimensional model of the main drivers affecting the intentions of aspiring entrepreneurs in building a start-up seems a fundamental milestone to overcome this pitfall. This paper aims to explore the internal consistency reliability of a new multidimensional questionnaire measuring the antecedents of EI and Entrepreneurial Education Intention (EEI). The tool consists in a self-administered online questionnaire that has been built in accordance with the Theory of Planned Behavior in entrepreneurship research. It includes 54 items adapted …

Exploring the Underground Economy to support Public Decision Makers to tackle the Growth of Irregular Workers

The Clinical Risk Management in a Hospital Ward: a Case-Study adopting System Dynamics Approach

The Dynamics of the Organizational Culture in a Municipality

The Effect of Retirement Behaviour on Retirees' Quality of Life

Travail et self-empowerment chez les sujets handicapés

The Role of the Brand on Choice Overload

Current research on choice overload has been mainly conducted with choice options not associated with specific brands. This study investigates whether the presence of brand names in the choice set affects the occurrence of choice overload. Across four studies, we find that when choosing among an overabundance of alternatives, participants express more positive feelings (i.e., higher satisfaction/confidence, lower regret and difficulty) when all the options of the choice set are associated with familiar brands, rather than unfamiliar brands or no brand at all. We also find that choice overload only appears in the absence of brand names, but disappears when all options contain brand names—eit…

System Dynamics Models To Support Health Care Companies In Managing Clinical Risk

Clinical risk management has gained an increasing relevance because of the higher monetary and no monetary effects of clinical errors on health care companies' performance. For this reason, different risk management techniques from the industrial sector have been adopted by managers of health care companies in order to reduce the occurrences of errors and their relative impacts. However, these methods, based on a linear and static perspective, do not properly support the health care companies' management in the identification and assessment of policies aimed at improving the clinical risk profile without reducing financial performances. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a systemic and mul…

Am I an Entrepreneur? Entrepreneurial Self-Identity as an Antecedent of Entrepreneurial Intention

Although many studies have shown that entrepreneurial intention can be explained according to a theory of planned behavior, some scholars have provided interesting insights into the role of job self-identity perception—in particularly the ones related to entrepreneurship—as significant precursor of entrepreneurial intention. A questionnaire has been administered to graduates and students of an Italian university (N = 153). A hierarchical regression analysis controlling for demographic variables has been performed in order to test the research hypotheses. The findings of this study have been discussed, with particular attention paid to the unexpected, weak, or non-significant effects of perc…

Interactive Learning Environments (ILEs) as Effective Tools for Teaching Social Sciences

Schoolteachers could enhance learning in social science courses by using teaching tools that favour a methodological approach focused on the topics' basic structure rather than on facts. An innovative system dynamics social-based ILE built with a social constructivist approach is presented here. The pedagogical futures of this ILE are then analysed. The effective impact of different instructional approaches inspired by social-based ILEs on student learning outcomes is also discussed. The ILE and the related inquiry-based instructional approach seem to help students understand fundamental concepts more easily, thus making the topic more comprehensible and helping students place the social fa…

Who Intends to Enroll in Entrepreneurship Education? Entrepreneurial Self-Identity as a Precursor

Entrepreneurial self-identity is attracting increasing attention as a potentially relevant variable in explaining the entrepreneurial process. So far, most research treats entrepreneurial self-identity as a consequence of, or, at the most, as being developed through the start-up process. In this article, in contrast, we analyze its role as a previous element that helps determine the entrepreneurial intention of individuals, the perceived usefulness of entrepreneurship education, and, indirectly, their interest in participating in entrepreneurship education courses. Our hypotheses are tested on a sample of Italian university students and graduates ( N = 88) with no previous participation in…

Overcoming managers’ myopic decisions in a waste collection company

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how the changing interrelationships between fleet management, human resources and outsourcer capacity areas are likely to counterbalance managerial policies, thereby generating a performance decay. The use of system dynamics modelling in a waste collection company offered an effective contribution to support decision makers to overcoming myopic decisions. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and a case study analysis (including interviews with company actors and data gathering) offered the basis to build a system dynamics model. The model built was then used to run simulations sessions to assess alternative investments decisions. Findin…

Sunny Island. An Interactive Learning Environment to Promote Systems Thinking Education for Primary School Students

To make the process of learning easier for students, schoolteachers are increasingly using Interactive Learning Environments (ILEs) in classrooms. The paper presents a system dynamics-based ILE called Sunny Island. The ILE has been designed to promote Systems Thinking (ST) education for primary school students. Through a funny fantasy tale - described in detail in a book that accompanies the ILE - students have the opportunity to discover and become familiar with the basic principles of ST, such as feedback, positive and negative causal influences, limits to growth, short and long term effects, counterintuitive behaviors, causes of policy resistances and dynamic complexity. The proposed ILE…

Can We Do Better Next Time? Italians' Response to the COVID-19 Emergency through a Heuristics and Biases Lens.

During the outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy, people often failed to adopt behaviors that could have stopped, or at least slowed down, the spread of this deadly disease. We offer cognitive explanations for these decisions, based on some of the most common heuristics and biases that are known to influence human judgment and decision-making, especially under conditions of high uncertainty. Our analysis concludes with the following recommendations: policymakers can and should take advantage of this established science, in order to communicate more effectively and increase the likelihood that people choose responsible actions in a public health crisis.

The individual-organization fit between organizational culture and individual values as predictor of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in a Italian municipality: The role of human resource management in a public organization

The aim of this research is to explore organizational culture and individual-organization fit (I-O Fit) as predictor of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It's hypothesized that values composing organizational culture: a) are joint in constructs that postpone to some typologies already explored in the studies concerning organizational cultures; b) they behave as stable elements of that same typology of culture, also when, time passes, their intensity seems modified. Besides it is hypothesized that the different typologies of organizational culture emerged by the analysis modify their own intensity, as time passes, compared to their different ability to keep on guaranteeing the …

Exploring the Underground Economy through System Dynamics to support Public Decision Makers: a preliminary qualitative analysis

To estimate and analyse the underground economy phenomenon, different methods and approaches have been provided in literature. However, such approaches are very often based on static and linear equilibrium models and seldom adopt simulation tools. This paper results from a research project conducted in the Sicily Region (Italy) aimed at investigating – through the System Dynamics methodology – main causes-and-effects relationships underlying the phenomenon of the “hidden workers” at both firm and self-employment level. By combining micro and macro-analysis, the authors present a preliminary causal loop diagram of the investigated phenomenon. Such feedback structure has been built through th…

SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELS TO SUPPORT HEALTHCARE COMPANIES IN MANAGING CLINICAL RISK

A Model of Goal Dynamics in Organizations: a case study

The purpose of the present work is to build a suitable system dynamics model for goal dynamics in organizations, as proposed by Barlas & Yasarcan (2008). The proposed model does not bear any ambition of being exhaustive: the main objective of this paper is to propose a model of goal dynamics in which Goal Setting, Management by Objectives and Training are viewed as human resource practices able to enhance workers’ goal commitment, and therefore, improve organizational performance. In the first part of this paper, an analysis of the Goal Setting Theory and the role of goal setting practices, in bettering worker’s performance, are stressed. In the second part, a case-study, the causal loop an…

The Perception and Attitudes Towards City Garbage Management: A First Analysis

The main aim of this paper is to to explore the perception and attitude of people toward an important issue like the City Garbage Management. A new Survey Questionnaire to measure the perception and attitudes towards city garbage management has been developed by the Authors, in order to realize a very first analysis of compatibility of the Comprehensive Action Determination Model - CADM (Klöckner, 2013) with City Garbage Management issues. To test the application of the CADM model to City Garbage Management, a simple linear regression was calculated to predict the dependent variables based on predictor variables according the CADM model. The linear regression analysis shows a first confirma…

A model of goal dynamics in technology-based organizations

The purpose of the present work is to build a suitable system dynamics model for goal dynamics in organizations, as proposed by Barlas and Yasarcan (2008). The proposed model does not bear any ambition of being exhaustive: the main objective of this paper is to propose a model of goal dynamics in which Goal Setting, Management by Objectives and Training are viewed as human resource practices able to enhance workers' goal commitment, and therefore, improve organizational performance. In the first part of this paper, an analysis of the Goal Setting Theory and the role of goal setting practices, in bettering worker's performance, are stressed. In the second part, a case-study, the causal loop …

Che imprevisti a Sunny Island!

Attraverso un divertente racconto di fantasia, il lettore avrà modo di scoprire i principi del Pensiero Sistemico e familiarizzare con alcuni concetti fondamentali, tra i quali: le relazioni direttamente e inversamente proporzionali, i feedback, i limiti alla crescita, gli effetti a breve e lungo termine, i comportamenti contro-intuitivi. Il lettore potrà allenare la sua mente a cogliere la complessità di fenomeni o eventi che, a uno sguardo superficiale, potrebbero invece apparire semplici da comprendere e da gestire. Il libro si rivolge a ragazzi dai nove anni in su, a insegnanti delle scuole di primarie e secondarie che progettano di presentare i principi del pensiero sistemico ai propri…

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