Search

Purpose This study aims to explore and describe the main enabling factors affecting the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) in a strategic sector such as the wine industry, as well as the motivation behind this choice. Design/methodology/approach In light of the novelty of the phenomenon studied, a case study approach was adopted analyzing three Italian wineries. A conceptual framework, based on the dynamic capabilities, absorptive capacity and dominant logic theories, was developed. Primary and secondary data were collected. Findings Results show that wineries working in a highly dynamic and competitive market invest more in knowledge acquisition and internal assimilation and less in transformation and exploitation of acquired knowledge, in particular preferring to outsource the application phase of BCT. The particularity of the wine industry, indeed, demonstrates the existence of hybrid alternatives in which exploration and exploitation processes can be balanced. These findings confirm the value of the conceptual framework developed to explain how wineries implement BCT in their business. Research limitations/implications The present work must be considered in light of the research scope and its qualitative nature. Practical implications Findings suggest that the adoption of BCT depends on the wineries’ ability to invest more in effective knowledge management systems to acquire and assimilate knowledge internally and in managerial skills and dominant logic that become strategic resources that can improve their innovation performance. Originality/value Compared to previous studies on BCT adoption in the wine industry, this work helps us to better understand how wineries implement BCT as it focuses on their ability to acquire, manage and capitalize on the flow of knowledge, as a strategic resource, which forms the basis for creating dynamic capabilities and value. Findings are of interest to develop strategies aimed to ensure the effectiveness of this innovation in a strategic sector.

PurposeThis systematic review aims to investigate how geographical cues affect wine consumers' behaviors, with reference to the New and Old Worlds, and accordingly, how are recent consumption patterns and new consumer profiles modifying roles of geographical cues?Design/methodology/approachThis work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature published from 2009 to 2019.FindingsResults, summarized in a conceptual framework, emphasize five thematic areas on how geographical cues should be considered for future research and for new marketing strategies to capture consumers of New and Old World wines. Consumers' wine knowledge, socio-ethno-demographic factors, consumption settings, labeling strategies and the use of medals and awards on labels emerged as relevant factors to deal with consumer's risk-reduction strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method.Practical implicationsResults suggest that wine managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about consumers' profiles in both Worlds for their marketing campaigns, labeling and advertisement strategies. Although geographical cues are considered relevant in consumers' buying decisions, extrinsic cues are also increasingly acceptable, and there should be more investment in publicizing geographical attributes around the world.Originality/valueThis is the first review focusing exclusively on the role of geographical cues on consumer's behavior toward New and Old World wine producers.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a food and beverage packaging company manages internal and external stakeholders to achieve sustainable innovation outcomes, as well as to contribute to the spread of sustainability paths along the supply chain, on which it operates. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was chosen and applied multiple methods of semi-structured interviews and a documentation review. Findings Results reveal a structured stakeholder relationship management, according to which the packaging company acts through a stakeholder engagement process to both acquire and share new knowledge to address stakeholder pressure. Co-creation models result in a winning strategy to exploit knowledge, above all in a supply chain context, where actors should act as a part of a strictly interlinked system, involving external stakeholders (also suppliers) and internal stakeholders in joint eco-innovation projects. The case study shows the potential strategic role of a packaging company in affecting relevant actors of the supply chain through the promotion of a sustainability culture. Research limitations/implications The first limitation is linked to the chosen case study approach, which does not allow for results to be generalized. Future works could arrange panel data analysis to investigate in depth the behavior of several packaging companies regarding stakeholder relationship management. Practical implications Managerial implications mainly underline that, to fully address market stakeholder pressure, managers should recognize the relevance of acquiring and sharing new knowledge from external sources, without underestimating the need to integrate it with internal stakeholders (employees) for its exploitation. Originality/value The present work is original for the food and beverage industry, with specific attention on the packaging sector, which, until today, has been widely investigated regarding food and waste loss reduction strategies, but less often from the perspective of stakeholder relationship management in addressing sustainability.

Since the adoption of the EU Directive, 2001/77/EC, the production of electricity from renewable energy sources has progressed. Apart from the indicative target proposed by the Directive, actually no other tools of policy monitoring exist. To fill this gap, we propose a dynamic method able to capture this multidimensional phenomenon, providing an assessment tool to measure the technical efficiency performances of EU countries in the photovoltaic sector (1996–2010). Results show how technical efficiencies of countries are, from one hand, due to problems belonging to the economic and political contexts in which they operate, on the other hand driven by specific political support schemes adopted. By taking into consideration the EU interest for a common system focused on a harmonized support schemes framework, our findings suggest the necessity of a further strengthening on the monitoring tools to be used, in order to suitably assess the different faces of the political arrangements that need to be considered to this scope.

Over the past few years, public attention has focused on the quality and safety control, traceability, and environmental issues surrounding food products. Several mandatory public standards and private voluntary schemes worldwide have been developed to address these concerns. Using survey data, this paper analyses the key factors affecting the adoption of voluntary quality standards in the wine industry and the existence of a relationship between the adoption of voluntary quality standards and economic performance, measured in terms of labour productivity and marketing behaviour. The survey involved 89 cellars, of which 68 were non-certified and 21 had one or more food quality certifications. Using the data collected, an index based on Euclidean distances was constructed to compare economic performance between certified and non-certified firms. The findings provide evidence that internal motivations drive entrepreneurs to adopt voluntary standards and that wineries adopting voluntary standards exhibit better economic performance than non-certified wine firms. From a managerial viewpoint, these results suggest that although the adoption of voluntary quality certifications does not have a direct effect in terms of a labour productivity increase, it entails a business management improvement. For policymakers, the results suggest a need to develop policies and establish more stable financial assistance for the internationalisation of wine firms, thereby supporting them through this transition.

The process of market globalization has led to a redefinition of business models in order to compete in domestic and international markets. In the current competitive scenario, the survival of companies is linked to their ability to reduce or contain the sum of both production and transaction costs. The aim of this paper is to identify the existence of similar organizational models of a sample of Sicilian firms active in the Ornamental Plants sector based on those transaction costs that they support in relation to the sales channel and the other human and firm characteristics. Using a clustering procedure, we identified four well-distinct organizational models whose formation is influenced not only by the physical and economic size of firms but also by the transaction costs experimented. A reconsideration of these models, both in cooperatives and in small firms managed by young entrepreneurs, is needed.