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Purpose This study aims to explore how knowledge management (KM) influences the intellectual capital (IC) of organizations operating in health care and how IC and knowledge-sharing (KS) can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in health systems. Notably, this study focuses on telemedicine, investigating how relational capital contributes to KS in the context of remote care services. Design/methodology/approach To comply with the paper’s aim, the authors use a qualitative research method based on a polar case study suitable for IC in health-care studies. More precisely, this study analyzes a nonprofit organization that, for over 15 years, has offered a free multispecialist teleconsultation service to answer medical questions from the most disadvantaged places in the world. Findings The findings show that the KM significantly contributes to the IC of organizations. Indeed, it improves the data management and transmission system, it increases performance flexibility in times of resource scarcity without compromising business objectives and it can attract new human resources even when not motivated by selfish goals (volunteer physicians). Research limitations/implications This research contributes to studies on IC in health care by focusing on the contribution of telemedicine to the creation of IC. In particular, this work emphasizes the ability of telemedicine to develop and share knowledge in disadvantaged areas of the world. Moreover, in the current context, still strongly permeated by the health emergency generated by the pandemic and recently by the war in Eastern Europe, the importance of such assistance and diagnosis grows. Practical implications The conclusions the research findings lead may guide policymakers toward a policy supporting telemedicine. It would alleviate general health-care costs and completely revolutionize light health care’s role. Moreover, reducing socioeconomic distances, improving access to care and applying innovative technologies for sharing outcomes foster balanced socioeconomic development and knowledge dissemination. Originality/value This research has shown how telemedicine represents a new successful business model even in times of crisis. The organizational model makes it possible to offer cutting-edge specialized care, contain costs, easily reach disadvantaged areas of the planet, strengthen the skills and autonomy of the most backward countries through a process of KS and push the structures operating there to interact with those in advanced countries.

Purpose: The agri-food sector is one of the most important in Europe. Although crises occurred, this industry has always had an anti-cyclical trend because of the increasing food and beverage demand. Albeit the global pandemic due to Covid-19, indeed, Food & Beverage (F&B) sub-sector has shown stability and resilience. The work analyses the financial structure of 1924 Italian SMEs belonging to the F&B, to understand if (and eventually how and why) the owner’s gender can affect the preferences about financing sources, and how these choices had influenced the reaction to the worldwide crises. Research design: An empirical analysis is performed on a sample of F&B Italian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from 2013-2019. The data are collected by AIDA, a database containing the balance sheet data of all the Italian firms. Firstly, the firms extracted were classified according to gender ownership, then their financial structure is explored through an index analysis. Findings: The results demonstrate that both women’s and men’s businesses tend to move away from the traditional form of bank financing, seeking alternative sources. Secondly, the quantitative gender gap due to a higher presence of male-led SMEs, is not supported by a financial gap in terms of stability, profitability and financial dependence. Practical and social implication: Findings could be useful to agents belonging to the agri-food industry to support the decisionmaking about the financial structure, especially in a period of uncertainty or crisis. In addition, it could be an opportunity for both SMEs to explore new typologies of financing sources and for investors to be aware of different approaches to financial decisions existing between male and female companies’ management. Originality of the study: Although other research has already investigated the relationship between the financial structure and the owner’s gender, this type of study has not interested yet the agri-food companies.

Purpose: The agri-food sector is one of the most important in Europe, taking into account employment and financial performance (Hirsch and Gschwandtner, 2013). Although crises occurred, this sector has always had an anti-cyclical trend because of the growth of the food and beverage demand (European Parliament, 2019). Even today, albeit the global pandemic due to Covid-19, has deeply proved many enterprises, Food & Beverage (F&B) sub-sector has shown stability and resilience. In particular, F&B had positive performance connected to the production of the registered PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) products which can be considered as Made in Italy products that drive the Italian economy and exportation (ISMEA, 2020). The work analyses the financial structure of Italian SMEs belonging to the Food & Beverage, to realise if the different gender ownership could influence financial policies, as previous studies focused on another sector have already shown (Kozubíková et al., 2017; Cesaroni and Sentuti, 2016). The paper aims to understand if (and eventually how and why) the owner’s gender can affect the preferences about financing sources and, in which way these choices had influenced the reaction at the worldwide crises. Design: To reach the goal, an empirical analysis is performed on a sample of F&B Italian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In the first step of the work, the distinction between female and male ownership is done; in the second phase, the financial companies’ structure is explored, using ratio analysis, a method that has been already exploited to evaluate it in other sectors (De Martini, 2018). The data are collected by AIDA, a financial database powered by Bureau Van Dijk, which contains the balance sheet data of all the Italian firms (Pederzoli and Torricelli, 2010). The time period considered is 2013-2019. Originality: This article explores firms operating in a sector that, even if has been damaged and strongly proved by the pandemic, revealed a big resilience; in fact, agri-food in general, and F&B in particular, is still characterized by a high level of employment and great relevance in GDP composition. In addition, although other research has already investigated the relationship between the financial structure and the owner’s gender, this type of study has not interested yet the agri-food companies. Practical implication: The results of this analysis could be useful to agents belonging to the agri-food industry to support the decision-making about the financial structure, also in a period of uncertainty or economic crisis. In addition, it could be an opportunity for both SMEs to explore new typologies of financing sources and for investors to take into account the different approaches to financial decisions between male and female companies' management.

In recent years, industrialization and globalization have prompted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to implement a significant technological and managerial innovation process. In Italy, it leads to new entrepreneurial pathways, such as innovative start-ups. The new solutions' implementation becomes even more crucial for a company's sustainability during crises since it improves the organization's flexibility and encourages the development of new tools and techniques. Previous research recognized the intangible assets' relevance in the innovation's creation process, mainly referring to Intellectual Capital (IC) and its components. In particular, Relational Capital (RC) fosters reactive firms' resilience, whereas Structural Capital (SC) helps SMEs respond to challenges proactively. Focusing on the agri-food sector, it has recently reached considerable results in terms of innovation, but it still appears insufficient to stimulate female entrepreneurship. Recent data confirm a remarkable gender gap: for 107 innovative agri-food start-ups in Italy, only 14 are led by women. Given all this, the paper aims to answer the following Research Questions (RQ). RQ1: How could RC and SC promote women innovative start-ups in agri-food? RQ2: How did these factors foster proactive and reactive firms' resilience during the pandemic? The work uses an exploratory, descriptive qualitative analysis performed during the pandemic emergency and applies the CAOS model, an interpretative model widely used in SMEs' studies since it allows a deep analysis of relational capital. Moreover, the CAOS model can be helpful to observe the SC's innovation. From a theoretical point of view, the research contributes to gender studies, identifying critical, innovative elements that similar women start-ups could implement. From a managerial perspective, findings could increase the firms' competitiveness in the current crisis period and reduce gender inequality. The application of a single case study could represent a research's limit. Thus, in the future, the authors aim at replicating the analysis considering a more comprehensive sample.

Although the literature has extensively investigated the reasons for inequalities in the academic field, few contributions analyze the strategic role of gender budgeting as a reporting and planning tool for gender policies regarding equality. Given that, the purpose of this chapter is to analyze the state of the art of gender budgeting in a sample of Italian public universities to highlight the potential that gender budgeting can have from a gender equality perspective. To achieve this goal, the authors intend to answer the following research questions: What is the state of the art of the incidence of gender in the composition of Italian universities (students, postgraduates, research fellows, teaching staff, technical-administrative staff and directors)? What are the positive actions taken by Italian universities in gender budgeting to improve gender equality? What is the level of integration between the positive actions favoring gender equality and the planning of the financial resources necessary to carry out these actions in the gender budgets of the sample considered? This paper aims at expanding the international literature about the connection between gender studies and academic context. Our literature review emphasizes the topic analyzed as an emerging issue, which allows us to identify new trends and future directions for research. The major implication of the paper is to increase knowledge and practice in the area of balance gender in the academic contest. The relevant evidence of the chapter consists of a better understanding of gender budgeting as a concrete tool for planning positive actions to improve gender equality in Italian universities.

Women-led enterprises are characterized by structural and collateral limits that undermine access to credit, which is crucial for implementing technological innovation. Nevertheless, gender studies recognize a high female attitude to networking, representing a prolific source of new ideas. In this scenario, the present work aims to investigate (i) the role of Relational Capital (RC) in the innovation's creating process of innovative female start-ups and (ii) analyze the bond-type characterizing it. With this purpose, the present work uses an Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative methodology and applies the CAOS model (an Italian acronym for “Caratteristiche personali, Ambiente, Organizzazione, and Start-ups”) on a selected case study. Findings confirm the RC's vital contribution to the women-led enterprises' development, also as a driver of innovation and show the characteristics typical of the bonds involved. In the current literature, there is a gap about women role as drivers of new solutions; hence, the research can improve gender studies about innovation, particularly regarding women's start-ups. Furthermore, from a managerial point of view, it can help female SMEs identify which types of bonds can be strategically crucial for implementing innovative solutions.