In an open innovation (OI) paradigm, universities are considered as important sources of external scientific knowledge for industry, and comparative study of such collaboration can result in more effective and efficient employment of OI. Within this framework, this study explores how the determinants of collaboration between industry and universities in an open context of innovation are addressed by firms within industrial areas. For this purpose, a conceptual framework of industry–university determinants in an open context of innovation is developed from the related literature. Taking into consideration the determinants integrated into the framework, this study compares motives, barriers, channels of knowledge transfer, benefits and drawbacks of such collaboration in two Italian and Romanian industrial areas. Comparative differences in each OI determinant between the firms from the two Italian and Romanian industrial areas are analysed. The associations among the study determinants are also investigated based on correlation matrices among the five determinants in both Italian and Romanian firms. An artificial intelligence approach based on fuzzy logic was developed to predict the impact of the study determinants on the perception of universities as a source for OI activities of firms.

The Covid-19 emergency is demonstrating the need to follow new solutions that can support the important role played by non-profit organizations around the world. Contrary to what should have happened to further combat the effect of pandemic, the majority of philanthropic organisations had a negative impact on fundraising, suffering a substantial decrease. Today, the Blockchain can play a pivotal role to re-establish pre-pandemic standards and enhance the development of global philanthropy. However, it is still too little considered due to the criticalities encountered during the launch and development of the initiatives as well as for a general incomprehension of its technology. Therefore, this work aims to demonstrate the Blockchain impact on the development of charity 4.0, especially in an extremely dramatic historical moment marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. The objective is achieved through the case study of Charity Wall, an emerging Italian social marketplace appreciated by important business associations for its innovative solutions in the charity 4.0 sector and for the important support provided to NPOs during their traditional function as well as against Covid-19 in Italy. Through a benchmark analysis, this work succeeds in highlighting the innovative solutions proposed by Charity Wall compared to the charity 4.0 systems on the market. More specifically, through the Charity Wall case study it is possible to demonstrate which aspects of Blockchain technology can be used to strengthen the philanthropic system by avoiding cases of fraud to the detriment of beneficiaries, receivers and donors as well as to create a closer network between the various philanthropic players to support charitable initiatives against the Covid-19.

Purpose Application of operations management in healthcare is particularly promising to improve the overall organisational performance, although the Italian system is behind in introducing related techniques and methods. One of the recent experiments in healthcare is the implementation of “Lean Thinking”. The purpose of this paper is to investigate which exogenous forces are driving knowledge transfer on Lean, both in the private and public healthcare sectors. Design/methodology/approach Informed by institutional sociology (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Powell and DiMaggio, 1991), the paper builds on the case study methodology (Yin, 2013) to elucidate the environmental pressures that are encouraging the adoption of Lean thinking by Italian hospitals and Local Health Authorities. Findings The study highlights the economic, coercive, mimetic and normative pressures that are triggering the adoption of Lean thinking in the Italian National Health System (INHS). At the same time, the authors reveal the pivotal importance and innovative roles played by diverse prominent key-actors in the different organisations investigated. Originality/value Considering that little is known to date regarding which exogenous forces are driving the transfer of knowledge on Lean, especially in the public healthcare sector, the paper allows scholars to focus on patterns of isomorphic change and will facilitate managers and policy makers to understand exogenous factors stimulating the transfer of Lean thinking and the subsequent innovation within health organisations and systems.

This paper aims to examine whether effective tax rate and firm-specific factors (such as firm size, growth opportunities, tangibility, risk, profitability, non-debt tax shields and liquidity) impact the capital structure of multinational firms in the energy sector. We employ regression models consisting of OLS, fixed effect and random effect to test balanced panel dataset of multinational firms based in the UK and USA over the period 2011–2019. We show a positive and significant effect of tangibility, risk, profitability and non-debt tax shields on long-term and total debt measures of capital structure. In the case of short-term debt, however, we reveal that it is significantly negatively related to tangibility, non-debt tax shields and liquidity, and positively associated with firm risk. Moreover, we report that the effective tax rate and firm size are insignificantly negatively related to the leverage choices of multinational firms, and liquidity has a significant inverse relationship with long-term debt and total debt. This study reveals mixed support for the prevailing capital structure theories and evidence that multinational firms are unequivocally responsive to the capital structure. The results significantly contribute to evaluating multinational firms in the energy sector and show how managers can achieve an optimal level of capital structure.

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