and through the analysis of four case studies, the article proposes a conceptual framework that emphasizes the centrality of entrepreneurial sensemaking in small and medium--sized enterprises' marketing strategies. We posit that entrepreneurs are engaged in the construction of interpretive frameworks that, when explicated and made accessible to consumers and stakeholders, legitimate novel business ideas and logics. These interpretive frameworks structure the content and processes of marketing activities. Theoretically, the article aims to contribute to the debate on marketing in small businesses shedding light on the processes underlying the formation of marketing strategies.Propositions are offered to guide future empirical research based on the proposed conceptual framework.
Buciuni G. and Finotto V. Innovation in global value chains: co-location of production and development in Italian low-tech industries, Regional Studies. Despite the spread of global value chains, recent studies suggest that disentangling tangible and intangible activities hinders innovation. Acknowledging the importance of the co-location of research and development (R&D) and manufacturing, this paper investigates the co-location rationale in three Italian industries. Drawing on a multiple case study, findings reveal that while innovation thrives on internationally dispersed functions, the execution of a specific bundle of development activities hinges on distinctive manufacturing knowledge. Evidence suggests that this innovation bundle is performed where industrial production occurs. Accordingly, this paper claims that it is the contiguity between development activities and production in manufacturing locales that ultimately supports innovation
The interest towards the role of user communities in innovation has grown among scholars and practitioners. Research has explored the role of communities in high-tech and medium-tech industries with a focus on innovation in the functional dimension of products. Less attention has been devoted to user communities' contribution in industries such as fashion, where innovation is much more related to communication and aesthetics. This paper provides a preliminary set of concepts and working hypotheses regarding the contribution of communities to the non-functional dimension of product innovation in low-tech industries and to the relationship between user involvement in brand communities and their incentives to contribute to innovation both tangible and intangible. The paper discusses two case studies of Made in Italy enterprises that refer to communities for their innovation strategies.
This Working Paper is published under the auspices of the Department of Management at Università Ca' Foscari Venezia. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not those of the Department or the University. The Working Paper series is designed to divulge preliminary or incomplete work, circulated to favour discussion and comments. Citation of this paper should consider its provisional nature.
The paper presents the results of an exploratory investigation on the approaches to e-commerce strategies by firms in the agrifood sector, with a focus on Italian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The article tries to assess the fit between online sales configurators (OSCs) that enable product customization and the habits of Italian online buyers. The study elaborates the empirical results of two data collection efforts: (i) the first effort is to collect data on the food configurators' capabilities deployed by a sample of 105 active OSCs and (ii) the second effort is to collect data on the characteristics of the e-commerce websites from a sample of 522 Italian SMEs. Matching the results of the two analyses with existing literature on Italian customers' requirements while shopping for food online, the study provides insights on the opportunities offered by mass-customization delivered via OSCs to food SMEs, especially in terms of customer experience (CE) innovation.
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