In healthcare, chatbots are used to automate interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. To make these conversations realistic, designers anthropomorphized chatbots (e.g., attributed human characteristics to chatbot) by equipping them with personality (warmth/competence), attributable gender (male/female), and role (prevention/diagnosis/therapy). Notwithstanding, scholarly inquiry has predominantly disregarded these factors when ascertaining the proclivity of individuals to utilize chatbots in healthcare. Based on human-machine interactions and counter-stereotypes theories, the aim of this research is to evaluate the conditions under which chatbot anthropomorphism can increase users' satisfaction and intention of using related services. Analyses conducted on a sample of 1147 users show that chatbots' personality does not directly influence intention of being used in healthcare. Instead, this relationship is mediated by chatbots' perceived credibility and user satisfaction, and moderated by chatbots' anthropomorphism, gender, and role. Specifically, when there is a mismatch between chatbot's gender and its stereotypical descriptive property (i.e., competence for female chatbots; warmth for male chatbots), the chatbot is more credible, satisfying, and inviting to use. Moreover, chatbots with female anthropomorphic characteristics or with a low level of anthropomorphism are better suited for prevention roles such as counseling, while chatbots with male characteristics are more appropriate for therapeutic roles.

Framing of the research. Women empowerment and innovation are deemed an absolute priority in many countries. As a matter of fact, they had been included among the 17 sustainable development goals. Despite the common understanding that progress cannot occur regardless inclusivity, prior literature was being somewhat aloof on this matter. As the result, the research corpus seems mostly established on a sort of patriarchal knowledge, favoring a male-inspired stereotyping of the innovation narrative. Purpose of the paper. This study contributed to extend the conversation on innovation by investigating the phenomenon using the lenses of cultural dynamics and women entrepreneurship. Methodology . Using a large-scale cross-sectional dataset related to the year 2021, drawn from Eurostat and World Bank, hypotheses were tested by means of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) linear regression method. Results . Our findings confirmed that innovation is more likely to occur when the country scores high in indulgence and there is a large number of women in business. Research limitations. As a cross-sectional analysis, the study did not capture over-time dynamics. Managerial implications . Inclusivity and well-being accelerate progress and foster innovation. Originality of the paper . The paper challenged the extant narrative of innovation by proposing an alternative gender-based view of the process.

Purpose This paper aims to better understand how codified knowledge that originates in organizations contributes to the generation of idiosyncratic knowledge embedded at a more expansive level, such as that of an ecosystem. In doing so, the authors introduce the concept of patent ecosystems – conceived as configurations of codified knowledge advancements protected via patents. Design/methodology/approach Using a patent co-classification method and introducing a novel validated software, the authors map and visualize the patent ecosystem of Singapore and examine 173,597 patents published from 1995 to 2020. Findings Results reveal the prominent growth of Singapore’s patenting activities, capturing a patent ecosystem shift, from a more diverse knowledge configuration to a more specialized one. The codified knowledge mainly generated deals with pharmaceuticals and high-tech knowledge domains; further, newly emerging technologies such as blockchain are also noted. Research limitations/implications The research investigates Singapore’s context, a country in which research directions and focus areas are influenced by government interventions and leadership. Thus, future studies might examine other patent ecosystems to draw comparisons with more laissez-faire policies or ecosystems with more pronounced organic development. Originality/value The novelty of this research is the introduction of the concept of a patent ecosystem for advancing a more fine-grained understanding of the aggregated knowledge generated at the ecosystem level and its specific features, composition and development. The authors consider patents as “carriers” of different codified pieces of knowledge and patent ecosystems represent the configuration that emerges from connections of these elements. The novel approach can aid both researchers, practitioners and policymakers with future examinations in the field.

Evidence of the cost-effectiveness of telemedicine (TM) for the management of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been provided recently. However, some doubts persist about the accuracy of neurological examinations performed remotely. This study investigated the reliability of neurological evaluations performed through TM in mild MS patients as compared with standard in-person visits. In total, 76 patients with relapsing–remitting MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≤ 3.5 were consecutively recruited. Of them, 40 patients (52.6%) accepted to undergo both in-person and TM evaluations with independent examiners within 48 h. We alternatively asked patients to assure or not the presence of a caregiver during TM visits. A satisfaction questionnaire was administered to all participants. The inter-rater agreement attributed by two independent neurologists during TM visit was high (κ > 0.80) for EDSS and Functional Systems (FS) scores. Moderate agreement between TM and in-person evaluations emerged for pyramidal (κ = 0.57; p < 0.001), brainstem (κ = 0.57; p < 0.001), bowel and bladder (κ = 0.54; p < 0.001) and sensory (κ = 0.51; p < 0.001) FS scores, higher in patients providing the support of a caregiver. A good reliability was reported for EDSS scores computed during remote and in-person visits (ICC = 0.83; 95% CI 0.70–0.91; p < 0.001). Despite the complexity of neurological examination, TM could be useful in monitoring MS patients with low disability.

PurposeThis paper reviews the development of knowledge creation theory in the last quarter-century and how it has contributed to innovation management and looks into social and human aspects of innovation in the era of “Society 5.0”.Design/methodology/approachThis research aims to relate basic theoretical concepts: knowledge creation and knowledge assets, purpose, leadership, and place (Ba) for innovation to drive innovation and its management as a whole ecosystem. It also discusses the application to innovation management systems open innovation, and social innovation.FindingsToday's innovation demands socio-economic fusion that goes beyond current corporate boundaries. By preparing the system (knowledge ecosystem) as the basis, we could build the bridge, and such fusion would be possible.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper shows the framework of the idea. Evidence-based research based on “knowledge assessment” will be discussed on another occasion.Originality/valueThis research is to explain knowledge management, innovation, and social innovation beyond the corporate framework.

This paper focuses on the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a set of interdependent and coordinated factors in a territory enabling entrepreneurship. To date, academic research has failed to produce methodologies for evaluating and comparing entrepreneurial ecosystems from different perspectives that can highlight the underlying factors. Moreover, there is a lack of empirical analysis that discriminates between factors according to their importance. Taking into account these two gaps, the aim of the paper is twofold. First, it proposes the application of an accurate, robust and reliable measurement technique, namely stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA). It considers the variability of weights that can be assigned to the different factors, producing a probabilistic ranking to obtain a comparison among entrepreneurial ecosystems. This ranking is more reliable than a single ranking proposed by the usual composite indices that take into account a single vector of weights. Second, the paper presents a new methodology, SMAA for strategic management analytics and assessment, or SMAA squared (SMAA-S), which detects the relation between entrepreneurial ecosystem factors and growth-oriented start-ups in a territory. The results show that the most relevant entrepreneurial ecosystem factors enabling the birth and activity of high-growth start-ups, and so impacting on technology, economy and society, can be identified in cultural and social norms, government programs, and internal market dynamics.

Purpose of the paper: The paper aims to study the value creation of Innovative Pure Family Startups (IPFS), which are innovative startups characterized by simple family governance, as compared to the Total population of Innovative Startups (TIS). Methodology: Adopting the T-test analysis, the contribution detects whether significant differences exist between IPFS and TIS in terms of financial structure and profitability performance. Findings: Results show that IPFS perform the best in terms of profitability. Moreover, they highlight IPFS’ preference for debt rather than opening up firm equity to external investors. Research limits: Our results are limited to IPFS and not generalizable to all Innovative Family Startups, including Innovative Professional Family Startups. Moreover, no distinction between Innovative Family Spin-off and Innovative Family Newco is made. Practical implications: Implications are related to business governance structure and organizational governance to support the managerial decision-making process. Originality of the paper: The paper tries to fill a gap in both the literature on family business and on entrepreneurship. On the one hand, it analyzes the start-up phase of family businesses that is generally neglected in family business studies. On the other hand, it detects the contribution of family governance to the innovative startup phenomenon, while focusing on the role of family firms in innovative high tech industries that traditionally under-participate compared to their non-family counterparts.

The paper proposes a framework for measuring and testing the causal effects of a set of entrepreneurial ecosystems factors (eco-factors) on productive entrepreneurship (eco-output). Existing research studies provide long lists of relevant eco-factors; however, the causal relations of eco-factors with productive entrepreneurship has not been sufficiently and holistically studied. As the research on entrepreneurial ecosystems continues to develop, there is a need for a measurement framework and subsequent empirical validation of these causal relations. Otherwise, research on entrepreneurial ecosystem risks engaging only in a simple description of successful territories without the possibility of generalizing findings. Therefore, our paper's contribution is a critical review of the set of eco-factors proposed by the extant literature and propose indicators and related data sources that could be used to measure the indicators more holistically. In an analogous way, with respect to eco-output, our contribution is to trace which indicators are the appropriate proxies for productive entrepreneurship and to explore the data sources for these indicators.

The paper focuses on the role of a country’s culture in influencing the entrepreneurial attitudes of Principal Investigators, in shaping their ability to combine knowledge theory and business practice, in determining their capacity to strengthen the cooperation between the two domains of research and business, and in supporting research spin-off creation in entrepreneurial universities. To make Principal Investigators’ orientation match Entrepreneurial Universities’ goals of the marketing of innovation and entrepreneurship is not an easy task. A research-oriented approach, rather than an explorative entrepreneurial orientation, is still predominant in Principal Investigators. Among the factors influencing the strategic orientation towards entrepreneurship of Principal Investigators, the paper argues that the country’s culture could be key. Evaluating the influence of the entrepreneurial culture on a Principal Investigator’s activity is critical in predicting his performance and comparing it with that of Principal Investigators in other countries.

The contribution attempts to explicit the role of the social entrepreneur. There are countless examples of social entrepreneurs that can be cited from around the world. Social entrepreneurs' personality, temperament and characteristics have been studied by a great number of researchers. The focus has generally been "who social entrepreneur is". However, few researches have stressed "what social entrepreneur does", what are his actions and the effects of his actions. This is what the present paper tries to address and explore. The use of qualitative case study approach offers rich social entrepreneurial discovery data. However, due to the scant number of interviews, the present analysis can be considered an exploratory study. Future researches can gather data on a large scale, using variegate samples, to generalise results to a large population.

Obiettivo del paper : A partire dal concetto di Absorptive Capacity delle imprese, il contributo ne estende la nozione al Territorio, proponendo una riflessione sul collegamento tra Absorptive Capacity Territoriale e accrescimento del livello di competitivita regionale. Determinanti dell’Absorptive Capacity Territoriale vengono individuate nelle competenze possedute dalla forza lavoro del territorio, negli investimenti in R&S e nella performance dei Knowledge Gatekeepers. Obiettivo dell’articolo e studiare questi ultimi, i Knowledge Gatekeeper, quali soluzioni organizzative in grado di creare integrazione tra gli attori locali facilitando la trasmissione di conoscenza. Metodologia : Adottando la metodologia del case-study, si analizza la Sicilian Venture Philanthropy Foundation, individuata come Knowledge Gatekeeper del territorio siciliano. Si tratta di una coalizione regionale composta da imprenditori, professionisti, managers e societa civile che configura modelli di costruzione di spazi di intervento e di apprendimento dirette a creare valore sociale e a mettere a punto di forme di competitivita territoriale responsabile. Risultati : Si giunge all’evidenza del ruolo di alcune organizzazioni nello stimolare la produzione di flussi di conoscenze e tecnologie, migliorare l’apprendimento interoganizzativo e incidere sul grado di Absorptive Capacity Territoriale. Limiti della ricerca : Il lavoro necessita di una validazione empirica di tipo econometrico atta a rilevare l’effettiva incidenza dei Knowledge Gatekeepers sull’Absorptive Capacity di un territorio. Implicazioni pratiche : Dalle premesse logico-scientifiche e dallo studio del caso derivano indicazioni pratiche per il governo del territorio e lo sviluppo della competitivita regionale. Originalita del lavoro : L’articolo arricchisce il dibattito sui percorsi evoluzionistici locali collegandoli strettamente alla capacita di acquisire e gestire conoscenza e integrandoli con l’elemento della Venture Philanthropy.

The paper examines family business foundations as connectors between the firm and the family from which they originate, adopting a coevolution approach that considers family and business as two subsystems which coevolve in creating a different species, the family business. Foundations are seen as coevolution facilitators supporting the coevolution process, outlining a specific grow path for family firms, and ensuring family business sustainability. An empirical analysis on Italian family business foundations is developed. The Italian context is taken into consideration because family firms are the backbone of the Italian economy, and the largest family foundations are those created by the most important entrepreneurial families. Data bring to light the structural role played by family business foundations in Italy and their involvement in the field of culture and art, research and training, health care, and territorial responsibility. The analysis shows the growth of family business foundations in recent years and their connection with long-lived companies with whom a close connection is maintained, leading to a lasting intergenerational sustainability.

In the paper, the concept of absorptive capacity, already successfully applied to firms, is extended to territories. Territory's Absorptive Capacity is here defined as the ability of a Region to identify, assimilate, and exploit external knowledge.From a theoretical point of view, the concept of Territory's Absorptive Capacity integrates two fields of studies, those of innovation systems and regional science.Three propositions are developed starting from the consideration that territory's absorptive capacity is dependent on increasing investments in human resource learning in a Region, promoting R&D activities and, above all, integrating knowledge flows through the action of territorial knowledge gatekeepers.

Il dibattito sulla centralita del territorio e sui sistemi locali territoriali sta trovando nuova linfa vitale nella consapevolezza, sempre piu diffusa e messa ancor piu in luce dalla recente crisi, che siano necessari nuovi modelli di governance basati sulla capacita di azione e di valorizzazione di competenze e saperi specifici di ogni territorio. In questo contesto sta emergendo l’importanza di modelli di auto-organizzazione del territorio ed affiorano nuovi processi di intenzionalita collettiva, fondati su forme di reciprocita forte tra gli attori. In questo senso appare opportuno che gli attori del territorio sviluppino una capacita evolutiva di espressione di coerenza collettiva nelle visioni e nelle azioni, il che diventa condizione fondamentale per l’emergere di una concezione imprenditoriale del territorio e per la sua sopravvivenza e il suo sviluppo nel tempo. Parole chiave: governance del territorio, sistemi locali territoriali, intenzionalita collettiva, reciprocita forte The debate on the centrality of the territory and local systems is finding new life in the growing awareness of the need for new models of governance based on the ability of action and enhancement of skills and specific knowledge of each area. In this context the importance emerges of self-organization models of the territory and new processes of collective intentionality based on strong reciprocity among actors. Indeed, it seems appropriate for the actors to develop an evolutionary ability of expression of coherence in the collective vision and action. This becomes the fundamental condition for the emergence of an entrepreneurial territory and for its survival and development over time. Key words: territory governance, local systems, collective intentionality, strong reciprocity