PurposeThis paper aims to propose the ecosystemic governance for impact (EGI) framework to help innovation ecosystems generate lasting, stakeholder-aligned impact. By combining service-dominant logic (S-D logic), digitalization and Industry 4.0 (D&I4), project management (PM) and benefit realization management (BRM), the framework balances rigor with flexibility to coordinate actors, tools and value co-creation processes.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs an abductive, qualitative case study design drawing on a national R&D project (Ditron-C). The analysis integrates data from interviews, project documents, field observations and co-design artifacts, interpreted through four innovation management approaches.FindingsThe EGI framework structures innovation governance around four phases: co-visioning, co-design, co-realization and co-evolution. Each phase supports structured planning and adaptive coordination among actors, helping translate project outputs into sustained impact.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are based on a retail innovation project and validated through a cross-sector application. While these cases support the transferability of the framework, further research could examine the applicability of the framework across different ecosystems and in conditions of extreme power asymmetries.Practical implicationsIn practice, EGI helps managers move beyond checklists and dashboards, providing a scaffold that keeps negotiations open and makes impact visible over time.Social implicationsThe framework promotes inclusive governance and participatory alignment among ecosystem actors, enabling innovation processes to support lasting and mutually negotiated impact.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a mid-range theoretical framework that reframes innovation governance as a reflexive and ecosystemic process.

In the current context, characterized by rapid technological progress and the increasing importance of data in business decision-making, the need to adopt data-driven orientation in international marketing emerges as a relevant topic. However, the analysis of existing literature highlights significant gaps in the understanding of this approach and its implications on global management strategies. Therefore, this study aims to fill these gaps through an in-depth analysis of the critical factors influencing the adoption of data-driven orientation in international marketing strategies. By using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews, the analysis seeks to address the following research questions: (1) what are the key factors influencing the adoption of data-driven orientation in international marketing?; (2) what is the effect of data-driven orientation on firm strategies in the international market?; (3) how does data-driven orientation influence international marketing strategies? The identification of the key factors affecting the adoption of data-driven orientation can offer valuable insights for managers, decision-makers, and policymakers, facilitating a better use of technologies in alignment with data-driven principles and more effective data management in the context of international business.

Today, resilience is a hot topic and overcomes sector and scientific domains' boundaries. For instance, EU co-funding programs are basically grounded on the understanding of building and managing resilient societies and smart cities. The need to face uncertainties and surroundings stimulates organizations to find new ways to react/pro-act/adapt to any event, highlighting resiliency. Recent advances in business literature, first within the organizational field, argue for new meanings and interpretations of resilience, both in terms of intriguing dichotomies like bouncing-forward versus bouncing-back, challenge-zone versus comfort-zone, resource-renewal versus resource-recovery, etc. Nevertheless, other relevant gaps deserve to be explored like Systems Thinking. This gives insights into resilience subjectivity and the resilient key-leverage aspects for the continuity and viability over time of any process. This conceptual paper links themes of dynamic capabilities in organizations using the method theory for a confirmatory approach to Systems Thinking. We highlight the dynamic dimension of organizational resilience and the modes of action used to evolve the way to be resilient. The findings can be established under the Systems Thinking framework regarding information variety and cognitive alignment, as well as several practical and managerial implications contributing to the on-going debate.

This conceptual paper aims to understand what can allow smart cities, considered as service ecosystems, to effectively face the important challenges and uncertainties of our time, such as the energy crisis, by adopting the phase transitions interpretative lens. To reach this purpose, a literature review on smart cities and phase transition in a service ecosystem perspective has been carried out to merge their main concepts through the 'integrating' method for providing researchers and practitioners with suggestions on this topic observed in a new perspective. However, by using the phase transition perspective, the severity of the current energy crisis could represent a tipping point for smart cities and foster fluctuations difficult to absorb and system destabilization and de-institutionalization. Service innovation perspective can be considered as a driver to enable smart cities to react quickly and effectively to unforeseen changes. An example can be found in the digital twin city that would allow policy-makers to remotely monitor the behavior of the real city, plan and develop projects by first observing its effects on the virtual twin to not waste resources, anticipate any problems and carry out corrective actions in a predictive manner, in order to effectively navigate the transition and move towards a re-stabilization through new institutional arrangements. Thanks to this study, smart cities' policy-makers and scholars can design new city patterns based on smart technologies to pursue viability and resource waste reduction conditions, despite the change.

Purpose - Sustainability transitions (STs) refer to large-scale step changes in complex systems required to face sustainability issues. We aim to delineate how they can unfold in service ecosystems, especially when inspired by regenerative thinking. Design/methodology/approach - We develop a conceptual framework based on a processual view of STs and provide a propositional inventory based on literature leveraging deductive reasoning. Moreover, we contextualize our conceptualizations by showing illustrative examples of cities coping with STs. Findings - We connect the perception of unsustainability with the shift toward service-dominant (S-D) logic and identify them as triggers of an ST; we focus on the role of nested service ecosystems and the adoption of regenerative thinking in STs; finally, we highlight the domino effect that can drive continuous change towards sustainability in service ecosystems. Future research could be focused on (loss of) sensemaking for driving STs, practical approaches to deal with institutional tensions in nested service ecosystems and the possible fractality of ST processes in service ecosystems. Originality/value - This study supports the understanding of STs in cities and other systems such as industries, markets and organizations. It contributes to ST literature by suggesting the adoption of S-D logic and system lenses to identify, drive and cope with system changes toward sustainability, showing implications for policymakers and practitioners. Furthermore, it contributes to S-D logic by unfolding the self-adjustment of service ecosystems and the focus of sustainability initiatives on nested service ecosystems to sustain the broader systems. Finally, it contributes to transformative service research by identifying how the procedural and inspirational principles characterizing regenerative thinking can support design for STs.

The data explained in the relevant report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. Transforming Food Systems for Affordable Healthy" (FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, Rome 2020) reveals that the world is not on track to achieve the SDG 2.1 ("Universal access to safe and nutritious food") and SDG 2.2 ("End of all forms of malnutrition"), both Zero Hunger of Sustainable Development Goal 2 ("End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture") targets by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would increase further. The combination of moderate and more severe levels of food insecurity raises the estimate to over 25% of the world population, equivalent to a total of about 2 billion people. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of global food systems and of all the activities and processes affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of food so that this circumstance further questions the achievement of the goal Zero Hunger. A very important tool to successfully tackle this serious and long-standing problem is represented by nutraceutical products and in the rehabilitation of severe patients and undernourished children, the "ready-to-use therapeutic foods" (RUTFs) have shown remarkable efficacy. They refer to a number of varieties of ready-to-eat foods, ranging from those prepared from locally available ingredients by village women in their own self-help groups for the malnourished children to those prepared according to specific formulas in worldwide factories. RUTF now almost always refers to the latter and it is a generic term including different types of foodstuff, such as spreads or compressed products with precise amounts of nutrients, mainly derived from powdered milk, peanut, oil, sugar, and micronutrients, providing energy equivalent to WHO requirement. However, the local availability of the necessary ingredients limits the production in geographical areas where their use is required, thus there are currently important efforts in the research for alternative ingredients to overcome this limitation. The purpose of this study is to trace the current scenario in terms of food security and malnutrition in the world, focusing attention on the problems associated with the dissemination of initiatives aimed at addressing such a global challenge. The research was conducted following the tripartition model both in the analysis of the problem and in the proposed answer model, although the business perspective was the privileged one. Encouraging the proper and effective implementation of an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable local market for RUTFs means creating shared values, acting jointly, and maximizing the results in favour of children and their families who are still fighting for the right to live in dignity.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to understand if service innovation (Helkkula et al., 2018), based on artificial intelligence (AI) systems, may guarantee healthcare service ecosystem (H-SES) well-being (Frow et al., 2019; Beirão et al., 2017), taking into account that many doubts relieved in terms of transparency may compromise the patients' perceived quality of health services provided through AI systems.Design/methodology/approachA literature review on service innovation, detected in terms of value co-creation, and service ecosystem, investigated in terms of well-being, is drawn. To analyze the implications of service innovation on a H-SES well-being, through the technology acceptance degree and predisposition to use by actors, a case study based on TAM-model 3 determinants as categories is carried out.FindingsAI-based service innovation archetypes in healthcare may be considered as antecedents of the service ecosystem well-being conditions as long as they enable actors to co-create value. To make it possible, a patient-driven service innovation is necessary in order to mitigate the risks of its inactivity due to fears in terms of transparency.Originality/valueService innovation and service ecosystem well-being may be studied in an integrated way, with a multidisciplinary approach, and are linked by value co-creation, because only thanks a patient-driven service innovation is possible to foster service ecosystem well-being in healthcare.

Artificial Intelligence-based Decision Support Systems (AI-based DSS) are becoming increasingly important in many contexts. This work aims to define a type of human-machine interactions for new value co-creation processes' ranks, to help identify factors that can stimulate value co-creation in human-machine interactions. To understand if the outcome of a man-machine interaction can contribute to the co-creation of value, and in what way, the work carried out is epistemological and typological, also based on System Thinking. A matrix of novel gradients of the relationships between humans and non-humans has been created, and the typology of human-machine interactions has been identified for the new degrees of value co-creation processes, as well as the new specific scale of skills, in terms of language, learning, know-how, level of trust and endowment of knowledge, as a whole. The main implications concern the need to customize Decision Support Systems (DSS), to enhance different levels of intensity of relationships, and to identify insights for Decision Making AI - based users.

Covid-19 has restrained the managerial and innovative capacities of startuppers, forcing them to downsize their businesses or close them down altogether. Most resilient startups only, those able to manage changes, have been able to endure. The present study aims to understand how startup founders make their decisions in adverse contexts, such as the one during and after Covid-19. Therefore, following an in-depth study of relevant literature, this paper seeks to investigate the dynamics that lead startuppers to opt for a "pivot" of their business and, consequently, what are the main difficulties encountered in this process. A qualitative survey was conducted, following the Yin methodology for a case study, where data were collected through interview. The study aims to demonstrate what are the dynamics that drive a startup to change its business model and what characteristics the company must have in order for this change to produce positive performance. The study lays the foundations for future research on the topic of resilience and pivoting in the startup environment, representing a guideline for scholars and managers to ensure that the change in strategy and corporate mission guarantees the survival of the startup.

This research bridges two streams of research that have not been linked before: reverse knowledge transfer from subsidiaries to parent companies in service industry and service offshoring evolution from simple tasks to value-creating activities. The review of existing classifications of offshoring service centers shows that research into evolutionary path of their development has not covered intensity and characteristics of reverse knowledge transfer (RKT). This creates a rationale for development of the new taxonomy offshoring service centers. Moreover, the results indicate under-researched area of knowledge transfers, in particular reverse knowledge transfers, in service theory and business practice. The research has important implications for management practices by providing managers with new insight into knowledge creation and diffusion in international corporate networks.

Purpose Covid-19 pandemic impacted the tourism industry worldwide. Especially in catering, where restaurateurs have had to reinvent their business models, information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a fundamental role in supporting these changes, transforming barriers into opportunities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how restaurateurs’ perception of ICTs has changed before and during Covid-19 and to detect whether ICTs can be considered a tool to foster antifragility, resilience and value co-creation as ideal outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a longitudinal study on the use of ICT platforms by Italian restaurant managers. The case study analyzed is TheFork. Data collection took place in two different rounds: before Covid-19 (year 2017) and during Covid-19 (year 2020). Findings The findings of this study reveal how new rules imposed by the Government changed restaurant managers’ attitudes towards technology. In 2017, restaurateurs showed reticence towards technology, not used in a strategic way; today, everyone uses ICT to improve business. Originality/value The study shows that ICT platforms enable antifragility, resilience and value co-creation, creating a service ecosystem supporting restaurant management.

The purpose of this paper is to understand if the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools may enable augmented decision-making for responsible actors (Spohrer, 2021) in healthcare. The biggest challenge for AI in healthcare is its own full applicability in daily clinical practices, due to fragmented data and their poor quality, further complicated by the patients’ reluctance to share them (Shinners et al., 2020) for privacy issues. The motivation of this work is to search for models and methodologies capable of overcoming these criticalities. In this sense, transparent AI deserves to be much more explored because it would enable augmented decisions (not just automatic decisions) as they result from an effective HMI (Zhu et al., 2018). Then, this can also contribute to strengthening the patient’s perception of the reliability and safety of the tool (de Fine Licht, 2020), by improving their trust in the healthcare operations (Das, 2020). A literature review has been carried out to propose a framework (Share-to-Care) to encourage a great acceptance by actors of new technologies in healthcare thanks to reasoned transparency. Methodologically, the ‘theory synthesis’ (Jaakkola, 2020) helps us in intending how to give back drivers and suggestions to researchers and practitioners in designing and using AI in healthcare. Findings concern transparent AI as leverage able to foster the spread of collaborative behaviors useful for augmented decision-making not only powered by technologies but mainly by humans.

The study seeks to investigate the impact of pandemic on teaching and learning processes involved in Higher Education (HE) by analysing the way in which knowledge exchange and value co-creation are reframed through ICTs and technology.The adoption of the interpretative lens of Service Science permits to reread HE as a smart service system.The empirical research, based on content analysis as an inquiry, analyses: 1) the transformations introduced in technology adoption, information sharing, knowledge and value co-creation to comply with the disruption "imposed" by ì the sanitary emergency; 2) the way in which this transformation can introduce novelties in Higher education system.The results identify the different drivers for value and knowledge co-creation that can be implemented in technology-enhanced teaching and learning and the different novelties that can be generated from the emergence of innovation.

Many core marketing concepts (e.g., markets, relationships, customer experience, brand meaning, value) concern phenomena that are difficult to understand using linear and dyadic approaches, because they are emergent. That is, they arise, often unpredictably, from interactions within complex and dynamic contexts. This paper contributes to the marketing discipline through an explication of the concept of emergence as it applies to marketing theory. We accomplish this by first drawing on the existing literature on emergence in philosophy, sociology, and the theory of complex adaptive systems, and then link and extend this understanding to marketing using the theoretical framework of service-dominant (S-D) logic, particularly as enhanced by its service-ecosystems and institutionalization perspectives. Our work recognizes both emergence and institutionalization as integral or interrelated processes in the creation, maintenance, and disruption of markets and marketing phenomena. We conclude by discussing implications for marketing research and practice.