Structural Constraints,Strategic Interactions and Innovative Processes: Measuring Network Effects in New Product Development Projects

In this paper I approach the analysis of innovation activities as relational processes first deriving the econometric specification of an endogenous model of network effect on individual outcome, and then using data on innovation projects to empirically test the impact on actors' performance of relational activities in new product development. A complete relational set of inter-unit relationships in 173 new product development projects among 24 R&D units of a profit oriented R&D organization is analyzed using mixed regressive-autoregressive models. Results show the importance of a network effects on unit's performance, after controlling for unit's attributional characteristics. The magnitude and directionality of these effects are sensitive to project characteristics, but not to the directionality of the ties. Implications for theory and research in innovation management are discussed by elaborating on the importance of the content of the ties to assess the impact of relational activities, and to examine client (i.e. ties sent) and server (i.e. ties received) relational options as complementary aspects of interaction strategies.     

Transitions in the Labour Market: Discouragement Effect and Individual Characteristics

The present work analyses the unemployment gender gap in Italy for the period 2004–11. We present a methodology for decomposing the natural rate of unemployment, thus defining it in terms of equilibrium labour market flows between the aggregate states of the labour market (Employment, Unemployment, Inactivity). In addition, we offer estimates of the determinants of the unemployment gender gap to pinpoint the relative role of individual characteristics and structural factors in determining this difference.     

DEMOCRATIC PEACE AND ELECTORAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Democracies rarely engage in conflicts with one another, though they are not averse to fighting autocracies. We exploit the existence in many countries of executive term limits to show that electoral accountability is the key reason behind this “democratic peace” phenomenon. We construct a new dataset of term limits for a sample of 177 countries over the 1816–2001 period, and combine this information with a large dataset of interstate conflicts. Our empirical analysis shows that, although democracies are significantly less likely to fight each other, democracies with leaders who face binding term limits are as conflict prone as autocracies. The study of electoral calendars confirms the importance of re‐election incentives: in democracies with two‐term limits, conflicts are less likely to occur during the executive's first mandate than in the last one. Our findings support the Kantian idea that elections act as a discipline device, deterring leaders from engaging in costly conflicts.     

‘Implicit’ remittances in family relationships: The case of Bangladeshis in Italy and beyond

In this article – based on 100 in-depth interviews with divided and reunited Bangladeshi families in Italy, Bangladesh, and London – we discuss how remittances are influenced by gender relations within the family, what social meanings they assume, what family memberships they reinforce, how the intertwining between migration and family cycle affects them. By adopting an intersectional approach, we show how economic transfers are normally sent to the family of the first-migrant man, although they may assist the emigration of the wife's male relatives: a phenomenon that we call ‘implicit remittances’. A second set of results concerns changes over time in remittances and two events of the family cycle are decisive: the family reunification in Italy and the demise of parents in the country of origin. In both cases, remittances are reduced, cease, or are limited to gifts in particular circumstances.     

Religion,governance and performance: evidence from Islamic and conventional stock exchanges

Based on a dataset of 31 conventional and Islamic stock exchanges we compare financial performance across these two groups for 2007–2011 period. Our results suggest that CEs and IEs are differently exposed to institutional constraints and have different drivers of profitability. Islamic stock exchanges’ performances are essentially driven by traditional listing and trading services and are affected by institutional factors such as the degree of foreign trading openness of their economies and measures of society development. Furthermore, they ensure greater stability during crisis, although Shari’ah compliant investments don’t affect their revenue generation. Conventional stock exchanges have higher trading intensity, higher level of revenues’ diversification and high capital investments, as they operate with different business models. Our results could have relevant business and strategic implications for further convergence between the two groups. Moreover our analysis could be significant for firms wishing to list their shares into Shari’ah Compliant Stock Exchanges or into Conventional ones and traders choosing the most convenient trading venue.     

Systemic Practice in the Time of COVID: Conversations Among Culturally Diverse Therapists

The COVID‐19 pandemic has changed the delivery of clinical services and education of health professionals, including family therapists. This paper distils two separate Zoom conversations between myself (as the lead author) and two eminent family therapists, Professors Maurizio Andolfi and Harry Aponte, where challenges and opportunities for the profession during and after the pandemic are discussed. Creativity and resourcefulness are two important elements therapists and educators have needed to access during the pandemic to find alternative ways to continue to provide clinical services and teaching. Most therapists have transitioned using online technology and various platforms such as Zoom and Skype; for some this has been a somewhat familiar experience, for most it has been a novel one. Key themes emerged from the conversations including the personal and professional ‘lived experiences’ of the pandemic; the financial impact on clients and students; the importance of touch for human social connection; the use of ‘self’ as an instrument of change and alternative platforms of service delivery and teaching. We reflected on what has been lost, such as the nuances inherent in face‐to‐face human interactions, and what has been gained, such as observing families in situ in their own environments.     

Effects of tadalafil treatment combined with physical activity in patients with low onset hypogonadism: results from a not-randomized single arm phase 2 study

Purpose: To investigate a possible relation between penile Doppler ultrasound examination (PDUE) parameters and efficacy of chronic therapy with tadalafil (TAD) combined with a protocol of aerobic physical activity (PA) in patients with late onset hypogonadism (LOH). Methods: The study evaluated 30 patients consecutively enrolled with LOH and erectile dysfunction which present contraindication to hormonal replacement therapy for concomitant prostate disease. These patients were subjected to a combined protocol with phosphodiesterase V selective inhibitors (TAD 5?mg daily) and aerobic PA.

Results: After three months, we observed significant improvements in erectile function [IIEF-5, median (IQR)?=?13.0 (7.0–18.0) versus 6.0 (5.0–6.75); p?p?Conclusion: PA in association with phosphodiesterase V inhibitors could compensate the effects of hypogonadism on erectile function and facilitate the clinical response to these drugs even in the absence of adequate serum concentrations of total testosterone.     

Municipal Budget Management and the Generation of Urban Sprawl. A Case Study of the Lombardy Region (Italy)

ABSTRACT

The paper describes one of the Italian sprawl drivers: the circle triggered by the use of urban charges to solve budget problems. From 2005 to 2018, Italian municipalities could use urban charges to solve normal budget problems: they could plan new urban areas to provide new urban charges, new building and services, and they could manage old and new services at the expense of normal budget. The planning of unnecessary urban areas was effectively influenced by budget problems. The paper illustrates this issue during a period without open data sources in order to improve land management and environmental sustainability.     

Robustness of Optimal Investment Decisions in Mixed Insurance/Investment Cyber Risk Management

An integrated risk management strategy, combining insurance and security investments, where the latter contribute to reduce the insurance premium, is investigated to assess whether it can lead to reduced overall security expenses. The optimal investment for this mixed strategy is derived under three insurance policies, covering, respectively, all the losses (total coverage), just those below the limit of maximum liability (partial coverage), and those above a threshold but below the maximum liability (partial coverage with deductibles). Under certain conditions (e.g., low potential loss, or either very low or very high vulnerability), the mixed strategy reverts however to insurance alone, because investments do not provide an additional benefit. When the mixed strategy is the best choice, the dominant component in the overall security expenses is the insurance premium in most cases. Optimal investment decisions require an accurate estimate of the vulnerability, whereas larger estimation errors may be tolerated for the investment-effectiveness coefficient.