Lamberto Zollo | Università degli Studi di Firenze (University of Florence) (original) (raw)

Papers by Lamberto Zollo

Management Decision, 2018

Purpose – This study was undertaken to explore the understudied antecedents of moral reasoning an... more Purpose – This study was undertaken to explore the understudied antecedents of moral reasoning and cognitive processes that ultimately shape ethical consumption. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the socio-intuitionist model are integrated. Holistic, inferential, and affective dimensions of intuition are identified as critical antecedents of environmental concerns that then influence ethical consumption. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to analyze intuitive judgments and ethical concerns in 256 U.S. undergraduates. The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) is used to measure ethical concerns and the Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior (ECCB) instrument is used to measure ethical consumption. Findings – The results indicate that inferential intuition, but not affective intuition, significantly predicts ethical concerns (NEP), which in turn significantly influence all five dimensions of ethical consumption behavior (ECCB). Practical implications – Managers and marketing strategists should focus on non-rational influences such as moral intuition to effectively promote ethical and responsible consumption. Originality/value – The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and intuitionist theory are integrated to reveal empirically how intuitive judgments may affect consumer attitudes and to provide new insights regarding ethical consumption.

Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2017

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through the lens of the gift-giving theory... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through the lens of the gift-giving theory, volunteers’ motivations for intending to stay with organizations.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 379 volunteers from 30 charitable organizations operating in Italy’s socio-healthcare service sector. Bootstrapped mediation analysis was used to test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings – Volunteers’ reciprocal attitudes and gift-giving intentions partially mediated the relationship between motives and intentions to stay.
Practical implications – Policy makers of charitable organizations are advised to be more responsive to behavioral signals revealing volunteers’ motivations, attitudes, and intentions. Managers should appropriately align organizational responsiveness with volunteers’ commitment through gift-giving exchange systems.
Originality/value – The findings reveal that reciprocity and gift giving are significant organizational variables greatly influencing volunteers’ intentions to stay with organizations. Signaling theory is used to explain how volunteers’ attitudes are linked with organizational responsiveness. Furthermore, this study is the first to use an Italian setting to consider motives, reciprocity, and gift giving as they relate to intentions to stay.
Keywords Motivation, Reciprocity, Bootstrapped multiple mediation, Organizational behaviour, Non-profit organizations, Gift giving
Paper type Research paper

The paper aims at analyzing the potential of digital technologies of communication concerning the... more The paper aims at analyzing the potential of digital technologies of
communication concerning the personalization of cultural heritage visitors’
experience. For this purpose, a single case study was conducted.
Specifically, we analyzed a digital technology named Mnemosyne, which
is installed in the National Museum of Bargello (Florence, Italy). Findings
reveal how digital technologies allow the personalization of visitors’
experience of heritage since those technologies are able to interpret the
movements and interests of visitors. Moreover, the study highlights that
such technologies affect the overall experience in a positive manner,
hence they also may become instrumental in valorizing cultural heritage
patrimony. Thus, moving from empirical findings, this study stresses
some implications of the potential of digital technologies as instruments
of cultural heritage experiential marketing, as well as some suggestions
for future researches on this particular topic.

Purpose: This paper aims to present an integrated framework for ethical decision making in uncer... more Purpose:
This paper aims to present an integrated framework for ethical decision making in uncertain conditions, such as those of entrepreneurship. The model aims to build an exceptional ethical heuristic employable by entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach:
The theoretical framework is anchored to Aquinas’ theory of practical reason virtue, specifically its minor virtue gnome, and the Kantian faculty of genius or to better say its modus operandi. Thanks to the composition of these prima facie distant ontologies it is possible to build a ‘ready-to-use’ heuristic

Findings:
The paper through a philosophical discussion offers a ready-to-use heuristic that may help entrepreneurs and businesspersons when ‘navigating’ uncertain and troubled situations. In such situations, firstly it is important to recognize the ‘exceptionality’ of the situation, disregarding where necessary the ordinary criteria of judgment (an act directed by gnome). Secondly, a creative reconstruction of available knowledge able to re-shape the ‘rules of the game’ is needed (an act directed by PR but with connotations drawn from genius).

Research limitations/implications:
The paper provides only a theoretical conceptualization of the heuristic model. However, the result is a ready-to-use heuristic rule for entrepreneurs, who work in uncertain and unclear conditions. Empirical validation of the framework can represent an opportunity for future research to test the operative impact of such an exceptional ethical heuristic.

Originality/value:
Little attention has been dedicated to ethical decision making in the entrepreneurial setting built on a virtue ethics approach. This paper’s proposed model may represent an innovative alternative to strictly rational models for ethical decision making.

Journal of Business Ethics, May 17, 2017

Recent theories on cognitive science have stressed the significance of moral intuition as a count... more Recent theories on cognitive science have stressed the significance of moral intuition as a counter to and complementary part of moral reasoning in decision making. Thus, the aim of this paper is to create an inte- grated framework that can account for both intuitive and reflective cognitive processes, in order to explore the antecedents of ethical decision making. To do that, we build on Scholasticism, an important medieval school of thought from which descends the main pillars of the modern Catholic social doctrine. Particularly, the focus will be on the scholastic concept of synderesis, which is an innate human faculty that constantly inclines decision makers toward universal moral principles. Managerial implications are discussed, stressing how a rediscovery of decision makers’ intuitive moral judgments could be rele- vant in the reflective thinking practice of managers’ ethical reasoning, thus saving them from rational insensitivity to ethical dilemmas.

Objectives. The analysis of 3D Printing as a process innovation phenomenon in manufacturing compa... more Objectives. The analysis of 3D Printing as a process innovation phenomenon in manufacturing companies, in order to study its effects on competitiveness and performance. Thanks to the analysis of Arezzo gold district’s companies, the article examines the typical effects related to 3D Printing introduction on companies competitiveness, highlighting empirical evidences valid for other industry contexts. Methodology. Qualitative analysis through comparative case studies of companies in the Arezzo gold district. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted in order to apply coding analysis and study 3D Printing effects on companies’ competitiveness. Findings. Thanks to coding analysis of interviews, the following conceptual categories have emerged, concerning main 3D Printing effects on companies: process innovation, customer satisfaction, costs, revenues, profits, sustainable competitive advantage. Case studies have highlighted 3D Printing ability in the manufacture of new products, w...

Obiettivi. Scopo di questo lavoro è quello di studiare l’impatto delle tecnologie informatiche di... more Obiettivi. Scopo di questo lavoro è quello di studiare l’impatto delle tecnologie informatiche di comunicazione sulla personalizzazione dell’esperienza del fruitore del patrimonio heritage attraverso lo studio di una particolare tecnologia.
Metodologia. In questo lavoro è adottato un singolo caso di studio come metodologia di ricerca. In particolare è stato analizzato il caso di una particolare tecnologia di comunicazione informatica, denominata Mnemosyne e utilizzata nel Museo Nazionale del Bargello di Firenze.
Risultati. La tecnologia informatica di comunicazione studiata permette di personalizzare l’esperienza dei visitatori di un sito heritage in quanto è in grado di interpretare i loro movimenti e interessi. I risultati appaiono estendibili in quanto la tecnologia studiata possiede tutte le caratteristiche identificate dalla letteratura come necessarie per l’applicazione nei beni culturali. Di conseguenza, si può generalizzare e affermare che le tecnologie di comunicazione che possiedono determinate caratteristiche risultano strumenti di marketing esperienziale in grado di valorizzare i beni culturali migliorando l’esperienza dei visitatori-fruitori.
Limiti della ricerca. Principale limite di questo lavoro è quello di considerare un solo caso di studio. Tuttavia, la realizzazione di un singolo caso di studio può essere giustificata dal fatto che l’utilizzo di tecnologie informatiche di comunicazione al fine di migliorare l’esperienza dei visitatori del patrimonio heritage è un fenomeno originale e non molto diffuso.
Implicazioni pratiche. Lo studio evidenzia che le tecnologie di comunicazione informatica possono personalizzare l’esperienza dei visitatori del patrimonio culturale favorendo la valorizzazione di tale patrimonio. Inoltre, tali tecnologie costituiscono un’opportunità da sfruttare nell’ottica dell’heritage marketing e del marketing esperienziale dei beni culturali.
Originalità del lavoro. Le tecnologie informatiche di comunicazione applicate ai beni culturali sono studiate in ottica economica-aziendale attraverso un caso di studio. L’analisi empirica consente di verificare se le tecnologie che possiedono le caratteristiche identificate dalla letteratura come necessarie per migliorare l’esperienza dei visitatori del patrimonio di heritage permettono effettivamente di personalizzare l’esperienza dei fruitori.

Obiettivi. Lo scopo di questo articolo è di comprendere quali elementi intangibili del patrimonio... more Obiettivi. Lo scopo di questo articolo è di comprendere quali elementi intangibili del patrimonio heritage di un luogo influenzano maggiormente la percezione della destinazione turistica proponendo nel contempo l’applicazione della netnografia come metodologia innovativa per raggiungere tale scopo.
Metodologia. Si utilizza una metodologia di natura qualitativa, in particolare viene utilizzato il metodo netnografico per l’analisi dei racconti di viaggio presenti in una comunità online di viaggiatori.
Risultati. I risultati mostrano un’elevata quantità di citazioni riferita ai prodotti enogastronomici tipici del luogo nonché alle tradizioni legate al territorio, a dimostrazione dell’importanza che tali elementi intangibili rivestono nell’esperienza turistica.
Limiti della ricerca. I limiti di tale ricerca sono attribuibili ad un minor rigore statistico rispetto ad una metodologia quantitativa e alla ristrettezza del campione analizzato.
Implicazioni pratiche. La principale implicazione pratica riguarda la possibilità di ampliare la consapevolezza sul ruolo degli elementi immateriali heritage nei responsabili di politiche di marketing turistico e territoriale. Si vuole inoltre dimostrare come con il metodo utilizzato in tale lavoro sia possibile estrarre dati altrimenti difficilmente raggiungibili.
Originalità del lavoro. Il presente lavoro utilizza dati disponibili pubblicamente sul web per analizzare la percezione e l’esperienza turistica senza la necessità di un contatto diretto con i soggetti investigati. Si dimostra quindi come sia possibile attingere ad una fonte potenzialmente illimitata di dati in maniera agevole ed economica.

"An International Annual Edition on Cross-Sector Social Interactions" Leigh, J.A. 2015. Systems T... more "An International Annual Edition on Cross-Sector Social Interactions"
Leigh, J.A. 2015. Systems Thinking, Starter Toolbox, and Successions. Annual Review of Social Partnerships, Publication Section, 10:40.

Gli accordi di Basilea III hanno modificato sia i metodi di calcolo del rischio di controparte si... more Gli accordi di Basilea III hanno modificato sia i metodi di calcolo del rischio di controparte sia i livelli di capitale accantonato dalle banche. Nonostante le modifiche che tale accordo ha apportato ai sistemi di rating, i parametri qualitativi, i quali caratterizzano gli innovativi sistemi di rating etico, non hanno ricevuto la dovuta attenzione. Il presente lavoro di ricerca intende proporre un modello di rating etico integrato e verificare se le imprese caratterizzate da score elevati di rating etico secondo il modello proposto subiscono minori oscillazioni a livello di valore finanziario e realizzano performance azionarie più stabili nel tempo. A tal fine sono state analizzate le società italiane quotate sul FTSE-Mib, attribuendo a ciascuna un giudizio di rating etico secondo il modello proposto. Successivamente, al fine di verificare la relazione tra eticità e performance azionarie sono stati realizzati sei casi di studio e sono state analizzate le performance delle tre imprese con score etici più bassi e le performance delle tre imprese con score etici più elevati. Dall’analisi condotta emerge che le imprese etiche hanno migliori performance in termini di rendimento azionario durante i periodi di recessione rispetto alle imprese non etiche. Se ne deduce che le imprese caratterizzate da un elevato rating etico mostrano performance stabili e, inoltre, che i rating etici partendo da dati squisitamente qualitativi sono in grado di fornire suggerimenti circa la rischiosità delle imprese.

Social entrepreneurship is one of the most discussed issues in modern management literature. Part... more Social entrepreneurship is one of the most discussed issues in modern management literature. Particularly, social entrepreneurship has recently gained the attention of management scholars interested in understanding its sociological and anthropological aspects. This paper focuses on Claude Lévi-Strauss’s notion of “bricolage” and the way it can represent a significant opportunity to address emergent social needs. Building on a postmodernist philosophical perspective, namely Jacques Derrida’s “deconstructionism”, we attempt to unpack the bricolage phenomenon within the social entrepreneurship field. Following the findings of an in-depth longitudinal case study, we provide a theoretical conceptualization of possible entrepreneurial solutions to social needs, focusing on the significant role of bricolage. Bricolage is consequently interpreted as a suitable entrepreneurial opportunity to address particular types of social needs that we shall define, in a way, as emergent.

We present an integrated framework of ethical decision making that conceptualizes an area of cogn... more We present an integrated framework of ethical decision making that conceptualizes an area of cognitive process preceding the first component of ethical decision making, namely moral awareness, a scarcely investigated topic of research. The paper focuses on the concept of ‘synderesis’, which has origin in the Scholastic moral philosophy, interpreted as an innate cognitive spark that allows moral discernment. Specifically, in line with the recent social intuitionist approach, we illustrate the effects of synderesis on the affective and rational components of ethical decision making, respectively moral intuition and moral reasoning. As a result, we validate the assumption that synderesis plays a role in balancing the ethical decision making process between the two extremes.

The value of luxury brand is always latently charged with elements of sacredness. Fashion express... more The value of luxury brand is always latently charged with elements of sacredness. Fashion expresses symbolic meaning that allows customers’ experience to be sacralized in many ways. Hence, customers’ necessity to express their existence is also possible thanks to luxury brand which is defined as exclusive and image-driven. Building on Georg Simmel’s sociological theory of equalization and differentiation behavior in fashion and René Girard’s mimetic theory of sacred, this paper investigates the sacredness in perception of luxury brands. Different customers stereotypes can be defined resulting in what we conceptualize as the sacred experience framework. Specifically, the authors identify three dimensions of the framework, namely the active and passive attitude, the personal and social motivation, and the idolatrous and realist perspective. The framework can be used for strategic positioning of luxury brand. The focus is on risks and threats related to idolatrous positioning of luxury brand and opportunities related to realist positioning. Luxury brand sustainability is possible by fostering the symbolic myth that reflects customer sacred experience. The aim of this paper is a formulation of a general theory of luxury, which to our best knowledge has not been well defined yet. Such a new theory of luxury requires that customers’ needs and motivations theories show how existential desire should be fueled also by sacredness.

Heritage marketing is a suitable strategic opportunity thanks to the association of values and me... more Heritage marketing is a suitable strategic opportunity thanks to the association of values and meanings to products and services by using corporate heritage or brand heritage in order to communicate identity, continuity and stability. Heritage marketing seems particularly appropriate for high symbolic fashion brand that require the ability to transmit identity and to generate symbolic meanings. In relation to high symbolic fashion brand, an opportunity for heritage marketing strategies is to narrate the myths associated with the brand. In fact, literature has highlighted that fashion brand can be associate to the concept of myth thanks to the presence of symbolic values and meanings. Heritage and myth are concepts linked to time and progression. Therefore, they should continually innovate and evolve in relation to the community of reference in order to find a balance between continuity and renewal. However, a risk of heritage marketing strategies is to merely celebrating the past thus losing the ability to generate and regenerate myths and symbolic values. This paper aims to provide a critical contribution to heritage marketing literature highlighting the risk of obsessive fixation in the celebration of the past. In order to avoid this risk, the paper proposes that a possible solution might be the integration of mythopoesis which is the ability to generate and regenerate myths in order to create and perpetuate sense and meaning through narrative.

Corporate reputation is one of the most important assets for a firm. Literature has widely invest... more Corporate reputation is one of the most important assets for a firm. Literature has widely investigated on how corporate reputation affects competitive advantages and marketing strategies, thus improving customer loyalty and brand’s image. Specifically, scholars have focused on reputational loss event’s linkage with both financial performance and cushion effect on stock price fall during economic crises. Corporate reputation can be divided into three interrelated elements: managerial, financial, and product reputation. Main critical drivers that characterize corporate reputation are, firstly, the quality of product, management, and employees; then, organizational attractiveness, social responsibility and financial performance. Reputation loss may have different nature, resulting both from critical events that deeply affect customers’ perception, and from organizational drivers that are not significantly considered by customers although important for corporate social responsibility. To our best knowledge, while much effort has been given to positive effects of reputation, scarce attention has been given to the typology of reputational loss event impacting on firm’s financial situation. Thanks to multiple case studies in global fashion industry, the authors assess market reactivity after corporate loss of reputation. The focus is on critical drivers that may damage a brand’s image, consequently causing a financial loss. In addition to this, the paper highlights the nature of main reputational risks that mostly impact on stakeholders’ perception of firm’s reputation in fashion industry.

The aim of this study is to understand how companies radically change their approach to marketing... more The aim of this study is to understand how companies radically change their approach to marketing after the introduction of a process innovation. Thanks to multiple case studies in Arezzo gold luxury district, it is possible to build a conceptual framework subsequently tested through System Dynamics simulation technique.

The purpose of the paper is to understand the transition from technological innovation to social ... more The purpose of the paper is to understand the transition from technological innovation to social innovation, analyzing insights from the biomedical context. Specifically, the study investigates how entrepreneurs manage such transition mainly referring to their motivations and awareness about social innovation. The study adopts a qualitative approach, in the form of multiple case studies of Italian firms that produce and use 3D Printing in biomedical field. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs, backed by available documentary evidence and observation. Similarities and differences between the sets of findings were identified and analyzed, and conclusions drawn. The study points to the need for further investigation providing researchers with new information about the transition from technology innovation to social innovation. The transition has been studied from an exploratory perspective, considering 3D Printing as a recent phenomenon in biomedical field.

Management Decision, 2018

Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2017

Journal of Business Ethics, May 17, 2017