Silvia Sacchetti | University of Trento (original) (raw)
Papers by Silvia Sacchetti
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
ABSTRACT The paper deals with the mediating role of immaterial satisfaction between substantive o... more ABSTRACT The paper deals with the mediating role of immaterial satisfaction between substantive organizational features, defined as resources by on-the-job autonomy, involvement, teamwork and workload pressure, and organizational performance, defined in terms of improvements in product quality and innovation. We address this relationship in the Italian social service sector using a survey dataset that includes 4134 workers and 320 not-for-profit social cooperatives. We apply a structural equation model including both observed and latent variables. Direct, indirect and total effects in the structural model show that: (i) worker autonomy in introducing innovation positively influences performance; (ii) involvement bears positively on performance when its effect is mediated by immaterial satisfaction; (iii) the negative impact of task-autonomy on performance is almost counterbalanced by its positive impact on worker satisfaction. To control for common method bias we resort to post-hoc testing and introduce three distal sources of subjective data from directors, managers and paid workers.
Though the measurement and implication of human capital on economic growth has been well establis... more Though the measurement and implication of human capital on economic growth has been well established since the works of Becker in the 1960s, recently Florida has argued that creative class is superior to human capital in explaining economic growth. The underlying difference between the two scholars is a measurement approach in which while Becker uses education as indicator of human capital Florida employs occupation as an identifier of the creative class.
Journal of Happiness Studies, 2013
In answering the question of what influences satisfaction with creativity in the workplace, this ... more In answering the question of what influences satisfaction with creativity in the workplace, this work takes into account the extent to which the organization supports human aspiration to act creatively. The work throughout reflects a pragmatist approach to creativity and fulfillment, bridging it with needs theory in psychology. The empirical model uses survey data encompassing over 4,000 workers in Italian social enterprises. Results show that satisfaction with creativity is supported, at organizational level, by teamwork, autonomy, domain-relevant competences, as well as by inclusive, fair processes and relationships. At the individual level, satisfaction with creativity is enhanced by the strength of intrinsic initial motivations. The analysis of interaction terms shows that teamwork and workers' initial motivations are complementary in enhancing satisfaction with creativity, while a high degree of domain-relevant competences appears to substitute advice and supervision by superiors in accomplishing the desired level of creative action.
Department of Economics …, 2010
We define the use of creativity as a property of decision-making processes, and hypothesize that ... more We define the use of creativity as a property of decision-making processes, and hypothesize that access to decision-making, by allowing individuals to use their creativity, can increase individual satisfaction. Consequently levels of satisfaction can tell us, amongst other things, about ...
This work is motivated by the question of how organisational governance can address the needs of ... more This work is motivated by the question of how organisational governance can address the needs of vulnerable groups. This paper offers a conceptual reflection on how the production of complex health-related services, such as aspects of preventive psychiatric illnesses, can be governed to the benefit of users and communities society more broadly. The analysis is applied to a consortium of twenty-two social enterprises (SEs), with worker membership, located in Italy. The governance model adopted by the consortium is of particular interest since it pioneered solutions based on the combination of preventive health and work integration services. The case, specifically, allows to illustrate and analyse interdependencies amongst multiple publics, and how these are reflected by the governance model. Specifically, the findings suggest that central to the success of the model in meeting such challenges are:
a) the integration of different but complementary organisations and competencies, including health, social, and production competences;
b) a mix of interdependent governance solutions, each activating different types of publics and social capital;
c) membership, through which workers partake in decision-making;
d) formal fiduciary duties between vulnerable publics and members complemented by bonding and bridging social relations;
e) the integration of community assets as inputs into the process, and the creation of societal outputs in terms of employment, social integration and cohesion.
L’institute, 2003
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Clusters and globalisation: the development of urban and regional economies, 2006
The aim of this contribution is to outline a framework for guiding case studies that analyse the ... more The aim of this contribution is to outline a framework for guiding case studies that analyse the development of local economies and the possible impacts of public policy, which includes not only government actions but also joint actions across private organisations/institutions. Our concern is with all local economies, whether in so-called 'developed','less developed'or 'developing'countries. The framework is thus purposefully general. For any individual case, its broad aims are:
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
The paper introduces mental proximity as an ideal-type criterion for assessing the organization o... more The paper introduces mental proximity as an ideal-type criterion for assessing the organization of production, and positions it as a benchmark alongside markets and hierarchies in a three-dimensional space. Following a Deweyan approach, the criterion is focused on democratic deliberation espoused by necessary values: the rejection of controlling influences, positive freedom, inclusion on equal terms, informed participation, the desire to reach a consensus, sympathy, mutual respect, reciprocity, and continuous learning. We also identify a community network as a complex of people who seek to relate to each other in accord with mental proximity, and discuss influences on their search.
New-institutional economics hypothesizes imperfect rationality, self-seeking preferences, monetar... more New-institutional economics hypothesizes imperfect rationality, self-seeking preferences, monetary-related needs, and opportunism as fundamental features of human behavior. Consistently, new-institutionalist models of governance highlight the efficiency and transaction costs minimizing features of control rights and governance. Differently, needs theory of governance, as here presented, hypothesizes imperfect rationality, multiple needs, and reciprocity, in which case opportunism is reduced to an exception to individual behavior. Consistently, it presents a theory that links production governance with the wellbeing of those partaking in production. Building on Maslow’s human psychology, the governance model suggested in this paper is aimed at evidencing the self-actualization potential of control rights, organizational structures and practices. The application of Maslow’s theory to the institutional structure of organizations suggests that the deepest organizational layers (control rights and governance) broadly correspond to the most basic needs in Maslow’s theory (survival, security and belonging), while the outer layers (managerial models and employment relations) correspond to the fulfillment of the highest needs (self-esteem and self-actualization). Cooperative firms are used as an illustration of governance solutions consistent with needs theory in human psychology.
The study of private non-profit enterprises that offer general interest services is only at the s... more The study of private non-profit enterprises that offer general interest services is only at the start. The understanding of existing organisations resists an inclusive, public interest view of governance. This contribution aims at providing a reflection on specific features that non-profit enterprises should have, and outlines four main justifications for including stakeholders in production governance: 1) access to knowledge and other resources, 2) trust creation, 3) internal efficiency, 4) external efficiency. Conclusions elaborate on Hansmann’s classic theory of the firm to suggest that governance solutions need to be assessed on the basis of total costs, considering also the lower level of social costs that is created when governance includes relevant stakeholders. Our model highlights that when social costs are high, even an enterprise with costly decisional processes, such as the multi-stakeholder, can be the most efficient solution amongst other possible alternatives.
Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 2015
This work aims at providing a framework for the analysis of governance in networks of cooperative... more This work aims at providing a framework for the analysis of governance in networks of cooperative firms. It builds on four bodies of literature: cooperation, transaction costs, monopoly capitalism, production networks. The framework associates the specific principles that define the identity of cooperative organizations (selfhelp, members ownership, democratic control, financial participation, limited capital remuneration) alongside more general governance levels (embodied values, property rights, control, resource allocation). We then apply the same dimensions to production networks and propose a stylized networking model for cooperatives. We then introduce market power, and identify two polarized types of networks: (1) heterarchical forms of coordination based on cooperation and mutual help, (2) hierarchical coordination based on exclusive direction. We compare both types with our normative framework providing examples and brief case studies for each network type. Recommendations to scholars and practitioners point at the opportunity to discriminate inter-firm relations and production development strategy in terms of the values of cooperation, at all governance levels.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Cooperatives are characterised by mutual-benefit coordination mechanisms aimed at the fulfilment ... more Cooperatives are characterised by mutual-benefit coordination mechanisms aimed at the fulfilment of members' participation rights and welfare, consistently with the normative principles of democratic involvement, independence and care for the community. This ideal situation may find, in practice, obstacles within the internal characteristics of the cooperative as well as in the nature of relationship with other actors in the socio-economic environment. Building on evidence from the literature, the paper systematises and highlights some of the potential problems in the governance of cooperative firms concerning the accomplishment of cooperative mutualistic aims by way of means that do not hamper other stakeholders in the socio-economic environment. In exploring the internal conditions that may affect cooperative performance, we focus in particular on the role of rules and incentives towards such aims. In synergy, when analysing the external conditions that may affect cooperative performance, the paper addresses possible sources of external control, such as those related to the nature of the business relationships between the cooperative and its production network. In taking into account both internal and external conditions, we consider an extended notion of governance, whereby those who impact on strategic decision-making are not to be searched only within the internal governance bodies, typically the board of directors or managers, but also outside the cooperative, as in the extended network of production relationships in which the organisation is embedded. JE L Classification: L21, L23, L26
The scope of this paper is to highlight the features of multi-stakeholdership in the presence of ... more The scope of this paper is to highlight the features of multi-stakeholdership in the presence of contract incompleteness, and to provide an illustration with a focus on not-for profit social enterprises. Using case study analysis, we observe how the governance of a social enterprise has evolved to reflect changes in community needs by means of the progressive inclusion of emerging organisations to achieve the much advocated balance of interests, as opposed to contractual coordination. The findings underline the diffused co-operative attitude with which the founders and later the managers have created a network of patrons, who gave voice and answers to specific social needs, shaping over time a multi-stakeholder social cooperative. The paper then builds on these findings to elaborate on the factors that affect the survival of the social enterprise. Our major conclusion in this respect is that, over time, the internalization of relevant contractual effects within organizational boundaries can guarantee economic sustainability and the production of broad societal value.
Ekonomiaz: Revista vasca de …, 2010
Ekonomiaz N. o 74, 2.º cuatrimestre, 2010
International Review of Applied Economics, 2009
Knowledge in the Development of Economies, 2009
Knowledge in the Development of Economies, 2009
Research Handbook on Sustainable Co-operative Enterprise, 2014
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
ABSTRACT The paper deals with the mediating role of immaterial satisfaction between substantive o... more ABSTRACT The paper deals with the mediating role of immaterial satisfaction between substantive organizational features, defined as resources by on-the-job autonomy, involvement, teamwork and workload pressure, and organizational performance, defined in terms of improvements in product quality and innovation. We address this relationship in the Italian social service sector using a survey dataset that includes 4134 workers and 320 not-for-profit social cooperatives. We apply a structural equation model including both observed and latent variables. Direct, indirect and total effects in the structural model show that: (i) worker autonomy in introducing innovation positively influences performance; (ii) involvement bears positively on performance when its effect is mediated by immaterial satisfaction; (iii) the negative impact of task-autonomy on performance is almost counterbalanced by its positive impact on worker satisfaction. To control for common method bias we resort to post-hoc testing and introduce three distal sources of subjective data from directors, managers and paid workers.
Though the measurement and implication of human capital on economic growth has been well establis... more Though the measurement and implication of human capital on economic growth has been well established since the works of Becker in the 1960s, recently Florida has argued that creative class is superior to human capital in explaining economic growth. The underlying difference between the two scholars is a measurement approach in which while Becker uses education as indicator of human capital Florida employs occupation as an identifier of the creative class.
Journal of Happiness Studies, 2013
In answering the question of what influences satisfaction with creativity in the workplace, this ... more In answering the question of what influences satisfaction with creativity in the workplace, this work takes into account the extent to which the organization supports human aspiration to act creatively. The work throughout reflects a pragmatist approach to creativity and fulfillment, bridging it with needs theory in psychology. The empirical model uses survey data encompassing over 4,000 workers in Italian social enterprises. Results show that satisfaction with creativity is supported, at organizational level, by teamwork, autonomy, domain-relevant competences, as well as by inclusive, fair processes and relationships. At the individual level, satisfaction with creativity is enhanced by the strength of intrinsic initial motivations. The analysis of interaction terms shows that teamwork and workers' initial motivations are complementary in enhancing satisfaction with creativity, while a high degree of domain-relevant competences appears to substitute advice and supervision by superiors in accomplishing the desired level of creative action.
Department of Economics …, 2010
We define the use of creativity as a property of decision-making processes, and hypothesize that ... more We define the use of creativity as a property of decision-making processes, and hypothesize that access to decision-making, by allowing individuals to use their creativity, can increase individual satisfaction. Consequently levels of satisfaction can tell us, amongst other things, about ...
This work is motivated by the question of how organisational governance can address the needs of ... more This work is motivated by the question of how organisational governance can address the needs of vulnerable groups. This paper offers a conceptual reflection on how the production of complex health-related services, such as aspects of preventive psychiatric illnesses, can be governed to the benefit of users and communities society more broadly. The analysis is applied to a consortium of twenty-two social enterprises (SEs), with worker membership, located in Italy. The governance model adopted by the consortium is of particular interest since it pioneered solutions based on the combination of preventive health and work integration services. The case, specifically, allows to illustrate and analyse interdependencies amongst multiple publics, and how these are reflected by the governance model. Specifically, the findings suggest that central to the success of the model in meeting such challenges are:
a) the integration of different but complementary organisations and competencies, including health, social, and production competences;
b) a mix of interdependent governance solutions, each activating different types of publics and social capital;
c) membership, through which workers partake in decision-making;
d) formal fiduciary duties between vulnerable publics and members complemented by bonding and bridging social relations;
e) the integration of community assets as inputs into the process, and the creation of societal outputs in terms of employment, social integration and cohesion.
L’institute, 2003
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
Clusters and globalisation: the development of urban and regional economies, 2006
The aim of this contribution is to outline a framework for guiding case studies that analyse the ... more The aim of this contribution is to outline a framework for guiding case studies that analyse the development of local economies and the possible impacts of public policy, which includes not only government actions but also joint actions across private organisations/institutions. Our concern is with all local economies, whether in so-called 'developed','less developed'or 'developing'countries. The framework is thus purposefully general. For any individual case, its broad aims are:
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
The paper introduces mental proximity as an ideal-type criterion for assessing the organization o... more The paper introduces mental proximity as an ideal-type criterion for assessing the organization of production, and positions it as a benchmark alongside markets and hierarchies in a three-dimensional space. Following a Deweyan approach, the criterion is focused on democratic deliberation espoused by necessary values: the rejection of controlling influences, positive freedom, inclusion on equal terms, informed participation, the desire to reach a consensus, sympathy, mutual respect, reciprocity, and continuous learning. We also identify a community network as a complex of people who seek to relate to each other in accord with mental proximity, and discuss influences on their search.
New-institutional economics hypothesizes imperfect rationality, self-seeking preferences, monetar... more New-institutional economics hypothesizes imperfect rationality, self-seeking preferences, monetary-related needs, and opportunism as fundamental features of human behavior. Consistently, new-institutionalist models of governance highlight the efficiency and transaction costs minimizing features of control rights and governance. Differently, needs theory of governance, as here presented, hypothesizes imperfect rationality, multiple needs, and reciprocity, in which case opportunism is reduced to an exception to individual behavior. Consistently, it presents a theory that links production governance with the wellbeing of those partaking in production. Building on Maslow’s human psychology, the governance model suggested in this paper is aimed at evidencing the self-actualization potential of control rights, organizational structures and practices. The application of Maslow’s theory to the institutional structure of organizations suggests that the deepest organizational layers (control rights and governance) broadly correspond to the most basic needs in Maslow’s theory (survival, security and belonging), while the outer layers (managerial models and employment relations) correspond to the fulfillment of the highest needs (self-esteem and self-actualization). Cooperative firms are used as an illustration of governance solutions consistent with needs theory in human psychology.
The study of private non-profit enterprises that offer general interest services is only at the s... more The study of private non-profit enterprises that offer general interest services is only at the start. The understanding of existing organisations resists an inclusive, public interest view of governance. This contribution aims at providing a reflection on specific features that non-profit enterprises should have, and outlines four main justifications for including stakeholders in production governance: 1) access to knowledge and other resources, 2) trust creation, 3) internal efficiency, 4) external efficiency. Conclusions elaborate on Hansmann’s classic theory of the firm to suggest that governance solutions need to be assessed on the basis of total costs, considering also the lower level of social costs that is created when governance includes relevant stakeholders. Our model highlights that when social costs are high, even an enterprise with costly decisional processes, such as the multi-stakeholder, can be the most efficient solution amongst other possible alternatives.
Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 2015
This work aims at providing a framework for the analysis of governance in networks of cooperative... more This work aims at providing a framework for the analysis of governance in networks of cooperative firms. It builds on four bodies of literature: cooperation, transaction costs, monopoly capitalism, production networks. The framework associates the specific principles that define the identity of cooperative organizations (selfhelp, members ownership, democratic control, financial participation, limited capital remuneration) alongside more general governance levels (embodied values, property rights, control, resource allocation). We then apply the same dimensions to production networks and propose a stylized networking model for cooperatives. We then introduce market power, and identify two polarized types of networks: (1) heterarchical forms of coordination based on cooperation and mutual help, (2) hierarchical coordination based on exclusive direction. We compare both types with our normative framework providing examples and brief case studies for each network type. Recommendations to scholars and practitioners point at the opportunity to discriminate inter-firm relations and production development strategy in terms of the values of cooperation, at all governance levels.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000
Cooperatives are characterised by mutual-benefit coordination mechanisms aimed at the fulfilment ... more Cooperatives are characterised by mutual-benefit coordination mechanisms aimed at the fulfilment of members' participation rights and welfare, consistently with the normative principles of democratic involvement, independence and care for the community. This ideal situation may find, in practice, obstacles within the internal characteristics of the cooperative as well as in the nature of relationship with other actors in the socio-economic environment. Building on evidence from the literature, the paper systematises and highlights some of the potential problems in the governance of cooperative firms concerning the accomplishment of cooperative mutualistic aims by way of means that do not hamper other stakeholders in the socio-economic environment. In exploring the internal conditions that may affect cooperative performance, we focus in particular on the role of rules and incentives towards such aims. In synergy, when analysing the external conditions that may affect cooperative performance, the paper addresses possible sources of external control, such as those related to the nature of the business relationships between the cooperative and its production network. In taking into account both internal and external conditions, we consider an extended notion of governance, whereby those who impact on strategic decision-making are not to be searched only within the internal governance bodies, typically the board of directors or managers, but also outside the cooperative, as in the extended network of production relationships in which the organisation is embedded. JE L Classification: L21, L23, L26
The scope of this paper is to highlight the features of multi-stakeholdership in the presence of ... more The scope of this paper is to highlight the features of multi-stakeholdership in the presence of contract incompleteness, and to provide an illustration with a focus on not-for profit social enterprises. Using case study analysis, we observe how the governance of a social enterprise has evolved to reflect changes in community needs by means of the progressive inclusion of emerging organisations to achieve the much advocated balance of interests, as opposed to contractual coordination. The findings underline the diffused co-operative attitude with which the founders and later the managers have created a network of patrons, who gave voice and answers to specific social needs, shaping over time a multi-stakeholder social cooperative. The paper then builds on these findings to elaborate on the factors that affect the survival of the social enterprise. Our major conclusion in this respect is that, over time, the internalization of relevant contractual effects within organizational boundaries can guarantee economic sustainability and the production of broad societal value.
Ekonomiaz: Revista vasca de …, 2010
Ekonomiaz N. o 74, 2.º cuatrimestre, 2010
International Review of Applied Economics, 2009
Knowledge in the Development of Economies, 2009
Knowledge in the Development of Economies, 2009
Research Handbook on Sustainable Co-operative Enterprise, 2014