Maddalena Bettoni

Bio: Maddalena Bettoni is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Rural area & Business. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 2 publications receiving 3 citations.

Risks Identification and Management Related to Rural Innovation Projects through Social Networks Analysis: A Case Study in Spain

Abstract: Risk identification and management are essential in innovation projects in the rural context, where cultural differences and relations between actors are decisive for assuring a project success. Risk management is especially important when considering innovation processes in rural areas that experience conflict or are lagging in development. Although there are studies focusing on the interaction of actors, there are only a few that approach the risks associated with stakeholders. This research aims to identify the risks and the associated stakeholders and draws on a risk map in order to develop effective risk management and action plans to mitigate risk. A rural project optimizing irrigation in Spain was taken as a case study and conduct semi-structural interviews with key actors were conducted. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was applied to recognize and investigate the network of stakeholder-associated risk factors. The main risks identified in the project were associated with technical, economic, and time problems and with irrigation communities and project developers. These findings offer a new visual perspective of risk management in rural innovation projects, improving the ability to assess and efficiently mitigate the risks.

Modelling Critical Innovation Factors in Rural Agrifood Industries: A Case Study in Cuenca, Spain

Abstract: The agrifood industry contributes to sustaining the population and the economic growth in rural areas of Spain. Innovation in the agrifood sector has therefore become a necessity as a means of improving the competitiveness of companies and the territory, thus promoting sustainable rural development in areas currently characterised by social issues such as depopulation. Meeting this need requires the generation of specific knowledge on innovation in the rural agrifood industry to strategically steer the business management of innovation. This study aims to contribute to further improving the competitiveness of the agrifood industry through the interrelation of critical innovation factors in small and medium-sized agrifood enterprises, thus shedding light on the innovation environment of differentiated local products in depopulated rural regions. The qualitative Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology was used with the participation of entrepreneurs and experts from the sector. The ISM was applied to a case study in Alcarria Conquense, a Spanish region that embodies the current problems of many rural territories. The results show four factors (cooperation, managerial skills, absorptive capacity, and market orientation) are binding variables with a high power of influence and dependence, and a fifth factor, funding, is the most dependent on the others. The work contributes to the literature by revealing the needs and opportunities for a potential strategic planning of rural development that can positively influence the problems of the region through innovation management in this industry.

The main risk factors for rural innovation in Europe: an analysis of 200 case studies

Abstract: PurposeEuropean rural development programmes are driving multi-actor interactive innovation initiatives and alliances to create an environment in which innovation acts as a tool for accelerating rural development processes. In Europe, where rural areas are facing many challenges, identifying which challenges, difficulties, obstacles or risk factors that interactive innovation projects have had to face in rural areas while being planned and set up would be interesting. The objective of this research work was to, therefore, identify and analyse the risk factors of 200 rural projects and initiatives that were selected as case studies from the whole of Europe.Design/methodology/approachThe employed methodology consisted in conducting interviews to subsequently perform statistical independence analyses of the qualitative variables characterising the found projects and risk factors.FindingsThe findings indicated that most of the risks that rural projects and initiatives faced were related to the social domain which was, in turn, the fundamental pillar of interactive innovation. Dependence was found between social risk factors appearing and the innovation type carried out; the risk factors corresponding to the political–legal risks category and the project or initiative coordinating country; and the economic–technical risks category and the initiatives' geographic magnitude.Originality/valueThis paper exposes the main risks identified within various rural innovation initiatives and projects around Europe. For this purpose, a statistical analysis of independence was performed, allowing us to generate reliable and accurate results of the main risks associated with certain descriptive characteristics (coordinating region, domain, innovation type, gender balance and geographic magnitude) of the initiatives studied.

Measurement of potential absorption capacity in Colombia's innovative companies [Medición de la capacidad de absorción potencial en las empresas innovadoras de Colombia]

Abstract: El artículo tiene como objetivo evaluar el nivel de desarrollo de la capacidad de absorción realizada (RACAP) en las Pyme colombianas. Se parte de una muestra de 363 Pyme colombianas (Dane,2012), se usa una revisión de literatura con apoyo del análisis de contenido y un modelo de regresión lineal, que permiten mostrar la existencia de una correlación lineal positiva entre la adquisición y asimilación del conocimiento externo en las organizaciones objeto de estudio,. Palabras clave: Capacidades de absorción, capacidades de absorción potencial, medición de las capacidades de absorción ABSTRACT:

Views of Farmers and Other Agri-Food Stakeholders on Generic Skills for Transitioning toward Sustainable Food Systems

Abstract: Sustainable agricultural education is a fundamental base for the sustainable development of the agri-food systems. Sustainable education should provide the necessary skills to the practical world. This paper is focused on skills and competences required by the agri-food stakeholders for their current work and for future sustainable development around the world. An online survey was disseminated for data collection, and quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to understand the impact of the demographic factors on the variety of skills mentioned by the different stakeholders. As a result, according to all of the stakeholders, the skills of navigating in a changing world, networking and strategic development are relevant for their current work, and technical skills were mentioned as relevant for future sustainable development. The age factor, rather than geography and gender, was found to have a stronger impact on defining the aforementioned skills.

Research on the network connection mode of logistics economy in Guangdong province based on social network analysis

Abstract: PurposeThis paper aims to clarify the spatial connection characteristics and organization mode of logistics economy of 21 cities in Guangdong Province under the background of the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Bay area, and explore the spatial development characteristics and influencing factors of logistics economy in Guangdong Province.Design/methodology/approachThis paper constructs the development level model of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province from three aspects: demand level, supply level and support level, and uses the entropy weight method to measure the development level index of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province. Then, the traffic accessibility index model is used to measure the traffic accessibility index between cities in Guangdong Province. Finally, using the social network analysis method, combined with the development level index of urban logistics economy in Guangdong Province and the urban traffic access index in Guangdong Province, this paper analyzes the spatial connection characteristics and influencing factors of logistics economy network in Guangdong Province.FindingsThere are regional differences in the development level of logistics economy in Guangdong Province; The overall network density of its logistics economic connection is large, but there is an imbalance in the network structure, and the core edge phenomenon is obvious; Logistics economic space presents the characteristics of double core development.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the research object is the spatial connection characteristics of logistics economy in Guangdong Province, the research results may lack universality. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to put forward further tests.Practical implicationsBy studying the spatial connection mode of logistics economy in 21 cities in Guangdong Province, China, this paper promotes the original methods and empirical contributions, and constructs the research framework of spatial relationship of logistics economy. This research framework is universal to a certain extent.Social implicationsThis paper is conducive to promoting the integrated development of logistics economy in Guangdong Province and improving the balance of regional development of logistics economy.Originality/valueFirstly, this study provides a new perspective to understand the spatial relationship and spatial spillover of logistics economy from relational data rather than attribute data. Secondly, This study enriched and broadened the research topic of spatial correlation of logistics economy. Thirdly, this research aims to promote the original methods and empirical contributions. Specifically, this study establishes a comprehensive research framework on the spatial network structure of logistics economy.