Design Thinking (DT) is spreading out in the managerial community as an alternative way to innova... more Design Thinking (DT) is spreading out in the managerial community as an alternative way to innovate products and services respect to the classical stage-gate model mostly linked to technology-push innovative patterns. At the same time few disruptive technologies-like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning-are impacting the ways companies manage their knowledge and activate innovation and design processes. What is the impact that AI is exerting on DT practices? What are the main changes that DT is undergoing? These questions are analyzed in this paper, where the aim consists in increasing the understanding of the transformation that is occurring in DT and more general in innovation practices. Through a qualitative case study analysis made on startups offering AI based solutions supporting multiple or individual DT phases, the article pinpoints few main changes: i) a facilitation in blending the right mix of cultures and creative attitudes in innovation teams; ii) the empowerment of the research phase where statistical significance is gained and user analysis are less observer-biased; iii) the automatization of the prototyping and learning phases.
Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship
Purpose This paper explores smart work (SW), a work practice characterized by spatial and tempora... more Purpose This paper explores smart work (SW), a work practice characterized by spatial and temporal flexibility, supported by technological tools, and that provides all employees of an organization with the best working conditions to accomplish their tasks. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to identify whether firms adopt different SW models, explore complementarities between the factors that can lead to choose a SW model, and figure out whether contingent variables matters in the implementation of a particular SW model. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on: a survey delivered in 2013 to 100 Human Resources directors of medium and large Italian organizations to collect preliminary evidence on SW; and four embedded case studies based on 49 semi-structured interviews to better explain the findings achieved in the quantitative analysis. Findings Four SW models can be chosen by companies. They are named inconsistent, analogical, digital and complete SW. They are di...
Proceedings of the 10th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies, 2017
Ageing has significant impacts on the organization of healthcare systems and on social inclusion-... more Ageing has significant impacts on the organization of healthcare systems and on social inclusion-especially for elderly people affected by Cognitive Impairment (CI). These people are significantly exposed to undeniable risks that can affect their health and wellbeing (falling, malnutrition, hygiene issues, etc.)especially when living alone. This paper defines a Business Model (BM) allowing independent living for elderly people affected by CI. This BM include: (i) an up-to-date, modular, flexible and scalable organizational model describing the activities to be accomplished by regulators and service suppliers; and (ii) a digital platform based on innovative and easy-to-replicate information and communication technologies. The organic approach to the development of the BM is then focused in an Italian use case as a part of "DECI", a "Horizon 2020" project with four pilot projects in Israel, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
ABSTRACT Health care organizations can gain great value from Information and Communication Techno... more ABSTRACT Health care organizations can gain great value from Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), yet, although there is growing awareness of the potential benefits associated with their use, results often fall far short of expectations. Each year, the ICT in Health Care Observatory (IHCO)—part of the Politecnico di Milano School of Management—outlines a profile of the role of ICT in the Italian health care industry, investigating current projects in terms of their impact on processes and organizations, implementation state of the art, governance models, and prospective pathways. Drawing on evidence collected during 2010, it emerges that most of health care organizations don't adequately analyze the organizational changes required to make all the benefits associated with EMR and EHR projects become a reality. The paper outlines the functional area to be developed in order to make effective EMRs and foster EHRs diffusion: clinical dossier and therapy management.
In this paper, we shed light on why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate int... more In this paper, we shed light on why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate inter-organisational initiatives of continuous innovation (CI) within an innovation context that is shifting towards an open collaborative ecosystem mode. Two rationales seem to explain the potential key role of academics within a CI ecosystem: 1) their independence; 2) their compliance to CI ecosystem's purposes-independently by its type. The implications of the five papers invited to be part of the special issue, and formerly presented at the 14th International CINet Conference in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, are also discussed.
International Journal of Information Management, 2016
ď‚· Literature has paid little attention to new sources of social media innovation ď‚· Analyzing soci... more ď‚· Literature has paid little attention to new sources of social media innovation ď‚· Analyzing social media startups helps drawing the field's innovation paths ď‚· Social media startups are more focused on pure social network services ď‚· Social media management is emerging as key area for social media startups ď‚· Social media startups often develop open innovation relations with incumbents
Please cite this article in press as: Ghezzi, A., et al. A role for startups in unleashing the di... more Please cite this article in press as: Ghezzi, A., et al. A role for startups in unleashing the disruptive power of social media. International Journal of Information Management (2016), http://dx. a b s t r a c t As social media attract increasing attention from executives and find varied applications in different industries, research on the subject has been investigating the antecedents, moderators, mediators and outcomes of social media adoption, as well as impacts on the organizational and individual level. However , relatively little attention has been paid to the discussion of the new sources of social media innovation—i.e., the upstream originators of social media solutions. Such innovations of a possibly dis-ruptive nature often originate from startups, which can constitute a significant driver for social media development and can influence the adopting incumbents' behaviors. This study aims at shedding first light on social media-based solutions developed and delivered by...
Challenges and Opportunities in Health Care Management, 2014
In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' ... more In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' advice. However, within today's healthcare environments constellations have changed. Patients have access to a tremendous amount of information and are more confident in managing their own health and care independently. Shared decision making and patient engagement are increasingly popular approaches to respect patient sovereignty and enhance participation. The following article summarizes the influence of these developments on health care processes and outlines the crucial role of digital technologies as levers to support shared decision making and patient engagement. Despite potential benefits and widespread political commitment, empirical evidence demonstrates that supportive digital solutions only slowly diffuse into the health sector.
Health care organizations can gain a lot of value from ICT-driven innovations, but although there... more Health care organizations can gain a lot of value from ICT-driven innovations, but although there is a growing awareness of the potential benefits, results are often well under expectations. Evidence from a large empirical analysis (involving more than 150 Italian organizations, analyzed through a surveys and 60 case studies), suggests that the reasons for this lack of effectiveness are mainly two: (i) an organizational culture that still perceive ICT as a process support lever, and (ii) an ICT direction without the competences and capabilities required to play a real strategic role. To solve these problems health care organizations must work on the profile of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and on the ICT department organization and governance mechanisms, with the objectives of bridging the gap between technological opportunities and clinicians' needs.
Purpose -This paper investigates Smart Working (SW), a set of modern and notconventional organisa... more Purpose -This paper investigates Smart Working (SW), a set of modern and notconventional organisational models that are characterised by high flexibility in the choice of the working spaces, time and tools, and that provides all employees of a organisation with the best working conditions to accomplish their tasks. Specifically, the paper aims to: (i) identify whether firms adopt different SW models: (ii) explore complementarities between the elements that can lead to choose a SW model, and (iii) figure out whether contingent variables matters in the implementation of a particular SW model. Design/methodology/approach -This study is based on a continuative research initiative promoted since 2012 by the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, i.e. the Smart Working Observatory. In order to achieve the paper goal, during 2013 we have run a survey delivered to 100 HR directors of medium and large Italian organizations to collect empirical evidence on SW phenomenon, and accomplished multiple, embedded case studies to better explain the findings achieved in the quantitative analysis.
Purpose. The article explores how ICT supports the open enterprise approach, which is emerging em... more Purpose. The article explores how ICT supports the open enterprise approach, which is emerging empirically as one of Enterprise 2.0 model. More specifically, it explores (1) the applications characteristics -in terms of drivers and barriers -adopted by companies to support E2.0, and (2) the different ways of integrating applications in the E2.0. Design/methodology/approach. The article is based on evidence from 52 case studies. In addition, an online community (Enterprise20.it) was developed in order to promptly receive cues and suggestions to refine the research. Findings. Four application areas for the E2.0 have been identified and explored in details, in terms of the main sponsors of the initiatives, the motivations and the barriers to introduction of E2.0. For each area, different levels of maturity have been identified, and explicative variables discussed. Four different levels of integration of the approaches to E2.0 emerged, each representing a different integrating path. Practical implications. The article provides empirically grounded and actionable knowledge (guidelines) for companies to design and implement new ICTenabled (virtual) working environments able to extend the boundaries of their knowledge creation to their mobile workers, customers and suppliers. Originality/value. The article, which is based on evidence from the E2.0 Observatory in Italy, reports an extensive empirical investigation of the phenomenon during three years and proposes a framework to interpret the E2.0. It breaks up the open box, highlighting the role of ICT in terms of processes and governance approaches.
In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' ... more In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' advice. However, within today's healthcare environments constellations have changed. Patients have access to a tremendous amount of information and are more confident in managing their own health and care independently. Shared decision making and patient engagement are increasingly popular approaches to respect patient sovereignty and enhance participation. The following article summarizes the influence of these developments on health care processes and outlines the crucial role of digital technologies as levers to support shared decision making and patient engagement. Despite potential benefits and widespread political commitment, empirical evidence demonstrates that supportive digital solutions only slowly diffuse into the health sector.
Please, cite as Gastaldi L., Appio F.P., Martini A., Corso M. (2015), "Academics as orchestrators... more Please, cite as Gastaldi L., Appio F.P., Martini A., Corso M. (2015), "Academics as orchestrators of continuous innovation ecosystems: towards a fourth generation of CI initiatives", Int. J. of Technology Management, introductory paper for the special issue from 2013 CINet conference, Nijmegen, NL
Design Thinking (DT) is spreading out in the managerial community as an alternative way to innova... more Design Thinking (DT) is spreading out in the managerial community as an alternative way to innovate products and services respect to the classical stage-gate model mostly linked to technology-push innovative patterns. At the same time few disruptive technologies-like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning-are impacting the ways companies manage their knowledge and activate innovation and design processes. What is the impact that AI is exerting on DT practices? What are the main changes that DT is undergoing? These questions are analyzed in this paper, where the aim consists in increasing the understanding of the transformation that is occurring in DT and more general in innovation practices. Through a qualitative case study analysis made on startups offering AI based solutions supporting multiple or individual DT phases, the article pinpoints few main changes: i) a facilitation in blending the right mix of cultures and creative attitudes in innovation teams; ii) the empowerment of the research phase where statistical significance is gained and user analysis are less observer-biased; iii) the automatization of the prototyping and learning phases.
Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship
Purpose This paper explores smart work (SW), a work practice characterized by spatial and tempora... more Purpose This paper explores smart work (SW), a work practice characterized by spatial and temporal flexibility, supported by technological tools, and that provides all employees of an organization with the best working conditions to accomplish their tasks. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to identify whether firms adopt different SW models, explore complementarities between the factors that can lead to choose a SW model, and figure out whether contingent variables matters in the implementation of a particular SW model. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on: a survey delivered in 2013 to 100 Human Resources directors of medium and large Italian organizations to collect preliminary evidence on SW; and four embedded case studies based on 49 semi-structured interviews to better explain the findings achieved in the quantitative analysis. Findings Four SW models can be chosen by companies. They are named inconsistent, analogical, digital and complete SW. They are di...
Proceedings of the 10th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies, 2017
Ageing has significant impacts on the organization of healthcare systems and on social inclusion-... more Ageing has significant impacts on the organization of healthcare systems and on social inclusion-especially for elderly people affected by Cognitive Impairment (CI). These people are significantly exposed to undeniable risks that can affect their health and wellbeing (falling, malnutrition, hygiene issues, etc.)especially when living alone. This paper defines a Business Model (BM) allowing independent living for elderly people affected by CI. This BM include: (i) an up-to-date, modular, flexible and scalable organizational model describing the activities to be accomplished by regulators and service suppliers; and (ii) a digital platform based on innovative and easy-to-replicate information and communication technologies. The organic approach to the development of the BM is then focused in an Italian use case as a part of "DECI", a "Horizon 2020" project with four pilot projects in Israel, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
ABSTRACT Health care organizations can gain great value from Information and Communication Techno... more ABSTRACT Health care organizations can gain great value from Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), yet, although there is growing awareness of the potential benefits associated with their use, results often fall far short of expectations. Each year, the ICT in Health Care Observatory (IHCO)—part of the Politecnico di Milano School of Management—outlines a profile of the role of ICT in the Italian health care industry, investigating current projects in terms of their impact on processes and organizations, implementation state of the art, governance models, and prospective pathways. Drawing on evidence collected during 2010, it emerges that most of health care organizations don't adequately analyze the organizational changes required to make all the benefits associated with EMR and EHR projects become a reality. The paper outlines the functional area to be developed in order to make effective EMRs and foster EHRs diffusion: clinical dossier and therapy management.
In this paper, we shed light on why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate int... more In this paper, we shed light on why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate inter-organisational initiatives of continuous innovation (CI) within an innovation context that is shifting towards an open collaborative ecosystem mode. Two rationales seem to explain the potential key role of academics within a CI ecosystem: 1) their independence; 2) their compliance to CI ecosystem's purposes-independently by its type. The implications of the five papers invited to be part of the special issue, and formerly presented at the 14th International CINet Conference in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, are also discussed.
International Journal of Information Management, 2016
ď‚· Literature has paid little attention to new sources of social media innovation ď‚· Analyzing soci... more ď‚· Literature has paid little attention to new sources of social media innovation ď‚· Analyzing social media startups helps drawing the field's innovation paths ď‚· Social media startups are more focused on pure social network services ď‚· Social media management is emerging as key area for social media startups ď‚· Social media startups often develop open innovation relations with incumbents
Please cite this article in press as: Ghezzi, A., et al. A role for startups in unleashing the di... more Please cite this article in press as: Ghezzi, A., et al. A role for startups in unleashing the disruptive power of social media. International Journal of Information Management (2016), http://dx. a b s t r a c t As social media attract increasing attention from executives and find varied applications in different industries, research on the subject has been investigating the antecedents, moderators, mediators and outcomes of social media adoption, as well as impacts on the organizational and individual level. However , relatively little attention has been paid to the discussion of the new sources of social media innovation—i.e., the upstream originators of social media solutions. Such innovations of a possibly dis-ruptive nature often originate from startups, which can constitute a significant driver for social media development and can influence the adopting incumbents' behaviors. This study aims at shedding first light on social media-based solutions developed and delivered by...
Challenges and Opportunities in Health Care Management, 2014
In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' ... more In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' advice. However, within today's healthcare environments constellations have changed. Patients have access to a tremendous amount of information and are more confident in managing their own health and care independently. Shared decision making and patient engagement are increasingly popular approaches to respect patient sovereignty and enhance participation. The following article summarizes the influence of these developments on health care processes and outlines the crucial role of digital technologies as levers to support shared decision making and patient engagement. Despite potential benefits and widespread political commitment, empirical evidence demonstrates that supportive digital solutions only slowly diffuse into the health sector.
Health care organizations can gain a lot of value from ICT-driven innovations, but although there... more Health care organizations can gain a lot of value from ICT-driven innovations, but although there is a growing awareness of the potential benefits, results are often well under expectations. Evidence from a large empirical analysis (involving more than 150 Italian organizations, analyzed through a surveys and 60 case studies), suggests that the reasons for this lack of effectiveness are mainly two: (i) an organizational culture that still perceive ICT as a process support lever, and (ii) an ICT direction without the competences and capabilities required to play a real strategic role. To solve these problems health care organizations must work on the profile of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and on the ICT department organization and governance mechanisms, with the objectives of bridging the gap between technological opportunities and clinicians' needs.
Purpose -This paper investigates Smart Working (SW), a set of modern and notconventional organisa... more Purpose -This paper investigates Smart Working (SW), a set of modern and notconventional organisational models that are characterised by high flexibility in the choice of the working spaces, time and tools, and that provides all employees of a organisation with the best working conditions to accomplish their tasks. Specifically, the paper aims to: (i) identify whether firms adopt different SW models: (ii) explore complementarities between the elements that can lead to choose a SW model, and (iii) figure out whether contingent variables matters in the implementation of a particular SW model. Design/methodology/approach -This study is based on a continuative research initiative promoted since 2012 by the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, i.e. the Smart Working Observatory. In order to achieve the paper goal, during 2013 we have run a survey delivered to 100 HR directors of medium and large Italian organizations to collect empirical evidence on SW phenomenon, and accomplished multiple, embedded case studies to better explain the findings achieved in the quantitative analysis.
Purpose. The article explores how ICT supports the open enterprise approach, which is emerging em... more Purpose. The article explores how ICT supports the open enterprise approach, which is emerging empirically as one of Enterprise 2.0 model. More specifically, it explores (1) the applications characteristics -in terms of drivers and barriers -adopted by companies to support E2.0, and (2) the different ways of integrating applications in the E2.0. Design/methodology/approach. The article is based on evidence from 52 case studies. In addition, an online community (Enterprise20.it) was developed in order to promptly receive cues and suggestions to refine the research. Findings. Four application areas for the E2.0 have been identified and explored in details, in terms of the main sponsors of the initiatives, the motivations and the barriers to introduction of E2.0. For each area, different levels of maturity have been identified, and explicative variables discussed. Four different levels of integration of the approaches to E2.0 emerged, each representing a different integrating path. Practical implications. The article provides empirically grounded and actionable knowledge (guidelines) for companies to design and implement new ICTenabled (virtual) working environments able to extend the boundaries of their knowledge creation to their mobile workers, customers and suppliers. Originality/value. The article, which is based on evidence from the E2.0 Observatory in Italy, reports an extensive empirical investigation of the phenomenon during three years and proposes a framework to interpret the E2.0. It breaks up the open box, highlighting the role of ICT in terms of processes and governance approaches.
In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' ... more In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians' advice. However, within today's healthcare environments constellations have changed. Patients have access to a tremendous amount of information and are more confident in managing their own health and care independently. Shared decision making and patient engagement are increasingly popular approaches to respect patient sovereignty and enhance participation. The following article summarizes the influence of these developments on health care processes and outlines the crucial role of digital technologies as levers to support shared decision making and patient engagement. Despite potential benefits and widespread political commitment, empirical evidence demonstrates that supportive digital solutions only slowly diffuse into the health sector.
Please, cite as Gastaldi L., Appio F.P., Martini A., Corso M. (2015), "Academics as orchestrators... more Please, cite as Gastaldi L., Appio F.P., Martini A., Corso M. (2015), "Academics as orchestrators of continuous innovation ecosystems: towards a fourth generation of CI initiatives", Int. J. of Technology Management, introductory paper for the special issue from 2013 CINet conference, Nijmegen, NL
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Papers by Luca Gastaldi