This study examines the relationship between an\ud entrepreneur’s absorptive capacity, the spiral of knowledge and local\ud development. Although a great number of theoretical and empirical studies\ud have pointed out the importance of local networking and informal contacts\ud when spreading knowledge locally, very few of them provide robust evidence\ud on the role of the entrepreneur’s absorptive capacity and external knowledge in\ud local development. This paper tries to explain the reasons why this problem\ud can no longer be ignored and provides a preliminary examination, through an\ud exploratory case study, of the role that the entrepreneur’s absorptive\ud capacity and external knowledge play in overcoming territorial inertia and\ud enhancing local development

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The study explores emotions and the engagement with local community as the keys of satisfactory tourists' experience by investigating visitors of an Italian mine village, in which eco-museum and tourist facilities are offered. The methodology is based on a quantitative approach and the main method is a survey analysis, through a questionnaire administrated in situ. The study provides a confirmatory factor analysis in order to test the validity and reliability of the Destination Emotional Scale and the Memorable Tourism Experience Scale. Differently from other implementations, the main findings show that DES does not fit in this sample. However, this study shows the importance of emotions and feelings in the visitors' experience, particularly in the hedonistic and place attachment variables within a specific cultural site.

- This paper proposes to examine the analyses of the determinants involved in the success of family run businesses. Among the numerous factors which influence the development of such businesses, attention is drawn to the specific importance of the synergy which these businesses create within their area of operation to their survival and success. In particular, the objective of this paper is to demonstrate that the diffusion and consolidation of stable and long term relationships between the business and local structures favour not only the achievement of positive performance on the part of the business, but the overcoming of limits derived from working in unfavourable contexts.

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