No abstract

The bulk production of recombinant enzymes by either prokaryotic or eukaryotic organisms might contribute to replace environmentally non-friendly chemistry-based industrial processes with enzyme-based biocatalysis, provided the cost of enzyme production is low. In this context, it is worth noting that the production of recombinant proteins by photosynthetic organisms offer both eukaryotic (nuclear) and prokaryotic (chloroplast) alternatives, along with the advantage of an autotrophic nutrition. Compared to nuclear transformation, chloroplast transformation generally allows a higher level of accumulation of the recombinant protein of interest. Furthermore, among the photosynthetic organisms, there is a choice of using either multicellular or unicellular ones. Tobacco, being a non-food and non-feed plant, has been considered as a good choice for producing enzymes with applications in technical industry, using a transplastomic approach. Also, unicellular green algae, in particular Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, have been proposed as candidate organisms for the production of recombinant proteins. In the light of the different features of these two transplastomic systems, we decided to make a direct comparison of the efficiency of production of a bacterial endoglucanase. With respect to the amount obtained, 14 mg g of biomass fresh weight equivalent to 8-10% of the total protein content and estimated production cost, 1.5-2€ kg, tobacco proved to be far more favorable for bulk enzyme production when compared to C. reinhardtii which accumulated this endoglucanase at 0.003% of the total protein.

The paper explores how firms can promote new idea generation through staff motivation, by introducing incentives. Incentives can spur an evolution in the staff attitude from "productive" behaviours (result achievement) to "innovative" and "cooperative" behaviours which make the difference for idea generation. However the impact of individual and group incentives on the individual innovative propensity of R&D professionals is still unclear, with a huge debate in the literature on the role of extrinsic and intrinsic incentives and motivation. The paper tries to shed lights on this topic by identifying intermediate motivational factors as well as other organisational elements that moderate the main relation between incentives and innovative propensity. The empirical part of the paper is a qualitative study consisting in the analysis of case studies. The results show that intrinsic incentives and motivation, in the form of acknowledgement and actual implementation of ideas of innovators, are the main factors that positively affect innovative propensity. The group dimension in rewarding and the overlapping of regulation and personal goals are also very important. The main organisational characteristics that positively moderate the relation between incentives and innovative propensity are managerial support, task stability and width of role.

Following the increasing globalization of value chains, offshoring is gaining importance for firms' competitiveness. Strategy, management, and organizational scholars have analyzed this phenomenon from different theoretical lenses and with a variety of methodological approaches. However, literature lacks a framework within which to analyze firms' offshoring strategies and processes. This paper proposes an interpretative framework to understand extant literature as well as to identify possible gaps to be fulfilled with future research. The identified categories of the proposed interpretative framework are: antecedents, processes, and outcomes. We use case-based evidence to populate the framework and to highlight implications for innovation management.

The post Covid-19 world is characterized by new technologies and a smart city approach. For this reason, the public sector must shift from the classic paradigms to a new way, following a Knowledge Management (KM) approach, to perform its role in dealing with emergency situations.  Starting from classical KM models, we conducted a regional case study, showing how the process of rethinking is boosted by citizens’ needs and pushed by the trust of the stakeholders in the central authority. In fact, as highlighted by part of the international literature, local authorities’ planning aims to achieve public value and alignment between stakeholders and policy making represents one of the main goals to be achieved. With an OLS regression we estimated the correlation between the trust of citizens and the statutory actions taken by central and peripheral government, showing that only with the alignment of public policies and the will of the citizens is it possible to overcome a crisis. Moreover, we underline the gaps in the literature and the missing links, with the aim of creating a KM model that can also be applied in the near future.