The effectiveness of corporate Web in small and médiumsized business: an analysis of Web Usability

Internet and the Web have changed the way that companies communicate with their publics, improving relations between them. Also providing substantial benefits for organizations. This has led to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop corporate sites to establish relationships with their audiences. This paper, applying the methodology of content analysis, analyzes the main factors and tools that make the Websites usable and intuitive sites that promote better relations between SMEs and their audiences. Also, it has developed an index to measure the effectiveness of Webs from the perspective of usability. The results indicate that the Websites have, in general, appropriate levels of usability.

Uppföljning och utvärdering av det balanserade styrkortet : Är balanserat styrkort ett värdeskapande och strategiskt instrument inom den kommunala verksamheten?

The need to steer economic development has always been great and as management model has the balanced scorecard has been popular since the mid- 1990s, mainly in the private sector but also in the municipal sector. The introduction of the balanced scorecard has been primarily to organizations to see more than economic dimensions. The Balanced Scorecard was originally a measurement system, and today it works more as a strategic instrument. In our study is a case study to evaluate a municipality and how they make use of the balanced scorecard as a tool for strategic and value-adding work in municipal activities. In the local business is it important that the organization adapts the balanced scorecard, so it fits on the basis that it is a politically driven organization, with mandates, committees and administrations. In our study, we used a qualitative method with a deductive approach. In the study, we have gathered information through a case study where we interviewed 7 people in leading positions. In our analysis and results section, we came to the conclusion that the municipality does not use the balanced scorecard correctly. We also found that the balanced scorecard as a tool for value creation and strategic planning does not work in a favorable way. In our study, we see difficulties with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. If the municipality has invested in implementing the balanced scorecard at all levels of the business so the municipality would be able to use it on one of the activities more adequately. When the municipality is a politically driven organization, it is important that vision alive and changing based on the conditions that reflect the outside world and the municipality in general. Looking at a vivid vision, goals and business ideas, it's balanced scorecard in line with how a balanced scorecard should look like. The municipality has a strategic plan in terms of staff and employees at large. In the study, we have seen that the strategic plan is not followed up in a good way and for the business favorably, the municipality chooses the easy way out for evaluation. Employee participation to changes and ongoing human resources management feels nonexistent. However, as has been the vision of creating empowered and motivated employees. In our conclusion, we describe how we in our study look at the use of the balanced scorecard in municipal operations. We can also discern that a balanced scorecard as a tool for value creation and strategic work is good if it is used properly. In the study, we have concluded that the municipality we have chosen to study should not use the balanced scorecard when you have not created the tools and platforms required for employees, civil servants and politicians to evaluate, monitor and create a living scorecard change over time. The study reveals major shortcomings in the implementation, evaluation and follow-up possibilities, and the consequence of this is that the balanced scorecard is not - 4 - preferable in municipal operations as a strategic instrument for value creation and long-term planning.

Reimagining the Public Library as Public Space

Once regarded as the public’s center of knowledge and information, public libraries today are challenged by the rise of mobile technology and the Internet. Information behavior of everyday library patrons have transformed to rely on instant access of information through Google search instead of the resources housed in their local libraries. The focus of public library design is shifting from storing & protecting valuable resources (books) to the experience of an active public space of learning, engaging and reading. This thesis reimagines a public library branch in East Baltimore City by evaluating the architecture of public library examples of the past and of today. By understanding the user experience of the three key elements of public library design – procession, services & flexible space - a new public library design that engages and responds to the local community can be proposed.

Paradigma da formação em contexto hospitalar: Análise da realidade percepcionada pelos enfermeiros de cuidados gerais

A presente investigação empírica, desenvolvida na área da formação contínua, procura compreender como se processa a formação continua em contexto de trabalho dos enfermeiros de uma organização hospitalar, centrando-se na percepção e representações dos enfermeiros de cuidados gerais sobre a qualidade, autopercepção do impacte e importância da formação no desenvolvimento de competências e motivação para a participação na formação contínua, como forma de promover o desenvolvimento de competências. Considerando-se que a problemática do paradigma da formação, subsiste na falta de articulação entre os processos comunicacionais, motivadores, procedimentais e dos recursos à disposição dos usuários e gestores da formação, a nível micro dos serviços da organização e macro da tutela o que contribui para a inexistência de resultados quantificáveis, em termos de eficácia e eficiência da formação no desenvolvimento de competências dos colaboradores e crescimento da organização. Apesar da formação contínua, nas organizações, objectivar o desenvolvimento de competências, implicar a construção de um quadro de referência a partir de uma abordagem multidisciplinar, de forma a incluir a complexidade dos fenómenos, a investigação dos factores determinantes que concorrem para a performance dos enfermeiros, parece ser uma abordagem imprescindível para compreender e analisar a problemática na sua dimensão. O estudo empírico consistiu numa investigação exploratória/descritiva, partindo de uma amostragem não probabilística, optando-se por uma metodologia quantitativa, através da aplicação de questionários a 208 enfermeiros da prestação de cuidados, de uma organização hospitalar pública EPE, da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo. Esta investigação permitiu verificar que no geral, os enfermeiros têm uma percepção positiva sobre a qualidade da formação contínua desenvolvida no serviço onde desempenham funções. Maioritariamente consideram importante a formação contínua como factor de desenvolvimento de competências, sentem-se motivados e participam activamente na formação. No entanto, não se conseguiu efectuar qualquer tipo de inferências ou correlações entre as variáveis de estudo constatando-se que os enfermeiros responderam frequentemente e Sempre, na grande maioria das questões, havendo heterogenia nas respostas a questões semelhantes. O estudo demonstrou que apesar da percepção positiva dos enfermeiros sobre a formação contínua desenvolvida no serviço, não se consegue ter a verdadeira percepção de como é conduzida a formação em serviço qual o seu impacte na melhoria do desempenho dos enfermeiros e se a organização evidencia uma cultura de formação voltada para uma estratégia de melhoria continua das qualificações dos enfermeiros. À luz dos resultados, foi desenvolvido um projecto de intervenção sócio-organizacional na área da gestão da formação, numa perspectiva de estratégia de desenvolvimento organizacional, melhoria das competências individuais e proposto um portfólio de descrição de funções do enfermeiro responsável pela formação. ABSTRACT: This study, based on the issues of continuous professional training in the hospital setting, as a factor to develop nurses competencies, intends to understand how the training program in the hospital milieu is conducted, focusing on perceptions and concepts of quality, impact, importance and motivation to participate in ongoing professional training, according to general care registered nurses point of view. The study main goal is to identify how is developed professional training in a medical institution from Sub-Região de Saúde de Lisboa and Vale do Tejo, and evaluate the impact of the training program. Considering that a problematic exists in the articulation between the communication processes, motivational drives, procedures and resources at the disposition of the participants and managers of the professional development program, at a micro level of services in the organization and at a macro level of the government policies and organizational strategies leaders; which contributed to the absence of quantifiable results and little evidence, in terms of efficiency of the professional development program to enhance the professional competencies of those participating in the study. The investigation of the factorial determinants related to nurse’s efficient performance enhanced by participating in continuous professional training, seems to be an imperative approach to understand and analyze the problematic in its own dimension. The empirical study consisted in an exploratory/descriptive investigation, departing from a random sample, by means of a quantitative methodology approach; through the use of questionnaires being administered to 208 nurses in general care, from a public medical organization. This study, allowed to verify that nurses have a positive perception of the professional development programs established in their workplace, and the competencies of those nurses in charge of delivering the program. The majority, considered the maintenance of a continuous professional development program, imperative to maintain good professional skills; they feel motivated and actively participate in professional development programs. However, it was not possible to make any correlations between the variables of the study, noticing that the nurses answered frequently and always, to the majority of the questions. The study demonstrated that even though nurses have a positive perception of professional development in terms of their workplace, it was inconclusive to ascertain the training quality programs delivered at medical facilities. ln conclusion, a plan of intervention centered on a socio-organizational model, was developed to create a uniform, procedural approach to developing high standards competencies for the registered nurses, by a professional training program, that include monitoring the process and assessing the results of the program. Management competencies according to a balanced scorecard it's another proposal of this study.

Manual de procedimentos - apoio na gestão da mudança: Trabalho de Projecto

A aproximação dos serviços às populações e a melhoria dos serviços prestados na administração pública leva a que estas organizações tenham de estar constantemente a alterar a sua forma de agir para se conseguirem adequar ao meio onde estão inseridas. É, portanto, necessário um processo de mudança devidamente organizado e gerido. As organizações públicas sentiram a necessidade de adotar sistemas de informação e de controlo de gestão adequados de forma a melhorar as tomadas de decisões, introduzir a avaliação de desempenho e aumentar os índices de eficiência, eficácia e qualidade dos serviços públicos. No entanto, qualquer processo de mudança, por mais necessário e bem preparado que seja, enfrenta sempre resistência, seja ela a nível individual, seja a nível organizacional. É necessário saber gerir estas mudanças, para tal toma-se importante a constituição de uma boa equipa orientadora da mudança, com capacidade de liderança, necessária para uma melhor aceitação por parte dos funcionários envolvidos. Não menos importante é a medição da performance que visa produzir informação relevante para a melhoria da gestão e das tomadas de decisões, contribuindo assim para uma melhoria global dos resultados. O Balanced Scorecard pode ser a ferramenta ideal para trazer inovação aos serviços públicos. Assim, este trabalho de projeto consiste, depois de uma análise às reformas que tem vindo a ocorrer na administração pública bem como aos modelos e ferramentas existentes para a avaliação do desempenho do sector público, na elaboração de um Manual de Procedimentos, que servirá de base na reorganização dos Serviços da Divisão Administrativa da Câmara Municipal de Tomar que se encontra numa fase de mudança, manual esse que servirá também para melhoria do desempenho dos Serviços e para uma possível implementação do Balanced Scorecard. ABSTRACT: The alignment of services to citizens and improve services in public administration means that these organizations have to constantly change their ways if they can adapt to the environment where they operate. It is therefore a necessary process of change properly organized and managed. Public organizations have felt the need for information systems and monitoring of appropriate management to improve decision making, introduce the evaluation of performance and increasing levels of efficiency, effectiveness and quality of public services. However, any process of change, however necessary and well-prepared it is, always face resistance, either individually or at the organizational level. You must know how to manage these changes, for such it is important to set up a good team guiding change, and leadership skills necessary for better acceptance by the employees involved. No less important is the measurement of performance that aims to produce relevant information for improved management and decision making, thus contributing to an overall improvement in results. The Balanced Scorecard can be an ideal tool to bring innovation to public services. Thus, this study design is, after a review of the reforms that have been taking place in public administration and the existing models and tools for evaluating the performance of the public sector, development of a Procedures Manual, which is basic the reorganization of the Administrative Services Division of the City Council to take in a phase of change, that this manual will also serve to improve the performance of services and a possible implementation of the Balanced Scorecard.

O Hoshin Kanri como instrumento de alinhamento estratégico : Estudo de caso : Serviços sociais da Guarda Nacional Republicana

O presente trabalho de investigação aplicado é subordinado à área de conhecimento de Gestão Estratégica e intitulado “O Hoshin Kanri como Instrumento de Alinhamento Estratégico. Estudo de Caso: Serviços Sociais da Guarda Nacional Republicana”. Apesar de se tratar de um modelo bastante recente, sem exploração académica ou exemplos de aplicação em outras instituições de natureza pública, identificamos de forma prévia o modo como o Hoshin Kanri, quando em complemento do Balanced Scorecard, pode contribuir para potenciar a gestão organizacional e, numa segunda fase, perspetivar a sua aplicação aos Serviços Sociais da Guarda Nacional Republicana. Na investigação que conduzimos, utilizámos o método hipotético-dedutivo e o método inquisitivo, tivemos em conta três fases distintas, embora complementares: exploratória, analítica e conclusiva. Ao longo destas fases, recorreu-se à análise documental, entrevistas, inquéritos por questionários na recolha e análise de informação. Desta forma, verificou-se que as chefias de topo dos Serviços Sociais da Guarda Nacional Republicana vêm uma oportunidade na implementação do Hoshin Kanri, enquanto modelo com grandes potencialidades que permite o desdobramento da estratégia conceptualizada pelo Balanced Scorecard e, consequentemente, um alinhamento mais estreito entre os vários níveis de gestão, privilegiando o acompanhamento e controlo necessário à adoção atempada de medidas corretivas. O estudo realizado permitiu ainda perceber que a sua implementação depende essencialmente da dinâmica interna daquele Serviço e não de condicionantes externas, o que constitui um indicador bastante positivo se considerarmos a sua introdução prioritária. Resulta da simbiose entre o Balanced Scorecard e o Hoshin Kanri a definição da rota estratégica e a sua execução prática, o que permite perspetivar uma melhoria dos resultados alcançados. Desta interação e complementaridade poderá advir a necessidade de ajustamento ou revisão da estratégia organizacional alavancando a performance institucional. Nesse desiderato, construímos e apresentamos um modelo conceptual resultante da aplicação do Balanced Scorecard e do Hoshin Kanri à realidade da Instituição.

Plan estratégico del Sistema Universitario del Eje Cafetero - SUEJE (2016 – 2021)

Este trabajo de grado formula un plan estratégico para el Sistema Universitario del Eje Cafetero (SUEJE) para ser ejecutado en el periodo 2016-2021 -- El SUEJE es una alianza interuniversitaria constituida como entidad sin ánimo de lucro, que explotando la base de conocimiento de sus universidades miembros provee servicios de consultoría, y gestiona y ejecuta proyectos dentro del sector público colombiano -- Este plan estratégico se ha desarrollado en 4 etapas: una primera etapa de diagnóstico donde se identifican los elementos internos críticos de la organización y su contexto externo a través del análisis DOFA y las 5 fuerzas de Porter -- Una segunda etapa donde se hace un benchmarking estratégico con dos de los principales referentes del mercado de Servicios de consultoría, gestión y ejecución de proyectos en el sector público colombiano; una tercera etapa donde se caracteriza la estrategia de SUEJE para los próximos 5 años utilizando el método de Mapas Estratégicos, donde se redefinen los pilares básicos de la organización y sus objetivos prioritarios a través del análisis de 4 diferentes perspectivas: perspectiva financiera, interna, del cliente y de aprendizaje y crecimiento -- Finalmente, concluye con la construcción de una herramienta gerencial o Balanced Scorecard la cual define indicadores de gestión para 17 objetivos estratégicos y un plan de acción con 5 iniciativas estratégicas

Staking a claim : the role of stakeholders in government

The stakeholder approach which emerged under the auspices of new public management has been in use in public agencies for the past 25 years. However it remains a difficult and demanding task for agencies to determine who their stakeholders are and how to optimise interactions with them. This paper will examine how government agencies identify, classify and engage with stakeholders who have competing demands, differing access to resources and the ability to exert political pressure. To do this, the stakeholder approaches of nine agencies at three levels of government in Queensland were studied. The contribution of this paper is the development of a Stakeholder Classification Model for Public Agencies which could be used to create more focused and relevant stakeholder interventions.

Managing infrastructure transitions : a complex adaptive systems perspective

Engineering assets such as roads, rail, bridges and other forms of public works are vital to the effective functioning of societies {Herder, 2006 #128}. Proficient provision of this physical infrastructure is therefore one of the key activities of government {Lædre, 2006 #123}. In order to ensure engineering assets are procured and maintained on behalf of citizens, government needs to devise the appropriate policy and institutional architecture for this purpose. The changing institutional arrangements around the procurement of engineering assets are the focus of this paper. The paper describes and analyses the transition to new, more collaborative forms of procurement arrangements which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Australia and other OECD countries. Such fundamental shifts from competitive to more collaborative approaches to project governance can be viewed as a major transition in procurement system arrangements. In many ways such changes mirror the shift from New Public Management, with its emphasis on the use of market mechanisms to achieve efficiencies {Hood, 1991 #166}, towards more collaborative approaches to service delivery, such as those under network governance arrangements {Keast, 2007 #925}. However, just as traditional forms of procurement in a market context resulted in unexpected outcomes for industry, such as a fragmented industry afflicted by chronic litigation {Dubois, 2002 #9}, the change to more collaborative forms of procurement is unlikely to be a panacea to the problems of procurement, and may well also have unintended consequences. This paper argues that perspectives from complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory can contribute to the theory and practice of managing system transitions. In particular the concept of emergence provides a key theoretical construct to understand the aggregate effect that individual project governance arrangements can have upon the structure of specific industries, which in turn impact individual projects. Emergence is understood here as the macro structure that emerges out of the interaction of agents in the system {Holland, 1998 #100; Tang, 2006 #51}.

An exploration of knowledge management and intellectual capital in a nonprofit organisation context

In recent years, practitioners and researchers alike have turned their attention to knowledge management (KM) in order to increase organisational performance (OP). As a result, many different approaches and strategies have been investigated and suggested for how knowledge should be managed to make organisations more effective and efficient. However, most research has been undertaken in the for-profit sector, with only a few studies focusing on the benefits nonprofit organisations might gain by managing knowledge. This study broadly investigates the impact of knowledge management on the organisational performance of nonprofit organisations. Organisational performance can be evaluated through either financial or non-financial measurements. In order to evaluate knowledge management and organisational performance, non-financial measurements are argued to be more suitable given that knowledge is an intangible asset which often cannot be expressed through financial indicators. Non-financial measurement concepts of performance such as the balanced scorecard or the concept of Intellectual Capital (IC) are well accepted and used within the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to evaluate organisational performance. This study utilised the concept of IC as the method to evaluate KM and OP in the context of nonprofit organisations due to the close link between KM and IC: Indeed, KM is concerned with managing the KM processes of creating, storing, sharing and applying knowledge and the organisational KM infrastructure such as organisational culture or organisational structure to support these processes. On the other hand, IC measures the knowledge stocks in different ontological levels: at the individual level (human capital), at the group level (relational capital) and at the organisational level (structural capital). In other words, IC measures the value of the knowledge which has been managed through KM. As KM encompasses the different KM processes and the KM infrastructure facilitating these processes, previous research has investigated the relationship between KM infrastructure and KM processes. Organisational culture, organisational structure and the level of IT support have been identified as the main factors of the KM infrastructure influencing the KM processes of creating, storing, sharing and applying knowledge. Other research has focused on the link between KM and OP or organisational effectiveness. Based on existing literature, a theoretical model was developed to enable the investigation of the relation between KM (encompassing KM infrastructure and KM processes) and IC. The model assumes an association between KM infrastructure and KM processes, as well as an association between KM processes and the various levels of IC (human capital, structural capital and relational capital). As a result, five research questions (RQ) with respect to the various factors of the KM infrastructure as well as with respect to the relationship between KM infrastructure and IC were raised and included into the research model: RQ 1 Do nonprofit organisations which have a Hierarchy culture have a stronger IT support than nonprofit organisations which have an Adhocracy culture? RQ 2 Do nonprofit organisations which have a centralised organisational structure have a stronger IT support than nonprofit organisations which have decentralised organisational structure? RQ 3 Do nonprofit organisations which have a stronger IT support have a higher value of Human Capital than nonprofit organisations which have a less strong IT support? RQ 4 Do nonprofit organisations which have a stronger IT support have a higher value of Structural Capital than nonprofit organisations which have a less strong IT support? RQ 5 Do nonprofit organisations which have a stronger IT support have a higher value of Relational Capital than nonprofit organisations which have a less strong IT support? In order to investigate the research questions, measurements for IC were developed which were linked to the main KM processes. The final KM/IC model contained four items for evaluating human capital, five items for evaluating structural capital and four items for evaluating relational capital. The research questions were investigated through empirical research using a case study approach with the focus on two nonprofit organisations providing trade promotions services through local offices worldwide. Data for the investigation of the assumptions were collected via qualitative as well as quantitative research methods. The qualitative study included interviews with representatives of the two participating organisations as well as in-depth document research. The purpose of the qualitative study was to investigate the factors of the KM infrastructure (organisational culture, organisational structure, IT support) of the organisations and how these factors were related to each other. On the other hand, the quantitative study was carried out through an online-survey amongst staff of the various local offices. The purpose of the quantitative study was to investigate which impact the level of IT support, as the main instrument of the KM infrastructure, had on IC. Overall several key themes were found as a result of the study: • Knowledge Management and Intellectual Capital were complementary with each other, which should be expressed through measurements of IC based on KM processes. • The various factors of the KM infrastructure (organisational culture, organisational structure and level of IT support) are interdependent. • IT was a primary instrument through which the different KM processes (creating, storing, sharing and applying knowledge) were performed. • A high level of IT support was evident when participants reported higher level of IC (human capital, structural capital and relational capital). The study supported previous research in the field of KM and replicated the findings from other case studies in this area. The study also contributed to theory by placing the KM research within the nonprofit context and analysing the linkage between KM and IC. From the managerial perspective, the findings gave clear indications that would allow interested parties, such as nonprofit managers or consultants to understand more about the implications of KM on OP and to use this knowledge for implementing efficient and effective KM strategies within their organisations.

Developing a conceptual framework of strategic entrepreneurship

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the integration of entrepreneurship and strategy to develop a conceptual framework of strategic entrepreneurship. The framework is developed through an analysis of theory and refined through an examination of practice. Design/methodology/approach: This framework is considered in the context of potentially entrepreneurial and strategic activity undertaken by 12 of the 17 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) operating in New Zealand in 2006-2007. Based on a review of documents, observation, and interviews with SOE executives, cases of 12 SOE activities were analysed to compare and contrast strategic entrepreneurship in practice. Findings: The findings reveal distinct elements within the four activities classified as strategic entrepreneurship, activities, such as leveraging from core skills and resources from a strategic perspective, and innovation from an entrepreneurial perspective. Originality/value: This study is one of the first to examine the nature of strategic entrepreneurship in practice and the associated financial returns.

Living City 2010 Workshop

Living City 2010 was a three-day place-based urban design immersion workshop program held at Logan Road Conference Centre, Stones Corner, for 30 self-selected Year 11 Visual Art Students and 4 Teachers drawn from 11 state and private Brisbane Secondary Schools, that focused on the active Brisbane City Council redevelopment site of Stones Corner, specifically Logan Road, public spaces at Stones Corner Library and rehabilitation of the nearby creek corridor. The workshop, framed within notions of ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability, aimed to raise awareness of the layered complexity and perspectives involved in the design of shared city spaces and to encourage young people to voice their own concerns as future citizens about the shape and direction of their city. On Day 1, Brisbane City Council Public Art Officers Brendan Doherty and Genevieve Searle, local landscape architect Peter Boyle (Verge) and artists Malcolm Enright and Barbara Heath provided students with an overview of the historic and future context of the area including proposed design and public art interventions, followed by a site walk. The afternoon session, led by Natalie Wright and QUT design staff and students, focused on design tools to assist in the tackling of the redesign of the Stones Corner library precinct, where students worked on ideas. On Day 2, students were mentored by artist Liam Key to participate in a computer animation activity using the built environment as a canvas, and by artist Sebastian Moody to participate in an activity using red helium balloons as a playful catalyst for interaction to activate and create new public space. Later, students worked in teams on their ideas for redevelopment of the site in preparation for their Day 3 presentations. The workshop culminated in an exchange of planning ideas with Georgina Aitchison from Brisbane City Council's Urban Renewal Division. Students were introduced to design methodology, team thinking strategies, the scope of design practices and professions, presentation skills and post-secondary pathways, while participating teachers acquired content and design learning strategies transferable in many other contexts.

Do balanced skills help nascent entrepreneurs to make progress in the venture creation process?

We analyze longitudinal data on innovative start-up projects and apply Lazear’s jack-of-all-trades theory to investigate the effect of nascent entrepreneurs’ balanced skills on their progress in the venture creation process. Our results suggest that those nascent entrepreneurs who exhibit a sufficiently broad set of skills undertake more gestation activities towards an operational new venture. This supports the notion that a balanced skill set is an important determinant of entrepreneurial market entry.

Dimensions of the third sector : comparative perspectives on structure and change

Cross-nationally, the introduction of New Public Management coincides with a significant growth phase of the nonprofit or third sector. This growth has disproportionately been an expansion of the economic dimensions (employment, turnover) and basically involved the greater use of third sector organisations as service providers. Such provision uses complex contract regimes, and typically takes place in some form of public-private partnership with either public or private funding agencies. Other parts of the third sector such as membership, volunteering and giving have generally grown less. The paper suggests that the sector is becoming qualitatively different, although the nature and strength of this change depends on the nonprofit regime type in a given country. Generally, however, third sector growth has led to differentiation processes that involve new organisational forms, and changes in activities and overall composition. The paper explores the measurement aspects of the quantitative-qualitative jump in third sector development by trying to "map" changes in core facts or dimensions over time. In closing, the paper suggests to examine recombination and refunctionality processes in the third sector.

Territorial strategies and regions

The notion of territorial strategy emerged in the 1990s and has become more and more popular since. It refers to that combination of factors purposely assembled by governments, private and public companies, universities, and industrial associations to exploit a specific geographic competitive advantage in order to boost economic growth through the development of entrepreneurial activity and innovation. Three factors are generally considered to be the building blocks of a territorial strategy: natural resources, human capital, and industrial capabilities. Natural resources derive from environ­ mental conditions and represent raw materials or land available in a region. The presence of natural resources characterizes the typology of an industry (related to tourism, oil, wood, fish, and so forth) that exists or could exist in a certain area. Human capital refers to the stock of competences available in a certain region resulting from education and work experience. Industrial capabilities relate to complex constructs of specialized expertise, the confidence to apply knowledge and skills in various contexts and under changing conditions, and an ability repeatedly to improve methods and processes in a specific industry.