Agritourism has achieved a greater importance in the last decade, but despite this relevance, the definition is not aligned everywhere, depending on the contingency variables of the context in which agritourism is located. This paper aims at analyzing the business model’s key success factors of Italian agritourism by studying their structural, social and economic features, integrated with a sustainability approach. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of agritourism, located in an Italian region. The empirical results show relevant and useful elements to support the sustainable development of agritourism business models in Italy, linking theory, policy and practices. Indeed, these results, together with others related to the economic dimension of the farms, their specialization, and the characteristics of the farmers make it possible to argue that there are common elements, which offer potential for agritourism. In addition, it was possible to identify two different models of agritourism. Agritourism can open new horizons in rural sustainable development, with possible beneficial effects on the environment, society, agricultural heritage and economic growth. In particular, regional policy developers should take into consideration these elements in order to direct correctly efforts. The research shows also some interesting theoretical implications as it contributes to enrich the literature on this particular kind of business model. At the same time, it helps family owners to increase the overall understanding of their agritourism, in order to finalize adequate planning and communication.
1 May 2025 in Business Strategy and the Environment
With firms' increasing adoption of green marketing strategies, greenwashing is also becoming more prevalent. Despite the negative consequences of greenwashing, limited studies have investigated its impact on attitude and consumption. Earlier studies have used greenwashing as a one‐dimensional construct and do not distinguish between different greenwashing practices. Based on the integrated framework of the Attribution Theory and the elaboration likelihood model, this study examines the effects of situational involvement with greenwashing practices on perceived greenwashing, green skepticism, and ultimately, brand attitude and purchase intention. Additionally, it investigates the moderating effect of environmental knowledge. Using a cross‐sectional research design, the study uses structural equation modeling to analyze the data collected from 353 US consumers. Findings suggest that greenwashing practices influence attitude and purchase intentions. The mediating role of green skepticism was also established. Additionally, the study highlights environmental knowledge's moderating role in the relationships studied. The results have implications for sustainable business practices and improving positive brand attitudes and green consumption by understanding customer perception of greenwashing.
10 September 2024 in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
The present article investigates the literary corpus on knowledge management (KM), management accounting and control (MAC) systems, and sustainability implementation. The adopted method is a systematic literature review (SLR) analysis on articles listed on Scopus and Web of Science (WoS). The authors followed a rigorous research protocol that led to a final sample composed of 61 academic articles. This body of work: (i) profiles the selected articles underscoring journals productivity, geographical scope, methodological approach, and the most cited manuscripts; (ii) identifies and classifies the six main thematic clusters detailed as: corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, sustainable supply chain management, human resource management, green innovation, and universities as knowledge rich organizations; (iii) allows for the proposition of a conceptual framework; and (iv) helps establish existing research gaps. The present body of work carries both theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations associated with its methodological approach and scope.
1 July 2022 in Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
The impact of CSR in the luxury sector has been less investigated than in the non‐luxury context, and the findings in the luxury context are not unidirectional. In recent years, researchers have begun exploring the link between CSR and luxury. These efforts have attempted to overcome the gap between theory and practice while also acknowledging that luxury and CSR can be considered conflicting concepts. This mixed picture underscores the need for further investigations. The current study aims to illuminate CSR in the luxury context by examining business model development and financial performance. In particular, we conducted an in‐depth longitudinal and qualitative analysis of a leading luxury company that had experienced an event that had negatively impacted CSR. Specifically, this event affected the supply chain, and the public indignation that ensued impacted the firm's financial performance. Our results revealed that in the case of a luxury organisation, CSR does not affect financial performance despite a negative event. Ultimately, the study offers insights into CSR in the luxury context by proposing a matrix to explain the various influences on a company's business model and financial performance.