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Concrete is one of the leading composite materials for construction, therefore the identification of strategies aimed at reducing its environmental impact is crucial for greening the building industry and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. One way to reduce this impact involves the opportunity to recycle waste materials as fiber in concrete reinforcement, thus following the circular economy principles. The feasibility of using different waste materials in Recycled Fiber Reinforced Concrete (RFRC) is attracting practitioners’ attention. Through a systematic literature review, the paper analyzes the academic literature on concrete reinforcement using recycled fibers. The main goal is to provide an exhaustive analysis of the phenomenon with rigorous and reproducible research criteria. Eventually, 194 articles were analyzed. RFRC is a research topic, which is rapidly growing over the last years and scholars’ attention is focused both on engineering aspects, through experimental studies testing the composite mechanical properties, and environmental sustainability considerations. From the analysis, emerged that even though the relevance of the construction industry and, as a consequence, of concrete in the global transition toward sustainability it is widely recognized, there is a gap in investing the potential of RFCR in addressing the triple bottom line of it. Finally, it emerged a great research potential in exploring how recycled fibers may be part of a construction industry oriented and inspired to circular economy principles.
Roberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Alessia Acampora; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Elisabetta Petrucci. Recycled fibers in reinforced concrete: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 248, 119207 .
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Michele Preziosi, Alessia Acampora, Maria Claudia Lucchetti, Elisabetta Petrucci. Recycled fibers in reinforced concrete: A systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 248 ():119207.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Alessia Acampora; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Elisabetta Petrucci. 2019. "Recycled fibers in reinforced concrete: A systematic literature review." Journal of Cleaner Production 248, no. : 119207.
The environmental impact of marine and coastal tourism is gaining the attention of firms, scholars and institutions. Coastal tourism facilities play a crucial role in the sustainable management of coastal tourism areas in Mediterranean countries. One way by which tourism facilities can preserve these resources is to adopt on a voluntary basis the ecolabels, which ensure compliance with specific environmental performance criteria. The research presents the results of a survey addressed to the guests of an ecolabel-awarded Italian Beach Club. In order to reduce a research gap in the context of coastal tourism, the aim is to evaluate how guests perceive the green practices implemented by the Beach Club and to test if they significantly influence guests’ satisfaction and loyalty. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was employed to test a series of research hypotheses. Findings show that (a) guest environmental concern positively influences guest attitude toward green practices and guests’ evaluation of green practices; (b) guest environmental concern isn’t a significant antecedent of guest satisfaction; (c) guest attitude toward green practices positively influences the evaluation of green practices; (d) guest attitude towards green practices doesn’t influence guest satisfaction and loyalty; (e) the performance of Beach Club green practices positively influences guest satisfaction and loyalty toward the Beach Club; (f) customer satisfaction is a significant antecedent of guest loyalty. Research findings are relevant for practitioners, as beach club green practices are positively recognized by guests that consider them as part of the service quality, showing that environmental commitment plays a significant role in generating added value for coastal tourism.
R. Merli; M. Preziosi; A. Acampora; M.C. Lucchetti; F. Ali. The impact of green practices in coastal tourism: An empirical investigation on an eco-labelled beach club. International Journal of Hospitality Management 2018, 77, 471 -482.
AMA StyleR. Merli, M. Preziosi, A. Acampora, M.C. Lucchetti, F. Ali. The impact of green practices in coastal tourism: An empirical investigation on an eco-labelled beach club. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 2018; 77 ():471-482.
Chicago/Turabian StyleR. Merli; M. Preziosi; A. Acampora; M.C. Lucchetti; F. Ali. 2018. "The impact of green practices in coastal tourism: An empirical investigation on an eco-labelled beach club." International Journal of Hospitality Management 77, no. : 471-482.
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary Regulation that defines the European Environmental Management System (EMS). Today the EMAS is undergoing a revision process, in order to fit the scheme to organizations and stakeholders’ requirements and increase its diffusion. Italy accounts for roughly 1,000 of the 4,000 certified European organizations and, especially during the last five years, a growing number of organizations have not renewed the certification. Thus, the aim of the survey is to investigate why many Italian organizations have dropped out of EMAS, and to identify which enabling measures would be more effective in order to encourage organizations to move back to the certification. The target of the questionnaire were the 339 Italian organizations that did not renew their EMAS registration between 2010 and 2015, and respondents were 99. In the first part of the paper, we present the general findings, while in the second one, certified Public Administrations and private-owned organizations are compared in order to delineate significant differences between the two groups. Concerning motivations for not renewing EMAS, implementation costs were the key reasons for both groups. Conversely, considering the possible enabling measures, while private-owned organizations demand long term tax benefits, Public Administrations prefer a greater consideration of EMAS in public funding. This paper systematically addresses this phenomenon through a survey, contributing to reduce the existing gap in literature and providing a useful input to decision-makers who are overseeing the EMAS revision process.
Roberto Merli; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Michele Preziosi; Gabriella Arcese. Causes of Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) stagnation and enabling measures to stimulate new registrations: Characterization of public administrations and private-owned organizations. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 190, 137 -148.
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Maria Claudia Lucchetti, Michele Preziosi, Gabriella Arcese. Causes of Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) stagnation and enabling measures to stimulate new registrations: Characterization of public administrations and private-owned organizations. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 190 ():137-148.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Michele Preziosi; Gabriella Arcese. 2018. "Causes of Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) stagnation and enabling measures to stimulate new registrations: Characterization of public administrations and private-owned organizations." Journal of Cleaner Production 190, no. : 137-148.
One of the tools set by the European Community (EC) to reduce the environmental impact of firms is EMAS Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009), setting up an Environmental Management System (EMS), which aims for a continuous improvement of environmental performances. Italy has the highest number of certified organization among all European Member States, accounting for over one thousand registrations. The paper presents the result of a survey conducted through a questionnaire about EMAS implementation and targeted to all Italian registered organizations. Of nearly 1000 organizations, over 500 answers were collected. The main goal is to understand how organizations experience the scheme, focusing on main drivers for its adoption, main difficulties encountered, and perceived benefits. In particular, survey results contribute to define a reflection on the difficulties regarding EMAS diffusion among European companies. Aspects identified as critical can lead to a contraction of registration requests, especially those formulated by SMEs, which constitute the majority of Italian companies. Moreover, perceived difficulties might affect the firms’ willingness to renew EMAS registration. Data provided by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) recently highlighted the increasing rate of firms who decide to withdraw from registration. This study offers interesting inputs related to main critical issues in EMAS implementation, which can be the baseline for future research on companies that abandon the certification scheme, in order to provide suggestions for the improvement of its effectiveness both for national and communitarian institutions.
Roberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Christian Ippolito. Promoting Sustainability through EMS Application: A Survey Examining the Critical Factors about EMAS Registration in Italian Organizations. Sustainability 2016, 8, 197 .
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Michele Preziosi, Christian Ippolito. Promoting Sustainability through EMS Application: A Survey Examining the Critical Factors about EMAS Registration in Italian Organizations. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (3):197.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Christian Ippolito. 2016. "Promoting Sustainability through EMS Application: A Survey Examining the Critical Factors about EMAS Registration in Italian Organizations." Sustainability 8, no. 3: 197.
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is the official Environmental Management System (EMS) issued by the European Union (EU). Italy is the country where EMAS is most widespread, accounting for over 1000 registered organizations. Since entry into the force of the Regulation in 1997, the number of registrations has constantly grown until 2008, when the figures started to drop. The phenomena are due to both the decrease of the annual registration rate and the lack of renewals. According to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), in recent years, an increasing number of organizations decided to withdraw from EMAS registration. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reasons of this negative trend. The first step consisted of a literature review concerning the main barriers, difficulties, and costs incurred by EMAS-registered organizations. Subsequently, this information was integrated with data about the evolution of EMAS registrations and the results of a previous survey, which involved the entire population of registered firms. The present exploratory research highlighted economic and operational domains concerning the cancellation trends that deserve a deeper investigation, which will be conducted through a questionnaire addressed to Italian firms that did not renew the registration in the last lustrum. The intended output will allow us to identify stakeholders’ priority intervention areas in order to suggest an operative strategy to reduce EMAS cancellation rates, addressed to Member States (MS) Competent Bodies.
Michele Preziosi; Roberto Merli; Mara D’Amico. Why Companies Do Not Renew Their EMAS Registration? An Exploratory Research. Sustainability 2016, 8, 191 .
AMA StyleMichele Preziosi, Roberto Merli, Mara D’Amico. Why Companies Do Not Renew Their EMAS Registration? An Exploratory Research. Sustainability. 2016; 8 (2):191.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichele Preziosi; Roberto Merli; Mara D’Amico. 2016. "Why Companies Do Not Renew Their EMAS Registration? An Exploratory Research." Sustainability 8, no. 2: 191.
Companies are increasingly required to deal with sustainability issues through the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices. Among the different CSR aspects, workers securities fulfill a necessary issue. SA8000 is an internationally accepted tool that aims to guarantee decent workplace across all industrial sectors. Italian companies represent more than 30% of certified organizations on a global level. Company size is a key factor in the definition of managerial strategies. A survey that involved more than 600 SA8000 certified companies has been conducted. Company dimension has been used as a parameter to interpret survey results. The aspects analyzed mainly consisted of drivers, barriers and benefits in SA8000 certification pathway. The study showed a high level of homogeneity among firms. According to SA8000 requirements, one of the main issues is the implementation of control and awareness mechanisms addressed to suppliers. Survey results highlight that all respondents recognize the importance of suppliers’ involvement, considered as one of the most difficult phases in implementing certification. However, there were no significant differences among Micro, Small, Medium and Large companies.
Roberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. Social Values and Sustainability: A Survey on Drivers, Barriers and Benefits of SA8000 Certification in Italian Firms. Sustainability 2015, 7, 4120 -4130.
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Michele Preziosi, Ilaria Massa. Social Values and Sustainability: A Survey on Drivers, Barriers and Benefits of SA8000 Certification in Italian Firms. Sustainability. 2015; 7 (4):4120-4130.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. 2015. "Social Values and Sustainability: A Survey on Drivers, Barriers and Benefits of SA8000 Certification in Italian Firms." Sustainability 7, no. 4: 4120-4130.
The last revision of the EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) Regulation encouraged a cluster approach to increase the participation of the organizations and to involve local stakeholders in the commitment to sustainability. Our research activity intends to partially fill the literature gap in the field by investigating the Italian cluster approach to EMAS, characterized by the creation of a cluster Managing Committee (MC)—which can receive an EMAS Cluster Certificate—in order to improve the implementation of the scheme. We investigated the effectiveness of MCs actions on different stakeholder categories in the nine Italian clusters with EMAS Cluster Certificate. We present the results of a survey conducted through different stakeholder categories in the considered clusters. The main goals of the investigation are to determine the effectiveness of EMAS Certificate for: local stakeholder involvement, network creation, environmental performance improvement and the increase in EMAS single registration. We find that EMAS Cluster Certificate is perceived as effective in improving environmental performance of the area and enhancing cluster image. Despite the recognition of these positive aspects, few organizations showed interest in EMAS registration because of the costs involved and the lack of incentives available from public institutions.
Roberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders. Sustainability 2014, 6, 4537 -4557.
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Michele Preziosi, Ilaria Massa. EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders. Sustainability. 2014; 6 (7):4537-4557.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. 2014. "EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders." Sustainability 6, no. 7: 4537-4557.
Sustainability is a key factor of competitiveness. It is important that sustainability assessments are effectively addressed in a global perspective. Therefore, beside instruments such as, for example, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Social Life Cycle Assessment, which analyze the environmental, economic and social impacts throughout the life cycle of a product/process or a service, different tools and approaches are adopted as strategic tools for the management to evaluate more in detail and in an organic manner the impacts in terms of sustainability. Among these, it is particularly significant that the Life Cycle Management, being still in its early stage of development, is not applied by means globally shared, but presents extremely promising methodological features. For these reasons, it seemed interesting to propose an application to tourism activities, for the particular characteristics of service delivery, which better than others lend themselves to the development of data related to sustainability. The main goal of this paper is to present a wide theoretical review in literature for the tourism sector application, characterizing gaps and critical issues and, at the same time, outlining the well-established assumptions and the unexplored themes by the international community about this topic.
Gabriella Arcese; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Roberto Merli. Life Cycle Approach: A Critical Review in the Tourism Sector. Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum 2013, 1 .
AMA StyleGabriella Arcese, Maria Claudia Lucchetti, Roberto Merli. Life Cycle Approach: A Critical Review in the Tourism Sector. Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum. 2013; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriella Arcese; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Roberto Merli. 2013. "Life Cycle Approach: A Critical Review in the Tourism Sector." Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum , no. : 1.
In its last revision EMAS Regulation has encouraged a cluster approach to increase the participation of the organizations and to involve local stakeholders in a cluster sustainability process. Our research activity, conducted by the Department of Business Studies of Roma Tre University and ISPRA (High Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), intends to partially fill the literature gap in the field by investigating the Italian cluster approach for EMAS, characterized by the creation of a cluster Managing Committee (MC) – which has received a dedicated EMAS certificate – that coordinates the implementation of the scheme. If in a first phase we investigated the effectiveness of support given to registered EMAS organizations inside the cluster by the MCs that possess an EMAS certificate, the main objective of the second step here presented has been to verify the impact on different stakeholders categories of the actions taken by the various MCs in 12 Italian clusters. In this paper we present the results of a survey conducted through the distribution of a specifically designed questionnaire on different categories of stakeholders in the considered clusters. These three categories are the 67 organizations certified ISO 14001 in the cluster’s areas, the 100 municipalities of the areas and the 9 chamber of commerce involved in the Managing Committee of the clusters. The main two goals of the investigation are: to determine the impacts of the action put in place by the Managing Committee inside the clusters, in terms of environmental performance enhancements and network creations to improve the cluster competitiveness; to evaluate how the tools offered to cluster organizations have effectively contributed to a widespread knowledge of EMAS and environmental concerns.
Roberto Merli; Mara D'amico; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders. Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum 2013, 1 .
AMA StyleRoberto Merli, Mara D'amico, Michele Preziosi, Ilaria Massa. EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders. Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum. 2013; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Merli; Mara D'amico; Michele Preziosi; Ilaria Massa. 2013. "EMAS Regulation in Italian Clusters: Investigating the Involvement of Local Stakeholders." Proceedings of The 3rd World Sustainability Forum , no. : 1.
As is widely known, sustainability is an important factor in competition, increasing the added value of a company in terms of image and credibility. However, it is important that sustainability assessments are effectively addressed in a global perspective. Therefore, life cycle tools are adopted to evaluate environmental and social impacts. Among these, and of particular significance, appears the Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA), which, although in its early stage of development, seems to have extremely promising methodological features. For this reason, it seemed interesting to propose a first application to the tourism sector, which could be better than other methods, studied in terms of social sustainability data. The particular characteristics of service delivery lend themselves more to the development of data related to social sustainability than other sectors. In this paper the results of a case study carried out using social accounting and business management tools are shown.
Gabriella Arcese; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Roberto Merli. Social Life Cycle Assessment as a Management Tool: Methodology for Application in Tourism. Sustainability 2013, 5, 3275 -3287.
AMA StyleGabriella Arcese, Maria Claudia Lucchetti, Roberto Merli. Social Life Cycle Assessment as a Management Tool: Methodology for Application in Tourism. Sustainability. 2013; 5 (8):3275-3287.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriella Arcese; Maria Claudia Lucchetti; Roberto Merli. 2013. "Social Life Cycle Assessment as a Management Tool: Methodology for Application in Tourism." Sustainability 5, no. 8: 3275-3287.
Purpose – The urgency to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of public administrations has led to the adoption in the public sector – in Italy as well as in other countries – of tools and models inspired by the total quality management (TQM) approach, such as the common assessment framework (CAF). A parallel need was felt within public structures to train people, the “peers”, who aside from being able to implement the self-evaluation activities of their own administration, also needed to be equipped with the necessary skills to complete external evaluation activities, namely “peer evaluations”, with the ultimate aim of spreading quality management culture and best practices in the field through an approach based on benchmarking. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a survey designed to determine the training requirements that a “peer” should acquire in order to perform “evaluation” activities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper has strong empirical connotations and is essentially based on, first, a questionnaire given to evaluators/self-evaluators to identify the problems emerging with the application of the CAF model in administrations that have adopted it. In this sphere a great deal of attention has been paid to – in addition to the preparation of the questionnaire – the delicate task of codifying the answers to open questions proposed to interviewees; and second, the investigation inherent in the current educational choices in Italy in the TQM arena, specifically addressing the public sector. Findings – Apart from the analysis of data obtained from the investigation, presented with descriptive statistics, the paper identifies the training content necessary: first, to place “peers” in a position to be able to autonomously and fully carry out their evaluation work on the basis of the CAF model; and second, to render the evaluation activities systematically comparable among the various administrations. Research limitations/implications – At the present time the research deals with the Italian context. However, future investigations involving different European countries could be carried out, taking the present results as a starting point for a benchmarking activity. Practical implications – The paper puts forward the creation of a “network” of actors who manage all the “peer evaluation” activities, from the provision of the training pack and monitoring the “peer” exchange process, up to benchmarking initiatives and the dissemination of best practices. Originality/value – The paper presents original data and information in order to identify the training needs of individuals that actually use CAF, starting from the assumption that the training of evaluators is the primary condition for promoting the adoption and diffusion of CAF in Italian public administrations and thus maximizing its benefits.
Lucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. Peer evaluation to develop benchmarking in the public sector. Benchmarking: An International Journal 2011, 18, 490 -509.
AMA StyleLucio Cappelli, Roberta Guglielmetti, Giovanni Mattia, Roberto Merli, Maria Francesca Renzi. Peer evaluation to develop benchmarking in the public sector. Benchmarking: An International Journal. 2011; 18 (4):490-509.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. 2011. "Peer evaluation to develop benchmarking in the public sector." Benchmarking: An International Journal 18, no. 4: 490-509.
Lucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. Testing a customer satisfaction model for online services. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences 2011, 3, 69 -92.
AMA StyleLucio Cappelli, Roberta Guglielmetti, Giovanni Mattia, Roberto Merli, Maria Francesca Renzi. Testing a customer satisfaction model for online services. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. 2011; 3 (1):69-92.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. 2011. "Testing a customer satisfaction model for online services." International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences 3, no. 1: 69-92.
Statistical techniques for continuous improvement: a citizen's satisfaction survey
Lucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. Statistical techniques for continuous improvement: a citizen's satisfaction survey. The TQM Journal 2010, 22, 267 -284.
AMA StyleLucio Cappelli, Roberta Guglielmetti, Giovanni Mattia, Roberto Merli, Maria Francesca Renzi. Statistical techniques for continuous improvement: a citizen's satisfaction survey. The TQM Journal. 2010; 22 (3):267-284.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLucio Cappelli; Roberta Guglielmetti; Giovanni Mattia; Roberto Merli; Maria Francesca Renzi. 2010. "Statistical techniques for continuous improvement: a citizen's satisfaction survey." The TQM Journal 22, no. 3: 267-284.
Alessandro Ruggieri; Roberto Merli. Critical factors for the implementation of total quality management in Italy: An empirical analysis. Total Quality Management 1998, 9, 210 -212.
AMA StyleAlessandro Ruggieri, Roberto Merli. Critical factors for the implementation of total quality management in Italy: An empirical analysis. Total Quality Management. 1998; 9 (4):210-212.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessandro Ruggieri; Roberto Merli. 1998. "Critical factors for the implementation of total quality management in Italy: An empirical analysis." Total Quality Management 9, no. 4: 210-212.