Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the characteristics of actors that allow them to relate to others actors in the system through shared intentionality (orientation) and the nature of the A4A relationship and the results that such interactions bring to the emergent system based on this shared purpose (finality).Design/methodology/approach: The topic is approached by theoretical analysis and conceptual development of three integrative frameworks: the sociological perspective, service-dominant logic and a particular perspective of system thinking: the viable system approach (vSa).Findings: The A4A relationships involve value co-creation based on actors integrating their resources and acting with intentionality to obtain value by providing benefits to other parties and by belonging to the emergent viable system; actor acts for other actors directly involved in the relationship generating positive effects for the whole system in which it is contextualized.Research limitations/implications: Future empirical research might better support findings.Social implications: Many social implications deriving from an augmented role of actors engaged within social relationships in co-creation exchanges. From the title of the paper A4A over on the manuscript describes numerous social inferences of actors in co-creation.Originality/value: A4A is a relationship formed by actors that interact for the benefit of the whole system in which are involved. They find own benefit from the benefit created for the system in which they live and act. In A4A relationships the value of the single actor comes from the participation to the viability of the whole system.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to study and describe the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) concept in the retail industry by identifying the technology enablers, the benefits and the challenges involved in adopting these technologies.Design/methodology/approach: The work is built on a systematic literature review (SLR) about the I4.0 concept within retail studies through the enablers codified by the Industry 4.0 literature.Findings: The concept of Industry 4.0 within the retail context is presented through three relevant technology enablers I4.0 emerges as a latent concept represented by technologies adopted to study customer behaviour and manage customer relationships and, partially, to optimise retail management. Furthermore, the paper highlights the benefits and challenges stemming from the adoption of I4.0 technology enablers in the retail industry.Originality/value: The use of a SLR to describe the I4.0 concept in the retail industry identifying the relevant technology enablers and their relations. The article lays the foundations for future studies on the integrated effects of the contemporary actions of multiple technologies on retail management.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to show the relevance of the interest in sharing the common purpose and in searching for a common survival of emerging eco-system (ES) as an entity that “is not” but emerges by the viable actors interaction.Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual paper contributes to the research by defining the ES building on the contributions of SD logic and viable systems approach (VSA), with a particular focus on the VSA perspective.Findings: An ES emerges as a viable “system of systems” by an observer’s interpretation of the simultaneous interactions between different viable actors/systems that are sharing a common purpose (the survival of the ES), exchanging resources following a viable value co-creation model. Each actor/system could represent a level of quality of belonging to the ES looking for the opportunity to be resonant with the ES.Research limitations/implications: The ES features and the role of each actor inside could be deepened through different theoretical perspectives and the same VSA to the ES could be reached with empirical explorations.Practical implications: Understanding the nature of the ES, the practitioners are able to explain better their position in relation to partners and competitors. It is possible to be a part of several emerging ESs looking for the will to contribute to the ES’ survival and to the sharing of the purpose of the interactive systems/actors. In a medium and long run, the measure of the resonance is useful to understand the quality in interaction.Originality/value: The work provides a definition of the ES and the actors inside focusing on the perspective of VSA, by integrating the concept of viable value co-creation and solidarity-based logic; in particular, the concept of Centro Commerciale Naturale is used to show the emergence of the ES in a relational context generated by the interaction between city, service and retailers in a city center.

Background: Alexithymia refers to a set of cognitive and emotional deficits. Its effect on surgical outcome has been demonstrated but no studies have been published on colorectal cancer patients. Study Design: A series of 60 consecutive colorectal cancer patients were enrolled in a 3-year prospective study on quality of life by using the SF-36 test and Toronto Alexithymia Scale questionnaires. Patients were investigated pre- and postoperatively (before discharge and then 1 and 3 months thereafter). The control group consisted of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis. These two groups were divided into two subsets: high-level alexithymia (HA) and low-level alexithymia (LA). The prevalence of HA was 34% in colorectal patients and 35% in cholelithiasis patients. Results: During the postoperative period, in the colorectal group the SF-36 score was significantly higher in HA than in LA subsets. This result was confirmed in the cholelithiasis group. During follow-up, a progressive reduction of the SF-36 score was observed in both HA populations. Discussion: Results emerging from this investigation demonstrate that surgery significantly improves the quality of life in HA patients. These findings suggest that alexithymia might be advantageous in evaluating the adaptation after surgery in the short follow-up period.