Coordinator

Alessandro Narduzzo

Members: Christian Baccarella, Giacomo Buzzao, Marjaana Gunkel, Richard Lang, Vittoria Magrelli, Thomas Maran, Michael Nippa, Paola Rovelli, Silvia Sanasi, Christoph Stöckmann

The Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Management Research Unit at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano comprises a multidisciplinary team of researchers dedicated to advancing knowledge in key areas that drive organisational success and societal progress. Our collaborative research efforts focus on four major domains:

1. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
   Our research delves into the dynamic processes of entrepreneurship and innovation, examining how new ventures emerge and evolve within complex systems. We explore entrepreneurial logic in uncertain environments, the role of digital technologies in entrepreneurial activities, and strategies for fostering innovation in various organisational contexts. Within these dynamics, a key aspect involves the effective marketing of innovations, drawing on a deep understanding of consumer psychology and behavior to drive their successful market adoption. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of how innovative ideas are generated, developed, and implemented to achieve sustainable growth in new ventures and innovative consolidated firms.
2. Leadership and Human Resource Management
   Effective leadership and strategic human resource practices are pivotal to organisational success. Our research focuses on leadership development, cross-cultural management, and the impact of leadership styles on team performance and innovation. We aim to provide insights into how organisations can cultivate leadership talent and design HR practices that align with their strategic objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement.
3. Family Business Management
   Recognising the unique challenges and opportunities within family firms, our research addresses the distinctive organisational goals, strategic processes, innovation, succession, and outcomes engendered by family involvement in business. By adopting multiple perspectives, we investigate how family firms can leverage their inherent strengths to innovate and adapt in a rapidly changing economic landscape, ensuring longevity and sustainability across generations.
4. Digital Transformation and Technology Commercialisation
   As digitalisation reshapes industries, our research examines how organisations navigate digital transformation and bring technological innovations to market. We investigate the adoption and integration of digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and the commercialisation of emerging technologies. Our work explores strategies for scaling up new technologies, managing intellectual property, and bridging the gap between research-driven innovation and market applications. By addressing the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation, we provide insights into how organisations can turn technological advancements into competitive advantages.

Through rigorous research and active engagement with industry partners, our Research Unit strives to bridge the gap between theory and practice, contributing to the development of effective strategies that address contemporary challenges in entrepreneurship, innovation, and management.

Institutional partnerships:
NOI Techpark (contact: Prof. Christoph Stöckmann)
EuFBC Network (contact: Prof. Paola Rovelli)

Positive heuristics and entrepreneurial team decision making

Researchers at unibz: Marta Di Lascio, Marjaana Gunkel, Ivan Miroshnychenko, Alessandro Narduzzo, Michael Nippa, Paola Rovelli

The Project offers the opportunity to significantly increase the international visibility of the Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano for several reasons. First, it focuses on a research subject that is a central part of the emerging field of behavioural decision making, i.e. the use of heuristics in managerial and entrepreneurial decision-making especially in the team context. Second, the research shifts the focus in decision making from the individual to the team; while behavioural decision making research is focused on the individual, the team is the locus of important decisions in entrepreneurial firms. Third, the research project lays the ground for future research not only of the Faculty of Economics and Management but as well for applications of other faculties through establishing state-of-the-art experimental laboratories that can be used for various scholarly and practical research projects. Fourth, it offers the opportunity to educate senior and junior faculty members in sophisticated research techniques that are increasingly used in various universities and research institutions worldwide.