Exchanging Practices: An International Forum

for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses

Paola Spadaro, Ph.DUniversity of Bari Italy

Neil H. Schwartz, Ph.D.California State University, Chico

M. Beatrice Ligorio, Ph.D.University of Bari, Italy

What is DI.CO.TE.?DI.CO.TE. is:O A funded project to study cooperation among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the context of sustainability.O Designed to last 3 years (2009 – 2012).O Funded by the: Italian region of Puglia (70%) + the University of Bari (20%) + regional enterprises (10%).O Aimed at:

O Matching enterprises with the University so that they colloborate in achieving sustainable practices.O Designing a digital platform that allows cooperation among SMEs.

Sustainability…what does it mean?

“Sustainability meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987, p.25).

Sustainability is generated by a convergence of social, environmental and economic responsible behaviors (Bansal, 2005).

What should be sustainable?

O Cultures O Resources O Market

Who generates sustainability?

O CitizensO PoliticiansO EntrepreneursO EmployeesO Children O AdultsO ProfessorsO StudentsO ……anyone is able to modify the social, anyone is able to modify the social,

environmental, and economic contexts.environmental, and economic contexts.

People

Identity

values

sense of belonging

history

motivations

emotions

EVERYWHERE IN DAILY LIFE

Where and when is Where and when is sustainability generated?sustainability generated?

Behaviors

Sustainability focuses on people’s

IdentitiesSelfSocial IdentitySense of belonging

At homeAt work

Who am I?

What do I do?

Am I sustainable?

Are my actions sustainable?

It means BEING a sustainable Human Being

What does Science say about Sustainability?

O Hamilton and Gioia (2009): sustainability is neither a further aspect that enterprises have to take into account in their yearly balance, or a value to embrace as the vision of the company. It is an aspect of the identity of an organization.

O Fredrickson (2003): Companies that play with a commitment toward sustainability activate an “upward spiral” gradually enhancing positive outcomes and satisfaction either in their business or in their organizational practices.

Sustainability is not an option in your life; it is your way to be,-- the features that others use to recognize you in a crowd .

Sustainability is a smart strategy for achieving your success.

Sustainability is a matter of Identity and behavior.

Each company is a Community of Practice

O Communities of Practices (Wenger, 1998) Enterprises grow and learn, if they are involved in the creation of:

O Meaning: a way of thinking about their world;

O Practice: a way to use social and natural resources;

O Community: a way to be engaged in social configurations;

O Identity: a way to be in the context of their communities

What are the objectives of DI.CO.TE?

There are three of them.There are three of them.

DICOTE Objective 1

 To investigate the identity and

culture of enterprises (Meaning, Community, & Identity)

This objective addresses the analysis of how entrepreneurs represent themselves when they talk about “sustainability”, and “cooperation”.

DICOTE Objectives 2

This objective addresses the analysis of the impact of the implementation of ICT in enterprises to create a cooperative culture.

To investigate the relation between ICT and enterprises (Practice & Community)

DICOTE Objectives 3

This objective addresses the development of a technological solution that can supplement the relational potential of communication tools mediated by web and mobile technologies as well as the information functionality of databases.

To develop a software that supports a

cooperative culture (Practice & Community)

What have we learned from DI.CO.TE so far?

Next, is a brief sample of some ofNext, is a brief sample of some ofour research findings.our research findings.

When, 10 years ago, I went to meetings of the Association of Industrials with my bike they laughing of me... Anyway, I was arriving with a serenity, because I was not stressed out for parking. I didn’t care of the queue...and...of I didn’t have the agitation to depend to the others‘ actions, of a kind of stress that is self-generated because you go with a big car for being cool, and you don’t find a park, and you are anxious for avoiding hits. And then I stated a different way to be...this fact, for someone...it creates a sort of competition to be more different than the others. So, the example is very important. The same happens when someone asks you to do a non-ethical action and you answer “no kid, I want to sleep well tonight, I want to be well“...this reaction is a model for him.”

We have learned something about self and

social identity

We also learned that entrepreneurs think of

sustainability in terms of private self and professional self.

Consider the following excerpts…

Self– PRIVATE LIFE 

 

Individual

Internal Excerpt 6. (F2). Entrepreneur E2

1.To be honest, I was sick of spending the nights away, I didn’t like it… 2.I interiorized this negative aspect and I transformed it in value

External Excerpt 7. (F1). Entrepreneur E5

1.‘For example, not to mention business for example I have some books2.at home, because my uncle always gives them to me. They are books 3.about the Second World War, which are not interesting for me. 4.So when my friends come to my place, I tell them here there are fifty5.books, choose one, because theoretically from my point of you this6.is an externality for me, because it is there and it is not used, 7.and so re-using them, that is the potential use’.

Social Internal Excerpt 8. (F2). E5

1.‘Being a good model is important (…) When we talk with teenagers, 2.we think that they are impeded, we think that they are weak (…)'

External Excerpt 9. (F2). Entrepreneur E4

1.‘As to say that there is a real osmosis of externalities and negative 2.aspects (…) also our parents, assuming a protective attitude, 3.can inculcate negative values’

Self – PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Individual

Internal Excerpt 10. (F1). E3

‘I am a member of an Italian corporation’.

External Excerpt 11. (F2). E3

‘I trust my collaborators’.

Collective

Internal Excerpt 12. (F1).E2

‘We had meetings about cooking in our enterprise’; ‘We do recycle’ 

External Excerpt 16. (F2). E2

‘Our small and medium enterprises’ are not ready for a cultural change

Then…Entrepreneurs want to take care of their Entrepreneurs want to take care of their identity and learn to be different and identity and learn to be different and successful (Hamilton & Gioia 2009).successful (Hamilton & Gioia 2009).

Entrepreneurs need to be scaffolded and to Entrepreneurs need to be scaffolded and to exchange best practices to be better human exchange best practices to be better human beings (Vygotsky, 1939).beings (Vygotsky, 1939).

That is why DICOTE That is why DICOTE is in the Golden Stateis in the Golden State

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Discussion

What is it for you to be sustainable ?What is it for you to be sustainable ?

Contacts:www.dicote.wordpress.

comspadaro.paola@gmail.c

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