In this research, I report and analyze the experiences of people working with small-scale enterprises in the Colombian textile artisanal sector for understanding how artisanal products are delivered to national and international markets. The data was collected by interviewing design managers and managers currently working with several of these small-scale enterprises. This paper was done considering four important features: firstly, the enormous potential that the Colombian textile industry once held back in the 1960’s; secondly, Colombia’s rich and multiple artisanal creations as expression of culture and idiosyncrasy that show the country’s ample geography and culture; thirdly, the characteristics of the Colombian economy and industry which is mainly composed of micro and small enterprises; and lastly , the lack of research on small-scale value networks. In this research the idea of linear value chains is superseded by the notion of value networks, in which relationships, activities and actors are interconnected to co-create value. In this setting, culture, people and sustainability are the key factors to reach differentiation. By learning from these experiences and analyzing practices in small-scale enterprises I can suggest that, new approaches that benefit and reinforce the characteristics of the small and medium scale enterprises must be built as an opportunity for improving the lives of people in developing countries. Additionally, relationships and the order of the production and marketing flows within the value networks depend on the manager approach. / Program: Textilt management med inriktning styrning av textila värdekedjor

Questa tesi si propone di approfondire il significato del concetto di 'artigianato' dal punto di vista di tre differenti tipologie di stakeholder: 1) Associazioni e Camere di commercio; 2) Aziende, Fornitori ed Esperti e 3) Consumatori. L’obiettivo principale di questa tesi è riassumere i più recenti sviluppi in materia di artigianato evidenziandone lo stato dell'arte e proponendo osservazioni critiche in merito al concetto stesso di artigianalità. Verranno identificati eventuali limiti e lacune concettuali sul tema dell’artigianato nonché indicati suggerimenti per la ricerca futura. Questa tesi è articolata in tre ricerche: la prima, " Artisanship: A review of the conceptualization of the “craftmanship ", impiega la content analysis per esaminare le definizioni di 'artigianato' fornite da diverse fonti tra cui Fondazioni, Associazioni, Organizzazioni Internazionali e Intergovernative e Camere di Commercio. La seconda ricerca "Crafting the craft - evidence from Italian experts" utilizza la metodologia qualitativa delle interviste semistrutturate con manager, esperti e opinion leader che gravitano nel mondo dell’artigianato. L’ultima ricerca " Understanding of the concept of “craft” – from the perspective of Italian consumers " è un'indagine finalizzata a capire le percezioni del consumatore in merito all’artigianato e le sue preferenze per i diversi tipi di prodotti artigianali. Grazie all’intrinseca interdisciplinarietà di questa tesi, che collega diverse basi teoriche e discipline come sociologia, economia, arte, filosofia e storia sociale, si cercherà di colmare le attuali lacune presenti nella ricerca sull'artigianato offrendo, così, un nuovo contributo in materia. / This thesis aims to deepen the meaning of ‘craft’ by looking at the concept from the perspective of different stakeholders, including 1) Guilds and Chambers of Commerce; 2) businesses, providers and experts and 3) consumers. The overarching purpose of this dissertation is to summarize recent developments, to highlight the state of the art and to offer some critical observations of various understandings of the concept of artisanship, in order to identify conceptual gaps and limitations and directions for future research. This dissertation includes three studies: Study 1 - “Artisanship: A review of the conceptualization of the “craftmanship” – employs content analysis to examine definitions of ‘artisanship’ provided by different sources from Craft Foundations and Associations, international and intergovernmental organizations, and European Chambers of Commerce. Study 2 – “Crafting the craft – evidence from Italian experts” is based on a qualitative methodology and includes semistructured interviews with managers and experts of artisanal products. Study 3 – “Understanding of the concept of “craft” – from the perspective of Italian consumers” is a survey aimed at investigating consumer perceptions of artisanship and preference for different types of artisanal products. By bridging different theoretical bases and disciplines, such as sociology, economics, arts, philosophy and social history, this research will offer a novel contribution and fill gaps in the research on artisanship.