Questa tesi ha per oggetto la definizione di un “prospetto di controllo” (Modello dei costi ) per la realizzazione di un’unica piattaforma di informazioni, che permetta al Management di un’impresa finanziaria di valutare quale tipo di progetto di integrazione dei processi sia più conveniente da applicare alla propria realtà aziendale. Il modello propone una metodologia in grado di evidenziare al Management “come” ed “in quale forma” l’IT/ICT siano in grado di sostenere un ciclo di crescita e di sviluppo stabile e duraturo. Il lavoro è stato suddiviso in tre sezioni, dedicate a tre specifici contenuti: • Sezione prima: “Il Business Process Reengeneering : una strategia basata sulle sinergie di piccoli progetti”; • Sezione seconda: “IL BPR come metodo di trasparenza per le aree di valutazione normativa e per lo scambio di informazioni”; • Sezione terza: “Il Modello di Valutazione di un progetto di Integrazione di processi e di sistemi informativi (Information Comunication Technology) all’interno di una società di Asset Management”. / This Thesis' subject is the definition of a "control prospect"(Cost Model) to build a unique information platform, that would enable the management of a financial company to evaluate which type of process-integration project would be suitable for their specific corporate situation. The Model proposes a framework capable to highlight "how" and "in which shape" the "IT/ICT" could sustain a stable and durable growth cycle. The Thesis has been divided in three sections, each one dedicated to a specific topic: 1- "Business Process Reengeneering : a strategy based on small projects synergies" 2-"The BPR as a transparent method of normative evaluation and information exchange" 3-"The Evaluation Model for a project of process and information system inteegration(Information Comunication Technology) for an Asset Management company"

L’obiettivo di ricerca che si propone questa tesi è l’analisi delle criticità e dei limiti concettuali che sorgono nella fase di progettazione logica all’interno del processo più ampio di implementazione e manutenzione del Balanced Scorecard. La fase di progettazione del Balanced Scorecard è fondamentale per capire l’orientamento della strategia di tutta l’azienda e le priorità che questa si vuole porre ed è proprio lì che sorgono gli aspetti più critici del sistema che poi vengono, dove possibile, migliorati dal suo monitoraggio in maniera dinamica e continua. Molti autori, tra cui Kaplan e Norton (1993, 1996, 2001, 2006), Alberti (2000), Baraldi (2005), Bourne et al. (2000), Falduto e Ruscica (2005), De Marco, Salvo e Lanzani (2004), Marr e Neely (2001), Niven (2002, 2006), Lohman et al. (2004), Simons (2000), si sono focalizzati sulle modalità di implementazione del Balanced Scorecard, però pochi hanno analizzato quali criticità siano nascoste in queste scelte e come vegano gestite per affrontare il dinamismo stesso di un’organizzazione che opera in un contesto spesso fortemente competitivo. L’argomento è considerato rilevante non solo dalla letteratura, ma anche dalla prassi, infatti, di fronte ai fallimenti dei sistemi di misurazione delle performance ci si domanda se ci siano dei punti critici che meritano maggiore attenzione e che siano discriminanti tra un successo e un fallimento e come è meglio gestirli. / The specific purpose of this research is the analysis of critical issues and conceptual limitations that arise in the phase of logical design within the broader process of implementation and maintenance of the Balanced Scorecard. The design phase of the Balanced Scorecard is vital to understand the orientation of the strategy across the enterprise and the priorities that you want to address and it is there that arises the most critical aspects of the system which are, where possible, enhanced by its monitoring in a dynamic and continuous process of improvement. Many authors, including Kaplan and Norton (1993, 1996, 2001, 2006), Alberti (2000), Baraldi (2005), Bourne et al. (2000), Falduto and Ruscica (2005), De Marco, Salvo and Lanzani (2004), Marr and Neely (2001), Niven (2002, 2006), Lohman et al. (2004), Simons (2000), have focused on how to implement the Balanced Scorecard, but few have analyzed which critical issues are hidden in these choices and how are managed to face the dynamism of an organization that often operates in a highly competitive environment. The subject is relevant not only in the literature, but also from the point of view of the enterprise operations; in fact, facing the failures of performance measurement systems, the following questions have arisen: whether there are critical points that need more attention, which are the discriminating factors between a success and a failure and which is the best way to manage them.

I sistemi finanziari si sono sempre contraddistinti per la loro natura fiduciaria e il ruolo di sostegno alla stabilità dei mercati (Bianchi, 2002). Quanto affermato giustifica il verificarsi, in determinati contesti di mercato, di crisi economiche di portata straordinariamente ampia. Il legislatore italiano, quindi, al fine di favorire uno sviluppo controllato del settore, negli ultimi anni ha rivolto il focus della regolamentazione normativa verso l’individuazione e la prevenzione di diversi rischi tipici di settore, soprattutto quelli legati all'operatività e quelli di tipo legale e reputazionale. In questo contesto, la teoria dell’Isomorfismo coercitivo si colloca per comprendere quali siano i motivi di adeguamento delle organizzazioni a normative ai fini della legittimazione nei confronti dell’ambiente in cui operano. La ricerca si pone quindi l’obiettivo di indagare i riflessi organizzativi e di governance delle imprese di assicurazione, legati a un processo di isomorfismo coercitivo attraverso la teoria della dipendenza dalle risorse, in particolare quelle reputazionali. / Financial Services are always being recognized like robustness and trust institutions (Bianchi 2002). In fact they always give a fundamental contribute to the stability of economic and social environment. This fact in some conditions, like the present ones, has often created very large financial crisis. More than in the past Italian laws in the financial services, aim at prevent some risk like operational, compliance and reputational ones. The theory of Coercive Isomorphism aim at explains how the organizations try to legitimate themselves towards their social and economic environment. In this direction the study aim at analyzed how coercive isomorphism had influenced the organizational design in the Italian insurance sector. In order to explain this process I used the RBV (Resource Based View) theory to explain how reputation could be a very strategic resource to gain robustness and trust in financial institutions after the crisis, so I analyzed how organization build reputation trough the processes compliance to the new law.

Nel corso degli ultimi anni l'industria finanziaria ha incominciato a identificare nei Big Data una potenziale leva strategica per la relazione banca-cliente. Tuttavia, come evidenziato in vari contributi, le organizzazioni incontrano alcune difficoltà nell’implementare suddette tecnologie poiché il livello di innovazione richiesto si scontra con quelle prassi e norme ben radicate nelle macchine operative degli intermediari finanziari. Il presente lavoro, supportato da una rassegna della letteratura sull'implicazione organizzativa dei Big Data, descrive un progetto realizzato da una banca europea che, nell'ultimo anno, ha introdotto nei propri sistemi informativi i Big Data per supportare l’operatività dei gestori corporate nell'ambito della relazione banca-azienda. Utilizzando “l'ambidestrismo” come framework teorico (basato sul conflitto exploration-exploitation), questa tesi propone alcune soluzioni a livello organizzativo per risolvere le tensioni tra: i soggetti coinvolti in attività di innovazione radicale (exploration activities) e i soggetti coinvolti in attività che mirano alla standardizzazione e all'efficientamento continuo (exploitation activities) delle operation degli intermediari finanziari. Sei mesi di osservazioni dirette e quarantasei interviste condotte trasversalmente su quattro unità della banca costituiscono la base dati principale del contributo empirico di questo lavoro di tesi / In recent years the financial industry has begun to identify Big Data as a potential strategic leverage in the bank-customer relationship. According to different contributions, organizations are generally facing some difficulties in introducing these technologies because the degree of innovation required generally clashes with those standards and practices rooted in the operating machine of the financial intermediaries. This work, supported by a review of the literature on the Big Data organizational implications, describes a project developed by a European bank that, in the last year, introduced these technologies within its information systems to support managers in the bank-corporate relationship. Using the “ambidexterity” as a theoretical framework (based on the tradeoff between exploration and exploitation), this thesis proposes some organizational solutions to resolve tensions between: those subjects involved in activities regarding radical innovations (exploration activities) and those involved in activities aimed at the standardization and at the continuous efficiency (exploitative activities) of the bank’s operations. Six months of direct observations and forty six interviews conducted across four units of the bank represent the main basis of the empirical contribution of this thesis.

This thesis examines the relationship between environmental regulation, innovation, and competitiveness. Specifically, it investigates the impact of regulatory stringency on innovation in the chemical industry by analyzing the evolution of innovative activity in highly regulated technological areas in the European Union from 1976 to 2003. A direct quantitative measure of regulatory impact on innovation was constructed by transforming the economic measurement problem into a technological classification issue. The specific regulation investigated was the EU Council Directive 76/769/EEC, which contains 986 restrictions imposed on the marketing and use of 939 chemical substances. These restrictions were linked to 17 technological fields in the International Patent Classification. The data on patent applications was extracted from the ESPACE Bulletin database maintained by the European Patent Office. Given the increasing regulatory stringency, four questions were investigated: Did regulation spur patenting activity? Has there been a change in the geographical origin of patents? Has there been an increase in patenting concentration? Has there been a change in the direction of the patenting trend? These issues were examined at the aggregated level using descriptive statistics, panel data regressions, and the study of technological trend. Four case studies were conducted to illustrate strategies utilized by European and non-European firms. I found that most restrictions were imposed during the years of 1997 and 2003 and affected mainly technological areas associated with agrochemicals, polymers, and paints and dyes. In overall regulatory stringency impacted positively patenting activity. However, top players were impacted negatively. Consequently, there was a reduction in the concentration of innovative activity in highly regulated technological areas. Ma jor changes occurred in areas in which the largest number of restrictions were imposed. There was an overall increase in innovations associated with new processes and formulations, indicating increased incremental innovation and a shift from patenting in regulated to non-regulated applications. Hence, there was increasing patenting activity in areas that did not depend on novel substances or did not have an opportunity to innovate in non-regulated uses. By contrast, there was a sharp fall in the number of applications in areas in which these conditions did not exist. Two explanations for these results are proposed: “new” technologies benefit from regulatory stringency while “old” technologies are discouraged; regulation spurs the development of substitutes better adapted to the actual regulatory framework. Moreover, this thesis shows that the Porter hypothesis is supported for the chemical industry. Yet, this occurs not because firms innovate under more stringent regulation, but because it stimulates new entrants in the market of innovation.

Since James G. March introduced the concepts of exploration and exploitation in 1991, they have become ubiquitous in research on organizations and management. According to March (1991), exploration and exploitation are two sets of activities that allow systems (i.e., agents, either organizations or individuals) to adapt to their environment. On the one hand, exploitation activities are based on pre-existing knowledge, and consist of its implementation and/or refinement (e.g., production). On the other hand, exploration is based on knowledge that is not currently possessed by the system and, hence, refers to those activities that allow to acquire such new knowledge (e.g., search and experimentation). Scholars have produced a large number of contributions that have expanded our knowledge of exploration and exploitation even going beyond the initial boundaries of the field of organizational learning. Today, this large body of contributions that has developed over 30 years appears complex and divided into a plethora of research subfields (e.g., Almahendra and Ambos, 2015). Thus, research on exploration and exploitation has reached a level of conceptual and methodological sophistication that demands a high level of effort from researchers wishing to approach it. Among the multiple strands of emerging research, some scholars (such as Wilden et al., 2018) have recently begun to propose a return to the adoption of a behavioral approach to the study of exploration and exploitation. The earliest behavioral approach adopted in organizational studies is that of the "Carnegie School", which included Herbert Simon, Richard Cyert, and James March himself. Such an approach focuses the investigation of organizations on human behavior. In other words, adopting a behavioral approach involves studying organizations from the attitudes of their members, cognition, rationality, motivation, relationships, conflicts, and many other instances of psychological, economic, and social factors that influence human behavior (see, for example, March and Simon, 1958; Cyert and March, 1963). Today, this return to the behavioral approach is also associated with the "micro-foundations of strategy" movement (e.g., Felin et al., 2015) and so-called behavioral strategy (Powell et al., 2011). In essence, while the former is based on the importance of studying organizations and strategy by adopting a level of analysis below the collective/systemic (i.e., organizational) level, the latter includes all the elements that already characterized the behavioral approach (i.e., psychological, and social factors), reinforced by insights from the behavioral economics literature and the adoption of multiple methods, including experiments. This Doctoral dissertation enters this discussion and aims to investigate exploration and exploitation by adopting a behavioral approach, a "micro-foundational" perspective, and research methods that include laboratory experiments and computer simulations. The first study is a literature review paper with three purposes, each pursued in one of its three sections. First, it addresses the conceptual development of the exploration-exploitation literature that led to the emergence of the complex body of contributions mentioned above, providing a kind of "road map" of the research field based on the major literature reviews published over the past three decades. This is intended as a contribution towards researchers who want to take the first steps in the study of exploration-exploitation research. At the end of this road map, the paper by Wilden et al. (2018) is presented, linking the entire field of research to an emerging stream of research directed toward a return to James March's behavioral approach, enhanced by contributions in the areas of "micro-foundations" (e.g., Felin et al., 2015) and behavioral strategy (Powell et al., 2011). Second, based on the approach promoted in such research stream, a review of the literature on experimental studies of exploration and exploitation is provided. Laboratory experiments are considered key methods for advancing the study of exploration and exploitation by adopting a behavioral approach. Finally, the first essay is concluded with three suggested directions for further research: the improvement of existing conceptualizations through modeling, the further sophistication of existing experimental designs to capture features of managerial decision making that are currently beyond the scope of the state-of-the-art models underlying the mainly adopted experimental investigations, and the consideration of a multilevel approach to the study of individual exploration and exploitation, which consists of examining the variables that influence individual behavior at different organizational levels. The second study consists of an experimental investigation of the role of different sources of uncertainty on individual exploration-exploitation. It is based on the rationale underlying the third further research path proposed in the first study. Although an increasing adoption of laboratory experiments can be acknowledged in the research field, it is here argued that scholars have not experimentally disentangled the effects of two different types of uncertainty that emerge in the managerial and psychological literature, namely internal uncertainty, and external uncertainty. The former consists in the inability of individuals to predict future performance; while the latter results from the external environment and consists of unknown information about phenomena that may affect the final outcomes of a decision. The experimental design deployed in the study exposes a group of participants to the presence of the sole internal uncertainty, and a treatment group to the combined presence of the two sources. Findings show that the combined presence of these two sources of uncertainty may lead to the over-exploitation of initial routines, and, consequently, to the inability of individuals to exploit new opportunities stemming by alternatives discovered over time. Finally, the third study focuses on imitation, and exploration and exploitation, and builds on an agent-based model and computer simulations. This essay follows the first research trajectory suggested in the first study. While prominent research has defined imitation as a less costly alternative to experimentation (i.e., exploration), the possible role of imitation in the exploration-exploitation trade-off appears to be under-investigated. The interplay between imitation and exploration is rendered by the modeling of two types of agents: imitators and explorers. Differently from previous studies based on modeling, agent types are explicitly modeled as Simonian "satisficers". Experimentation is modeled as random search, whereas imitation builds on research on imitative heuristics. When engaging in adaptation in a competitive environment, both the types of agent experience "over-crowding" effects depending on the characteristics of their type. The paper concludes with the acknowledgement of limitations of the adopted model and proposes further investigation paths that include the calibration through experimental data.

La tesi ha l’obiettivo di analizzare il cambiamento organizzativo in una prospettiva di social network analysis, sfruttando dati longitudinali raccolti a seguito della modifica della struttura organizzativa in un Policlinico Universitario italiano. Il manoscritto è organizzativo in tre paper. Il primo paper si focalizza sul tema del rapporto tra network formali e network informali, analizzando come la modifica del primo comporti una corrispondente variazione nel secondo. Il paper dimostra come, in assenza di strutture organizzative ben formalizzate, gli individui tendono ad allacciare nuovi legami con colleghi che appartengono alla stessa specializzazione. Il secondo paper, invece, attingendo prettamente alla letteratura di comportamento organizzativo, analizza il tema della dinamicità del network, fornendo evidenze in relazione alla stabilità del network stesso a seguito del cambiamento. Particolare attenzione, è inoltre, dedicata alle dinamiche intra – team e al ruolo di quest’ultime nell’accettazione o meno del cambiamento. Infine, il terzo paper sviluppa il tema della network density e di come quest’ultima possa essere correlato al cambiamento organizzativo, in termini di reazione al cambiamento. Inoltre, si dimostra come la formalizzazione abbia un impatto positivo sulla densità del network, specie in contesti organizzativi caratterizzati da una bassa gerarchia e coordinamento orizzontale. / This thesis aims to analyze organizational change in a social network analysis perspective, exploiting longitudinal data collected after a modification of the organizational structure in an Italian Teaching Hospital The manuscript is organized into three papers. The first paper focuses on the theme of the relationship between formal networks and informal networks, analyzing how the modification of the first involves a corresponding variation in the second. The paper demonstrates how, in the absence of formalized organizational structures, individuals tend to establish new ties with colleagues who belong to the same specialization. The second paper, drawing purely from the organizational behavior literature, analyzes the issue of the network dynamics , providing evidence and antecedents for network stability in response to organizational change. Particular attention is also given to the intra - team dynamics and the impact of individual perception of collective properties in driving employees in accepting or not the organizational change. Finally, the third paper develops the theme of network density and how the latter can be related to organizational change, in terms of reaction to change. Furthermore, it is shown how formalization has a positive impact on network density, especially in organizational contexts characterized by a low hierarchy and horizontal coordination.

Il presente percorso di ricerca si è posto l’obiettivo di contribuire al consolidamento metodologico di una pianificazione strategica e di una programmazione operativa funzionali all’attività della pubblica amministrazione regionale. Si è analizzata l’esperienza di Regione Lombardia all’inizio della IX legislatura attraverso una impostazione metodologica basata su un longitudinal case study, allo scopo di individuare delle regolarità che potessero condurre verso una analitical generalization secondo un’ottica di policy research a garanzia della trasferibilità e della utilizzabilità delle regolarità tracciate. L’approccio sostanziale volto a fare emergere gli elementi, le tecniche, le metodologie e gli strumenti sviluppati ha permesso di riscontrare delle regolarità che sono indipendenti dal contesto particolare. Tra gli altri si citano l’importanza della continuità, l’integrazione e la trasversalità del processo, e la funzione fondamentale di una struttura organizzativa dedicata al processo strategico e di un sistema informativo a supporto. Si auspica che le considerazioni metodologiche di sintesi pongano le basi, in alcune amministrazioni regionali, per un ripensamento dei propri modelli e sistemi di pianificazione strategica e programmazione operativa. / The aim of this research is to contribute to the methodologic improvement of strategic and operation integrated planning in public administration system. Through a methodological approach based on a longitudinal case study, this work analyzes the experience of Lombardy Region at the begining of ninth legislature in order to identify regularities that could lead to a analitical generalization. A policy research approach has been usefull in order to guarantee susteinable future application in different regional contexts. The substantive approach has the aim to bring out the elements, techniques, methodologies and tools that have been developed in Lombardy experience. This allowes us to detect regularities that are independent of the particular context. Among others, for example, the importance of continuity, integration and versatility of the process, and the presence of a department dedicated and a supporting information system that support and implement strategic process. The hope is that the final methodological considerations will be usefull to some regional governments to re-model their strategic and operational processes and systems.

Questo lavoro di ricerca poggia sulla solida convinzione che sia necessario un salto di qualità sia negli investimenti in capitale intellettuale che nelle pratiche di gestione manageriale, al fine di attivare un processo di crescita di lungo corso che duri nel tempo. Dal momento che l'economia della conoscenza riveste una sempre maggiore importanza, questo studio ha verificato gli effetti che le pratiche HR e le capacità di rinnovamento possono esercitare sul capitale intellettuale al fine di creare un vantaggio competitivo sostenibile. Il modello adottato ha considerato il capitale intellettuale come la somma di tre componenti: capitale umano, capitale relazionale e capitale strutturale. In un ambiente dinamico, come l'attuale, il capitale intellettuale può essere il fattore chiave per ottenere un vantaggio competitivo sostenibile, dal momento che è raro, di valore e difficile da imitare o sostituire. Per questa ragione, il presente studio ha esaminato gli elementi decisivi per la gestione del capitale intellettuale in un ambiente competitivo turbolento valutando l'impatto delle componenti del capitale intellettuale sulla soddisfazione dei dipendenti e la qualità del servizio. I dati analizzati nell'ambito di questa ricerca sono stati raccolti attraverso questionari a cui hanno risposto varie realtà operanti nel settore finanziario in Italia e alcuni dei loro partner, operanti nel settore ICT, specializzati in attività ad alta intensità di capitale umano come lo sviluppo di applicazioni informatiche. Sono state individuati alcuni importanti risultati. In primo luogo, le capacità di rinnovamento mediano la relazione tra le pratiche HR e le componenti del capitale intellettuale. In secondo luogo, il capitale umano ha un impatto positivo diretto sulla qualità del servizio. In terzo luogo, il capitale strutturale influenza positivamente la soddisfazione dei collaboratori. Quindi, la soddisfazione dei collaboratori e la qualità del servizio sono alimentati e sostenuti da differenti fattori chiave: il capitale strutturale e il capitale umano rispettivamente. Da una prospettiva pratica e manageriale questi risultati sono molto interessanti al fine di deliberare l'allocazione delle risorse aziendali per ottenere delle configurazioni di capitale intellettuale efficaci. Le ricerche future potrebbero indagare i contribuiti dei differenti portatori d'interesse sugli antecedenti e conseguenti del capitale intellettuale valutando la capacità di produrre valore e, come conseguenza, la soddisfazione dei portatori d'interesse adottando un approccio di tipo managing-for-stakeholders. I fornitori e i clienti rivestono un ruolo centrale nelle dinamiche aziendali e per questo meritano particolare attenzione negli studi che saranno svolti nel prossimo futuro. / This work is rooted in the conviction that our economies need both better investments in intellectual capital and better management practices in order to achieve higher long-term growth. Starting acknowledging the increasing importance of the knowledge economy phenomenon, this study assessed the effects that HR practices and renewal capability can exert on firm’s intellectual capital in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The adopted model has considered intellectual capital as the sum of three components: human capital, relational capital and structural capital. In a dynamic environment, such as today’s competitive arena, intellectual capital can be the key factor to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage, because it is rare, valuable and difficult to imitate or substitute. For this reason, the present study has examined the key drivers to manage intellectual capital in a turbulent environment evaluating the impact of firm’s intellectual capital components on employees’ satisfaction and service quality. This research has gathered data through surveys of various Italian business units operating in the financial sector and some of their ICT partners specialised in human capital-intensive activities such as software development. A set of findings has been generated. First, renewal capability mediates the relationships between HR practices and all intellectual capital components. Second, human capital has a direct positive relationship with service quality. Third, structural capital has a direct positive relationship with employees’ satisfaction. Hence, employees’ satisfaction and service quality are nurtured and fostered by different crucial drivers: structural capital and human capital respectively. From a managerial and practical perspective these findings are very interesting in order to deliberating the allocation of firms’ resources to obtain effective intellectual capital configurations. Future researches may investigate the contributions of different stakeholders to the antecedents of intellectual capital as well as the contributions to its consequences in order to produce value and, in turn, stakeholders’ satisfaction adopting a managing-for-stakeholders approach. Suppliers and customers play a central role and for this reason they deserve particular attention in future studies.

La presente tesi si propone di comprendere come le organizzazioni chiamate ad agire in mercati complessi siano in grado di produrre, sedimentare, utilizzare, condividere e rendere disponibile la propria conoscenza. La ricerca si focalizza sulle organizzazioni creative legate all'artigianato d’eccellenza in quanto realtà ancora poco esplorate e all'interno delle quali il tema proposto è percepito in misura crescente. Dallo studio emergono due risultati significativi raggiunti grazie all’elaborazione di una review della letteratura e di un’indagine qualitativa condotta sul campo. Il primo risultato è la constatazione di un recente interesse da parte degli studi accademici per il tema della conoscenza e del suo trasferimento con riferimento alle industrie creative dell’artigianato d’eccellenza. Il secondo risultato mette in risalto la relazione tra trasferimento del saper fare e creazione di manufatti d’eccellenza, e riconosce il maestro d’arte come figura cruciale di questo processo di trasferimento della conoscenza (knowledge transfer) in quanto detentore di un sapere che costituisce ed alimenta il valore unico ed esclusivo dei manufatti. Il lavoro proposto riconosce quindi nel sapere dei maestri d’arte una risorsa cardine da valorizzare e trasmettere, in quanto leva di sviluppo di sistemi produttivi basati sulla qualità, sull’eccellenza e sulla differenziazione. / The goal of this study is to understand how organizations operating in a complex market are able to produce, leave sediment, use, share and make available their knowledge. The focus is on arts & crafts creative industries as still insufficiently investigated organizations, although the proposed theme is increasingly perceived. This study presents two significant results achieved thanks to a literature review and a qualitative field research. The first result is the identification of a unprecedented interest of academic studies for the issue of knowledge and its transfer relevant to arts & crafts creative industries. The second result focuses on the relationship between knowledge transfer and creation of artifacts of excellence. In this second part of the study, the craftsman is a critical factor in the process of knowledge transfer as holder of a knowledge which constitutes and nurtures the sole and the exclusive value of the products. In the present dissertation the knowledge of these craftsmen emerges as a key resource that must be valued and transmitted as lever of development of production systems based on quality, excellence and differentiation.