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Politically adrift, alienated from Weimar society, and fearful of competition from industrial elites and the working class alike, the independent artisans of interwar Germany were a particularly receptive audience for National Socialist ideology. As Hitler consolidated power, they emerged as an important Nazi constituency, drawn by the party's rejection of both capitalism and Bolshevism. Yet, in the years after 1945, the artisan class became one of the pillars of postwar stability, thoroughly integrated into German society.From Craftsmen to Capitalists gives the first account of this astonishing transformation, exploring how skilled tradesmen recast their historical traditions and forged alliances with former antagonists to help realize German democratization and recovery.

Celebrates the phenomenon of adult fans of LEGO products, elevating the toy into a pop-culture icon, art medium, and key factor in robotics technology, as the author copes with becoming a master model builder and a father.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation. Design/methodology/approach The literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations. Findings Three main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance\" and \"tacit knowledge\", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications This paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing. Practical implications By pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production. Originality/value Analyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of \"knowing talent\" and \"tradition\", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations.

Spiritual capital is one of the essential intellectual capital that drives individuals and organizations to run the business following the law and standards. As a result, organizations can gain trust and integrity by following the rules and affecting their competitive advantages. This study analyzes competitive advantage based on spiritual capital, innovative work behavior, and organizational learning, which are reflected in two dimensions: exploratory and exploitative learning. The research population was 53 businesspersons of handicraft industries in the Malang City of Indonesia selected by saturated sampling techniques. A research instrument collected data in a structured questionnaire distributed to business people; the data were analyzed with SmartPLS 3.0. The results are interesting because they showed that spiritual capital did not significantly affect competitive advantage, both directly with a coefficient of 0.090 and as a mediator with a coefficient of 0.030 for innovative work behavior on competitive advantages. Other results of this study concluded that innovative work behavior was affected significantly by exploratory learning with a coefficient of 0.412 and exploitative learning with a coefficient of 0.139. Indirectly, exploratory and exploitative learning have a significant impact on spiritual capital with a coefficient of 0.139 for exploratory learning and 0.112 for exploitative learning. Spiritual capital was affected significantly by innovative work behavior with a coefficient of 0.331, and innovative work behavior affected competitive advantages with a coefficient of 0.371.

Purpose This study aims to establish a relationship between creative tourism and experiences in the traditional handicrafts of Barcelos (Portugal). Based on a qualitative approach, it also aims at analyzing the failures and absences from the tourist market by creating new proposals and responses to the demand. The conceptual framework of this study develops three proposals: first, to present new concepts and opportunities for the tourism market; second, to establish a direct relationship between the local traditional handicrafts, creative tourism and experiences; and finally, to promote traditions that add value to the local development. Design/methodology/approach This study uses an ethnographic case analysis research design to investigate the propositions (ten in-depth interviews with technicians and artisans in Barcelos, Portugal). The key constructs are drawn from empirical research among handicraftsmen in which data analysis was carried out based on a qualitative analysis. Findings The results suggest the experience, knowledge and importance of learning this dynamic in an entrepreneurship tourism perspective. Creative tourism and experiences are growing and strengthening the territories and consumer satisfaction in specific artisan, cultural and tourism entrepreneurship contexts. Research limitations/implications This study fills a large gap in the territorial market, associating the knowledge of new concepts with the success of the tourism entrepreneurship. The findings provide solutions for helping handicraftsmen to improve their decision-making logic and increase the speed of market growth. There has been an increased emphasis on local and handmade goods that are linked to the culture and tourism of specific destinations. Originality/value Tourism managers and artisan entrepreneurs can use the outcome of this study to gain in-depth understanding of customer experiences (i.e. consumers of local handicrafts) and develop effective marketing strategies and further stage the operational environment that can maximize customers’ perceived experiential value.

Purpose This study aims to analyze the territory as a distinctive factor through which the concept and practice of “Made in Italy” operates. Specifically, the study considers the role of local and sub-national entrepreneurial collaborations that preserve and enhance factors such as history, style and talent as the essence of Italian “quality” and as the pillar of Italian territorial capitalism. Design/methodology/approach The research examines this Italian phenomenon by investigating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that successfully compete abroad (and also in the domestic market) with a “glocal” approach, adopting the entrepreneurial formula of industrial districts. Findings The results indicate that international expansion is becoming increasingly more complex (as is every growth/development strategy) but that “glocalism” could represent a potential driver for the success of internationalization strategies. Specifically, for SMEs operating in industrial districts, territorial capitalism could emerge as a unique competitive factor, because it is a component of local structural capital and global reputational capital, as in the case of “Made in Italy.” Originality/value In an increasingly globalized market environment, many companies look to foreign markets to maintain and expand competitive advantage and business performance. Once the companies embark on this endeavor, organizations are involved in governing and managing these networks of finance, production and communication and the distribution-related relationships that constitute globalization. The push to engage in international development is currently imperative for SMEs, which need to extend their business engagement beyond conventional local markets and identify and exploit their distinctive competitive advantage to be able to succeed. One possible way of achieving this is the close interaction with the local territories in which these enterprises reside.

The purpose of this article is to analyze resilient female leadership as a sustainable promoter of business excellence in small and medium-sized Wayuu handicraft marketing enterprises. The present study uses a quantitative methodology with a non-experimental cross-sectional field design, with an analysis and interpretation of the data provided by the surveyed subjects. A 33-item questionnaire with multiple response options is applied. The population consists of 110.012 eradicated women. A probabilistic sampling technique is applied with a margin of error of 5% and a confidence level of 95%, for a total of 383 Wayuu women entrepreneurs in the Department of La Guajira, Colombia. Our findings explain that female leadership transcends the boundaries of business management, being present in both small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study confirms the positive relationship between sustainability and resilience in the Wayuu handicrafts market, being women who turn their actions into success factors by working with women who show technical, conceptual, and human skills.

Purpose – Technology is considered a tool of competency enhancement and a source of innovation and competitive advantage for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although many studies examined the drivers and barriers of technology adoption in SMEs, little is known about handicraft companies (HCs) operating in emerging market settings. This paper aims to analyse and better understand HCs’ attitudes and behaviours towards technology implementation. Design/Methodology/Approach – We conducted an in-depth qualitative analysis to uncover the idiosyncratic experiences related to new technology adoption in HCs located in Morocco. We drew on the underlying principles of grounded theory approach because it allows for new realities and novel interpretations of complex phenomena to emerge directly from the field. Findings – We developed a grounded theory of technology adoption in HCs operating in emerging market settings. This resulted in the identification of a comprehensive process that managers rely on before deciding on a new technology, which is composed of three stages: (1) need recognition, (2) technology approval, and (3) adoption decision. We have also uncovered the intervening conditions that play a crucial role in technology-related decision-making at each stage. Practical Implications – Our study could help managers to gain an in-depth understanding of the intricacies associated with technology adoption in HCs and to be better equipped when attempting to implement new technologies in their own entrepreneurial firms. Originality/Value – This research goes beyond the mere identification of obstacles and motives of technology adoption by advancing a well-defined framework for usage in the understudied handicraft sector in emerging market settings.

Purpose This paper aims to analyse and discuss five longitudinal case studies in which the authors have investigated how, in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. the arts and crafts organizations, knowledge can be systematized and transferred, becoming a real source of competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach As no prior empirical research on the relationship among knowledge, knowledge transfer the role of craftsmen is available, an exploratory, qualitative research design seems advisable to study the phenomenon in detail. In setting up a multiple case study, the authors established a sampling frame of criteria associated with the theoretical background and research interest of this study: the case firms had to be arts and crafts organizations well-known for the high quality and value of their artifacts and have a solid reputation for preserving the tradition and the uniqueness of their manufacturing processes. Findings It has emerged the importance of craftsmen within arts and crafts organizations, whose know-how and technical skills are high valued by colleagues, by the market (customers), within the society and the territory where they operate. The knowledge acquired and retained by the craftsmen becomes therefore crucial for the survival of the arts and crafts organizations and for their profitability in the long term. Research limitations/implications From the empirical investigation, it has emerged a certain unawareness at managerial level of the strategic relevance of the craftsmen knowhow and skills and of how to practically and effectively transfer their knowledge to a future generation of young craftsmen to continue to satisfy a unique and exclusive market demand. Furthermore, it has emerged the lack of a common knowledge transfer policy to different organizations. Therefore, it has not been possible to define a standard framework for the knowledge transfer process because it is influenced by the organizational structure, the management style of the organization owner (very often a family that retains the totality of the organization shares/quota), the social context and the territory where the organization is located, as well as the target market and the specific niche of customers who buy the organization’s products. This result represents a potential threat for the survival of arts and crafts organizations in the long run. Practical implications A common result that has emerged is that craftsmen play a crucial role for the success of arts and crafts organizations, through the creation and production of exclusive, high value products; hence, it is crucial to preserve and transfer properly their knowhow and skills. This result is particularly relevant for the world of practice: in a time where globalization demands for the relocation of production processes and technology automates several job tasks, the variegated world of arts and crafts, where the handmade abilities and skills of craftsmen cannot be replicate, imitate or standardize, becomes extremely important for the economy of several countries, among which Italy. Social implications At social level, the activity of arts and crafts organizations help preserve the uniqueness and exclusivity of the heritage and culture of the territory where they are located, and reflect the tradition of such territory, the knowhow and ability of its inhabitants and help preserve this unique reservoir of competences and knowhow. Originality/value The contribution builds on the lack of practical understanding of the relationship between knowledge and the role played by craftsmen in the knowledge transfer process within arts and crafts organizations, and how effective such process is realized. This because despite the interest of many authors toward both knowledge management and transfer within the creative industry, there is a lack of studies aimed at linking systematically these two research areas. This is a relevant issue since knowledge in creative industries mainly refers to the traditions and values at the basis of an organization’s culture, tends to manifest itself in a tacit way and is difficult to analyze because it mainly exists in the mind of individuals as the result of their working experience not expressed in an explicit form.