Alessandro Edoardo Giorgio David Di Mattia

• Mattia, Alessandro Di & Krumer, Alex (2025). The effect of reducing the number of matches in round-robin tournaments with four teams: evidence from beach volleyball. Annals of Operations Research. ISSN 0254-5330. 360(2026)(2-3), p. 951–977. doi: 10.1007/s10479-025-06933-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract In recent years, many sports tournaments have increased the number of participating teams, which resulted in larger number of matches. These expansions have raised many calls to reduce the number of matches because of significant logistical and physiological concerns. This paper examines the effects of reducing the number of matches in a widely used round-robin tournament format featuring four teams. We leverage a 2017 structural change in professional beach volleyball, where the number of matches per team in the round-robin (pool) stage was reduced from three to two. Utilising data from 6976 matches, our multivariate regression analyses reveal that this reduction does not impact the probability of a favourite team winning a single match nor the overall tournament's efficacy, measured by the final standings' alignment with teams' initial strengths. These findings hold across different strength definitions and genders. Our study offers insights for sports seeking to expand the number of teams while preserving a four-team round-robin structure.

• Mattia, Alessandro Di & Krumer, Alex (2023). Fewer teams, more games, larger attendance? : evidence from the structural change in basketball's EuroLeague. European Journal of Operational Research. ISSN 0377-2217. 309(1), p. 359–370. doi: 10.1016/j.ejor.2023.01.002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigated whether an increased number of games between a reduced number of high-quality teams has a positive effect on stadium attendance. We did this by taking advantage of a recent structural change that occurred in basketball's EuroLeague tournament. Starting from the 2016/17 season, the two short round-robin tournaments (regular season and Top 16) among 24 teams merged into a longer round-robin tournament among 16 teams. In the new structure, the number of each team's games per season increased by more than 25 percent, which increased the aggregate attendance. In our empirical analyses, we investigated attendance per game by using data from the three seasons before and after the change. Comparing the attendance of the same teams that played before and after the change, our fixed effects estimation reveals a significant decrease of close to nine percent in attendance per game after the change compared to the Top 16 stage. We also found no significant difference in attendance after the change compared to the regular season before the change. Finally, we found that the main decrease in attendance after the change appears in the first half of the season, when the games are likely to be perceived as less decisive than in the second half of the season. Keywords: OR in sports, round-robin, attendance demand, basketball, time allocation

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• Batwa, Abbas & Mattia, Alessandro Di (2024). Blockchain adoption in the automotive industry supply chain : a Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) perspective. Høgskolen i Molde - Vitenskapelig høgskole i logistikk. ISSN 9788279623656. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose: Blockchain Technology (BCT) promises significant advancements in traceability, transparency, and process efficiency in supply chain management (SCM). Despite BCT's potential and the growing interest in the technology, theoretical exploration of BCT adoption in SCM remains limited, particularly in the automotive industry. This study aims to utilize the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explore BCT adoption in the automotive industry’s supply chain. Methodology: This research uses an inductive qualitative approach with multiple case studies. It includes Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the automotive sector. The sample includes 15-20 participants who have applied or tested BCT projects, representing diverse BCT features and different supply chain perspectives. Findings: Expected findings suggest that specific BCT features, such as public versus private blockchains and their consensus mechanisms, significantly impact perceived ease of use and usefulness. These factors will likely influence BCT adoption decisions in the automotive industry’s SCM. Contributions: The study will benefit supply chain managers and decision-makers by helping them better understand key factors influencing BCT adoption, which can aid in developing strategies for successful implementation.

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