Eastern Macedonia Research Articles

Motivation and Habits of a Wild Boar-Hunting Community.

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a widespread ungulate, the populations of which have recently increased throughout most of its range. This increase has caused negative impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, and society. Nowadays, the wild boar is considered both a valuable game and a pest. Wildlife managers need to know the habits and motivations of wild boar hunters, a key stakeholder group, for effectively managing this controversial mammal. We carried out face-to-face interviews with 134 wild boar hunters in the Evros Prefecture, in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, northern Greece to determine their hunting habits and their motivation for hunting. Most hunters owned a hunting dog (84.3%), hunted in groups of eight to nine people for 48 days, traveled 60 km, stayed outdoors for 4 nights, and spent weekly EUR 61 on average in each hunting season. Two motivations for wild boar hunting were prominent among the hunters (assessed on a 5-point scale; 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree): a strong recreation motivation (hunting as a recreational activity; mean score 4.159 ± 1.144 SD) and a considerable utility motivation (hunting for its use values; 3.404 ± 1.11). Both recreation and utility motivations were positively associated with the preference for further increases in wild boar populations. Sociodemographic characteristics and hunting habits variously affected motivations and preferred future population trends. The findings revealed specific habits and strong motivations among hunters. Such findings will be useful for designing and implementing education and outreach programs for informing hunters about the negative impacts of wild boars and the need for their control. The participation of hunters in the management process will be critical for its success.

A Groundbreaking Insight Into Primary Care Physiotherapists' Remuneration.

Introduction Physiotherapy in Greece, as part of primary health care (PHC), faces sound imbalances: reduced quality, productivity, and efficiency, along with rather inflexible remuneration schemes. This study is aimed at reporting the attitude and perceptions of Greek PHC physiotherapists towardtheir current remuneration and also at identifying any other preferable remuneration schemes. Methods A stratified proportional sampling study was undertaken, using an anonymous, electronic survey. The participants were 250 self-employed physiotherapists running their business in Central and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, being also contracted with the National Organisation for Healthcare Provision (EOPYY). The sample size stands for 34% of the population with a circa 5% margin of error. Results Nearly 9/10 physiotherapists (84%) underline that remuneration falls short of their productivity, leading to reduced job satisfaction. Moreover, their remuneration does not motivate them to provide services of higher quality (46%), while 58% of them stated that they are forced to claim informal fees. There is no clear desire regarding the remuneration scheme, but nearly ¼ of physiotherapists revealed their preference for the cost-per-case philosophy combined with co-payments. Conclusion The majority of physiotherapists believe that their current remuneration does not reflect their productivity nor the quality of their services and, therefore, informal payments arise. The preference of physiotherapists lies between cost-per-case fees and patient co-payments, which, however, favors supplier-induced demand and access inequalities, respectively. Hence, policymakers should revise the current remuneration scheme and overcome its deficiencies without creating new ones.

The Spring to Coast Approach in Small-Scale Catchments and Adjacent Coastal Zone

Surface waters, particularly rivers, are paramount in serving as the primary global water source and a pivotal economic driver. Various pollution sources can negatively impact water quality. The Water Framework Directive has established regulations that define specific chemical and ecological statuses for rivers. Consequently, there is an ongoing commitment to monitor their quality closely. This study involved the collection of samples from two watersheds (Laspias and Lissos) within the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Region. The two rivers flow along regions characterized by notable environmental stressors, including WWTP, landfills, industrial zones, and agricultural areas, which also constitute substantial contributors to the local economy. This study’s outcomes, covering from springs to coast, are presented and analyzed using various indices, including the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI), discriminate analysis, and the trophic status index (TRIX). Water quality assessment included the measurement of physicochemical parameters, common pollutants, and major ions. The analysis revealed “bad” water quality status along most of the Laspias and in specific sectors of the Lissos, with parameters exceeding the thresholds set by legislation. The rivers demonstrated significant organic and nutrient pollution. Given that water quality in these rivers is significantly influenced by urban, agricultural, and industrial runoff, the imperative need for change necessitates interventions to improve water quality. Observations and measurements are fundamental prerequisites for raising awareness among citizens and stakeholders and for finding effective management measures for the two river basins.

A general method for multi–hazard intensity assessment for cultural resources: Implementation in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece

The protection of cultural resources from natural and human–induced hazards has been an area of intense scientific interest over time. The literature highlights that, despite the intensive research efforts to date, there is a lack of a commonly accepted hazard assessment framework that supports decision–making to limit their negative effects and contribute to the protection of cultural heritage. In this paper a general method for assessing the intensity of multiple hazards on cultural resources is developed and applied. The proposed method utilizes a) the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), b) open geospatial hazard data and c) an original 7–step integrated method developed in this research. Key features of the proposed method are its ability to consider and synthesize intensities of both quantitative hazards such as earthquake, flood and hazards expressed on a qualitative scale, such as wildfire and landslide. The proposed method is applied to assess the exposure of 918 cultural resources of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece, to earthquake, flood, landslide, sea level rise, wildfire, soil erosion and industrial–technological accident and develop an aggregate multi–hazard intensity index (mhii) for each of the cultural resources in this region. The proposed method can be applied to hazard intensity assessment for resources other than cultural, such as the human capital of a region, infrastructure, environment, and economic facilities. This provides researchers, scientists, and managers of cultural sites with a tool to set priorities for the design of appropriate mitigation strategies to reduce the negative impacts of hazards.

Review of the Messor semirufus complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Greece

Messor is a diverse genus of Myrmicinae with 168 extant species and subspecies. In the Mediterranean, some of its taxa historically were classified as members of the Messor instabilis group (sensu Santschi), of which 19 are known from the eastern Mediterranean. Here, the Messor semirufus complex of the Balkan Peninsula that assembles a distinct subsection of members of the instabilis group is defined and treated. In total, five species are recorded, including three that are new. Messor atanassovii Atanassov, 1982 is redescribed and confirmed for Bulgaria (Thracian Plain, Struma, and Mesta Valley, Pirin Mt., and Eastern Rhodopi) and Greece (Epirus, Ionian Islands, Central and Eastern Macedonia, and Thraki). Three species are described as new to science: Messor danaes Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, sp. nov. (Cyclades: Serifos), Messor kardamenae Salata & Borowiec, sp. nov. (Dodecanese: Kos, Nisyros, Rhodes, and Tilos), and Messor veneris Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, sp. nov. (Cyclades: Milos). The fifth member of the complex, Messor creticus Borowiec & Salata, 2019, maintains its status of Cretan endemic.

Measles Immunity Status of Greek Population after the Outbreak in 2017-2018: Results from a Seroprevalence National Survey.

Accurate data on susceptibility rates against measles in the general population of Greece are scarce. Many studies have estimated the vaccination coverage, but none have calculated the nationwide immunity rate, including all age groups, against the measles virus. The purpose of our study was to determine the measles immunity status, especially after the latest outbreak in 2017-2018. In total, 3972 leftover blood samples were obtained during 2020-2021. They were collected from a nationwide laboratory network using a geographically stratified sampling strategy and were tested for the presence of measles-specific IgG antibodies. The overall crude seroprevalence was calculated to be 89.6% and the adjusted was 89.8% (95% CI: 88.8-90.8%). There was no statistically significant difference in seropositivity between sexes (p = 0.783). Higher immunity rates and antibody concentrations were found in older age groups ≥41 years old (94.9%, 95% CI: 93.7-95.9%, and 730.0 mIU/mL) in comparison with younger individuals aged 1-40 years old (83.4%, 95% CI: 81.6-85.7%, and 616.5 mIU/mL). Comparing the seroprevalence among the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 2), a statistically significant difference was estimated among them (<0.001). The two regions where higher measles incidence was observed during the 2017-2018 outbreak, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and Western Greece, were among the four regions with lower seropositivity (84.6%, 95% CI: 79.9-89.4%, and 85.9%, 95% CI: 81.4-90.4%, respectively). Our study showed a measles immunity gap that affects the younger age groups and makes a new measles outbreak likely. The enforcement of vaccination campaigns and addressing vaccine hesitancy could bridge it and achieve the required target of herd immunity.

Coastal Water Quality Modelling Using E. coli, Meteorological Parameters and Machine Learning Algorithms.

In this study, machine learning models were implemented to predict the classification of coastal waters in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (EMT) concerning Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentration and weather variables in the framework of the Directive 2006/7/EC. Six sampling stations of EMT, located on beaches of the regional units of Kavala, Xanthi, Rhodopi, Evros, Thasos and Samothraki, were selected. All 1039 samples were collected from May to September within a 14-year follow-up period (2009-2021). The weather parameters were acquired from nearby meteorological stations. The samples were analysed according to the ISO 9308-1 for the detection and the enumeration of E. coli. The vast majority of the samples fall into category 1 (Excellent), which is a mark of the high quality of the coastal waters of EMT. The experimental results disclose, additionally, that two-class classifiers, namely Decision Forest, Decision Jungle and Boosted Decision Tree, achieved high Accuracy scores over 99%. In addition, comparing our performance metrics with those of other researchers, diversity is observed in using algorithms for water quality prediction, with algorithms such as Decision Tree, Artificial Neural Networks and Bayesian Belief Networks demonstrating satisfactory results. Machine learning approaches can provide critical information about the dynamic of E. coli contamination and, concurrently, consider the meteorological parameters for coastal waters classification.

Evaluation of Outpatient Access to the Greek Health System Considering the Constraints of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the way healthcare is delivered in most healthcare systems around the world. It is now known that, in addition to the medical and economic impact of the pandemic on societies, there is another unmet medical need due to the difficulties and barriers that have existed and may still exist in the provision of health services at the primary care level in public hospitals. In Greece, there appears to have been a similar problem in citizens' access to health care in the country's public hospitals, which negatively affected the satisfaction of outpatients and significantly prevented them from receiving the medical care they needed. Methods This study relied on two international questionnaires; the Visit Specific Satisfaction(VSQ-9), an instrument measuring patients' satisfaction with their visit to the physician, and the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short-Form(PSQ-18), consisting of 18 questions measuring both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The questionnaires were collected electronically between 01.03.22 and 20.03.22 from two hundred and three outpatient residents of the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Greece. Results The results of the study show that satisfaction of hospital outpatient department users is positively influenced by both access to medical care after the last visit (p=0.008 < 0.05) and frequency of visits (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.178, p=0.012). In addition, lower satisfaction with access to care was found among participants with the lowest income (p=0.010) and those with a chronic illness (p=0.002), which was attributed to pandemic limitations in access to health care services in public hospital outpatient departments. Regarding the overall satisfaction of participants, 40.9% were dissatisfied, and 32.5% were dissatisfied with specific hospital services. Conclusions It was found that patients were hindered from accessing medical care in the hospital due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic. This seemed to cause problems both in accessing a specialist and in making appointments. Half of the outpatients in the samplereported having difficulty communicating with the hospital to make an appointment or to access medical services in general. A relationship was also found between patient satisfaction and the quality of services provided, in terms of medical services offered, such as their availability, and patient satisfaction with the appropriate information they receive from physicians during the pandemic period. The study also found that long-term care hospitals need to improve patient satisfaction with existing medical services.

Regional and interregional networks of ancient Eleon during the early 12th century BCE as seen from the petrographic and neutron activation analyses of pottery

AbstractIn this article, we present the results of application of petrographic and neutron activation analyses to a group of pottery fragments dating to the 12th century BCE deriving from ancient Eleon (Boeotia, Greece) as a means of investigating regional and interregional networks in which the site participated. Production centres in Boeotia and central Euboea provided, as could be expected, the majority of sampled pottery across various shapes. A number of more distant areas, however, such as eastern Attica, the Cyclades, Macedonia, and western Crete, are also documented in the present study, suggesting their products were available to local consumers at ancient Eleon. These results are discussed with reference to consumer preferences and exchange networks operating at that time. Finally, some of the identified petrographic and chemical groups can be securely identified at the macroscopic level, allowing us to arrive at conclusions pertinent to a substantial part of the entire pottery assemblage.

Economic Valuation of Balkan Chamois Conservation

The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is a caprine of the rocky mountain slopes, threatened in Greece by illegal hunting and population isolation. We used a contingent valuation method to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) for chamois conservation of 500 residents of the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Most of the participants (61.6%) were WTP a mean of EUR 41.6 for chamois conservation, totaling EUR 6.03 million for the target population. Attitudes toward and knowledge about chamois, moralistic worldviews (spiritual reverence and ethical concern for nature and wildlife), participation in wildlife-related consumptive outdoor activities (i.e., hunting and fishing), intention to participate in conservation actions for the species, and encounters with the species in the wild were positively associated with WTP for its conservation. Dominionistic worldviews (humans have mastery, physical control, and dominance of wildlife) were negatively associated with WTP, while highly educated females with high income were more WTP for implementing relevant conservation actions. Factors involving previous knowledge of the chamois positively influenced the WTP, thus, confirming the construct's bias toward charismatic species. The findings show that Greek residents highly value the chamois and its conservation and would be useful for advising this process and achieving its conservation management.

Hierarchy of Hiking Trails using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to highlight the natural environment

Hiking on trails is an activity to improve the quality of human life, a strategy for the development of the tourist activity and highlighting the natural wealth of region. The present study deals with the hiking trails of the Municipality of Samothrace (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece). In this study, the trails were classified based on criteria with the contribution of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, which determined the weights of the criteria. Seven criteria (Starting Elevation, Summit Elevation, Slope, Degree of Difficulty, Length, Hiking Time, and Starting Point Distance from the City) which are considered important for the selection of a hiking trail by hikers were compared pairwise and based on the results the hiking trails classified. The Analytical Hierarchy Process can help and guide both managers and people who make decisions about the sustainable use and protection of the natural environment, and hikers who consider the criteria for trail selection. In this way, priorities can be set for the maintenance of existing trails and the design of new ones.

The effect of the forest road network on grassland ecosystems with the contribution of the SWOT-AHP method

Forest road edges are habitats for many grassland species because these species grow in open environments with sufficient light. The study area was the Regional Unit of Kavala (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece). The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) were recorded according to the literature review and the criteria were also ranked using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. According to the comparison of the SWOT criteria, Strengths occupy a percentage of 43.6%, followed by Weaknesses and Threats with a percentage of 24.5% and 17.3% respectively. Opportunities have the smallest percentage (14.6%). Regarding the sub-criteria of Strengths, the sub-criteria “The edges of forest roads protect high plant diversity, and a significant degree of endemism” ranks first with a percentage of 32.4%. From the comparison of the sub-criteria of Weaknesses, the sub-criteria “Forest roads create gaps by removing vegetation and divide the ecosystem” occupies the first place with a percentage of 37.9%. After comparing the sub-criteria of Opportunities, the sub-criterion “Through the forest road network there is access to new areas (grassland ecosystems)” receives the largest percentage (46.6%). The biggest Threat is the sub-criterion “The road network probably contributes to global macroclimate change” with a percentage of 52.4%.

Detection and prevention of risks of public and national social policies

The present research effort attempts to achieve the detection of issues involved in the exercise of public/national social policy in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in Greece. The data was collected in May–October 2019, through the Community Centers of the social services of the region’s municipalities. The main method of analysis was clustering (two-step cluster analysis). The survey will also attempt to monitor the coverage of the needs not only of vulnerable population groups but also of the general population in need of social policy services (Center for Healthy Aging, 2004). Social welfare in the countries of Southern Europe appears, as far as funding is concerned, as a neglected pillar of social protection. It is a commitment of the state to meet the needs of all population groups. These needs are not standardized, do not have a defined problem framework and have a high degree of differentiation. New social risks cannot be dealt with by passive forms of intervention. These risks create enough insecurity and uncertainty in maintaining a minimum level of decent living (Velte, 2023). The exercise of social policy means all statutory measures and applied policies or informal practices aimed at preventing and addressing the needs not only of vulnerable population groups but also of the general population of the territory, both at the reception stage with the state services and at the stage of integration or “rehabilitation” of individuals.

The Impact of Ambient Temperature on Cardiorespiratory Mortality in Northern Greece

It is well-established that exposure to non-optimum temperatures adversely affects public health, with the negative impact varying with latitude, as well as various climatic and population characteristics. This work aims to assess the relationship between ambient temperature and mortality from cardiorespiratory diseases in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in Northern Greece. For this, a standard time-series over-dispersed Poisson regression was fit, along with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM), using a maximum lag of 21 days, to capture the non-linear and delayed temperature-related effects. A U-shaped relationship was found between temperature and cardiorespiratory mortality for the overall population and various subgroups and the minimum mortality temperature was observed around the 65th percentile of the temperature distribution. Exposure to extremely high temperatures was found to put the highest risk of cardiorespiratory mortality in all cases, except for females which were found to be more sensitive to extreme cold. It is remarkable that the highest burden of temperature-related mortality was attributed to moderate temperatures and primarily to moderate cold. The elderly were found to be particularly susceptible to both cold and hot thermal stress. These results provide new evidence on the health response of the population to low and high temperatures and could be useful to local authorities and policy-makers for developing interventions and prevention strategies for reducing the adverse impact of ambient temperature.

Atmospheric circulation types and floods' occurrence; A thorough analysis over Greece

Floods have a direct impact on the society and the environment, causing human losses, affecting individual incomes and national economic activity including infrastructure damages. Atmospheric circulation is strongly related to both mean and extreme climate, with the latter being the driving force of adverse phenomena, such as inundations. The overarching goal of the research is the identification of those atmospheric circulation patterns that are associated with catastrophic flood events over Greece. An updated atmospheric classification scheme consisted of 12 circulation types (5 anticyclonic and 7 cyclonic) is implemented to detect and highlight the flood-dominant circulation types over the domain of interest. It is established that for a 7-year period (from 2012 to 2018), where reliable flood inventories are available as a derivative of the European Union (EU) Flood Directive implementation process, the dominant circulation type is the cyclonic type C with its center to be located over the Cyclades area. The study also reveals that during the most severe floods, the prevailing cyclonic types are substantially deeper than their mean anomaly field. Finally, out of the 14 River Basin Districts of Greece, Thrace (EL14) is the more flood prone area, while Eastern Macedonia (EL11) is far less flood affected. The introduced Floods' Frequency Vulnerability index (FFVI) showed that in the case of significant floods, Western Peloponnese (EL01) and Epirus (EL05) are the most vulnerable River Basin Districts. The proposed methodology of coupling circulation types with flood occurrences can be applied in all EU Member-States and set the base of effective floods' prediction mechanisms at River Basin Districts scales.

The Emergence of Metal Use in Greek Eastern Macedonia During the Neolithic Period (Late 6th–5th Millennia BC)

Copper, gold, and silver artefacts, together with evidence of metallurgical activities, have been retrieved from Late Neolithic strata in several settlements in Greek Eastern Macedonia. Recent excavations at Dikili Tash revealed that gold was further used in paints for the decoration of pottery. It appears that the area’s inhabitants had a great familiarity with different metals and the distinct stages of the production-elaboration processes, including those interfering with other chaînes opératoires. Considering also the results from geological research, we propose a reflection on the socio-economic role of metal production and consumption for these societies, in their broader Balkan context.

Sustainable Stormwater Management at Urban Expansion Areas of Potential Significant Flood Risk

The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) for the Greek territory, according to European Directive 2007/60/EC, was completed in 2012 and was revised in 2019. Areas of Potential Significant Flood Risk (APSFR) were defined (and revised) for each River Basin District (RBD). Meanwhile, in 2018, the Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) were approved - by Greek Authorities - for each RBD. In the FRMPs specific measures are proposed for the funding of Stormwater Management (SM) projects that will be designed according to the principles of Sustainable Development (SD), i.e., Best Management Practices (BMPs), Green Infrastructure (GI), Low Impact Development (LID), Urban Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). Within this framework, a preliminary study is drawn up in order to specify some innovative proposals for Sustainable Stormwater Management (SSM) in three areas located into the APSFR of RBD ‘EL11’ (Eastern Macedonia), located in Northern Greece. Two of these areas, Perigiali and Nea Peramos are coastal, while the third one, Doxato, is a continental, plain area. Urban expansion plans are approved for all three cases. The study proposes the implementation of an Innovative Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP) for each area.

Assessment of Potentially Toxic Element Contamination in the Philippi Peatland, Eastern Macedonia, Greece

The Philippi peatland is considered the biggest peat deposit in the Balkan Peninsula and one of the deepest in the world. The purpose of this study was to access the impact of eight potentially toxic elements (PTEs), i.e., As, Se, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Mn and Cu, on the local environment. PTE content was determined in corn grains and surface soil samples collected from 16 sites in the peatland, and pollution indices were calculated to evaluate the environmental risks. Soil organic matter ranged between 93 and 557 g kg−1 soil, whereas the soil pH was &gt;7, classifying the soils as neutral to slightly alkaline. Mean PTE contents in soil samples were 24.6 mg kg−1 soil for As, 1.68 mg kg−1 soil for Se, 113 mg kg−1 soil for Pb, 32 mg kg−1 soil for Cr, 36.3 mg kg−1 soil for Ni, 141.4 mg kg−1 soil for Zn, 35.5 mg kg−1 soil for Cu and 845 mg kg−1 soil for Mn. In corn grain samples, 0.06 mg kg−1 grain for As, 0.14 mg kg−1 grain for Se, 1.34 mg kg−1 grain for Cr, 0.69 mg kg−1 grain for Ni, 27 for Zn, 8.4 mg kg−1 grain for Cu and 3.2 mg kg−1 grain for Mn were recorded. No Pb was detected in the corn grains. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) was high for Cu, Zn and Se, indicating increased mobility of these elements in the soils and preferential plant uptake. For most soil samples, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and single pollution index (PI) showed low to moderate contamination. However, Igeo and PI values of Se in many sampling sites and of Pb and Zn in few were substantially increased, pointing to heavily contaminated soils. According to potential ecological risk (RI), the PTE content in the peat soils of Philippi imposes low to moderate risk on the environment.

Crisis, innovation and change management: a blind spot for micro-firms?

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how the owners of less competitive micro-firms (MFs) perceive the “crisis–innovation–change management” triangle. It examines whether their understanding of these overarching entrepreneurship theory principles is inadequate compared to the relevant scientific literature.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative analysis follows principles based on the inductive method and grounded theory, thickly describing the results from research conducted in a sample of 38 tertiary-sector MFs in the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region – one of the least developed and competitive areas across Europe. It triangulates the data with 11 respective small firms.FindingsMF owners perceive the crisis as an ostensibly exogenous phenomenon, innovation as something quasi-unattainable – although vaguely significant – and change management as a relatively unknown process. This understanding lies somewhat distant from the extant literature that examines the structural nature of crises, the innovational power to exit profound restructurings and the rebalancing requisite for building new overall organizational methods to survive this internal–external transformation. In essence, the triangle crisis–innovation–change management is a blind spot for the examined MF owners as they ignore its significance as an adaptation mechanism – contrary to several direct competitors.Social implicationsBased on the reluctance of these individuals to cultivate their systematic business knowledge, it seems unrealistic that they would seek to pay the necessary high price for business consulting in the future. An ideal solution would be to build public entrepreneurship clinics to provide these less dynamic and adaptable organizations with free preliminary or in-depth counseling. The Institute of Local Development-Innovation could aim to provide free consulting services to reinforce organizational physiology by coordinating different socioeconomic actors.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this empirical research is one of the first to test the comprehension of weaker MFs – less competitive and developed in organizational terms – to the triangle crisis–innovation–change management.

Primary education stakeholders’ views on the European Union during the Greek economic crisis

The paper presents Greek primary education stakeholders’ views regarding their quality of life and EU-related issues before and during the euro crisis. The study took place in 2016, and the population was primary education teachers and parents of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region. Respondents answered sets of questions for two different years: 2009, before austerity measures were applied, and 2016, during the crisis. Responses denote dissatisfaction with their quality of life and the EU in 2016. The findings show significant shifts of views between 2009 and 2016 regarding the institution of the EU, the euro, the relationship of Greece with the EU and European citizenship. 2016 statements reveal increased euroscepticism in teachers and parents’ views and a large proportion of undecided respondents. However, it seems that more respondents adopt a pro-European attitude regarding the common future of Greece and the EU in 2016. All in all, findings show that, in 2016, respondents are divided into pro-European and eurosceptic, which denotes diffuse attitudes towards the European construct and weak identification with European citizenship. Change during crisis can serve as an opportunity for social innovations and education initiatives that will restore trust on the institution of the EU.