Greek Managers Research Articles

Exploring Digital Transformation Intensity and Its Relationship with Sustainability: Greek Managers’ Perspectives

The digital transformation process gained significant research interest in recent years especially related to achievements in sustainability goals. Even though there exists growing research regarding various aspects of digital transformation and sustainability procedures, a more detailed analysis is needed in different national environments. The proposed study empirically analyzes the Greek managers’ perspective on the relationship between digital transformation intensity and sustainability practices implemented. Almost 156 Greek senior managers from various organizational sectors were interviewed, while a synthetic index already developed from previous studies was used. Results indicate that Greek companies do not fully exploit digital technologies to further develop their environmental practices. A digital transformation strategy contributes effectively to environmental strategies in the case of reducing emissions of waste and avoiding environmental accidents, while in the rest of the cases, emerging technologies play a less important role and not as a part of a holistic digital strategy.

Implementing turnaround strategies as an entrepreneurial process

Recovery strategy belongs to the group of rescue/reversing business strategies and is used mainly by companies facing financial or other problems which they are trying to overcome. Moreover, this strategy is alternatively used by companies wishing to prevent future problems. The overall objective of the recovery strategy is to return of this sluggish situation in terms of acceptable levels of profitability. The implementation of turnaround strategy achieved through the implementation of proper planning and specific procedures (processes) like: Change management, divestitures of specific assets (divestment), cost reduction (cost reduction—operating and others), and strategic acquisitions. This strategy is so drastic, that in many senses it is like creating a new company, so it has many similarities to an entrepreneurial process. Obviously, there is a previous experience by managers, but when implementing this radical strategy, they must think in developing something new. The main objective of this paper is to explain how to implement a successful turnaround strategy during a recession phase of the economy. To analyze the turnover strategy, we developed a survey to 152 trading and industrial Greek companies that represent more than 3% of the Greek GDP. The study examines the role of successful turnaround based to whom formulated the strategic plan of the company, investigating the knowledge of the Greek managers on the tactics implemented during a turnaround plan. The paper offers information for management practitioners to understand how to implement a turnaround strategy in a turbulent economic environment, and which tactics apply.

Do external environmental factors affect on strategic choice decisions of innovation?: The case of service organizations in a cross-cultural comparison

Decision making of innovation comes to the fore as sufficient justification for achieving competitiveness in a context of ever-increasing rivalry. In this formulation, decision makers are likely to form mental frames and sense-making processes in order to access complex interactions of external and organizational ingredients and make strategic decisions of innovation alternatives (service innovation, process innovation, ancillary innovation). This paper examines environmental factors that may explain managers’ strategic choice of a specific type of innovation in service sector organizations located in Qatar and Greece from the viewpoint of the managers’ distinct national cultures resulting in different attitudes and values. This research work examines several main-effect propositions regarding managers’ perspective chosen innovation alternatives, depending on the external forces (service need, diversity of need, increase in population, and influence of context) are dealing with. We illustrate the main effect by looking at surface manifestations of managerial decisions of innovation as outward expressions of distinct characteristics lying deeper in each national culture of origin: Qatari managers prefer service innovations more than Greek managers do. Furthermore, this article reports on the findings of an exploratory study comparing national differences in innovation selection decision between Qatari and Greek top managers that develop a number of interaction effects. To confirm our propositions we gathered experimental data from 118 Greek top managers and 61 Qatari top managers. A multilevel regression analysis was used to examine and assess the relative impacts of the environmental forces on innovation strategic decision-making.

An Exploration of Greek Business Executives’ Intercultural Communication Competence

Managers’ ability to build global organizations and synergies is imperative, which in turn necessitates effective and appropriate intercultural communication skills. Literature to date primarily focuses on countries whose financial/corporate interdependence is of utmost importance. Not surprisingly then, the body of literature indicates that existing research addressing ICC within a Greek business context is inexistent. Consequently, this study is a preliminary attempt to start redressing this balance and hence, this proposed research aims to contribute to a poorly existing knowledge base by reporting on an enquiry undertaken to quantitatively determine middle managers’ ICC in Greece by measuring intercultural sensitivity -a determining factor of ICC. Quantitative data was obtained using the ISS from a body of fifty-five Greek middle-level managers. The results indicated that overall these managers have a high level of ICC; however no significant statistical correlations were found between the demographic variables explored and intercultural sensitivity. This paper concludes with some practical implications and recommendations for further research.

Greek Construction Project Managers' Cognitive Abilities, Personality and Knowledge

The tasks performed by a project manager are of special importance to the well being and economic prosperity of construction companies. This paper is aiming at defining the Greek project managers' dominant cognitive abilities, personality characteristics, skills and knowledge. An effort is made to identify available attributes associated with successful management performance and career development. The survey was conducted based on a structured questionnaire. The effort led to 102 responses, originating from engineers and construction professionals, throughout the Greek Construction Industry, including Public-Work Authorities. The questionnaire was based on international management literature and interviews. The study discusses the results of the survey and provides a comparison with those attributes identified in the international literature and correlates the participants' profile with their responses.

Towards a reference point theory of organizational corruption

This paper seeks to explain how organizational corruption can shift from a condition in which the individuals involved should have ‘known better’ to one in which they did not ‘know any different’. Drawing on an qualitative study of Greek managers in the public and private sectors, we argue that in some cases the ‘reference point’ that actors use to gauge organizational wrongdoing can shift to such an extent that individuals no longer see their criminal behavior as ethically wrong. How does this reference point shift? We suggest that answering this question is critical for explaining corruption in organizations today and devising measures to curb it.

Strategic planning practices in the Greek hospitality industry

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the nature and extent of strategic planning in the Greek hospitality industry and its outcomes based on Greek managers' views. Design/methodology/approach – Although the concept of strategic planning and its dimensions have been widely discussed in previous literature, research has mainly focused on well-developed countries and established sectors. However, there is a limited research in less developed countries like Greece and under-researched sectors like the hospitality industry. This paper aims to give some insights into the nature and extent of use of strategic planning processes and its positive outcomes in the Greek hospitality industry through a study based on a sample of 21 Greek five-star hotels. Findings – The main findings of the paper concern with some major strategic planning dimensions: planning formality, functional coverage, internal and external orientation, centralization and time horizon of planning. Additionally, the study highlights the positive outcomes/benefits of planning according to managers' views, as well as the financial performance of the Greek five-star hotels that are examined. Descriptive results are presented and the respondents' individual characteristics are outlined. Research limitations/implications – The study provides a benchmark for the measurement of strategic planning and the benefits derived from planning in the Greek hospitality industry, a critical sector for the Greek economy. Originality/value – The article contributes in the extensive literature on strategic planning, by discussing the development of strategic planning practices in Greek hotels, which operate in a highly uncertain environment.

Validity Testing of a New Scale for Measuring Attitudes towards Lifelong Learning and Human Resource Development, (Llehurede) Scale, by Analyse Factorielle Des Correspondance

The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the LLEHUREDE (Lifelong Learning and Human Resource Development) scale as an instrument to measure thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that monitor emotional components relevant to the relation between lifelong learning and human resource development and its impact on people's careers and their professional choices within a Greek sample of enterprises. Initially, it consisted of 80 items concerning 8 conceptual sub-scales, which measured workers' attitudes concerning their understanding and emotions towards lifelong learning and human resource development including: awareness of lifelong learning, attitudes towards educational, vocational and development policies, culture of lifelong learning, business strategy, value system and ethical perceptions, evaluation policy of participation in educational programmes, trainee's orientation towards lifelong learning, emotional identity of trainee, and contemporary trends of lifelong learning. In particular, this research study presents the responses of 87 Greek employees, managers and employers from different enterprises in Greece. The results provide the final scale, which consists of 42 items from the initial LLEHUREDE Scale and for which the factorial validity was strongly verified.

Managers’ Perceptions and Opinions towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Greece

The present study explores Greek managers’ perceptions towards CSR as well as their attitudes regarding the institutionalization of CSR. Our findings indicate that most companies have an internal management function that executed CSR programs which were mostly oriented towards society, environment and employees. The way CSR is managed depends on the size of the company. Moreover Greek managers believe that CSR activities offer a number of benefits. Interestingly, managers who believe that CSR activities should be communicated and evaluated externally by a national agency tend to hold a strong positive attitude for the institutionalization of CSR.

Market Timing And Selectivity: An Empirical Investigation Into The Features Of Greek Mutual Fund Managers

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 31.5pt 0pt 0.5in; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Τhis paper is an empirical assessment of the performance of mutual fund managers in terms of “market timing” and “selectivity”, within the framework suggested by Treynor and Mazuy (1966) and Henriksson and Merton (1981). The relevant data set is a balanced panel of nineteen Greek managers, over a sixty-month period. Empirical evidence does not provide support for correct timing, irrespectively of how the returns of the market index are calculated. It is interesting to note that using the Total Performance Index reduces the ability of managers for selectivity. This result holds for both the models utilized in our study.</span></span></span></p>

Strategic Planning Practices in the Greek Hospitality Industry: Empirical Findings from the Greek 5-Star Hotels

Purpose: This paper investigates the nature and extent of use of strategic planning in the Greek hospitality industry and outcomes of planning based on Greek managers’ views.Design/Methodology/Approach: Although the concept of strategic planning and its dimensions have been widely discussed in previous literature, the research has mainly focused on well developed countries and economies. Previous studies have significantly contributed to a better understanding of strategic planning. However, there is a limited research in less developed countries like Greece and under-researched industrial sectors like the hospitality industry. This paper tries to give some insight into the nature and extent of use of strategic planning processes and its positive outcomes in the Greek hospitality industry through a study based on a sample of 21 Greek five-star hotels.Findings: The main findings of the paper concern with some major strategic planning dimensions: planning formality, functional coverage, internal and external orientation, centralization and time horizon of planning. Additionally, the study highlights the positive outcomes/benefits of planning according to managers’ views, as well as the financial performance of the Greek five-star hotels that are examined. Descriptive results are presented and the respondents’ individual characteristics are outlined. Finally, the study provides a benchmark for the measurement of strategic planning in the Greek hospitality industry.

Men and women as public relation managers in Greece and Turkey

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine and compare gender differences of Greek and Turkish public relations (PR) managers. In addition to that, the background variables, the job‐related factors and activities of the PR managers are examined.Design/methodology/approachIn the present paper, a cross cultural study between Greece and Turkey is undertaken. A mail survey is adopted as the most efficient data gathering technique and a total of 138 questionnaires are collected from companies of the service sector in both countries.FindingsThere are minor differences between male and female Greek and Turkish PR managers of the service sector, since there is a standardized type of scientific management. The role of PR managers is shown to be evolving, following a similar route internationally.Research limitations/implicationsDifficulties are encountered in specifying the firms that use PR managers in Turkey. A list of service companies known to use PR managers in Greece as well as in Turkey is provide by three major international advertising agencies.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide an insight for the PR managers in Turkey. It is the first time that the PR managers in the Turkish service sector are under investigation.

New Facets of Urban Segregation in Southern Europe

This article explores how primary features of occupational restructuring, such as the feminization of employment and migration, and changes in patterns of residential mobility of Greek and migrant women since the 1990s have contributed to shaping new forms of sociospatial segregation in Athens. We examine changes in the occupational structure and in segregation indices from 1991 to 2001. Findings suggest that new gender and ethnic divisions in the occupational structure combine with residential mobility and introduce strong tendencies towards spatial fragmentation. Intra-urban and migratory flows reflect diversified occupational trajectories among women and contribute to shaping the socioeconomic profile of the destination areas: (a) migrant domestic and unskilled service workers locate to central city and suburban areas; (b) Greek managers and professionals, move to ‘upper-class suburbs’; (c) small Greek entrepreneurs and independent workers sprawl to peri-urban areas; (d) salespersons and clerks move to inner suburban areas.

The Role of Accounting Control Systems in the Four Show Caves in Greece

The thesis uses the New Institutional Theory of Sociology (Di Maggio and Powell, 1983, 1991) to examine how accounting informs decision making in the Greek show caves. The study focuses on four show caves selected out of the eight main shows caves operating in Greece. Three of the studied caves are owned by the local municipal council (one jointly with a prefectural council) and the fourth by the Anthropology Association of Greece. Data is gathered from multiple sources via questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, discussions and documentary evidence focusing on the role of accounting information in the day-to-day operation of the show caves.The first major finding of the thesis is that within the four studied organizations accounting reports are minimally used as key management, planning and control tools, similar to Greek organizations generally. This is not surprising given that prior research has suggested that Greek managers tend to prefer information from other, informal sources in decision making (Balias, 1994). Formal accounting information was therefore subservient to information generated from informal sources in these organizations.Second, institutional change affects the decision-making process in the management and operation of the show caves. This influenced how accounting information is deployed in the day-to-day decision making of the caves. The findings of the thesis challenges the justification for these external influences observed on decision making in the management and operations of the show caves. These external influences resulted in the minimal use of accounting information to support day-to-day decision making of the organizations studied. The study therefore questioned why these accounting systems were designed in the first place if they were not going to be used in practice. Institutional Theory analysis however provided an answer to this question. In effect these accounting systems though serve minimal rational purposes, were designed in order to maintain institutional legitimacy and cultural support (Powell and DiMaggio, 1991).The thesis supports prior research which had proposed New Institutional Theory as a valuable framework for understanding the organizational context of the use of accounting information in decision making. The thesis found that New Institutional Theory offered some relevant explanations for how the institutional environment of the organizations inclined them to use accounting control systems. Institutional theory is particularly important here because it provides explanations for changes in organizational practices such as accounting control practices.

Addressing individual and organisational factors influencing middle managers' synthesising role in knowledge creation and diffusion

Based on the widespread theoretical argument that Middle Managers (MM) are essential in making Knowledge Management (KM) work, this paper seeks to address the individual and organisational factors influencing their synthesising role in knowledge creation and diffusion within modern organisations. Two hundred and forty-one middle-level Greek managers (N = 241) participated in the research and completed Floyd and Wooldridge's (1996) ten-item scale, which measures the synthesising and implementing dimensions of knowledge creation and diffusion. The results indicated that the majority of middle-level managers are far from being knowledge synthesisers. They are merely conduits, translating plans into action, monitoring and controlling activities to keep things on track. In other words, their role in knowledge creation and diffusion is completely internal, because they lived their lives within the functional corridors of an organisation's hierarchy. Further statistical analysis indicated that there were individual factors, such as educational level and age, as well as organisational ones such as the size, type (public/private) and the years of existence of an organisation, which affect their synthesising role and involvement in knowledge creation and diffusion.

Decisive factors for the adoption of just-in-time in Greek SMEs: a probit model

The Just-In-Time (JIT) technique is a difficult and, in many cases, a complex task to be implemented in any type of organisation, since a synchronisation of different activities in the supply chain is required. Investments in logistics information systems are imperative. This paper presents a theoretical framework of JIT and then explores the Greek business reality through the responses of Greek managers to the survey conducted in SMEs located throughout the country. The factors that are considered to be important in making a decision to adopt such a technique are investigated. The study reveals that Greek SMEs are not yet ready to incorporate JIT and the judgment for such a decision does not heavily consider some significant factors identified in the literature.

The influence of national culture and organizational culture alignment on job stress and performance: evidence from Greece

Job‐related stress has significant untoward consequences and appears to be wide‐spread. Although job‐related stress has a number of causes, the focus of this study is the stress associated with the lack of alignment between managers’ societal values and the culture of the organization in which the manager works. Using a sample of 78 Greek managers, it is argued that the Eiffel Tower organizational culture, characterized by low levels of decentralization and high levels of formalization, is congruent with the Greek societal values of high power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance, reducing Greek managers’ job‐related stress and increasing their performance. Results indicate that an Eiffel Tower organizational culture/Greek societal culture fit is associated with lower reported job stress but not increased managerial performance. Implications of the results are discussed.

An investigation of task-technology fit for managers in Greece and the US

Based on a task-technology fit (TTF) model, this study adds to our understanding of how computer-based information systems (CBIS) support managerial decision making. Based on four views of decision making and various classifications of CBIS, the findings indicate that both the Greek and US managers value CBIS most highly for resource allocation, evaluating alternatives, identifying problems, ranking alternatives, and short-term decision making. Few TTF differences were found between Greek and US managers. One difference, concerning the value of office information systems, may have arisen from technological differences; however, additional research is needed to understand if these TTF differences arise from technological or cultural differences. Two surprising hypotheses emerge from the findings to provide guidance for future research: (1) standard, fixed-schedule, fixed-format information reporting systems (IRS) provide greater value for managers than more flexible decision support systems (DSS), at least for some managerial decision-making activities, and (2) the amount of use of a CBIS is not directly related to its perceived value. Overall, the results indicate that the fit between managerial decision-making activities, and CBIS has considerable room for improvement.

Sex‐related differences of public relations managers in consumer goods companies in Greece and Italy

This paper discusses sex‐related differences in Greek and Italian public relations managers comparing individual characteristics, role, level of contact and perceived quality of relations with the various interfaces, allocation of their working time, difficulties encountered and solutions proposed. The results generally support the hypothesis that there is no difference between male and female Greek and Italian public relations managers, although the issues of environmental uncertainty and role ambiguity among women in public relations requires additional research.

Greek Management

This paper addresses the basic characteristics of management in Greece and comments on the main forces of change facing Greek managers. It begins by presenting some basic characteristics of the management context in Greece and then looks at three recent empirical studies conducted in Greece by the authors and their associates. The analysis of these studies represents an effort to diagnose Greek management at a general level, by discussing the management culture typologies of Greek companies, and at the level of specific managerial practices, by presenting their leadership and strategic decision-making styles. In order to identify the unique characteristics of Greek management, we contrast the management cultures and decision-making styles of Greek-owned companies with those of subsidiaries of multinationals operating in the same national context. We also compare the results of the three studies with those of previous studies on Greece. Our prognosis, based on facts as well as on our own personal experiences, suggests that Greek management is in a state of transition, leading toward modernization-professionalism mainly influenced by the U.S. and U.K. models with which it tends to converge. We draft a model of environmental and other influences on Greek management and argue that this change supports the culturefree or convergence hypothesis. We finally discuss the implications for research on Greek management and offer guidelines for future research.