Sector In Greece Research Articles

SECI model questionnaire validation for hospitality establishments

Nonaka and Takeuchi, who have been broadly acknowledged as two of the most distinguished theorists in knowledge management, in their book The Knowledge-Creating Company, How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation, (1995), which was a benchmark for knowledge management, postulate that knowledge is perpetually conversed and develop through the stages of socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation, building the (SECI) model named by the acronym of the aforementioned four stages, which indicates the constant knowledge transformation, development, and transfer. Nevertheless, this model was developed through qualitative research and thus, no structured questionnaire was employed. The primary research objective and aim of this paper was to develop and validate the SECI model knowledge management questionnaire for quantitative research in the tourism sector (SMQ-T). For that reason, a survey was administered amongst a convenient sample of 365 employees in the tourism sector in Greece, with a questionnaire of 48 items. Methodologically, validation was performed using Cronbach's alpha test to check internal consistency and reliability, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to verify the extracted factor and their loading, and finally confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

The Grid of Burnout, Engagement and Job Satisfaction: a Case Study in Greece

Work engagement’s relation with burnout intensively concerns the research community. A plethora of works has tried to interpret the kind of correlation of the above structures with reference to their structural elements and phenomena deriving from their common causal network. Therefore, in this research, the correlation between work engagement and burnout is investigated via their main structural elements and on the basis of job satisfaction’s interpretive role. For this purpose, the responses of 561 employees from various economic sectors in Greece, were analyzed using path analysis after the data had first been approached via item response theory. Job satisfaction’s interpretive role appeared to be of importance in regards to the positive sign of the correlation between work engagement and burnout as emerged in this work. The intrinsic job satisfaction’s positive effect on both constructs that is burnout and work engagement, also arose as a research outcome, while the extrinsic job satisfaction appeared to operate positively to work engagement and negatively to burnout, regulating in this way the overall correlation exerted, therefore giving rise to theoretical and practical implications.

EFFECT OF LEADERSHIP ON BMI AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF SMES

This study investigated the relationships between transformational leadership (TL), entrepreneurial leadership (EL), business model innovation (BMI) and competitive advantage, as well as the role of environmental uncertainty in these relationships. The importance of BMI and leadership style for the firms and the gaps identified in literature motivated the need for this paper. Previous literature has not fully explained in detail the antecedents of BMI or how BMI improves competitive advantage of organisations. Thus, an empirical model was used to analyse data gathered from a survey of 474 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from several sectors in Greece. The findings reveal the contribution of leadership styles on BMI, the direct contribution of TL and EL on competitive advantage, as well as the contribution of BMI in competitive advantage in all responding SMEs, those SMEs with low scores of business environmental uncertainty and those SMEs with high scores of business environmental uncertainty.

An Examination of the Current Strategic Marketing Planning Practices in Professional Sport Clubs

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which the strategic marketing planning process is being used in the Greek professional sports sector and its contribution to clubs’ business performance. The research was concentrated on the professional sports sector in Greece and the research hypotheses were investigated through a questionnaire that was delivered to clubs’ managing directors and administrative staff. This research showed that strategic marketing planning plays an important role in clubs’ business performance. However, this work indicated that strategic marketing planning process is applied to a little extent in the Greek professional sports sector.

Digital Transformation and Strategy in the Banking Sector: Evaluating the Acceptance Rate of E-Services

Digital transformation in the banking sector is a continuous process that affects both the external and internal environment by redesigning internal processes and existing methods. There are many reasons that digital transformation takes place, such as servicing remote areas without physical branches, differentiation from competitors or reduction of operating costs. In any case, there are a lot of doubts about the acceptance of digital technologies. Thus, this article examines the acceptance rate of digital transformation in the banking sector in Greece. One hundred and sixty-one employees at Greek banks completed the survey. A Multivariate Regression Analysis was implemented to analyze the items of the Technology Acceptance Model. The findings of this paper indicate the perception of bank employees with regard to new technologies. This paper provides a practical contribution for executives of Greek banking organizations to schedule targeted educational programs to facilitate the transition to the new digital era for their employees. Executives are curious if employees are ready to accept and implement digitalization in their daily job routine. Therefore, the Technology Acceptance Model can provide answers to executives in facing these challenges.

Μονάδες Φροντίδας Ηλικιωμένων στην Ελλάδα: Ένας Χρόνος Διαχείρισης της Πανδημικής Κρίσης CoViD-19

The CoViD-19 pandemic, caused by the new coronavirus SARS-Cov-2, has brought the Long-Term Care Sector (LTC) into an unprecedented emergency situation. Statistics from various European countries show that high rates of CoViD-19 -related deaths occur in elderly people living in LTC units. This article presents the results of a bibliographical study and a quantitative survey conducted through questionnaire answered by owners, directors and administrators of Elderly Care Units in Greece. An attempt was also made to record the policies followed to prevent and tackle the CoViD-19 pandemic. The results of the implementation of these policies are presented as well as the economic and operational impact on Elderly Care Units, and the psychological impact to their residents, the residents' relatives, and human resources of the Units. The LTC sector in Greece holds positive results in prevent- ing and treating the transmission of coronavirus at national level. Moreover, Greek LTC sector understood early on the seriousness of the upcoming situation; Therefore, was suitably prepared by training its human resources, by informing the relatives of the measures to be taken, and was strongly attuned to the international updates on the evolution of events. However, the economic impact on the sector was large, reflected by a loss of revenue and profits and a large increase in costs, due to the nearly non-existent state assistance. Furthermore, according to the survey responses, the negative effects of "home" restriction and the ban on visiting for more than 6 months are reflected in the psychological state of the Units’ residents and their relatives.

Performance Implications of Aligning Supply Chain Practices with Competitive Advantage: Empirical Evidence from the Agri-Food Sector

During this pandemic crisis, supply chain management (SCM) has emerged as a critical source of competitive advantage driving organizational performance, especially in the agri-food sector, since public health and consumers’ confidence as well as firms’ survival depend on the effectiveness of supply chain networks. This study adopts two central SCM practices, namely strategic suppliers’ partnerships and partners’ information quality & sharing and tests their relationships with competitive advantage (quality, process flexibility, and time to market) and business performance (profitability and market share), based on an empirical study of 300 enterprises in the agri-food sector in Greece. After data collection, we deploy a diagnostic-exploratory model, utilizing fuzzy cognitive mapping, with agent-based modeling following up for development for data prediction and simulation. Consequently, we found that supply chain firms’ compelling and robust relationships with supply chain partners and suppliers can promote their profitability and market share. Relationships of this kind focus on quality information sharing and are strongly connected with businesses’ quality, process flexibility, and time to market competitive capabilities. Hence, our study provides salutary info to supply chain firms regarding potential implementation to existing and new collaborators.

Extensive countrywide field investigation of somatic cell counts and total bacterial counts in bulk tank raw milk in goat herds in Greece.

Dairy goat farming is an important sector of the agricultural industry in Greece, with an annual total milk production exceeding 450 000 l and accounting for over 25% of all goat milk produced in the European Union; this milk is used mainly for cheese production. Despite the importance of goat milk for the agricultural sector in Greece, no systematic countrywide investigations in the bulk-tank milk of goats in Greece have been reported. Objectives were to investigate somatic cell counts (SCC) and total bacterial counts (TBC) in raw bulk-tank milk of goat herds in Greece, study factors influencing SCC and TBC therein and evaluate their possible associations with milk content. Throughout Greece, 119 dairy goat herds were visited for milk sampling for somatic cell counting, microbiological examination and composition measurement. Geometric mean SCC and TBC were 0.838 × 106 cells ml-1 and 581 × 103 cfu ml-1, respectively. Multivariable analyses revealed annual frequency of check-ups of milking system and total milk quantity per goat (among 53 variables) to be significant for increased SCC; no factor emerged (among 58 variables) to be significant for increased TBC. Negative correlation of SCC with total protein was found; mean total protein content in the bulk-tank milk in herds with SCC >0.75 × 106 cells ml-1 was 5.1% lower and in herds with SCC >1.5 × 106 cells ml-1, it was 7.8% lower.

Patient Safety Culture Assessment in Primary Care Settings in Greece.

Introduction: A positive safety culture is considered a pillar of safety in health organizations and the first crucial step for quality health services. In this context, the aim of this study was to set a reference evaluation for the patient safety culture in the primary health sector in Greece, based on health professionals’ perceptions. Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey with a 62% response rate (n = 459), conducted in primary care settings in Greece (February to May 2020). We utilized the “Medical Office Survey on Patient Safety Culture” survey tool from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study participants were health professionals who interacted with patients from 12 primary care settings in Greece. Results: The most highly ranked domains were: “Teamwork” (82%), “Patient Care Tracking/Follow-up” (80% of positive scores), and “Organizational Learning” (80%); meanwhile, the lowest-ranked ones were: “Leadership Support for Patient Safety” (62%) and “Work Pressure and Pace” (46%). The other domains, such as “Overall Perceptions of Patient Safety and Quality” (77%), “Staff Training“ (70%), “Communication about Error” (70%), “Office Processes and Standardization” (67%), and “Communication Openness” (64%), ranked somewhere in between. Conclusions: A positive safety culture was identified in primary care settings in Greece, although weak areas concerning the safety culture should be addressed in order to improve patient safety.

Performance of employees and students with or without learning difficulties in Greece using M.I.S., by increasing the productivity and the profit in public and private administration.

In this paper, we examine the performance of employees in the public and private sector in Greece. The employees are divided into two groups (Group A’ & B’), that means individuals with and without learning difficulties. Also, we examine the performance of students at Technological Education Institute of Piraeus and University of Athens. This research aims to explore the use of Information Management Systems in order to improve the performance of adults with and without learning difficulties, eliminating the unemployment due to economical crisis. We examine the ease of this MIS by the employees and students, the time and the number of records were made in this ERP (Accontancy System-Navision) by this crowd and finally the performance by the groups of this research. The results were supported the hypothesis that the use of MIS improves the performance of the adults with and withoutlearning difficulties in business environment.

Has the Composition of the Greek Banking Sector Investment Portfolio Contributed to the Greek Economy Financial Crisis?

The banking sector in Greece met a large growth and provided the Greek economy with a vital push after the credit release. The galloping increase of private, business, and public loans reinforced business activity and offered high incomes for a few years. However, this push that the Greek economy experienced was based on consumption and not on the development of financial sectors that could constantly produce income for the economy and the state. The research examines the Greek banking investment portfolio from 2003 until 2017 based on the portfolio theory of Markowitz. Furthermore, it evaluates its differentiation and examines whether or not has contributed to the financial crisis that the domestic economy faced the previous decade. The findings point out that the negative portfolio returns during the span of seven out of 15 reviewed years and their covariances highlight that the portfolio diversification was not successful according to Markowitz's theory.

Insect-Based Feed Ingredients for Aquaculture: A Case Study for Their Acceptance in Greece.

Simple SummarySince 2017, insects can be used as ingredients in aquafeeds in the EU. However, insect-based aquafeeds are still not broadly accepted by European aquaculture companies. Understanding the beliefs of people associated with the aquaculture sector on the use of insect-based fish diets could assist their adoption. In the present study, we ran a survey among the participants of an aquaculture conference held in Greece, in order to ask them what they think regarding the inclusion of insect meal in aquafeeds. Furthermore, we inquired nine Greek aquaculture and aquafeed companies about this issue. Greece is among the largest farmed fish producers in the EU; however, there are currently no data available on the acceptance of insect-based aquafeeds in Greece. Based on our results, the majority of the respondents were aware and in favor of the inclusion of insects in aquafeeds, mainly due to their potential to lower fishing pressure on wild fish stocks used for fishmeal production and enhance the ecological footprint and sustainability of aquaculture. Moreover, six out of nine companies were favorably disposed towards the use of insects in fish diets and four of them were willing to produce or use such diets. Further studies are warranted towards this direction.Although the inclusion of insects in fish diets is officially allowed in the EU since 2017, insect-based aquafeeds have not been widely adopted by the European aquaculture sector. In order to investigate the perceptions related with adoption trends, it is critical to explore the beliefs of people associated with the aquaculture sector on the use of insects in farmed fish diets. A survey was conducted among 228 participants of an aquaculture conference to explore their perceptions on the inclusion of insect meal in fish diets. Additionally, we investigated the attitudes of nine companies operating in the aquaculture and aquafeed sector in Greece that attended the conference towards this direction. The findings of the conference survey provide evidence that there is a wide-range awareness and acceptance regarding the use of insect-based feeds in farmed fish diets among the respondents. This is mainly driven by the expectations for the decline in fishing pressure on wild fish stocks, the reduction of the ecological footprint and the enhancement of the sustainability of the aquaculture sector. The results of the stakeholder survey show that six out of the nine companies that participated in the survey are favorably disposed towards the use of insect-based feeds. Specifically, four of them stated that they would produce or use aquafeeds based on insects. However, the results highlight the need for further research on the implementation of the wider adoption of insect-based feeds in aquaculture. The present study provides some first insights into the use of insect-based aquafeeds in Greece, for which there are no data available.

Web and Social Media Presence in the Hospitality Industry: A Greek Island Case

The new opportunities offered by emerging technologies for better tourist services have affected the hospitality sector. Specifically, the use of the Web, in general, and the social media influence travelers’ choices. Therefore, it is important for modern hotel businesses to be actively involved and present on the Web and social media. Moreover, COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the importance for better choices that guarantee safety that must be made in advance. This study tries to investigate the use of the Web and social media by the hospitality sector in Greece using automated evaluation tools. The case study of the Rhodes island is selected as one of the most popular destinations in Greece for both internal and external tourists. Agritourism was also taken into account. Results show that the websites and Facebook are the most preferred tools for online presence, whereas there is low use of Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The influence of spatial infrastructure on resort hotel crime : A case study in Crete

The primary objective of the study is to investigate the possible existence of significant links that bind spatial infrastructure and property layout with hospitality-related crimes. Under this topic, the researchers tried to shed light on a previously unexplored region of criminality within the service sector in Greece, investigating 4 and 5-star resort hotels on the island of Crete. A form of non-probability purposive sampling was applied. The methods of the research were three: Direct observation of hotel infrastructure, ranking of key variables by an expert panel, and a semi-structured interview with hoteliers. It derives from the results that the expansion of hospitality properties in smaller sites weakens effective security. Defining the way of how infrastructure affects crime, can lead to a differentiation in thinking during the designing process.

The political economy of the Greek health sector and the implications of the economic crisis

ABSTRACT The manifestation of the world economic crisis at 2007 and its consequences have brought the European economy and, more specifically, the Greek economy in front of new challenges for adjustment to the new era. In 2010, Greece adopted a fiscal adjustment programme in order to fix the fiscal weaknesses of its economy. This fiscal adjustment programme was completed on 20 August 2018, eight years after its adoption. Adopting the fiscal consolidation process had certain implications for specific sectors of the Greek economy. For this reason, the aim of this article is to examine the political economy of the health sector in Greece, and the implications of the economic crisis. The health sector is crucial for the productive capabilities of a national economy. The study of the health sector of Greece after the adoption of the fiscal adjustment programme is going to reveal the extent to which it is capable of confronting public health challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the economic effects of the economic crisis on the health sector and the prospects of the Greek economy’s productive capabilities.

WEEE Preparing for Reuse in Greece: Potential and Initiatives

Repair and preparing for reuse are included among the alternatives for the prevention of the generation of waste from electrical and electronic equipment, a stream that is a rapidly rising environmental issue globally. The main goal of this research was to identify and report the structure and operational problems faced by the electrical and electronic equipment repair sector in Greece. At first, the drivers and drawbacks of repair reported in the literature were reviewed and identified. The research took place in the first semester of 2018, via the use of a structured questionnaire, sent to and completed by 105 stakeholders involved in repair activities. The results indicate that the electrical and electronic equipment sector in Greece is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, established during the past ten years. Moreover, the repairers report that the availability of spare parts is adequate and that consumers have a positive attitude towards electrical and electronic equipment repair.

Social security compliance in times of crisis. Evaluating the factors for non-compliance in the HORECA sectors in Greece

This article studies the impact of the economic recession, labor market deregulation and social security reforms on the level of non-compliance in Greece. It examines the theoretical framework of non-compliance in post-industrial economies, as well as the design of social security systems in preventing contribution evasion. To assess the evolution of non-compliance, especially under conditions of crisis, we examine the results of the INE-GSEE survey on the HORECA sector. According toour research findings, employers follow non-compliant practices in order to maximize their profits, taking advantage of the precariousness of workers, whereas workers accept or collude with non-compliance as a survival tactic within a highly competitive environment. Non-compliance in the Greek labour market appears to be a multi-factor phenomenon that cannot be explained exclusively in terms of a unique perspective.

Computational method for approximating the behaviour of a triopoly: an application to the mobile telecommunications sector in Greece

Computational method for approximating the behaviour of a triopoly: an application to the mobile telecommunications sector in Greece

Estimating Competitiveness Relations between Firms of a Multinational Group of Clothing and Footwear Manufacturing Industry in Greece

The footwear and clothing manufacturing sector is one of the most vibrant and profitable sectors in Greece. The majority of the firms belonging to this sector present important figures in terms of sales, turnover and value added and are part of multinational firms. For that reason the objective of this paper is to estimate and compare the competitiveness of two firms, specifically Bershka and Zara, parts of the group Inditex, with the use of financial ratios such as liquidity, capital structure etc. The results show that the comparison between the two specific firms with the largest market share in the group can lead to safe proposals and commitments for the improvement of the competitiveness of the group.

Investment Prospect and Risk Analysis of Energy and Power Sector in Greece

Greece’s superior location advantages make it a key gateway for global energy enterprises to open the European market. At present, the consolidation of energy security in Greece provides investment opportunities for Chinese energy and power companies. However, it also faces risks such as the strengthening of the EU’s foreign investment review. This paper proposes that policy should be further strengthened at the national level, in order to guide domestic energy. At the same time, the enterprises must improve investment strategies and strengthen the construction of transnational operation capacity.