Constantinos-Vasilios Priporas

The effect of mobile retailing on consumers' purchasing experiences

The emerging retail culture is characterized by the extensive use of mobile technologies, high connectivity, ubiquitous computing and contactless technologies, which enable consumers to experience shopping differently. In fact, innovative mobile technologies provide new tools (apps) which are able to separate the moment of purchase from the moment of effective consumption, by allowing consumers to make purchases by mobile phone and collect them at home or at a store (a pick-up boutique or collection point), in addition to the traditional in-store service (purchase in the store and collect/consume in the store). The aim of this paper is to understand the extent to which mobile technologies have an impact on consumer behaviour, with emphasis on the drivers motivating consumers to adopt the consumer experience of mobile shopping. To achieve this goal we used a qualitative approach involving 29 consumers in the Italian market, where mobile shopping is still at an early stage. The findings shed a light on the extent to which consumers are moving from e-channels to mobile channels and take into account the effect of these technological innovations in retail settings from a cognitive standpoint, where studies are limited. The implications for researchers and practitioners are then discussed, with emphasis on retailers need to develop new mobile service competences, and integrate and synthetize physical retail settings with mobile opportunities and functionalities. We investigate the impact of mobile technologies on consumer dynamics.We explore the motivation for consumers to change their consumption experience.Consumers are willing to change their established buying behaviour.Consumers are willing to move towards mobile shopping.The effect of technological innovations in retailing from a cognitive standpoint was explored.

A model for evaluating the effectiveness of middle managers' training courses: evidence from a major banking organization in Greece

Contemporary management thinking embraces the organizational training theory that sustainable success rests, to a great extent, upon a systematic evaluation of training interventions. However, the evidence indicates that few organizations take adequate steps to assess and analyse the quality and outcomes of their training. The authors seek to develop the existing literature on training evaluation by proposing a new model, specific to management training, which might encourage more and better evaluation by practitioners. Their thesis is that training evaluation is best if it can be based on criteria derived from the objectives of the training and they draw on the management effectiveness literature to inform their proposed model. The study seeks to examine the effect of six evaluation levels – reactions, learning, job behaviour, job performance, organizational team performance and some wider, societal effects – in measuring training interventions with regard to the alterations to learning, transfer and organizational impact. The model was tested with data obtained from 190 middle managers employed by a large banking organization in Greece and the results suggest that there is considerable consistency in the evaluation framework specified. The paper discusses these results and draws conclusions about their practical implications. The studys limitations are considered and some future research needs identified.

Competitive intelligence activity: evidence from Greece

Purpose – To investigate awareness, attitudes and implementation with respect to competitive intelligence (CI) in Greece.Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth interviews with a sample of 50 well‐known companies around Thessaloniki, an area of strategic marketing importance in Greece, representing a reasonable cross section of types and sizes of enterprise.Findings – For the present, adoption in Greece is well behind the USA, but roughly on a par with the UK. The reasons for slow adoption are: unawareness, lack of sufficiently competent staff and a shortage of experts available to train them, perceptions of the cost, and somewhat complacent satisfaction with the general market research activity of in‐house marketing departments. The focus is on short‐term customer satisfaction, rather than long‐term competitiveness.Research limitations/implications – A deliberately limited exploratory study of a small sample in a highly localised setting. Recommendations are presented for further research.Practical implic...

The effect of internal marketing on job satisfaction in health services: a pilot study in public hospitals in Northern Greece

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to explore the effect of internal marketing on job satisfaction in health services, particularly in public hospitals in Northern Greece.MethodsA questionnaire with three sections was used. The first one referred to internal marketing by using Foreman and Moneys scale, while the second one contained questions on job satisfaction based on Stamps and Piermontes work. The last section included demographic questions. Three categories of health care professionals, nurses, doctors and paramedic personnel working in public hospitals have participated.ResultsDoctors tend to be more satisfied with their job than nurses in the same hospitals. Male personnel also tend to be more satisfied with their job than female. Time-defined work contract personnel have a greater level of job satisfaction than permanent personnel. Marital status, position, and educational level have no statistically significant impact on job satisfaction. A slight decline in job satisfaction occurs as the personnel age.ConclusionsInternal marketing has a positive effect on the job satisfaction of hospital staff in Northern Greece. Also, doctors and male personnel seem to have greater levels of job satisfaction. Staff with time-defined work contracts with the hospital are more satisfied than permanent staff, and as the staff age, there is a slight decline in job satisfaction.

Mobile services: potentiality of Short Message Service as new business communication tool in attracting consumers

Short Message Service (SMS) is used worldwide by many corporations in order to communicate with consumers. The objective of this study is to investigate the use of SMS in young consumers and their responses to SMS as a potential communication vehicle by the companies. The research was qualitative in nature. Data was collected through open and semi-structured interviews of 40 university students. The results reveal that SMS, in general, has a positive acceptance by young consumers as a communication tool since it is an integral part of their life and seems to be an effective tool by enterprises in reaching consumers.

Crisis management in pharmaceuticals: evidence from Greece

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the practice, prevention, and problems pharmaceutical companies face with respect to crisis management (CM). The pharmaceutical sector is considered to be the most crisis prone of all industries.Design/methodology/approach – The study is exploratory in nature and data were collected by carrying out semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with key managers in 16 pharmaceutical companies. The open‐ended questions were content analyzed.Findings – Respondents identified product recall as the major reason for business crisis in pharmaceutical companies. Also, the results revealed that the large‐sized companies had CM departments or had collaborated with consulting firms.Research limitations/implications – This is a limited exploratory study restricted to one country. However, Greeces pharmaceutical expenditure is above the average in OECD countries. Suggestions are presented for future studies and especially for generalization of the findings.Practical implication...

Unraveling the diverse nature of service quality in a sharing economy: A social exchange theory perspective of Airbnb accommodation

Purpose This paper aims to investigate customers’ perceptions of the service quality facets of Airbnb accommodation using social exchange theory as a suitable conceptual framework to explain aspects of interactivity between guests and hosts. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 25 accommodation-specific service quality attributes, structured according to Akbaba’s (2006) measurement scale and based on the service quality hierarchical conceptualization described by Brady and Cronin (2001) and Cronin and Taylor (1992), was distributed to Airbnb international guests visiting Phuket, Thailand. The sample was chosen through a two-stage sampling process and the PLS-SEM technique was used for data analysis. Findings The results showed that convenience and assurance are critical contributors to the measurement of service quality in remote Airbnb lodgings. The findings further revealed that Airbnb guests are mainly interested in lodgings which have access to certain tourist sights, and in easily accessible information and efficient resolution of problems during their stay. The authors also found that guests greatly value the convenience and flexibility offered by Airbnb, and that they particularly appreciate the warm hospitality provided by the hosts. Finally, Airbnb guests have very low expectations of the amenities and services available at the lodgings. Research limitations/implications Airbnb is one of the most well-known examples of hospitality in the sharing economy, and results cannot be generalized to similar accommodation providers in sharing economies. Despite the appropriateness of using the measurement tool provided by Akbaba (2006), it is only one option among others for measuring service quality. Practical implications The current study can assist hosts in gaining better knowledge of guests’ decision-making processes and in designing effective marketing strategies by focusing on guests’ requirements in terms of service quality. The effective use of competitive strengths and the prioritization of business resources would potentially enhance guests’ positive experiences at the accommodation and at the destination. Originality/value Limited numbers of studies have focused on the sharing economy and hospitality and in particular on Airbnb, and this is the first study with a focus on service quality issues in terms of Airbnb accommodation.

Is it difficult to market a city as a convention destination? The case of Thessaloniki

Abstract Convention tourism is a very lucrative form of tourism and is becoming one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry. Greece, a traditional tourist destination worldwide, has not developed its convention sector satisfactorily. This paper presents the outcome of a small scale qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews with six experts of organizing meetings and conventions, which were undertaken in order to explore the potential of Thessaloniki as a convention destination by assessing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The results revealed that Thessaloniki has a potential to develop this special form of tourism and ameliorate the low tourist inflow. However, it is a difficult task, mainly due to the lack of cooperation among the citys stakeholders.

The Greek food shopper: Segmentation on the basis of attitudes to store features

The paper reports the results of a study of food shopping behaviour in Greece. It is concerned with establishing the dimensions underlying shoppers’ evaluations of their regular supermarket store attributes, exploring the existence of shopper segments and subsequently, identifying the segments in terms of shopping behaviour and attitudes to store features. The main research instrument is a survey of adult Greek grocery shoppers in the metropolitan area of the city of Thessaloniki. The empirical results indicate that there are three dimensions that underlie the importance of store features. These are defined respectively as ‘Store design and variety’, ‘Personnel and service’, and ‘Convenient location’. The application of cluster analysis to the dimensions factor scores reveals four clusters. The characteristics of each cluster are described by average factor scores on the dimensions of store features, demographic characteristics, attitudes to store features, store loyalty, and motives for regular store choice.

Exploring the Constraint Profile of Winter Sports Resort Tourist Segments

Many studies have confirmed the importance of market segmentation both theoretically and empirically. Surprisingly though, no study has so far addressed the issue from the perspective of leisure constraints. Since different consumers face different barriers, we look at participation in leisure activities as an outcome of the negotiation process that winter sports resort tourists go through, to balance between related motives and constraints. This empirical study reports the findings on the applicability of constraining factors in segmenting the tourists who visit winter sports resorts. Utilizing data from 1,391 tourists of winter sports resorts in Greece, five segments were formed based on their constraint, demographic, and behavioral profile. Our findings indicate that such segmentation sheds light on factors that could potentially limit the full utilization of the market. To maximize utilization, we suggest customizing marketing to the profile of each distinct winter sports resort tourist segment that emerged.