Nikolaos Kakkos

Managerial Assessments of Export Performance: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Illustration

Export performance has long been an issue of concern in the literature; however, there has been little research on managers’ evaluations of their firms’ performance in the presence of multiple export objectives. This study proposes a framework for understanding managerial assessments of export performance and illustrates its application using the analytic hierarchy process methodology. The framework explicitly acknowledges that the importance of different export objectives may differ both within and between firms and that the latter may also differ in terms of the frame of reference and/or time horizon used when assessing the attainment of objectives. Using this framework, the authors construct a composite index of assessed export performance that allows for valid interfirm comparisons. They use data from an online survey of 171 exporting firms to demonstrate the application of the framework and the assessed export performance index in an empirical setting.

The Impact of Career Satisfaction on Job Performance in Accounting Firms. The Mediating Effect of General Competencies

Abstract This paper outlines the critical role of employees’ general competencies in the link between career satisfaction and job outcomes (performance) in accounting firm services (accounting offices). Career satisfaction is an internally defined career success outcome. General competencies embrace abilities such as prioritizing, learning new things, coming-up with new ideas and solutions, working productively with others. The discussion arises primarily based on the considerable theoretical vagueness and empirical inconclusiveness in the existing literature concerning general competencies mechanisms and their contribution. As of interest to resolve this controversy, a research framework is developed in which general competencies act as the mediator between career success and employee performance in accounting offices. The empirical findings from a survey of 84 employees in accounting offices in Central Greece confirmed that general competencies exert a mediating effect on the relationship between career success satisfaction and job performance. The main implication of the findings for accounting managers is that employees in a career advancement environment are more likely to achieve higher job performance and subsequently effectiveness, as a result of strengthened general competencies. Thus, specific directions for managerial action have been derived.

Understanding the impact of procedural justice, job characteristics, and resources on emotional exhaustion and its marketing-related implications

This paper explores the link between emotional exhaustion (EE) and procedural justice (PJ) of the performance appraisal (PA) system. In particular, PJ refers to the satisfaction with the PA system. Employees who perceive inequity in the PA processes and outcomes may be prone to EE, reflecting a lack of energy and a feeling that their emotional resources are used up. A strong negative relationship between PJ and EE is found in a sample of 224 frontline employees in the hotel industry, where understanding and justifying the appraisal process become the key driver of EE along with resource inadequacy among the job characteristics and role stressors studied. The findings have internal marketing implications in a hospitality industry context.

Sustainability, Social Marketing and Host Attitudes About Tourism in the City of Larissa

This paper builds on the Social Norm Approach (SNA) which emphasises the role of norms in shaping attitudes, intentions and behaviour, in order to ground a socially desired behaviour change favouring, for example sustainability. Indeed, environmental sustainability may be regarded as a collective challenge that can only be achieved if a sufficient number of residents cooperate. Hence, the community plays a crucial role to effect lasting changes towards a more ecocentric behaviour. However, higher levels of awareness and knowledge of environmental issues among the general public have not led to the implementation of actual sustainable practices. This study aims to investigate the association of ecocentric attitude with the costs and benefits of urban tourism development. Drawing from a sample of residents in the city of Larissa (Thessaly region), ecocentric attitude shapes the profile of tourism development, recognising higher economic and social benefits, as well as higher costs on natural and cultural environment.

The Importance of Customer Relationship Management and Social Media in the Greek Wine Tourism Industry

During the last decades the wine industry in Greece has moved on to significant modernization. Thus, the wine produces have focused into the wine-tourism which seems to be a lucrative sector for wine producers. However, there is a necessity to construct a strong back-end which will be ready to serve the customers. For this reason the paper will examine the value of CRM and of social media on the wine tourism in Greece. The paper is a genuine one, since there has not been any similar research on this field. In addition to this, it is paper which will provide a sound knowledge on PR actioners over how to utilize them. The outcome of this literature review, indicates that CRM surely would benefit those firms, however it seems that the way that the operate—relying on traditional marketing methods, hence the use of social media may not be the ideal though word of mouth is important on this sector. Surely, this leaves a space for future research. This can be qualitative research where the wine makers will express their views and perceptions over the use of CRM and social media on their industry.

Knowledge Management and Employee General Competencies in Accounting Firms

This paper aims to shed light upon the impact of knowledge management on employee general competencies in accounting firm services (accounting offices). In this study, general competencies consist of abilities regarding (a) communication and teamwork, (b) problem solving and prioritizing, (c) time management and creativity, (d) interpersonal relations, (e) knowledge acquisition and application, and (f) risk taking and challenging. Knowledge management is primarily regarded the knowledge sharing culture, which consists of values about communication and information exchange, human relations, group decision-making and knowledge diffusion. The stimuli of this research can be traced on the empirical inconclusiveness in the existing literature investigating individual competencies and knowledge management mechanisms, as well as their association. The empirical findings from a survey of 141 employees in accounting offices in Central Greece confirm that all types of general competencies are significantly associated with knowledge sharing culture. As a consequence, management may invest on training in order to develop general competencies, which in turn, will boost knowledge sharing. Thus, accounting services firms may build a sustainable competitive advantage on knowledge management.

Residents’ Perceptions Toward Cultural, Social and Economic Benefits and Costs of Tourism Industry: An Empirical Survey

Tourism development plays a crucial role for the local economy and residents’ quality of life, especially for Greece, a country suffering from financial crisis. The purpose of the paper is to examine attitudes of residents of a capital city at a prefecture of Central Greece that is Chalkida, the capital of Evia Island, toward tourism development. It was selected as it shares several similarities with most destinations of the neighboring region of Thessaly.

Cultural Product and Cultural Communication as a Dynamic Bipolar Interaction and Creative Contribution to the Structural Recompiled of the Local Cultural Units

The conditions of the contemporary cultural environment make the reinforcement and adaptation of the cultural structures mandatory, depending on the corresponding emerging demands and expectations, which designates the effective application of each state’s cultural policy as a priority of paramount importance. This way, what is aimed at is that the produced cultural products are of high quality and competitive character, able to attract the public’s interest. In the same framework unavoidably belongs the action of the individual cultural enterprises, which are asked to safeguard their sustainability, to renew their operational practices and to respond both productively and communicatively to the high cultural demands of the era. A characteristic case is the basic cultural body of the Municipality of Karditsa, the Municipal Cultural and Public Benefit Enterprise of Karditsa (DI.K.E.K)-Greece, where an outlining of its environment is attempted, so that the factors responsible for its functional weaknesses are defined, while a vigorous organizational redesign is suggested, which is estimated to secure conditions for its more effective operation, high levels of production of cultural products, an upgraded communicative process and ensure that the cultural needs of its audience on a local level are sufficiently met.