Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enter... more Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enterprises (Patiniotis, 1993; 1996). Traditionally, the state has been oriented towards exercising a most influential role, by intervening into collective bargaining between employers’ associations and union federations, as well as by becoming engaged in business activities normally undertaken by the private sector, through the acquisition of hotel chains, textile industries, shipyards etc. Nevertheless, despite its enormous size, the public sector does not seem capable of effectively regulating the economic environment, neither in terms of setting forth appropriate institutional frameworks, nor of imposing the law concerning tax evasion. Therefore, in spite of its tenacious presence in all aspects of economic life, the state is characterised by ‘weak management’. Among other repercussions, the compliance of the Greek public administration to pressures seems to incite the submission of numerous economic and institutional claims on the part of the various social groups. The latter have come to believe that it is solely the state’s obligation to provide solutions for sectoral and social problems, they themselves not feeling bound at all to make their own contribution.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2019
The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait M... more The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait Model to that of the theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in terms of their predictive ability of Entrepreneurial Intention (EI). Most studies use one of these models or a version of them to predict EI. In this study we asked 1766 university students, from the School of Business to complete both questionnaires. The results from our analysis are quite revealing concerning the explanatory power of the two instruments. Among the Big Five traits, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness showed a significant relationship to EI while neuroticism did not. When we introduced Risk Taking as an independent variable, we found that it also related to EI significantly, increasing R2 from 0.126 to 0.151. Using the same sample, we tested the predictive power of TPB. We found a significant relationship of Personal Attitude (PA) and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) to EI. The model accounted for 65.7% of the variance in EI. The findings suggest that TPB prevails in predicting EI among university students over the Big Five model. Academics would be better off using the TPB in predicting EI, at least in similar contexts. The contribution of this study lies in that among the two dominant EI prediction models, TPB clearly appears to be more efficacious.
Journal of European Industrial Training, Aug 1, 1997
The development of vocational education policy in Greece: a critical approach Vocational educatio... more The development of vocational education policy in Greece: a critical approach Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influences. Delay is largely attributed to idiomorphic employment patterns, favouring low-skilled labour, and to culture, prompting youths to university education. Traditional lack of continuity of the national education policy, as well as persistent low financing of vocational education by the state, has resulted in the accumulation of long-standing problems. This situation has added up to a sluggish vocational education organization, more or less incapable of effectively tackling crucial social issues like unemployment and the challenge of new technologies.
AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individual... more AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individuals opt for entrepreneurship as a second-best career alternative, having failed to obtain an acceptable salaried occupation so far. Despite risk aversion designating the Greek cultural context, necessity entrepreneurship has been spreading rapidly out of shortage of vocational opportunities. Qualitative data was gathered through series of in-depth interviews with small businessmen in a semi-urban community. A process model has been elaborated in order to depict forces that drive inhabitants of the Greek periphery into necessity business. Findings include the higher propensity for failure among necessity entrepreneurs compared to opportunity entrepreneurs, mostly due to the discouraging institutional framework, lack of adequate preparation, deficient business skills, and absence of a supportive social network.
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture has been affected by the 'modus operandi' of influential corporations functioning within the Greek context.
The aim of this essay is to investigate the impact of different financial crisis since 1950 till ... more The aim of this essay is to investigate the impact of different financial crisis since 1950 till today especially on the labor market of Greece. Specifically the phenomenon of migration to other developed countries is examined in depth with emphasis on the phenomenon of brain drain. Expanding the causes and effects of each crisis, we concentrate on the recent crisis and it is peculiarities. In particular, we consider the case of Brain-Drain, which regards scientific trained manpower in the country and mainly the newer generations. For this reason, in addition to economic impacts the social parameters are also examined together with the future implications that will bring the Greek economy and society especially for the period 2010-2013.
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture...
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture...
Nowadays the concepts “vacations” and “tourism” have become intertwined. Tourism, among others, h... more Nowadays the concepts “vacations” and “tourism” have become intertwined. Tourism, among others, has eventually become a symbol of social status. Recently, however, alternative forms of tourism including agrotourism have emerged, which have the potential of relieving the congestion of ordinary holiday resorts. Agrotourism constitutes neither a symbol of social status, nor a means of social distinction. Instead, agrotourists live a healthy life in a natural environment and consume local products and services, while protecting the environment. This paper attempts to identify new growth patterns of agrotourist businesses within the context of their contribution to local development. Web tools are most helpful in this respect. Through the construction of informative websites, agrotourist handicrafts promote their products and attract visitors in localities.
The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait M... more The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait Model to that of the theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in terms of their predictive ability of Entrepreneurial Intention (EI). Most studies use one of these models or a version of them to predict EI. In this study we asked 1766 university students, from the School of Business to complete both questionnaires. The results from our analysis are quite revealing concerning the explanatory power of the two instruments. Among the Big Five traits, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness showed a significant relationship to EI while neuroticism did not. When we introduced Risk Taking as an independent variable, we found that it also related to EI significantly, increasing R2 from 0.126 to 0.151. Using the same sample, we tested the predictive power of TPB. We found a significant relationship of Personal Attitude (PA) and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) to EI. The model accou...
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the Big-Five personality traits and risk... more The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the Big-Five personality traits and risk aversion on entrepreneurial intention. A questionnaire-based survey was employed for the data collection. A total of 422 students and graduates (age 18–25) participated in the survey. The findings showed that extraversion, conscientiousness and risk aversion are important characteristics that influence entrepreneurial intention. Openness to experience, conscientiousness and extraversion have positive influence on entrepreneurial intention, while agreeableness, neuroticism and risk aversion have shown contrary results. The results confirm partially the theoretical approach and the hypotheses formed.
The literature findings on the predictive power of the Big Five personality model on career choic... more The literature findings on the predictive power of the Big Five personality model on career choice students make is scant. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between personality type and career selection. A 56-item questionnaire was used to measure personality traits and demographics, including three questions regarding preferences to work in the public sector, in the private sector and as a self-employed person. Approximately half the population of the Business Department students answered the questionnaire (N = 417), using Google docs in class. The results indicated that of the five traits only Neurotism and Agreeableness related to career choice. Although further studies need to be conducted to examine the aforesaid variable relationships, based on the findings reported here, career advisors and school counselors could be of greater benefit to students if they focused more on those possessing the two traits to an above average extent.
The study of entrepreneurial intentions has received considerable attention, since intentions hav... more The study of entrepreneurial intentions has received considerable attention, since intentions have proved to predict entrepreneurial behavior. This paper attempts to shed light on the formation of female students’ entrepreneurial intentions through the mediation of parents’ occupation, role models and Perceived Behavioral Control. According to Ajzen’s theory of Planned Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control indicates an individual’s perception concerning the ability of performing a specific behavior. An empirical research was conducted on a sample comprised by 952 students from 5 Greek higher education institutions during the academic year 2014–2015 and data were processed with SPSS. Our research findings illustrate that Perceived Behavioral Control and Role Models of female students do influence entrepreneurial intentions. This finding was also confirmed by considering Role Models and Perceived Behavioral Control as Independent variables. Parents’ occupation also has emerged as a cardinal determinant in our study, since students having both parents entrepreneurs expressed a significantly stronger intention to start a business than the ones with only one parent entrepreneur. On the other hand, maternal influence on daughters in the vocational field was not confirmed since female students whose mother was entrepreneur (but the father was not) did not show statistically significant differences from the rest with regard to entrepreneurial propensity. Our research focuses on the impact of female youths’ social context and perception of personal abilities in developing entrepreneurial aspirations. Research results would be beneficial to government bodies and business communities in promoting entrepreneurial spirit, starting from the family. Entrepreneurial education could offer a positive contribution to this end.
AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individual... more AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individuals opt for entrepreneurship as a second-best career alternative, having failed to obtain an acceptable salaried occupation so far. Despite risk aversion designating the Greek cultural context, necessity entrepreneurship has been spreading rapidly out of shortage of vocational opportunities. Qualitative data was gathered through series of in-depth interviews with small businessmen in a semi-urban community. A process model has been elaborated in order to depict forces that drive inhabitants of the Greek periphery into necessity business. Findings include the higher propensity for failure among necessity entrepreneurs compared to opportunity entrepreneurs, mostly due to the discouraging institutional framework, lack of adequate preparation, deficient business skills, and absence of a supportive social network.
This paper attempts to analyze the reactions of C.E.O.s, middle managers, unionists and workers i... more This paper attempts to analyze the reactions of C.E.O.s, middle managers, unionists and workers in Greek enterprises that have introduced diverse schemes of workers' participation. Top managers in participatory firms normally support participation, whereas middle managers and supervisors have proved to be more sceptic towards the issue. Unionists generally favour forms of representation, while they reject schemes involving the distribution of company shares to workers. Finally, workers have appealed to participation only temporarily, mostly when confronted with the impending bankruptcy of their firm. For the participation process to advance, the education of the ones involved in human relations issues seems to be necessary.
Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enter... more Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enterprises (Patiniotis, 1993; 1996). Traditionally, the state has been oriented towards exercising a most influential role, by intervening into collective bargaining between employers’ associations and union federations, as well as by becoming engaged in business activities normally undertaken by the private sector, through the acquisition of hotel chains, textile industries, shipyards etc. Nevertheless, despite its enormous size, the public sector does not seem capable of effectively regulating the economic environment, neither in terms of setting forth appropriate institutional frameworks, nor of imposing the law concerning tax evasion. Therefore, in spite of its tenacious presence in all aspects of economic life, the state is characterised by ‘weak management’. Among other repercussions, the compliance of the Greek public administration to pressures seems to incite the submission of numerous economic and institutional claims on the part of the various social groups. The latter have come to believe that it is solely the state’s obligation to provide solutions for sectoral and social problems, they themselves not feeling bound at all to make their own contribution.
Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influence... more Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influences. Delay is largely attributed to idiomorphic employment patterns, favouring low‐skilled labour, and to culture, prompting youths to university education. Traditional lack of continuity of the national education policy, as well as persistent low financing of vocational education by the state, has resulted in the accumulation of long‐standing problems. This situation has added up to a sluggish vocational education organization, more or less incapable of effectively tackling crucial social issues like unemployment and the challenge of new technologies.
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 1997
Asserts that the concept of quality circle autonomy includes the issues of members’ development, ... more Asserts that the concept of quality circle autonomy includes the issues of members’ development, relations with middle managers and supervisors, determining time of meetings, evaluating suggestions, selecting discussion topics, applying solutions and electing leaders. Investigates these dimensions in one Japanese and one French subsidiary in Greece. Findings show that in situations of limited autonomy, quality circle members raise no demands for more. On the other hand, when autonomy is ceded to members without their input, not only do they not demand more but, on the contrary, they may wish for the abolition of certain prerogatives requiring responsibility. Contends that quality circles possess practically insignificant bargaining power and that the satisfaction of their demands depends mostly on management benevolence, a fact likely to obstruct members’ claims for, and sustenance of, substantial autonomy. Suggests that future research focuses on the relationship of quality circle ...
Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enter... more Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enterprises (Patiniotis, 1993; 1996). Traditionally, the state has been oriented towards exercising a most influential role, by intervening into collective bargaining between employers’ associations and union federations, as well as by becoming engaged in business activities normally undertaken by the private sector, through the acquisition of hotel chains, textile industries, shipyards etc. Nevertheless, despite its enormous size, the public sector does not seem capable of effectively regulating the economic environment, neither in terms of setting forth appropriate institutional frameworks, nor of imposing the law concerning tax evasion. Therefore, in spite of its tenacious presence in all aspects of economic life, the state is characterised by ‘weak management’. Among other repercussions, the compliance of the Greek public administration to pressures seems to incite the submission of numerous economic and institutional claims on the part of the various social groups. The latter have come to believe that it is solely the state’s obligation to provide solutions for sectoral and social problems, they themselves not feeling bound at all to make their own contribution.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2019
The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait M... more The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait Model to that of the theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in terms of their predictive ability of Entrepreneurial Intention (EI). Most studies use one of these models or a version of them to predict EI. In this study we asked 1766 university students, from the School of Business to complete both questionnaires. The results from our analysis are quite revealing concerning the explanatory power of the two instruments. Among the Big Five traits, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness showed a significant relationship to EI while neuroticism did not. When we introduced Risk Taking as an independent variable, we found that it also related to EI significantly, increasing R2 from 0.126 to 0.151. Using the same sample, we tested the predictive power of TPB. We found a significant relationship of Personal Attitude (PA) and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) to EI. The model accounted for 65.7% of the variance in EI. The findings suggest that TPB prevails in predicting EI among university students over the Big Five model. Academics would be better off using the TPB in predicting EI, at least in similar contexts. The contribution of this study lies in that among the two dominant EI prediction models, TPB clearly appears to be more efficacious.
Journal of European Industrial Training, Aug 1, 1997
The development of vocational education policy in Greece: a critical approach Vocational educatio... more The development of vocational education policy in Greece: a critical approach Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influences. Delay is largely attributed to idiomorphic employment patterns, favouring low-skilled labour, and to culture, prompting youths to university education. Traditional lack of continuity of the national education policy, as well as persistent low financing of vocational education by the state, has resulted in the accumulation of long-standing problems. This situation has added up to a sluggish vocational education organization, more or less incapable of effectively tackling crucial social issues like unemployment and the challenge of new technologies.
AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individual... more AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individuals opt for entrepreneurship as a second-best career alternative, having failed to obtain an acceptable salaried occupation so far. Despite risk aversion designating the Greek cultural context, necessity entrepreneurship has been spreading rapidly out of shortage of vocational opportunities. Qualitative data was gathered through series of in-depth interviews with small businessmen in a semi-urban community. A process model has been elaborated in order to depict forces that drive inhabitants of the Greek periphery into necessity business. Findings include the higher propensity for failure among necessity entrepreneurs compared to opportunity entrepreneurs, mostly due to the discouraging institutional framework, lack of adequate preparation, deficient business skills, and absence of a supportive social network.
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture has been affected by the 'modus operandi' of influential corporations functioning within the Greek context.
The aim of this essay is to investigate the impact of different financial crisis since 1950 till ... more The aim of this essay is to investigate the impact of different financial crisis since 1950 till today especially on the labor market of Greece. Specifically the phenomenon of migration to other developed countries is examined in depth with emphasis on the phenomenon of brain drain. Expanding the causes and effects of each crisis, we concentrate on the recent crisis and it is peculiarities. In particular, we consider the case of Brain-Drain, which regards scientific trained manpower in the country and mainly the newer generations. For this reason, in addition to economic impacts the social parameters are also examined together with the future implications that will bring the Greek economy and society especially for the period 2010-2013.
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture...
The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under ... more The Greek business context is mostly dominated by small family enterprises, which function under traditional management methods. Nevertheless, a cluster of Greek-based companies has been detached from the mainstream by means of striving to go global. To this end, modernization of management and an emphasis on the human factor seems indispensable to them. On the other hand, in the recent years a lot of multinational subsidiaries have been entering Greece, bringing along with them generic human resource practices applied by mother companies. Influence of national culture necessitates a high degree of flexibility with regard to adaptation and application of outlandish human resource approaches. This paper constitutes a literature review of human resource developments in the Greek context. Its main objective is to examine the impact of national culture on HR practices applied in the recent years. On the other hand, aim of this paper is also to assess the extent to which national culture...
Nowadays the concepts “vacations” and “tourism” have become intertwined. Tourism, among others, h... more Nowadays the concepts “vacations” and “tourism” have become intertwined. Tourism, among others, has eventually become a symbol of social status. Recently, however, alternative forms of tourism including agrotourism have emerged, which have the potential of relieving the congestion of ordinary holiday resorts. Agrotourism constitutes neither a symbol of social status, nor a means of social distinction. Instead, agrotourists live a healthy life in a natural environment and consume local products and services, while protecting the environment. This paper attempts to identify new growth patterns of agrotourist businesses within the context of their contribution to local development. Web tools are most helpful in this respect. Through the construction of informative websites, agrotourist handicrafts promote their products and attract visitors in localities.
The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait M... more The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficacy of the Big Five Personality Trait Model to that of the theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in terms of their predictive ability of Entrepreneurial Intention (EI). Most studies use one of these models or a version of them to predict EI. In this study we asked 1766 university students, from the School of Business to complete both questionnaires. The results from our analysis are quite revealing concerning the explanatory power of the two instruments. Among the Big Five traits, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness showed a significant relationship to EI while neuroticism did not. When we introduced Risk Taking as an independent variable, we found that it also related to EI significantly, increasing R2 from 0.126 to 0.151. Using the same sample, we tested the predictive power of TPB. We found a significant relationship of Personal Attitude (PA) and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) to EI. The model accou...
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the Big-Five personality traits and risk... more The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the Big-Five personality traits and risk aversion on entrepreneurial intention. A questionnaire-based survey was employed for the data collection. A total of 422 students and graduates (age 18–25) participated in the survey. The findings showed that extraversion, conscientiousness and risk aversion are important characteristics that influence entrepreneurial intention. Openness to experience, conscientiousness and extraversion have positive influence on entrepreneurial intention, while agreeableness, neuroticism and risk aversion have shown contrary results. The results confirm partially the theoretical approach and the hypotheses formed.
The literature findings on the predictive power of the Big Five personality model on career choic... more The literature findings on the predictive power of the Big Five personality model on career choice students make is scant. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between personality type and career selection. A 56-item questionnaire was used to measure personality traits and demographics, including three questions regarding preferences to work in the public sector, in the private sector and as a self-employed person. Approximately half the population of the Business Department students answered the questionnaire (N = 417), using Google docs in class. The results indicated that of the five traits only Neurotism and Agreeableness related to career choice. Although further studies need to be conducted to examine the aforesaid variable relationships, based on the findings reported here, career advisors and school counselors could be of greater benefit to students if they focused more on those possessing the two traits to an above average extent.
The study of entrepreneurial intentions has received considerable attention, since intentions hav... more The study of entrepreneurial intentions has received considerable attention, since intentions have proved to predict entrepreneurial behavior. This paper attempts to shed light on the formation of female students’ entrepreneurial intentions through the mediation of parents’ occupation, role models and Perceived Behavioral Control. According to Ajzen’s theory of Planned Behavior, Perceived Behavioral Control indicates an individual’s perception concerning the ability of performing a specific behavior. An empirical research was conducted on a sample comprised by 952 students from 5 Greek higher education institutions during the academic year 2014–2015 and data were processed with SPSS. Our research findings illustrate that Perceived Behavioral Control and Role Models of female students do influence entrepreneurial intentions. This finding was also confirmed by considering Role Models and Perceived Behavioral Control as Independent variables. Parents’ occupation also has emerged as a cardinal determinant in our study, since students having both parents entrepreneurs expressed a significantly stronger intention to start a business than the ones with only one parent entrepreneur. On the other hand, maternal influence on daughters in the vocational field was not confirmed since female students whose mother was entrepreneur (but the father was not) did not show statistically significant differences from the rest with regard to entrepreneurial propensity. Our research focuses on the impact of female youths’ social context and perception of personal abilities in developing entrepreneurial aspirations. Research results would be beneficial to government bodies and business communities in promoting entrepreneurial spirit, starting from the family. Entrepreneurial education could offer a positive contribution to this end.
AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individual... more AbstractThis research focuses on the phenomenon of necessity entrepreneurship, whereby individuals opt for entrepreneurship as a second-best career alternative, having failed to obtain an acceptable salaried occupation so far. Despite risk aversion designating the Greek cultural context, necessity entrepreneurship has been spreading rapidly out of shortage of vocational opportunities. Qualitative data was gathered through series of in-depth interviews with small businessmen in a semi-urban community. A process model has been elaborated in order to depict forces that drive inhabitants of the Greek periphery into necessity business. Findings include the higher propensity for failure among necessity entrepreneurs compared to opportunity entrepreneurs, mostly due to the discouraging institutional framework, lack of adequate preparation, deficient business skills, and absence of a supportive social network.
This paper attempts to analyze the reactions of C.E.O.s, middle managers, unionists and workers i... more This paper attempts to analyze the reactions of C.E.O.s, middle managers, unionists and workers in Greek enterprises that have introduced diverse schemes of workers' participation. Top managers in participatory firms normally support participation, whereas middle managers and supervisors have proved to be more sceptic towards the issue. Unionists generally favour forms of representation, while they reject schemes involving the distribution of company shares to workers. Finally, workers have appealed to participation only temporarily, mostly when confronted with the impending bankruptcy of their firm. For the participation process to advance, the education of the ones involved in human relations issues seems to be necessary.
Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enter... more Greek business is comprised of a vast public sector, co-existing with numerous small family enterprises (Patiniotis, 1993; 1996). Traditionally, the state has been oriented towards exercising a most influential role, by intervening into collective bargaining between employers’ associations and union federations, as well as by becoming engaged in business activities normally undertaken by the private sector, through the acquisition of hotel chains, textile industries, shipyards etc. Nevertheless, despite its enormous size, the public sector does not seem capable of effectively regulating the economic environment, neither in terms of setting forth appropriate institutional frameworks, nor of imposing the law concerning tax evasion. Therefore, in spite of its tenacious presence in all aspects of economic life, the state is characterised by ‘weak management’. Among other repercussions, the compliance of the Greek public administration to pressures seems to incite the submission of numerous economic and institutional claims on the part of the various social groups. The latter have come to believe that it is solely the state’s obligation to provide solutions for sectoral and social problems, they themselves not feeling bound at all to make their own contribution.
Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influence... more Vocational education in Greece has been developed only recently, mainly through foreign influences. Delay is largely attributed to idiomorphic employment patterns, favouring low‐skilled labour, and to culture, prompting youths to university education. Traditional lack of continuity of the national education policy, as well as persistent low financing of vocational education by the state, has resulted in the accumulation of long‐standing problems. This situation has added up to a sluggish vocational education organization, more or less incapable of effectively tackling crucial social issues like unemployment and the challenge of new technologies.
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 1997
Asserts that the concept of quality circle autonomy includes the issues of members’ development, ... more Asserts that the concept of quality circle autonomy includes the issues of members’ development, relations with middle managers and supervisors, determining time of meetings, evaluating suggestions, selecting discussion topics, applying solutions and electing leaders. Investigates these dimensions in one Japanese and one French subsidiary in Greece. Findings show that in situations of limited autonomy, quality circle members raise no demands for more. On the other hand, when autonomy is ceded to members without their input, not only do they not demand more but, on the contrary, they may wish for the abolition of certain prerogatives requiring responsibility. Contends that quality circles possess practically insignificant bargaining power and that the satisfaction of their demands depends mostly on management benevolence, a fact likely to obstruct members’ claims for, and sustenance of, substantial autonomy. Suggests that future research focuses on the relationship of quality circle ...
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Papers by Jim Stavrou