Showing papers in "Euromed Journal of Business in 2015"

Impact of trust on the relationship of e-service quality and customer satisfaction

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find the role of trust as a mediating variable between e-service quality and customer satisfaction in internet banking. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for an exploratory study using closed ended questionnaire. The empirical data are drawn from 367 customers of internet banking. Factor structure of e-SQ, customer satisfaction and trust has been tested using EFA and CFA by gap values and perception values. Structure equation modeling has been used to analyze the effects of independent variable e-service quality on customer satisfaction and the role of mediating variable trust. Stepwise analysis has been done to examine the effect of trust on customer satisfaction. Sobel test has been used to measure the indirect effect. Findings – e-SQ was found to be strongly correlated with customer satisfaction. The results confirm trust as a mediating variable between e-service quality while analyzing the same model with gap value and perception value. Research li...

Critical success factors of supply chain management: A literature survey and Pareto analysis

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is three pronged. First, to review the existing critical success factors (CSF) literature in the context of supply chain management (SCM). Second, to analyze the occurrence frequency of every possible CSF in SCM literature. Third, to identify the “vital few” and the “useful many” CSF that are harmonized across the SCM field. Design/methodology/approach – A time-specific and term-sensitive literature review technique is undertaken to generate a list of possible CSF in SCM. The review yielded 55 papers, but only 26 empirical CSF papers were selected for analysis as the reliability and validity of the factors had been rigorously tested. Consequently, a Pareto analysis approach was applied to trace the CSF frequency of occurrence in SCM literature. By performing a Pareto analysis, this present study is able to identify and categorize the “vital few” and “useful many” CSF that are consistent throughout various fields of SCM. The review and results are tabulated and a Pareto ...

The importance of social media on holiday visitors’ choices – the case of Athens, Greece

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine visitors’ perceptions and relevant importance of social media when choosing a Mediterranean destination and also to explore the extent in which they believe it is important for them to belong to an online community with shared characteristics among its members. Design/methodology/approach – A stratified, based on nationality and gender, sample of 301 respondents of foreign arrivals of visitors in the Athens airport, Greece was collected in June and July 2014 based on the official Athens Airport Authorities Arrival Research. This is a partially exploratory research. Findings – Differences between age groups as far as the importance attributed to social media as sources of information about a tourism destination were found. The respondents, when using the internet for gathering information about a tourism Mediterranean destination, consider different online channels. Facebook is among the most important sources of information for them associated with the tou...

Dynamic performance, financial leverage and financial crisis: evidence from GCC countries

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of financial leverage on firm’s performance in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Additionally, this paper investigates the impact of recent financial crisis on GCC firms. Design/methodology/approach – The authors argue that the firm’s performance has a dynamic relationship that cannot be measured in cross-sectional data. Hence, the authors use a panel data to examine the effect of financial leverage on firm’s performance using the dynamic Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) estimator. Findings – The results from the GMM estimator show that companies’ leverage is a significant determinant of firm’s performance in GCC countries. The authors also found that financial crisis had a negative and significant impact on firms’ performance in GCC countries. Research limitations/implications – First, the data used in this paper rely on information published by the firms, and therefore, the robustness of the results were limited by the accuracy...

Testing the effect of marketing strategy alignment and triple-A supply chain on performance in Egypt

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment on the performance by collecting and analyzing data from the textile industry in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – A research model is proposed which describes the impact marketing strategy alignment, triple-A supply chain on supply chain performance and organizational performance. The proposed research model and hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling based on data collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. Findings – The results of the study support that organizational performance is positively associated supply chain performance. Also supply chain performance is directly affected by triple-A supply chain and marketing strategy alignment. Research limitations/implications – The data used in this study were collected from 153 companies working in the Egyptian textile industry. The generalization of the study result...

The effects of conflict on risk perception and travelling intention of young tourists

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the evaluations of various risks by young Israelis living in conflict area and their Polish counterparts, who do not live in conflict area and how these perceptions affect their traveling intentions to destinations with different types of risks – Egypt, Turkey, India and Japan. Design/methodology/approach – The research participants were 713 Israeli and Polish students who responded to a structured questionnaire. Findings – The findings validate the assumption that contextual distinctions shape differently factors affecting traveling risk estimation and the intention of young people to travel abroad. The results indicated that the priming effect is substantial, reflected in Israelis’ significantly higher assessments of risks concerning destinations with terror, health and natural disasters hazards in comparison to Poles’ evaluations. As predicted, Israeli students exhibit lesser intentions to travel to Turkey, Egypt and India than their Polish counterparts. The study also showed similarities between Israeli and Polish students. Young tourists’ with strong aversion to health hazards exhibit low intention to travel to India and those refraining from economic crisis are reluctant to travel to Egypt. The intention to travel to Japan and India decreased with high perception of destination risks. Originality/value – The current study constitutes a new departure in studying the contextual effects on travel-related decision making. It focusses on the impact of conflict ridden environment on intentions, attitudes and risks perception of young tourists with respect to traveling to risky destinations, previously hardly studied.

Factors influencing consumer purchase intention of cloud computing in the United States and Turkey: The role of performance expectancy, ethical awareness and consumer innovation

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the different factors affecting purchase intention of cloud computing services in Turkey and the USA. , – A research framework is developed based on social cognitive theory and the technology acceptance model. A survey questionnaire is used based on student responses in Turkey and the USA to see if there are any differences toward purchase intentions. , – A majority of the research hypotheses are supported in both the Turkish and USA sample indicating that there are similarities in perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, consumer innovation and performance expectancy toward cloud computing. , – The findings of this research have implications for technology companies and marketers operating in North America, Europe and Asia. , – As few studies exist on the differences between purchase intention of technological innovations in the USA and Turkey, this paper contributes to a better understanding of whether cultural differences or consumer attitudes effect adoption of emerging technologies including cloud computing services. , – This paper focusses on the emerging technological innovation of cloud computing services by examining antecedent environmental factors influencing purchase intention. In total, two different country samples are utilized to gain a better international perspective of the reasons why consumers purchase technological innovations.

Effect of organizational factors on employees’ generation of innovative ideas

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the relationship between the organizational factors that affect innovation performance and the idea generation of employees. Factors examined include: appropriate use of rewards inside the organization, management support for developing new ideas, the tolerance in accepting failures and taking risks, allocation of resources and specially the free time, and finally the organizational structure and the related centralization of decision making. Design/methodology/approach – The purpose of the study is achieved through an empirical quantitative study on the software development industry of Egypt. Findings – Results indicate that, while all factors proved to be significantly correlated with employees’ innovative ideas generation; the availability of innovation based rewards, action based managerial support and decentralized decision making proved to be the most important factors contributing to the increase of innovation ideas generated and shared by employees...

Managing diversity and social divisions in nurses’ work teams

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discern the legacies of social divisions, notably protracted social conflict on team members’ relations, collaborative interactions and ways of coping with such work-life reality. Design/methodology/approach – This study constitutes a pilot phase of a research on nationally and ethnically diverse nurses’ teams operating in medical centers. It used qualitative methodology: a semi-structured individual interviews with 12 nurses. Findings – The findings underscore the challenge of engaging diversity in mixed work teams operating in the shadow of protracted conflict. The results indicated inter-group biases, implicit discrimination and tensions due to the salience of social categorization and the faultline phenomenon. These tensions mount in crisis situations, such as violent incidents associated with the national conflict. The major coping pattern was directing the disagreements to a hidden sphere. The findings showed paucity of organizational level efforts to engage...

The role of uniqueness in destination branding:the case of historical Portsmouth harbor

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential for utilizing a unique resource, such as the Historic Portsmouth Harbor, in order to differentiate the local brand. Design/methodology/approach – The objective of the paper is to examine the role of unique local resources and attractions as a source of competitive advantage through destination branding. Findings – The main findings of the paper indicate that policy makers and destination managers should more proactively utilize the unique elements of the Historic Portsmouth Harbor “brand,” as opposed to the commonplace “waterfront city” brand. This could be achieved by staging events of international significance or through a bid for gaining world heritage status. In addition to that, the paper argues that in order for this branding initiative to have a higher impact, a prominent high profile individual should be appointed. This individual could act as a leader or “brand ambassador” in order to attract stakeholder interest and participation. ...

Measuring the quality of banking services targeting student population

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of the banking services in a rather neglected context, i.e. quality of banking services that target the student population. The goals were: to highlight the importance of student population as in the long run profitable market for personal banking services, to determine whether there are significant differences between student perceptions of and expectations from the quality of banking services as well as which dimensions students find to be the most significant and which the least significant in assessing the quality of banking services. Design/methodology/approach – A summary of the theoretical framework is followed by the results of a research using the SERVQUAL instrument. Findings – Despite a steady increase in the number of students over the past few years, bank managers have not yet realized their full potential. The results point to a gap in the quality of the banking services on all five dimensions of the SERVQUAL model. It is necessar...

Does gender specific decision making exist

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore management decisions during the ongoing financial crisis from a gender perspective. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical analysis was conducted using a sample of 132 personal surveys involving managers of independent small travel agencies. Findings were extracted using a logistic regression analysis. Findings – This paper finds some significant gender differences in strategic management decisions in crisis times and in strategic choices. Nevertheless, no differences were found in organizational performance. Research limitations/implications – The research covers travel agencies in Madrid, Spain. Thus, findings might be restricted to this specific sector or geographic area. Practical implications – The findings provide useful empirical evidence for leadership development and strategic management that will enhance leadership effectiveness from a gender viewpoint and facilitate advances in women business management theory. Originality/value – This paper...

Decision-making criteria in tactical make-or-buy issues: an empirical analysis

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to contribute to the assessment of the impact of a number of decision-making criteria in resolving tactical make-or-buy issues in enterprises operating in Greece. Moreover, it sheds light on the relationship between the impact of each criterion and a number of independent variables. Design/methodology/approach – Initially, depth interviews were made with purchasing managers in ten industrial firms operating in Greece. The findings of these interviews and the review of the pertinent literature provided the basis for the questionnaire design. Then, a copy of the questionnaire and a prepaid self-addressed return envelope were mailed to a stratified sample of 300 industrial firms operating in Greece. By the end of this process, 85 questionnaires were received, representing a 28.3 percent response rate. Findings – Cost and quality appear to be the criteria with the most impact, which indicates that companies usually resolve tactical make-or-buy issues in order to ...

Antecedents and moderators of golf tourists’ behavioral intentions

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of golf tourism in a Mediterranean golf resort located in Italy. Based on a systematic literature review, this research develops and tests a context-specific “integrated model” in order to shed further light on the complex discordance in the literature with new empirical data. Furthermore, the present study attempts to establish a framework to provide a better understanding of golf tourism behavior in terms of specific segmentation profiles. This will contribute to a more targeted approach to marketing and promotional activities. Design/methodology/approach – This study applied structural equation modeling to verify the path relationship of golf tourists quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intention. The final step was to include the suggested moderator variables (age and playing experience) into the model in order to gain further insights. Furthermore, multiple group analyses were calculated in comparing two sub-sa...

Britain in bloom? A study into Chinese tourists’ experience

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese tourists’ experience of Britain based on a conceptual model of tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty, and to identify key issues that tourism organisations could address to provide an excellent experience for Chinese tourists. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in collaboration with a tour operator; and 275 valid responses were received. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling was used for data analysis. Findings – The key destination attributes of Britain such as heritage sites, natural scenery and customer service provide an excellent experience for Chinese tourists. Other British destination attributes such as shopping facilities, food, accommodation, entertainment and night life are less impressive. Research limitations/implications – The sample was drawn from Chinese tourists visiting Britain on package tours, which limits the generalisation of results to other Chinese tourists and other European/Mediterranean ...

Metamorphosis of a kibbutz industry: an Israeli case study

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on a current trend in kibbutz industries, and to examine the numerous changes at Millennium Industries Design/methodology/approach – A case study was carried out documenting the organizational biography of Millennium Industries Ethnographic interviews were held with kibbutz members employed by the organization, former CEO’s and with other workers Findings – The research describes the life cycle of the plant from its beginnings, through its maturity, its growth until its decline It also explains the organizational failure of the plant, in terms of its background and the difficulties of managing a kibbutz industry in an era of global economy The causes of its decline stem mainly from a kibbutz-style management based on non-professional involvement of the community in business, and incompatible with the rough competition of capitalistic markets The plant was finally sold to a private investor, thereby losing its identity as a kibbutz plant Research limit

The influence of aesthetic investments on employees

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore new constructs related to organizations, art and physical environment. Further, an intention was to explain and discuss whether investments in the physical environment in the form of art, design and architecture do have an effect on employees. Design/methodology/approach – To conclude whether aesthetics had an impact on employees in terms of job satisfaction, motivation and their self-perception of their own ability to provide customer service, the authors undertook a quantitative study of 222 employees in seven companies. The authors subsequently commenced five in-depth, semi-structured interviews with four accessible corporate art buyers and one curator to identify the main motivations for purchasing art and placing it in the work place. Findings – With regard to perceptions of art, design and architecture, the physical environment is perceived as a whole and seems to play a significant role in organizational life for employees in companies that have inv...

Contrasting quality of service experience for northern and southern Mediterranean tourists

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine quality of service experience as reported by tourists in seven northern and southern Mediterranean cities. Design/methodology/approach – A self-report study was used to gather data from 1,362 tourists. Once validity of Otto and Ritchie’s (1996) scale had been confirmed, ANOVA and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyse the data. Findings – Tourists in all destinations highlighted the importance of the dimension peace of mind. Significant differences between tourists in the northern Mediterranean and those in the southern Mediterranean were observed in two quality of service experience dimensions: hedonics and involvement. Research limitations/implications – Although the sample was large, this study’s scope was limited to seven Mediterranean tourist cities. Further research is therefore required to generalize findings to other Mediterranean tourist destinations. Practical implications – Knowledge about quality of service experience dimen...

Preferring green and rejecting “unethical” hotels

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ethical tourism and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; and to explore the number and the size of green hotels’ customers segments. Design/methodology/approach – A survey in the urban area Thessaloniki, Greece. Probability, large enough household sample. “Intentions to visit a green hotel”, “Boycotting” and “Discursive Activities” towards unethical hotels were investigated. External (EC)/Internal controls (IC) and past experience served as potential antecedents of behavioural intentions. Findings – Intentions to visit a green hotel were found to correlate strongly both with other people’s impact (EC) and with respondents’ perceptions about their own means (IC); intentions are moderately influenced by previous experience. Clustering indicated that the “Willing” segment (26.6 per cent) gathered consumers, who obtained higher scores than their counterparts in the other two segments, namely “Hesitant” (40.4 per cent) ...

Strategic framework showcasing Greece in the Chinese tourism market

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to take a holistic view of the body of knowledge of the second wave of Chinese outbound tourists so as to develop a strategic framework towards positioning Greece in the China outbound tourism market. Design/methodology/approach – The survey adopted a perspective from knowledge management, investigating a deeper understanding of the knowledge about, from and for the Chinese tourists, and Greece was taken as a case study. An online survey with quantitative aspects was conducted from October 2013 to January 2014. Findings – The knowledge about the Chinese tourists depicts a young, well-educated segment with a predominance of female and western China residents. The knowledge from the Chinese tourists reveals that they prefer: visiting islands and heritage sites; safety while travelling; a faster visa process; a direct flight between China and Greece; and making a trip combined with other Schengen countries. The knowledge for the Chinese tourists indicates that purchasin...

Income return versus capital appraisal for real estate funds during the financial crisis : Evidence from Italy

Abstract: Purpose – The overall performance of real estate funds can be ascribed to capital appreciation and/or income return. The Italian property funds market has grown significantly over the past few years; however, little is known about the key drivers of property fund performance. The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of two sources of funds’ performance and identify their relevance during the financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers the Italian market in the last decade and analyses the annual reports of public real estate funds, separating appraisal returns from income returns. By considering a wide time horizon, it evaluates if the roles of income returns and capital gains with respect to overall performance are more or less influenced by fund characteristics, such as asset diversification, concentration, and leverage. Findings – The contribution of income return and capital growth are not strictly related to the overall performance of Italian real estate funds, with ...