Business Administration (PhD) / Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (PhD)

Purpose: A growing number of studies have explored the potential benefits of employee wellbeing concerning employee active mobility, job satisfaction, and other aspects of job performance and organizational commitment. However, little has been done to investigate the benefits accrued for employees who use active mobility to commute to work, as well as the impact on employee well-being, job performance, and organizational commitment. As a result, a need emerges to assess current knowledge of this topic on linking employee wellbeing to job performance. This research investigates the correlations between employee wellbeing and other variables, such as employee active mobility, organizational commitment, and job performance. The scope of the present study is to examine the impact of employee active mobility (actively commuting to work) on employee wellbeing and job performance. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a Systematic Literature Review, a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) was developed, following the System Dynamics Methodology, which was conducted on prominent studies on employee active mobility and its contribution to employee well-being and other aspects of job performance. Additionally, a conceptual model was developed to investigate employee active mobility and its influence on employee wellbeing and job performance. The research sample was drawn from employees who work in organizations, specifically those working in the Administration of the 1𝑠𝑡 Health Region of Attica under the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity. The sample consisted of 303 employees. Also, an investigation was carried out on employees’ opinions by utilizing a Group Model Building (GMB) technique. Interviews with the participants were conducted to gain more accurate and specific data. The questionnaire was the instrument that was used for data collection. The questionnaire was located and selected using the composition of different questionnaires, modification of existing questionnaires, or selection through the international literature. Findings: This research provides a novel view of the dynamics of employee well being and job performance. This allows for further understanding of the links between employee active mobility and job performance, as well as the role and responsibility of organizations based on the costs, profit, and benefits to be gained. The present study revealed significant relationships between job performance and well-being, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Additionally, no statistically significant results occurred for the influence of employee active mobility on employee well-being, job performance, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Originality/value։ This review suggests that active mobility was not a significant factor in the explanation of employee well-being and job performance. However, a need emerges to clarify the factors which are preventing employees in Greece from commuting by walking or bicycle to work and the positive outcomes on employee well-being, job performance and organizational commitment.

In recent decades, emerging nations have grappled with significant societal challenges in reshaping certain cultural norms, that are both ethically objectionable and detrimental to human well-being, such as the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). These deeply ingrained cultural practices lack valid justification, yield no discernible benefits, and result in persistent health risks and physical harm. FGM, acknowledged worldwide as a grave violation of human rights, is a form of violence directed towards women and girls, emblematic of gender inequality. Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have substantially committed to addressing these societal concerns by employing scientific methodologies to eliminate these detrimental traditions. FGM, also referred to as female circumcision, remains one of the most alarming practices within underdeveloped and developing nations. It encompasses excisions or genital cuts, encompassing procedures that involve partial or complete removal of external female genitalia for non-medical purposes. The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes female genital mutilation as deliberate procedures that cause modifications or injuries to female genital organs for non-medical motives. This practice carries an array of complications, ranging from urinary problems and bleeding to infections, and can even lead to childbirth-related complications resulting in newborn fatalities. Typically conducted between infancy and age 15, this practice breaches girls' rights to make vital decisions about their sexual and reproductive well-being, as it is often performed without consent and frequently against their will. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) addresses the issue of FGM powerfully in Sudan. Numerous programs were issued by different NGOs besides UNICEF in order to mitigate the practice of FGM in Sudanese society. This inspires me to evaluate how society's attitudes towards FGM have shifted following the implementation of social marketing interventions. Despite the existing body of research on assessing the effectiveness of such programs in influencing the behavior of individuals subjected to FGM, there remains a gap in comprehensively measuring the influence of awareness programs on shaping the overall societal behavior regarding FGM. The objective of this study is to bridge this gap by creating and assessing an integrated conceptual framework. This framework draws upon the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), along with insights from social psychology including the Unified Theory of Acceptance and TAM2 to create a model that quantifies the degree of behavioral change. The aim is to establish a comprehensive structure for investigating the influential factors that shape adopting the newly introduced behavior of discontinuing FGM within Sudanese society. Furthermore, this framework examines how Hofstede's four cultural dimensions at an individual level, along with a range of personal distinctions, moderate the key determinants impacting the behavioral intention to embrace the advocated practice of abandoning FGM. The study gathered a total of six hundred questionnaires from a representative sample of individuals who have enrolled in awareness programs addressing the risks associated with FGM. To ensure reliability and validity, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed, and the hypothesized conceptual model was assessed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in conjunction with multi-group analysis techniques. The findings of this study reveal that the independent variables Subjective Norms (SN), Facilitating Conditions (FC), Voluntariness (VOUL), and Experience (EXP), in addition to other cognitive dimensions such as Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU), will be the significant determinants of Behavioral Intentions (BI) and the Actual Use of FGM abandonment (AU). Also, the findings prove that there are differences between ethnic groups in terms of PEOU, PU, FC, SN, BI, and AU. The results of the Multiple Group Analysis (MGA) reflect that demographic factors have a moderation effect on the adoption of the new behavior of abandoning FGM. Collectively, the proposed model achieves an acceptable fit and explains 26.32% of the variations of the direct determinants in the actual adoption (AU) of the promoted behavior. The outcomes indicate that when it comes to understanding people's intentions and the contexts in which adoption occurs, factors at the individual, social, cultural, and organizational levels play a crucial role. Furthermore, this study contributes to existing knowledge by demonstrating that the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can be effectively applied in countries like Sudan, and it offers noteworthy insights that hold significance for theoretical advancement and practical implementation across individual, organizational, and societal dimensions.

With the rapid growth of technology and communication, the number of companies engaging in international trade has increased substantially, resulting in a more efficient way to achieve success, sustainable growth and to respond to an extremely demanding market. However, due to practical and financial aspects, exporting has been the most popular and fastest growing mode of international market entry. The current empirical research has been conducted by using a longitudinal case studies approach, as this method it is considered more accurate and valid for qualitative research. The primary qualitative data/information has been collected in two distinct phases (descriptive phase which was conducted using in depth personal interviews & site visit observations, and exploratory phase which was performed by adopting semi structured interviews). In addition, the researcher has a follow up interview with the six Cypriot juice companies that participated in the in-depth personal interviews to validate and confirm the proposed model/classification as well as the derived factors comprised the model. Overall, the key findings suggest that the major barriers and constraints that the six Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations face, when engaged in export business, are largely consistent with the findings of previous works in this area. However, the empirical evidence from the study strongly suggests that the maturity export stage of the organisation can contribute positively to the company’s export development. This along with constant investment in process and procedures enables the organisation to minimize or even to eliminate the level of strength of those barriers and having successful results in the potential foreign market. Furthermore, after having identified forty-five barriers and constraints the author proposed a detailed 6-stage export model/classification as a contribution of the theoretical framework to the Cypriot manufacturing exporting organizations. Additionally, this study contributes to academia by extending current research about export and aims to give more thorough insights into the narrow export literature on the Cyprus case. Lastly, the findings of the current updated study provide some useful theoretical and practical implications to enterprises and policy makers for further development. This research aims to drive best Practices approaches for the Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations to become successful exporters. The objectives of this study is four-fold. (1) To critically review the current literature review for international trade and export activities. (2) Commence a longitudinal case studies approach insight the Cyprus juice industry. (3) To analyse and evaluate primary data and to develop Best Practises for the Cyprus export industries. (4) The identification and ranking of the success factors that adopted by the Cypriot manufacturing-export organizations.

This study delves into the problem of inefficiencies in public procurement processes for construction projects in Libya with the aim of recommending the adoption and use of KM to address the inherent challenges, and improve the efficiency of public procurement processes. Using a mixed methods research design, the research collected quantitative data through surveys and qualitative data using in-depth interviews with site engineers, project managers, and the top current and former leaders of key organizations that are responsible for the procurement of public construction projects in Libya. The research established that there is no systematic KM practice in Libya; however, there are unstructured knowledge sharing initiatives that could not be considered as effective KM but they form the basis for adoption of KM practice. The research found that the knowledge sharing culture is low in Libya, and there is use of technology in running of day-to-day operations, but it is not directed towards KM practice. The study established that there are challenges in the procurement processes and that there is no systematic way of handling knowledge such as lessons learned, best practices, etc. Therefore, practitioners are always re-inventing the wheel. To address these inefficiencies, the research recommended the adoption of KM practice, promoting a culture of knowledge sharing, creating a centralized, full-fledged procurement department for all public construction projects in Libya, hiring professionals trained in public procurement, training and developing existing staff, and using modern technologies to enhance efficiency in the procurement process. Based on the research findings, the research recommends a six-step (CCOISA) pilot KM model that could help in collaborating, capturing, organizing, integrating, storing, and applying knowledge based on the prevailing conditions and circumstances in Libya. The model serves as the roadmap for practitioners to adopt KM practice and address the challenge of inefficiency in the Libyan public procurement. The research findings have helped to start a discussion in Libya and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa about the importance of KM practice in public procurement. The research recommends that future research should focus on the scalability of the research to other sectors of the economy and the barriers to successful implementation of KM practice, as well as the legal and ethical concerns that may arise upon implementation of the recommended KM model.

The main objective of this research project is to address and respond to the question whether after the international financial crisis of the 2008, exploitation of peripheral Economic Monetary Union (EMU) countries by developed EMU core countries is further institutionalized and widened. This study is developed across three interrelated sections. Firstly, the analysis of the Economic Monetary Union wide, post 2008 capitalist crisis architectural transformation in terms of the major economic governance reforms. The cited reforms included the newly enhanced Multilateral Surveillance in the European Monetary Union, the TFEU, the European Semester, the Prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances, the European Stability Mechanism, the Euro Plus Pact, the Capital Markets Union and the EU Banking Union. It has secondly identified the interconnection of structural fiscal, labour and product market reforms imposed under Economic Adjustment Programmes (EAPs) of “financial support” to the countries of the periphery namely Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. The third and last part of the study, after refining and applying criteria which originate in class based and dependency theory approaches, has compared results of structural reforms analysed, that is social repercussions on the level of wages and income; consumption; social protection; privatization; profits, and investment indicators of non-financial enterprises including foreign direct investment and assets of financial organizations to identical criteria for two core euro area countries, namely Germany and France. Findings can be summarized as per the following. Firstly, each reform at the level of the EMU, despite its own merits is part of the holistic transformational power exerted by the new stage of the EMU. It was found that the institutional framework established, has widened uneven development between core advanced economies and the periphery in light of embedding the dogma of competitiveness. It appears that the new EMU context is conducive to creating conditions of attracting investments from capital surplus, increasing capital profits and widening exploitation and thus social disparities. The restructuring of the EMU took place as a continuation of the asymmetries and social gaps founded with the Maastricht Treaty and the 2008 systemic crisis. Second, new institutions and reforms capable of widening class-based disparities have appeared which despite some variations in each country, pave the way for securing an attractive to business and profits environment aimed at increasing competitiveness, restructuring the wage setting mechanisms in the periphery. Finally, structural reforms reviewed at the periphery level, have produced significant social disparities within the countries of the periphery and in comparison, to the core and euro area average performance. The country or the region with more accumulated capital, that is core countries within and outside the European Monetary Union (for instance USA Private Investment Funds), especially Germany -which generates one fourth of the euro area Gross Operational Surplus and where income from equity of corporations is almost three times the euro area average and FDI net position in euro has increased by three time since the eruption of the 2008 crisis have led the engine of capital surplus investment to produce “growth” to the periphery, a development pattern “reminiscent of Hobson-Lenin theory of imperialism”. As were the tremendous changes undergone by the world capitalist system (Pröbsting, 2016) such is the corresponding transformation in the EMU. The post capitalist crisis European Monetary Union institutional transformation (via establishing the new economic governance) created an environment more conducive to less regulation, less control of uneven development and thus increased exploitation. National corporations in the periphery, appear at a more advantageous position in conditions where structural fiscal, labour and product market reforms -directed through the Economic Adjustment Programmes and post programmatic surveillance- have reallocated resources in favour of private capital, at the expense of the less protected labour. The working class, which is under a regulated pressure of controlled by business competitiveness nominal labour cost, is closer than ever in the post Maastricht-EMU inauguration era to mere subsistence whereas social protection is now less “generous” with the dignity of peoples’ lives. Therefore, the EMU architectural redesign and imposed EAPs are found to exacerbate uneven development between the center and the periphery of “Southern” states in the euro area, increasing exploitation; despite country variations, a comprehensive rearrangement and deepening of social disparities within the periphery is identified; class structure and balance of power within peripheral societies does not remain intact. Profiteers in the face of corporations take advantage of new political and social conditions whilst the labor is severely affected. These tendencies, is suggested, reflect the main characteristics of the transformative structural changes intended at the nucleus of the EMU.