An investigation of the supply chain of fisheries products in Greece

The present study provides an empirical investigation of the supply chain of fisheries products in Greece, through the implementation of the Structure – Conduct and Performance (SCP) methodological approach. The determinants of market performance have been analyzed considering the causal relationship of industry structure and firm conduct, and consecutively the causal relationship of firm conduct and market performance. Primary data were collected from Greek fisheries products stakeholders through personal interviews. The findings reveal that firm conduct is affected by industry structure and sequentially both have a bearing upon market performance. As concerns the impact of firm conduct on market performance, quality assurance has the most significant positive effect, which reveals the significance of product differentiation strategy in determining the market performance of Greek fisheries firms. According to the total effects on each dependent variable as a whole, the industry structure has greater impact on market performance than the firm conduct. The most important factor that affects firm conduct is international competition while the most important factors that affect market performance are those pertaining to industry structure – namely competitive advantage and C.F.P measures. The most positive and significant effect of competitive advantage that is reflected to customer demand, trade barriers and competition illustrates that it is a prerequisite to improve levels of market performance. These findings may assist all involved parties to confront impediments and develop efficient marketing strategies to compete more successfully in the global marketplace.market analysis, Structure – Conduct – Performance, fisheries products, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

EXPLORING THE COMPETITIVENESS, OF THE GREEK FISHERIES SECTOR

The debt crisis in Greece has revealed the prolonged problems of the Greek economy and led to drastic fiscal consolidation measures and reforms in labour, products and services. However, structural changes must be escorted by the application of an aid strategy of introspection in order to develop the dynamic sectors of the Greek economy and promote Greek exports to international markets. The fisheries sector is a successful example for Greek agricultural enterprises. Aquaculture products are the major export products in the Greek food industry, representing a significant value of total food exports. The present study aims to identify and analyse the competitive position of the Greek fisheries sector to the EU market through the assessment of specific intra-industry trade indices. Data were obtained for five major EU producer and exporting countries and key intra-industry trade indices were estimated. The results indicate that the image of the Greek fisheries sector seems dynamic and productivity allows the Greek market to export and be competitive. Trade balance remains positive and growing steadily, confirming the export orientation of the sector. It is worth mentioning that the sector competes and outperforms developed economies and specialist fleets such as Italy, Spain, France and Denmark

IMPLEMENTING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE IN TIMES OF CRISIS: THE CASE OF GREEK MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD

The recent Greek economic crisis between 2008 and 2018 called for radical amendments in the public administration that ultimately affected various structures and processes. The present study endeavors to explore the determinants of administrative and organizational changes in the public administration of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food during the time of crisis. Primary data were gathered through a qualitative survey with public officers and stakeholders and were gauged through a Delphi policy framework. The results of the study indicated that, according to expert’s opinion, the public administration was neither prepared to efficiently confront the crisis nor the changes that followed. Stakeholders on the other hand, claim that despite all the changes that have occurred, the level of bureaucracy seems to be unaffected and that there is the need for public services to be enhanced

CURRENT SITUATION OF INVESTMENTS MADE IN THE FIELD OF MILK PROCESSING WITH NON-REFUNDABLE FUNDS IN THE OLTENIA REGION

Milk processing is a very important sector of the food industry in Romania, which has a direct link on increasing the competitiveness of the national economy, but also on ensuring food security. Through the National Rural Development Program, nonreimbursable funds can be accessed for the development of milk processing capacities, through Sub-measure 4.2.- “Support for investments in the processing / marketing and / or development of agricultural products”. In the milk processing units, at national level, in the period 2015 - 2019, through this submeasure, 83 projects were financed, with an eligible value of 126,318,709 euros, and the public value of 63,533,682 euros. At the level of the South - West Oltenia Region, 8 projects were selected, the eligible value of the selected projects in this region is 18,093,625 euros, and their public value is 9,416,812 euros, in the period 2015 - 2019

MARKET AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BULGARIA

The present paper tests empirically the existence of a causal relationship between the economic growth and the development in the banking and stock market in transition economies and especially the case of Bulgaria. The Johansen cointegration test indicated one long – run relationship between the banking sector, the stock market and the economic growth while the application of the Granger causality test indicated a bilateral relationship between the economic growth and the development in the stock market, as well as between the economic growth and the development in banking sector. Finally, a unilateral relationship was concluded between the development in credit and stock market

Exploring the Relations, Bargaining Forms and Dynamics of the EU Food Supply Chain under the Perspective of the Key Actors: Evidence from Greece and Denmark

 The objective of this paper is to offer qualitative and quantitative insights on the perceptions of the actors in the EU food supply chain on a broad spectrum of topics that characterise its operation and conduct, highlighting also potential differences in North and South European countries. Issues explored pertained to actors’ relations with up- and downstream partners, the future dynamic and challenges of the food sector, the influence of policy intervention and attitudes towards genetically modified products (GMPs) and organic production. For this purpose, a total of 34 food supply chain actors in Denmark and Greece were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. A comparative analysis of the interviews pinpointed many similarities in the behaviour and the perceptions of the Greek and Danish farmers, cooperatives, processors and retailers alike. Still, while it is evident that companies and farmers of both countries struggle with a lot of the same problems, several differences in perceptions are also identified. These refer mainly to attitudes towards mergers and acquisitions, innovations, GMPs and the effects and limitations of EU policy intervention

Redefining integration of the European dairy markets: do they converge?

The European dairy market has received inefficient protection through the years within the context of significant policy reforms. Until the next reform, the various protection measures will be gradually dismantled, fostering the competitiveness of the sector. The present paper exploits the prospects of an integrated European dairy market with the investigation of the price behaviour for EU countries through the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the assistance of the Johansen cointegration technique. Three major groups of dairy markets have been identified for which a single cointegration vector is confirmed. The results validate the existence of a long-run relationship among real exchange rates based on dairy prices for these groups of countries, whereas, weakly exogenous variables existed across all groups, offering the other countries within each group, protection against external shocks and adversaries of price volatility

Greek wine marketing in international markets and determinative factors

Βασικός στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν η διερεύνηση των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν και του τρόπου με τον οποίο επιδρούν στην απόδοση εξαγωγών των ελληνικών οινοποιητικών επιχειρήσεων. Οι παράγοντες αυτοί αναφέρονται στο εξωτερικό περιβάλλον λειτουργίας των επιχειρήσεων, στο ανταγωνιστικό εξαγωγικό τους πλεονέκτημα και στις σχέσεις τους με τα δίκτυα διανομής στο εξωτερικό (channel relations). Παράλληλα έγινε μία προσπάθεια ομαδοποίησης των ελληνικών οινοποιητικών επιχειρήσεων με βάση αντιλήψεις της διοίκησης για τη συχνότητα εμφάνισης ενός αριθμού εμποδίων κατά τη διάρκεια των εξαγωγικών τους δραστηριοτήτων. Στο αρχικό στάδιο πραγματοποιήθηκε μία αναλυτική περιγραφή της κατάστασης που επικρατεί στον κλάδο της οινοποιίας στην ελληνική αγορά αλλά και στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Εκτενής αναφορά έγινε στη λειτουργία της αγοράς οίνου και στις δύο περιπτώσεις, με στοιχεία που αφορούσαν την παραγωγή, την κατανάλωση, τις εισαγωγές και τις εξαγωγές οίνου αλλά και την οργάνωση της εγχώριας αγοράς σε επίπεδο επιχειρήσεων. Εκτός απ’αυτά παρουσιάστηκε το θεσμικό πλαίσιο που διέπει τον τομέα του οίνου στη διεθνή αγορά και κυρίως η νέα Κοινή Οργάνωση της Αμπελοοινικής Αγοράς (ΚΟΑ). Στη συνέχεια, έγινε μία λεπτομερής ανασκόπηση της βιβλιογραφίας που αφορούσε έρευνες που έχουν γίνει σε διεθνές επίπεδο σχετικά με την απόδοση εξαγωγών των επιχειρήσεων. Βάσει αυτής οι παράγοντες που αναγνωρίστηκαν να επηρεάζουν την απόδοση εξαγωγών αναφέρονταν στα εξαγωγικά εμπόδια που αντιμετωπίζουν οι επιχειρήσεις, στο εξωτερικό τους περιβάλλον, στο ανταγωνιστικό εξαγωγικό τους πλεονέκτημα και στις σχέσεις τους με τα δίκτυα διανομής στο εξωτερικό. Έτσι δημιουργήθηκαν οι βασικές υποθέσεις της διατριβής που αφορούσαν την πιθανή αλληλεπίδραση ενός ή περισσοτέρων παραγόντων στις σχέσεις των επιχειρήσεων με τα δίκτυα διανομής στο εξωτερικό και στην απόδοση εξαγωγών. Για τον έλεγχο των συγκεκριμένων υποθέσεων πραγματοποιήθηκε ποσοτική έρευνα σε 110 ελληνικές οινοποιητικές επιχειρήσεις που ανέπτυξαν εξαγωγικές δραστηριότητες κατά τη χρονική περίοδο 1999-2002. Η έρευνα στηρίχθηκε σε πρωτογενή δεδομένα που συγκεντρώθηκαν με ταχυδρομική αποστολή ερωτηματολογίου στους υπεύθυνους εξαγωγών των επιχειρήσεων. Το χρονικό διάστημα διεξαγωγής της έρευνας ήταν από το Μάρτιο έως τον Ιούλιο του 2003. Για τον προσδιορισμό του δείγματος των επιχειρήσεων χρησιμοποιήθηκαν οι κατάλογοι των ελληνικών οινοποιητικών εξαγωγικών επιχειρήσεων που προέρχονταν από το Βιομηχανικό Επιμελητήριο Ελλάδος, το Σύνδεσμο Ελλήνων Εξαγωγέων, το Σύνδεσμο Βιομηχάνων Βορείου Ελλάδος και τον Οργανισμό Προώθησης Εξαγωγών. Οι επιχειρήσεις που συμμετείχαν στη διεξαγωγή της έρευνας αποτελούσαν το συνολικό πληθυσμό των ελληνικών οινοποιητικών εξαγωγικών επιχειρήσεων

An investigation of the supply chain of fisheries products in Greece

The present study provides an empirical investigation of the supply chain of fisheries products in Greece, through the implementation of the Structure – Conduct and Performance (SCP) methodological approach. The determinants of market performance have been analyzed considering the causal relationship of industry structure and firm conduct, and consecutively the causal relationship of firm conduct and market performance. Primary data were collected from Greek fisheries products stakeholders through personal interviews. The findings reveal that firm conduct is affected by industry structure and sequentially both have a bearing upon market performance. As concerns the impact of firm conduct on market performance, quality assurance has the most significant positive effect, which reveals the significance of product differentiation strategy in determining the market performance of Greek fisheries firms. According to the total effects on each dependent variable as a whole, the industry structure has greater impact on market performance than the firm conduct. The most important factor that affects firm conduct is international competition while the most important factors that affect market performance are those pertaining to industry structure – namely competitive advantage and C.F.P measures. The most positive and significant effect of competitive advantage that is reflected to customer demand, trade barriers and competition illustrates that it is a prerequisite to improve levels of market performance. These findings may assist all involved parties to confront impediments and develop efficient marketing strategies to compete more successfully in the global marketplace

Export problems perceptions and clustering of Greek wine firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to further develop the extant export problems literature by focusing on a context that has attracted limited attention so far, namely the wine sector. The objective is to examine empirically Greek wine firms' perceptions of the factors that may impede their export activities. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were gathered from 110 wine firms that responded to a battery of exporting problem items. A combination of exploratory, confirmatory and cluster analyses were employed to classify and profile firms according to their perceptions about the frequency of export problems. Findings – Three clearly distinct clusters were formed. The results indicate that export problems are likely to occur in firms that are more passive in terms of export activities than in firms that adopt active and competitive export postures. Research implications/limitations – The findings are interpreted and discussed in the light of extant theory. Particular attention is paid to the implications for management and public policy administrators. The study is confined to a single country/single industry context and provides an overview of the problems experienced only by indigenous wine firms in export markets. Originality/value – Although the study corroborates the extant literature, it is innovative in that the sample, i.e. the census population of Greek exporting wine firms, lends more credence to the findings for the particular sector and the export problems literature