Determinant of export success factors : the perception of Greek food and drink export companies

The food and drink sector has traditionally played a very important role in Greece’s economy. Recently, its importance has grown due to the economic crisis. In order to recover, the country’s economy must become more internationally focused and the food and drink sector can play a crucial role in this effort. The main objective of this paper is to offer an insight into the perception of Greek food and drink exporters on key export success factors. A number of factors have been identified and examined in order to determine their impact on export performance. In particular, we examine the relationship between the company’s export performance and a number of factors, such as the company’s size, experience, dependency on exports, product quality, price and innovation. The findings from a sample of 95 Greek food and drink exporters are analyzed and presented. The paper offers theoretical insights on the determinants of food and drink export success. In addition, it has strong practical implications for enterprises in the food and drink sector currently involved in exports and the ones that plan to export. It is expected that the current economic situation will lead more Greek food and drink companies to attempt expansion into international markets. As they do, they need to have a clear view and understanding of the determinants of successful export performance.peer-reviewe

Three Mini-ethnographic Case Studies on COVID: Impacts on Greek Agricultural Sectors

COVID was politically polarizing, had global and public health impacts, and created havoc in supply chains. Social dilemmas caused by the pandemic were difficult, but also created opportunities to be resilient and innovative in agricultural extension education. This mini-ethnographic case study examined three Greek agricultural sectors from the perspectives of experts in extension and higher education. Data included semi-structured interviews, review of technical reports, and photographs in developing each case study. From the cross-case analysis, there were four emerging themes: environmental, economic, and social impacts and the innovative solutions used to address these concerns. What we have learned, and where we go from here requires reimagining training and education to broaden our reach and approaches. There is a need to educate stakeholders to access reliable data, become citizen scientists, engage in learning communities in virtual settings across sectors, and become more entrepreneurial to sustain the environment, food security, and financial stability within communities worldwide

Plant-based Protein Food Products: Perceptions from the Greek Food Industry

The food industry is under pressure to improve food production and reduce its impact on the environment. Furthermore, consumers today are increasingly shifting to more sustainable diets. In this context, plant-based protein sources appear as a promising solution. This study investigates the perceptions of company representatives operating in Greece who produce or intend to produce, food products containing plant-based proteins. Based on 360 responses, this quantitative analysis a) identifies the main drivers and barriers for consumer acceptance of these products, b) ascertains the most popular choice (word and phrase) on their labels, and c) explores variations in key marketing factors such as organoleptic characteristics, price, and promotion of plant protein-based products versus those with animal protein sources. According to the findings, “human health” is the prevailing incentive to shift to the consumption of plant-based protein food products. Additionally, “reluctance” is the predominant barrier for consumers to change their eating habits. Regarding the use of words and phrases on labels, the word “plant-protein” and the phrase “high in vegetable protein” were found to be the most popular. Furthermore, there is an agreement that both the organoleptic characteristics and the promotional strategies of plant-based protein products and animal-based protein products, are or should be similar. Interestingly, the majority of respondents noted that the price of plant protein products is or will be higher compared to animal protein products. This study provides meaningful insights into the food and beverage industry and companies that either have or will have products with plant-based sources of protein. Keywords: alternative proteins, alternative products, plant-based proteins, plant-based substitutes, food industry, business perception

The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives on Rural Community Development: The Case of TITAN – Sharrcem in Kosovo

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an integral part of firms’ strategies in their effort to increase their positive impact on society. This study investigates the impact of a CSR initiative, known as “The LAB Project”, implemented by the TITAN– Sharrcem Company, on the rural community of Hani I Elezit in Kosovo. The LAB project aims to support the establishment and operation of agricultural and food-related start-ups and, most importantly, to ensure their sustainability. The sample of the study consists of 174 area residents. This research examines local residents’ perceptions about a) the TITAN-Sharrcem operations in the area, b) the LAB project’s main contribution to the local community,  c) the project’s overall performance, d)  the profitability of the start-ups created by the project, and e)  the project’s effect on the community’s quality of life. Overall, the results reveal that the project has set the foundation for the community’s sustainable development. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research on the effect of such initiatives in the region. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Rural Entrepreneurship, Community Developmen

Consumers’ Purchase Intentions Towards Novel Dairy Products: Evidence from Greece and Serbia

The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers’ purchase intentions towards novel dairy products with evidence from Greece and Serbia. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, this research empirically tests a set of hypotheses concerning the consumers’ purchase intentions towards novel dairy products. In addition to the dependent variable of purchase intention, the independent variables of food neophilia, product knowledge, health consciousness, social contacts and price perception are used for the development of hypotheses. A total of 288 usable questionnaires (144 from each country) were collected and analyzed. Finally, the empirical findings are discussed and managerial implications as well as recommendations for future research are presented

FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCTS CONTAINING ALOE VERA: EVIDENCE FROM THE GREEK MARKET

The aloe vera plant, known for its beauty, health and skin care properties throughout the world, has recently emerged as an important ingredient for the food and beverage industry. Its popularity has been increasing the last years and as a result, firms producing food and beverages containing aloe vera have focused R&D in an effort to better address market needs. The objective of this paper is to examine the Greek consumers’ purchase intentions towards food and beverage products containing aloe vera. It is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which enhances the understanding of the attitudes, the subjective norms and the perceived behavioural control of the consumers. The findings contribute to the existing international literature on consumer preferences for functional food and beverage products as to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research on aspects of the consumers’ purchase intentions towards aloe vera in the Greek food and beverage market

THE IMPACT OF TRUST ON KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Over the last decade, international business alliances have emerged as one of the most important strategies for firms to expand in international markets. In addition, knowledge transfer has been determined as one of the key factors that lead to the creation of sustainable competitive advantage for firms and to the success of learning alliances. Furthermore, trust enhances the effectiveness of this process. The growing volume of published research in recent years has indubitably revealed the significant role of trust on knowledge transfer in International Business (IB) Systems and in particular in International Strategic Alliances (ISAs) and International Joint Ventures (IJVs). This paper consists of an in depth review of the most recent literature about the impact of trust on transfer of various types of knowledge in IB Systems with reference to the relevant theoretical models and the applications in the international context. The first section contains the theoretical background of the concept of trust, the different types of knowledge and the process of knowledge transfer. The main section refers to a few contemporary and distinguished scientific articles about the impact of trust as a determinant factor of knowledge transfer from the most recent international literature. The conclusions of the literature review and testable propositions related to the creation of trust among IJV partners and their impact on knowledge transfer are presented at the final section of the paper

MINNESOTA ETHANOL PRODUCTION AND IT'S TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Accessing Consumer Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Deposit Refund System

This study analyzes consumers’ perceptions of the Deposit Refund System (DRS) initiative in Greece. It aims firstly to measure the effectiveness of these systems in Greece. Secondly, based on elements from the Theory of Green Purchased Behavior, it identifies the motives of DRS users and how they affect DRS usage and perception. Data were gathered using a mail-out survey to consumers in various cities in Greece. The key finding supports the argument that moral motives significantly lower the costs associated with household recycling efforts. Moreover, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to examine the research hypotheses. The findings reveal that the DRS motives positively and statistically significantly affect the process of recycling and user perception of DRS. Moreover, the DRS perception affects the adoption of the DRS and complementary mediates the effect of motives for DRS adoption. The normalized model shows that an increase in motives by 1 unit will increase the perception of consumers for refundable recycling by 0.346 units. Similarly, an increase in the motives by 1 unit will increase the use of refundable recycling by 0.296 units