Local E-Government in Cyprus: A Comparison of Perceptions Between Citizens and Decision Makers

This paper identifies attitudes and perceptions on e-government among two key populations: citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and local government decision makers. The research methodology is based on both secondary and primary data collection, with the latter including a questionnaire survey of the public and another of major local governments\u27 officials who were directly involved in the decision making of the services provided through local egovernment initiatives. The results of the surveys are analysed and cross-related The research has reached three principal clusters of conclusions. The first relates to a number of discrepancies found when comparing the public\u27s perceptions, needs and potentialities on e-government and the corresponding perceptions of the municipality decision makers. The second cluster relates to the wider potentialities of local e-government in Cyprus. The third cluster is provides directions and towards a successful local e-government implementation in Cyprus

Charting the Progress of Technology Adoption in Tourism and Hospitality in the Era of Industry 4.0

Purpose Amidst ongoing digital transformation, the current paper provides a 360-degree overview of technology-adoption in Tourism and Hospitality. By combining and consolidating a wide range of sources, mainly in the tourism literature, the analysis depicts how the complex technological ecosystem often enhances or hinders the successful adoption, integration and interoperability of different technologies. Methods The critical review method was used to assess, analyse and synthesise existing literature in the area of digitisation in tourism and hospitality. The critical review process included a thematic analysis of the literature, where recurring themes, patterns, and trends were identified towards adressing the study's research questions. Findings The analysis identifies current trends, opportunities, challenges and strategies for technology adoption in tourism and hospitality, the implications for theory, practicable executive directions and avenues for further research. Originality and Contribution The paper’s main contribution lies in its comprehensive identification, consideration and incorporation of all primary contemporary technological elements, and the ensuing development of a corresponding conceptual charting framework, which illustrates a multifaceted process with practical implications for various stakeholders, including businesses, authorities, consumers and employees. Keywords: Technology, disruption, innovation, tourism and hospitality, sustainability, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, big data, virtual / augmented reality, blockchai

Sustainability starts from within: A critical analysis of internal marketing in supporting sustainable value co-creation in B2B organisations

Data availability: The data used is confidential.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. The role of value co-creation in embedding sustainability within B2B marketing is well-documented. However, little is known about how employees enact this value co-creation, or how they can be supported to do so by their organisations. This article addresses this theoretical gap by analysing the role of employees and Internal Marketing in B2B organisations' efforts to co-create sustainable value. We propose that, since employees are tasked with delivering their organisation's ‘promise’, they can also purposely generate value for a broader range of stakeholders. As such, Internal Marketing can be a key enabler (or inhibitor) in these efforts. Adopting a Service-Dominant Logic and Service Gap lens, the research utilises Template Analysis of 17 semi-structured interviews with employees from a range of B2B organisations, which have adopted ‘sustainability-oriented’ practices. The findings highlight the contribution of Internal Marketing in supporting sustainable value, and demonstrate that, whilst employees can play a key role in the co-creation of sustainable value, value co-destruction can occur due to a ‘Sustainability gap’ within their organisations. This study contributes significantly to extant knowledge by offering a taxonomized analysis of the ‘sustainability gap’ and identifying how B2B organisations can address these at the awareness, design, internal communication, and implementation stages

The determinants of electronic payment systems usage from consumers’ perspective

Electronic Payment Systems (EPS) have been improving individuals’ quality of life through providing ease of payment for online transactions. The effects of trust and security on the use of EPS have long been recognised in e-commerce literature. However, very few studies have examined these two concepts from the viewpoint of users. This study has developed a conceptual model to examine the determinants of perceived security and trust as well as the impact of perceived security and trust on the use of EPS. A sample of 299 respondents was analysed through structural equation modelling (SEM); the findings indicate that both perceived security and trust have a significant influence on EPS use. Technical protection and past experience have been found to be the common determinants of perceived security and trust. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed in light of the study’s limitations and suggestions for further research indicated

Home-owned versus foreign-owned firms in the UK automotive industry : exploring the microfoundations of ambidextrous production and supply chain positioning

The UK automotive industry is home to a large number of foreign firms, demonstrating the open nature of competition. However, the industry necessitates both exploitative and explorative capabilities. Contingency theory suggests that firms align their internal structure with contextual factors. As such, the aims of this study were to investigate whether it was possible to distinguish home-owned (UK) and foreign-owned firms based upon: a) the microfoundations of ambidextrous production, which are conceptualised as lean and agile routines; and b) the tier at which these firms operate in the automotive supply chain. Survey data were collected from 85 home-owned and 55 foreign-owned firms within the UK Midlands automotive industry. Logistic regression results revealed that home-owned firms were significantly more likely to be implementing explorative (agile) production methods, whereas foreign-owned firms were significantly more likely to be implementing exploitative (lean) production. Home-owned and foreign-owned firms were found to be significantly more likely to be operating upstream and downstream in the automotive supply chain respectively. Thus, the findings support a contingency theory explanation, suggesting that firms align their performance priorities with contextual factors, but we argue that home-owned and foreign-owned firms have evolved to compete based on their different innovative capabilities, which are located at different tiers of the automotive supply chain. On this basis, although neither home-owned nor foreign-owned firms were found to be endogenously ambidextrous, we argue that foreign-owned firms internationalise into the UK automotive sector to exploit the explorative capabilities acquired by home-owned firms operating upstream in automotive supply chains, thus enabling ambidextrous capabilities at an exogenous, industrial level

Contemporary Organizational Sustainability: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Business and Society

Sustainability constitutes a contemporary mantra for modern businesses (Copper, 2021; de Góes et al., 2021; Madsen & Ulhøi, 2021). While past attitudes and notions pertaining to businesses made a sharp distinction between the profitable and the sustainable (Friedman, 1970, 2007), today’s economies and businesses consider sustainability not only a necessity for surviving, but also an opportunity for investing (green bonds, social bonds, social enterprises, and so forth). The search for innovative solutions at the entrepreneurial and managerial levels hugely impacts organizational approaches, strategies, and models, and require competences and offer opportunities for as yet alternative, but increasingly common, sustainable investments (Madsen & Ulhøi, 2021)

Wine marketing: A framework for consumer-centred planning

The 3000-year-old wine industry of Cyprus has reached a critical turning point and requires a substantial strategic reorientation. This article researches current practices, beliefs and attitudes of both wine producers and wine consumers in Cyprus to identify the factors that affect the industry. The research is primary data based, and makes extensive use of qualitative and quantitative methods. It includes in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups of local and Greek wine experts, an e-mail questionnaire survey of international experts, in-depth semi-structured consumer interviews and focus groups, and a consumer survey with 600 interviewees. The findings relate both to functional and production management aspects, as well as business and marketing ones. Regarding the former, cultivation varieties, production methods and know-how-related factors were found to be the most critical ones. In relation to marketing, focused targeting, differentiation, perception management-based branding and country-of-origin image development are presented as the clear strategic path. The findings are linked with an extensive literature review in order to reach prescriptive conclusions with immediate management implications. The article finally develops a preliminary framework for consumer-centred planning, specific to the wine industry of Cyprus, but-subject to testing-potentially adaptable to many other countries as well