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The aim of the paper is to investigate of differences in driving behavior between Greece and Palestine (West Bank Area) via applied of AUTH drivers' questionnaire (ADQ) on different categories of drivers through the analysis of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) based on the structure of four factors. Data were collected from the driver' participants randomly for each country to assess the diversity of drivers behavior and performance. The analysis stage included descriptive analysis, statistical tests, EFA, and logistic regression analysis. The study found that there was a difference in the distribution of the participants according to socio-demographic data and was statistically significant between their responses. The EFA results supported the distinction between the behaviors of drivers in both countries depending on the factors that emerged. The study suggested the names of the factors considering to the question groups, which included commitment of traffic rules and safe driver behavior, driving errors and ordinary violation, weather conditions and daytime, and essential supplies and financial status. The study concluded that road accidents are affecting due to the diversity of drivers' countries. In addition, the ADQ is appropriate to use and analysis of data according to the proposed set of factors and for evaluating the difference between countries in terms of driver behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain the impact of locus of control (LOC) and motivations on entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among agri-entrepreneurs in the region of Western Greece. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted in 2019 in the Western Greece region. Primary data were collected through a survey. A researcher-administered questionnaire was the data collection instrument while the individual farmer was the unit of analysis. Many data analysis methods were applied: a validity and reliability test, exploratory factor analysis, regression analysis, Kruskal–Wallis test and correlations. Findings: The results show that the proposed model explains almost 33% of the variance for the EI. Internal LOC and pull motivations have a positive relationship with the intention of entrepreneurship. EI in the agricultural sector is more dependent on LOC, motivations, age and level of education than gender and type of holding. Research limitations/implications: The findings of this study provide several theoretical and practical contributions, which can be useful for other researchers. Originality/value: This research study adds to the existing literature of the EI by using a different type of sample compared to previous contributions. Mostly EI studies used student sample to measure intentions. The present study extends the antecedents of intention by using a sample of existing agri-entrepreneurs. Farmers are one of the best potential segments, and as a result, this research will help predicting how the intention process of existing entrepreneurs works, especially in the primary sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Given the fact that the Greek food and beverage (F&B) sector, along with the tourism sector, is the basis of Greek economy, the purpose of this paper is to depict the extent to which Greek F&B enterprises have embraced quality costing, as a means toward economic development and quality assurance. Since no previous research has taken place in this area, the paper aims to analyze whether the quality costing approach has been adopted, in order to achieve quality improvement and a reduction of production costs.Design/methodology/approach As the variables in this research are mostly nominal, and no similar work has been previously conducted in Greece, an exploratory approach is adopted, specifically multiple correspondence analysis. This approach enables the researcher not only to analyze the phenomenon in a more holistic way, but also to highlight potential issues and questions that have not been previously identified.Findings The research concludes that Greek F&B enterprises have not yet accepted the assumption that quality costing leads to a reduction of production costs and to quality improvement. Furthermore, a second analysis highlights that “turnover” and “ISO-HACCP systems” are the most dominant demographic variables, which have a direct relationship to prevention and internal failure costs.Originality/value Since the Greek F&B industry constitutes the larger “employer” of domestic manufacturing, this research sheds light on the role that quality costing plays in the development and success of the Greek F&B sector, by exploring the approach that has been adopted by F&B enterprises, as well as the economic outcome of this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In line with recent trends in the human resource management literature that address talented employees and their management, the purpose of this paper is to examine the associations between talent philosophies (innate/developable and exclusive/inclusive) and the way talent is identified and assessed in the context of service organisations. Design/methodology/approach: A structured questionnaire was administered in shipping companies located in Greece and 125 questionnaires suitable for further use were collected. Moreover, the measurement instruments of the constructs under examination were adopted from relevant studies in the literature. Finally, the data were analysed through exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings: The findings showed that the different talent philosophies impact upon the way talent is managed (i.e. identified and assessed). Specifically it was found that managers who adopt mainly innate and exclusive talent philosophies tend to rely more on their first impressions in the identification of talent and to focus in a greater extent on their personal judgment rather than standardized procedures in talent assessment. Originality/value: Despite the increased academic voices on exploring the concepts of talent and talent management in the context of business organisations, the field is still lacking empirical evidence. Therefore, this study contributes to the limited empirical studies on talent issues and provides evidence on the links between the dominant talent philosophies and the way talent is identified and assessed in organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In the present studies, we examine the construct validity and criterionrelated validity of a previously unpublished, eight-item measure of relational wellbeing. Methods: First, in two pre-COVID-Era pilot studies within the UK (n's = 207 and 146, respectively), results of exploratory factor analyses revealed that--with the possible exception of one item regarding close relationships--the items assessed individual differences along a single dimension (i.e., relational wellbeing), rather than two distinct dimensions (i.e., social connections and close relationships). Second, in an initial pre-COVID-Era main study within the UK (n = 192), results of confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the hypothesized onedimensional factor pattern, although the same problematic item from the pilot studies continued to under-perform relative to the other seven items. Findings: In a subsequent COVID-Lockdown-Era main study across India (n = 205), Greece (n = 354), and the UK (n = 390), results of confirmatory factor analyses established that--after omitting the same problematic item that had surfaced in the preceding studies--a one-dimensional factor pattern provided equally satisfactory fit for the three samples. Original value: Although we had not set out to test a priori hypotheses regarding mean similarities or differences in relational wellbeing among our COVIDLockdown-Era studies, results of an analysis of variance revealed that persons within the UK scored significantly lower in relational wellbeing than did persons in India or Greece. Limitations: As noted above, one particular item repeatedly performed poorly in factor analyses; this item ideally should be dropped from the relational wellbeing scale in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, primary and secondary schools worldwide are deploying online teaching/learning practices, fostering and thus innovation practices. The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which practices reflecting educational innovation are implemented in the Greek public primary and secondary schools operating under conditions characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic. Determining the relationship among these educational innovation practices is also an aim of the present study. Design/methodology/approach: A research study was conducted in the Greek public primary and secondary schools. 522 teachers fully completed a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied to analyze the data. Findings: The findings reveal that administration-related innovation practices, teaching-related innovation practices and online teaching/learning practices are implemented to some extent in primary and secondary schools in Greece, but there is still scope for continued development. The online teaching/learning practices set the foundations for further developing a culture of fully adopting other educational innovation practices in these schools to improve education. Originality/value: Limited research concerning educational innovation practices has focused on primary and secondary schools. The need for more studies on teaching and learning innovations that have resulted from the COVID-19 crisis is highlighted by the literature. The results of this study support the fact that online teaching/learning implemented in primary and secondary schools is positively associated with administration-related and teaching-related innovation practices, concluding that this forced change in the educational process can act as a catalyst for more changes and innovative actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 20 years, Strategic Leadership has attracted both academics and practitioners. Strategic Leadership is defined as the managerial ability of a leader to anticipate, envision, maintain flexibility, and enable others to make strategic changes as required. This study aims to evaluate a strategy leadership scale in the Greek hotel industry. For this evaluation responses from 372 hotel employees were used, working in hotels located in most parts of Greece. The major statistical methodology used is Exploratory Factor Analysis. The results indicated that both the scale under evaluation is acceptable and that Greek hotels follow strategic leadership processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to create prototype models capable of measuring and depicting the impact of reward systems on specific elements that support a process of organizational culture change (organizational systems, internal mechanisms and structures, supportive management role and organizational commitment to specific goals) in the hospitality industry. The literature review led to the creation of a prototype questionnaire, which was used to collect data from a random and proportionally stratified, representative sample of 207 general managers or human resources managers of Greek luxury hotels. For the analysis of the collected data, Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used. The above led to the creation and validation of a second-order latent variable model as well as two latent constructs, that allowed the scientifically novel modelling of the impact of reward systems on several change-supportive elements in processes of changing a hotel’s organizational culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Hellenic Medicine / Arheia Ellenikes Iatrikes is the property of Athens Medical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim/Purpose: The study examines the teachers' perceptions towards a set of socio-emotional characteristics of distance education (DE) in primary and secondary schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. The examined characteristics include perceived joy, stress, effort/fatigue, isolation, inclusiveness, and collaboration/interaction. Background: The transition to emergency distance education had a large socio-emotional impact on teachers. Recent evidence certifies an increase in mental health issues like stress and load. Studies also recognized online teaching barriers including difficulties in communication and interaction with students. This study focuses on the examination of the socio-emotional characteristics of distance education as perceived by primary and secondary education teachers in Greece. The study also investigates differences between primary and secondary education, teaching disciplines, and the role of individual factors like gender, age, and experience. Methodology: The study used a mixed-method research design with closed-ended and openended questions on a sample of 845 teachers of primary and secondary education in Greece. The closed-ended questionnaire consisted of 19 items of socioemotional DE characteristics, measured in a 5-point bipolar format. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)was conducted on 16 items, indicating three components: (a) effort/fatigue, (b) inclusiveness, and (c) collaboration/interactivity. A single-item scale was considered for joy, fatigue, stress, and isolation. The finalized measurement model was evaluated in terms of item loadings, reliability of measures, convergent, and discriminant validity, with the help of the SmartPLS software. Descriptive statistics and percentages were calculated with the help of SPSS software. Because of the non-normal distribution of the data, non-parametric methods of Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis were performed to examine significant differences in teacher groups. The qualitative part of the analysis was conducted on text data received from two open-ended questions, on a sample of 602 cases. The identified qualitative constructs were investigated through content thematic analysis focusing on the identification of the socio-emotional codes and references, excluding non-relevant themes and cases. Contribution: The Findings of the study contribute towards the deeper understanding of the teachers' psychological or emotional state during the early stage of the Covid-19 emergency DE, as well as on the role of individual and other factors like gender, age, teaching stage, and teaching subject. The results can be leveraged during or after the pandemic, to design pedagogical or psychological practices and strategies to encourage and facilitate the teachers' transition to DE. Findings: A measurement model of the teachers' perceived socio-emotional characteristics towards emergency distance education was developed and validated. The model includes the components of: (a) effort/fatigue, (b) inclusiveness, (c) collaboration/interactivity, (d) isolation, (e) joy, and (f) stress. The quantitative results indicated that teachers experienced increased levels of fatigue, and perceived DE as difficult and time-consuming. Teachers of primary education reported significantly lower levels of perceived collaboration/interaction than secondary teachers. Female teachers reported significantly higher scores of both joy and stress, while the youngest age groups expressed the highest scores of joy. The teaching subject also revealed differences in fatigue. Through qualitative analysis, this study also identified several socio-emotional thematic codes revealing the teachers' difficulties in interaction and communication with students as well as a set of emotional attributes like fatigue, joy, and stress. Recommendations for Practitioners: Teachers should modify their face-to-face teaching material and adjust it to online teaching principles, avoiding future load and frustration. Different approaches should be implemented in primary and secondary education and indifferent teaching disciplines. Also, teachers should be trained on DE-oriented digital skills, ICT competencies, and socio-emotional skills, e.g., by receiving psychological and socio-emotional support from experts. Strategies to decrease fatigue and stress, especially in synchronous teaching should be traced by schools and educators. Recommendations for Researchers: The Findings provide theoretical evidence on the teachers' socio-emotional attitude towards DE and their experiences in the first stages of the emergency remote education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Impact on Society: This research highlights the perceived DE characteristics and the barriers to online teaching during Covid-19. Schools, educators, and society should collaborate to provide awareness and opportunities for successful distance education practices. Future Research: The survey is based on individual self-reported measures, and this restricts the deeper understanding of the findings. Hence, Future Research should extend this work by using different methods of data collection like for instance observations, course recordings, interviews, or focus groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global health crisis that has spread to almost every country in the world and has affected all aspects of human life. All sporting events - including the Tokyo Olympics, for the first time in the history of the modern Games - have been canceled or postponed without any clear indication of how or when they will be resolved. The present study focused on Greek runners and variables that influence decision-making when deciding which race to compete in during the COVID-19 season. The study used a set of data from 621 Greek respondents who answered the electronic questionnaire of this study. Research hypotheses were tested. The modeling and processing of the data was done by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The results confirmed that there are some issues of the race destination and the conditions, which concern the Greek runners due to the pandemic. The conclusions are useful mainly for the practitioners and the authorities involved in the organization of races to organize safe events that will attract runners and therefore tourists and visitors to their areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To conduct psychometric evaluation of the Greek version of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF) and assess correlation between the scores on BSES-SF and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). METHOD Τhe study was conducted at the largest maternity hospital in Athens, Greece, where 173 eligible pregnant women completed the BSES-SF and the EPDS during their visit to the antenatal outpatient department and 3 days after delivery. The infant feeding method was determined 6 months postpartum. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out to evaluate the construct validity of the BSES-EF scale and the internal consistency was analyzed with Cronbach’s α. The predictive validity was assessed by comparison of the BSES-SF total score, using Student’s t-test, between the women who reported exclusive breastfeeding 6 months postpartum and those that did not. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses was performed to identify variables independently associated with the BSES-SF total score. P values reported were two-tailed, with statistical significance set at 0.05. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0. RESULTS The mean BSES-SF score before birth was 44.2±11.1 and 3 days after birth it had increased significantly to 47.7±12.1 (p<0.001). Internal consistency reliability for the BSES-SF was acceptable, with Cronbach’s α 0.93. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a one-factor structure, with the extracted factors explaining 52.7% of the total variance. The predictive validity of BSES-SF was significant for breastfeeding at 6 months. The BSES-SF score was significantly negatively correlated with the EPDS score before birth (r=- 0.23, p=0.002) and 3 days after the birth (r=-0.22, p=0.008). Higher BSES-SF scores were recorded by women with higher educational level and those who had received breastfeeding support from the obstetrician. CONCLUSIONS The Greek version of the BSES-SF demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity for measuring the breastfeeding self-efficacy of women. The international applicability of the BSES-SF is further evidenced by the results of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the interrelationships among organizational culture and service quality by applying the SERVQUAL instrument under different levels of competitive intensity in the shipping industry context. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the questionnaire investigation method to evaluate the hypothesized relationships. The authors utilized widely accepted and validated instruments as identified in the literature to measure the constructs under examination. The sample consisted of 684 shipping organizations located in Greece. The factorial structures of the constructs were identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, while the examined relationships were established through regression analyses. Findings: The findings argue in favor of a parsimonious three-dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL instrument in the shipping industry context, illustrate the associations among the different types of organizational culture and the dimensions of service quality and explicate how the former impacts the latter. Moreover, the findings showed that the above-mentioned interrelationships are conditioned by the varying levels of competitive intensity. Originality/value: Although much research and writing has occurred on the topics of service quality and organizational culture, relatively less is known about their interrelationships, that is how a company's culture relates to the service quality offered especially under different levels of competitive intensity. Thus, the current study aims to fill in this gap in the literature and empirically address the need to look at the interrelationships among the theoretical constructs under examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Hellenic Medicine / Arheia Ellenikes Iatrikes is the property of Athens Medical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the study is to validate the factorial structure of innovation practices identified in the literature and evaluate their implementation level in manufacturing companies operating in circumstances of economic downturn and financial crisis. A research study was carried out in a sample of 233 Greek manufacturing companies operating in a business environment where a financial crisis has dominated for at least four years now. Data were obtained from the Chief Executive Officer of the companies through a structured questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis is applied in order to extract the latent factors of innovation practices, while their validity is confirmed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The level of the innovation practices implemented by the companies is determined through descriptive statistics. The analysis of the empirical data from small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises strongly confirms the conceptual structure of company innovation which consists of four dimensions, namely product, process, marketing and organisational innovation. The level of adoption of the four dimensions of innovation by the sample companies is deemed high, though not, however, excellent. Thus, the sample companies can put additional emphasis on innovation. In doing so, innovation may be a key factor in a company's efforts to overcome the negative effects of the current economic downturn and financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]