This paper explores the procurement management strategies adopted in 100 five-star hotels operating in a highly touristic area in South Greece. The study identifies and discusses the benefits and the challenges of managing short supply chains in the selected region. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative data were gathered by using a questionnaire with 16 closed-ended and 3 open-ended questions. The sample included the Managing Directors and some Administrators. The questionnaire was filled in between April 2017 and June of the same year. Findings: The majority of the respondents prefer to do business with local suppliers for a variety of reasons, the most important being the boost of local economy and immediate delivery which improves response time. High prices of local products and the availability of sufficient quantities were found the main concerns for the smooth running of operations. Research limitations/implications: The research uses data from two prefectures of Crete; a wider sample including other prefectures in Greece and in South Europe would provide a more holistic view on the effectiveness of short food supply chains. Originality/value: This paper makes a contribution by examining how short supply chains can be developed in local economies. This paper explores the procurement management strategies adopted in 100 five-star hotels operating in a highly touristic area in South Greece. The study identifies and discusses the benefits and the challenges of managing short supply chains in the selected region. The majority of the respondents prefer to do business with local suppliers for a variety of reasons, the most important being the boost of local economy and immediate delivery which improves response time. High prices of local products and the availability of sufficient quantities were found the main concerns for the smooth running of operations. Supplier selection criteria are also discussed.
The electrophoretic deposition technique was applied for the production of MgB(2) superconducting coatings on various substrates, by using a suspension of MgB(2) superconducting powder in an organic solvent. The main parameters that affect the deposition rate of the process and the quality of the coatings produced, such as the initial concentration of the suspension, the applied voltage and the distance between the electrodes, were investigated and optimized. The coatings produced were characterized and investigated for possible interaction between the substrate and the deposited superconductor by X-ray diffraction. The superconducting properties were measured by magnetic susceptibility (superconducting quantum interference device).
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has impacted various aspects of consumer behavior and affected spending levels. In addition, businesses have had to adapt to everchanging environmental conditions to survive this global health, economic, and social crisis. The online market has taken an important place in people’s daily lives, while e-commerce sales and social media usage increased during this period. The main objective of this article was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected and changed consumer behavior. Using a web survey of 117 consumers in Greece, this study sheds light on the seminal topic of changes in purchasing behavior during the COVID -19 pandemic, while the research findings may contribute to the development of more appropriate marketing strategies.
Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, consumer behavior, online shopping
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.