Antonios Kargas | University of West Attica / Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής (original) (raw)
Papers by Antonios Kargas
Administrative Sciences, 2025
In the current dynamic business landscape, digital transformation is recognized as a critical dri... more In the current dynamic business landscape, digital transformation is recognized as a critical driver of entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to investigate the key factors influencing digital transformation, focusing on their relevance in shaping strategic decisions and fostering innovation. Using a robust methodological approach, data were collected through an online survey, with Likert-scale questions assessing multiple dimensions of digital maturity across companies in various sectors of the Greek economy. The survey, conducted in the first semester of 2024, involved 156 companies from sectors such as retail, communication, technology, and public services, with significant representation from established organizations employing over 250 individuals and reporting annual turnovers exceeding EUR 50 million. The questionnaire items, adapted from existing validated scales, captured aspects such as digital skills, management intensity, business processes, innovation performance, departmental agility, and digital vision. By analyzing the responses, this study identifies critical drivers of digital transformation and highlights their role in guiding strategic decisions, emphasizing the evolving nature of digital entrepreneurship. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on digital transformation, offering actionable insights for organizations aiming to enhance their digital maturity and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy.
Network, 2025
The paper intends to contribute to readers' comprehension of the Greek telecommunications market,... more The paper intends to contribute to readers' comprehension of the Greek telecommunications market, focusing on the strategic decisions associated with network towersharing analysis in Greece. The Greek telecommunications industry is described for the first time following the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) paradigm of Industrial Organisation (IO), as a methodological tool of analysis. In that respect, an SCP model in its extended form is constructed, aiming to examine how structure, conduct, and performance interrelate to each other. More precisely, the SCP model explains how strategic decisions regarding tower infrastructure sharing between 2013-2022 were developed, as a result of a series of interactions and feedback effects, amongst market structure, operators' conducts, and performances, resulting in strengthening competition and reshaping market structure with the entrance of a new player in the Greek mobile market, an independent TowerCo (Athens, Greece) in Greece. International tendencies and competition issues influencing domestic growth potentialities and alternative operators' concentration will be addressed, too. The paper concludes with presenting a basically qualitative, explanatory interpretive analysis of the perspectives of network tower-sharing analysis in the Greek telecommunication industry, including policy recommendations for the near future and thoughts on future research, as well.
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2024
This study's purpose is to examine intercultural education in Greek public schools focusing on ed... more This study's purpose is to examine intercultural education in Greek public schools focusing on educators supporting intercultural proposals. By raising intercultural awareness and acquiring intercultural competence the ultimate goals are achieved for a more inclusive public school. A self-administered questionnaire was applied randomly to collect data from primary and secondary education teachers at public schools in West Attica. A total of 160 teachers having different specialties participated in the study. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between the level of education and the possibility of applying intercultural practices in the classroom. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship exists between teaching experience and appropriate information on Intercultural Education. All the respondents highlighted the benefits of using intercultural practices in the classroom but they seldom include intercultural practices in their teaching sessions. More than half of the respondents consider that the curricula should be changed and the educational material should be adapted and revised. Public school teachers support for intercultural education, but they consider important a change in the curricula, the teaching material and the teaching methods. Also, a change is required on the methods of training teachers so as they will become a liaison between school and society.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, ... more The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, not only in terms of technologies but moreover in terms of organizational changes and services provided. Especially mobile market has been the field of implementation for new strategies regarding customer satisfaction and business productivity. This research aims to enlight the relationship between customer satisfaction and business productivity in the Greek mobile market. A quantitative methodology and actual data about mobile services usage were adopted to evaluate customers' satisfaction. Moreover, a series of productivity and customers' satisfaction indexes were used to confirm research hypotheses. Results indicate that market penetration plays crucial role, by providing interconnection with other users through the same mobile network. Proposed research provides evidence about why, in the current digital era, social media as a means of interconnection between end-users seem to constantly play more and more significant role in their daily communication.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital techno... more Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital technology, within the Internet era and who are currently in the higher education-to-work transition phase. It is the generation that makes its first working steps in a global economic environment heavily affected by Covid-19 consequences and digital transformation's influence. Empirical studies conducted provide results that vary across national cultures indicating the need for research in different countries, especially when it comes to Greek Generation Z for which little is known. This study contributes by providing a new approach when investigating entrepreneurial intention, by investigating Greek university students' work values and grit. A convenience sample of 255 business administration students were surveyed in terms of their entrepreneurial intention. Grit, extrinsic and intrinsic work values, alongside social values are studied to understand student entrepreneurial intention, while results indicate that only grit has a positive and statistically significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. Results are useful for higher education's stakeholders and for employers seeking to attract and to effectively integrate Generation's Z employees to their organizations.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the ... more Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the potential to encourage entrepreneurial abilities and mindsets. Despite the increasing number of these programs offered worldwide, their effectiveness remains to be determined. Research has produced mixed outcomes, and there needs to be a consensus on the definition of entrepreneurship education in incubators or the outcomes of such courses. The perception of business incubators has evolved to become supportive settings for new business ventures and aspiring entrepreneurs. They are considered the future training grounds for entrepreneurship and experimental hubs for learning. Nevertheless, the degree to which they enhance business performance is debatable, and research into their outcomes needs to be more varied and largely inconclusive. The research methodology employed in this study is quantitative and involves a questionnaire. The sample consists of 112 start-ups and visionary entrepreneurs that have participated in entrepreneurship education programs offered by the incubators in Greece, and 21 business incubators. The results of the study show that entrepreneurship education programs have the potential to enhance specific skills and attitudes in participants that could be advantageous in the long run. While the research does not provide conclusive evidence, it does demonstrate promising correlations. Therefore, although business incubatorbased entrepreneurship education programs in Greece may not immediately impact start-ups, they could be advantageous in the future.
Evaluating the Progress of Digital Transformation in Greek SMEs
Advances in electronic government, digital divide, and regional development book series, Feb 23, 2024
Developing a Multitasking Augmented Reality Application for Theatrical, Cultural Content
Skills and Knowledges Expected in Digital Transformation’s Era
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Sustainability , 2024
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Heritage, 2024
Implementing digital technologies, such as augmented reality and 3D modeling, to various cultural... more Implementing digital technologies, such as augmented reality and 3D modeling, to various cultural sectors is an ongoing procedure, especially favorable after the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though such technologies are common to museums, galleries and archaeological places all over the world, little research or practical cases have been developed when it comes to theaters and theatrical costumes. The proposed research article describes the methodology of both reference material collection and application development, while an analysis of functions and aesthetic results are described, especially when it comes to 3D modeling. This paper’s aim is to reveal that theatrical operations (as part of the cultural sector) as well as structured parts (such as acts, performances and costumes) can be preserved and served to larger audiences via technological means, such as an augmented reality application.
Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE)), 2023
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected devices and sensors communicating and exch... more The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected devices and sensors communicating and exchanging data through the Internet. Wearable technologies are a popular application of IoT and can potentially affect users' lifestyles, health, wellbeing, behaviors, and decisions. Smartwatches are the most popular type of wearable device among athletes. We are interested in the factors influencing the adoption of smart devices which monitor and track sports and fitness activities. Our data was based on a convenient sample of 128 amateur runners and we performed descriptive statistics and regression analysis. We applied the theoretical model of Technology Acceptance and empirical results reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and smartwatch health indications, are notable antecedents of someone's decision to adopt a smart device. Sport wearable companies may get insights from this research about significant factors of smartwatch adoption and products to help athletes enhance their performance. Keywords Wearable technology • Technology Acceptance Model • Technology adoption • Smartwatch • Wearable health monitors • Amateur runners 109 billion dollars [1, 2]. Sports wearables account for 50% of the unit sales in
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies
IGI Global eBooks, Jan 18, 2011
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture’s necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. Moreover, the way culture affects the success and failure of a series of enterprising practices, such as mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures is presented. All these create a rather interesting framework in which organizational managers should cultivate and implement the appropriate organizational culture in order to keep their organization competitive and well managed. Finally, case studies from the telecommunications industry will be presented, a field where culture plays a dominant role in either changing procedure or in developing new enterprising practices.
Administrative Sciences
The proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enter... more The proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on their digital maturity and the strategic and organizational factors contributing to digital transformation. The research issue of digital transformation has been attracting considerable interest among academics and business practicians since COVID-19 accelerated the procedure of implementing Industry 4.0 principles all over global economies. Quantitative research on 147 Greek SMEs revealed the most important issues on how these businesses implement digital transformation, factors accelerating or decelerating the process, barriers and expected outcomes. The results indicate that digital maturity, digital transformation strategy and digital business models are strongly interconnected, while the main barriers of successfully implementing them is a lack of funding, cultural issues and the management’s engagement with the whole procedure. Greek SMEs a...
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies
IGI Global eBooks, 2009
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture’s necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. Moreover, the way culture affects the success and failure of a series of enterprising practices, such as mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures is presented. All these create a rather interesting framework in which organizational managers should cultivate and implement the appropriate organizational culture in order to keep their organization competitive and well managed. Finally, case studies from the telecommunications industry will be presented, a field where culture plays a dominant role in either changing procedure or in developing new enterprising practices.
Οργανωσιακή δομή, επιχειρησιακή στόχευση, δείκτες και προβλέψεις στην τηλεπικοινωνιακή αγορά
Transforming Strategic Management Using Agile Methodologies
Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science
The international business environment is characterized by high complexity while gaining a compet... more The international business environment is characterized by high complexity while gaining a competitive advantage and achieving long-term sustainability is a hard–gained goal. A key in reaching that goal lies on flexible methodologies that affect strategic management. The chapter's aim is to research on aspects related with Scrum's implementation and productivity/quality achieved, where a need for constant research exists. Systematic literature review was conducted in order to choose the most relevant studies and to code the key words and themes that seem most important to address this relationship, while two interviews with Scrum's experts came to provide empirical information. The most important aspects for successful agile methodologies' adoption are presented, while results indicate that “adoption” and “perception” seem to be the most critical factors for its successful implementation. Moreover, a widespread extended misconception about agile methodologies is pres...
Playing with the Artist
In this paper we present a field study that took place in the environment of the exhibition “Stef... more In this paper we present a field study that took place in the environment of the exhibition “Stefanos Rokos: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ No More Shall We Part, 14 paintings 17 years later”, hosted at the Benaki Museum (May 2019). A group of visitors played the game “Find the Artwork behind the Story!”, crafting stories over the displayed artworks and sharing their thoughts, reasoning and emotions. Then the artist, Stefanos Rokos, joined the group and a new game round was played. We investigate how the artist’s participation affected the group experience, examining both the visitors’ and the artist’s perspective. Our findings show that the visitors were willing to share their stories and highly appreciated their gameful interaction with the artist. We observed that the artist behaved similarly to the rest of the players, rejecting our hypothesis that he would take on a leading role in the discussions. The artist expressed his enthusiasm for the game experience, stating that his partic...
ΠΙΣΕΤΟ is a project that designs and implements gameful experiences for groups of visitors, in th... more ΠΙΣΕΤΟ is a project that designs and implements gameful experiences for groups of visitors, in the environment of cultural institutions. Current research presents the project’s landscape and we elaborate on its central objectives, overall approach and vision. The main research and software outcomes of the project are shortly described, highlighting key challenges that are faced in the whole process. Finally, authors outline open issues with a focus on personalization and player data collection, sketching the path for exploring them.
EAI Endorsed Transactions on Creative Technologies, 2020
Social interactions are a key objective in cultural experience design and museum games are often ... more Social interactions are a key objective in cultural experience design and museum games are often aimed to foster conversations between visitors. However, the participation of cultural creators is hardly explored. In this paper we examine how the artists may participate in storytelling games played over their artworks. We present a field study at a museum exhibition, where the artist joined a group of visitors crafting and sharing stories over his paintings. We investigate how the artist's participation affected the group experience, considering the visitors' perspective along with the artist's. Both sides reported positive outcomes, indicating an engaging social cultural experience. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of bystanders in traditional as opposed to game-event settings. Building upon the later, we pinpoint limitations and challenges over the artist's participation, and explore varying levels of engagement, sketching good practices and new directions.
Administrative Sciences, 2025
In the current dynamic business landscape, digital transformation is recognized as a critical dri... more In the current dynamic business landscape, digital transformation is recognized as a critical driver of entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to investigate the key factors influencing digital transformation, focusing on their relevance in shaping strategic decisions and fostering innovation. Using a robust methodological approach, data were collected through an online survey, with Likert-scale questions assessing multiple dimensions of digital maturity across companies in various sectors of the Greek economy. The survey, conducted in the first semester of 2024, involved 156 companies from sectors such as retail, communication, technology, and public services, with significant representation from established organizations employing over 250 individuals and reporting annual turnovers exceeding EUR 50 million. The questionnaire items, adapted from existing validated scales, captured aspects such as digital skills, management intensity, business processes, innovation performance, departmental agility, and digital vision. By analyzing the responses, this study identifies critical drivers of digital transformation and highlights their role in guiding strategic decisions, emphasizing the evolving nature of digital entrepreneurship. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on digital transformation, offering actionable insights for organizations aiming to enhance their digital maturity and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy.
Network, 2025
The paper intends to contribute to readers' comprehension of the Greek telecommunications market,... more The paper intends to contribute to readers' comprehension of the Greek telecommunications market, focusing on the strategic decisions associated with network towersharing analysis in Greece. The Greek telecommunications industry is described for the first time following the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) paradigm of Industrial Organisation (IO), as a methodological tool of analysis. In that respect, an SCP model in its extended form is constructed, aiming to examine how structure, conduct, and performance interrelate to each other. More precisely, the SCP model explains how strategic decisions regarding tower infrastructure sharing between 2013-2022 were developed, as a result of a series of interactions and feedback effects, amongst market structure, operators' conducts, and performances, resulting in strengthening competition and reshaping market structure with the entrance of a new player in the Greek mobile market, an independent TowerCo (Athens, Greece) in Greece. International tendencies and competition issues influencing domestic growth potentialities and alternative operators' concentration will be addressed, too. The paper concludes with presenting a basically qualitative, explanatory interpretive analysis of the perspectives of network tower-sharing analysis in the Greek telecommunication industry, including policy recommendations for the near future and thoughts on future research, as well.
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2024
This study's purpose is to examine intercultural education in Greek public schools focusing on ed... more This study's purpose is to examine intercultural education in Greek public schools focusing on educators supporting intercultural proposals. By raising intercultural awareness and acquiring intercultural competence the ultimate goals are achieved for a more inclusive public school. A self-administered questionnaire was applied randomly to collect data from primary and secondary education teachers at public schools in West Attica. A total of 160 teachers having different specialties participated in the study. The results showed a statistically significant relationship between the level of education and the possibility of applying intercultural practices in the classroom. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship exists between teaching experience and appropriate information on Intercultural Education. All the respondents highlighted the benefits of using intercultural practices in the classroom but they seldom include intercultural practices in their teaching sessions. More than half of the respondents consider that the curricula should be changed and the educational material should be adapted and revised. Public school teachers support for intercultural education, but they consider important a change in the curricula, the teaching material and the teaching methods. Also, a change is required on the methods of training teachers so as they will become a liaison between school and society.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, ... more The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, not only in terms of technologies but moreover in terms of organizational changes and services provided. Especially mobile market has been the field of implementation for new strategies regarding customer satisfaction and business productivity. This research aims to enlight the relationship between customer satisfaction and business productivity in the Greek mobile market. A quantitative methodology and actual data about mobile services usage were adopted to evaluate customers' satisfaction. Moreover, a series of productivity and customers' satisfaction indexes were used to confirm research hypotheses. Results indicate that market penetration plays crucial role, by providing interconnection with other users through the same mobile network. Proposed research provides evidence about why, in the current digital era, social media as a means of interconnection between end-users seem to constantly play more and more significant role in their daily communication.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital techno... more Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital technology, within the Internet era and who are currently in the higher education-to-work transition phase. It is the generation that makes its first working steps in a global economic environment heavily affected by Covid-19 consequences and digital transformation's influence. Empirical studies conducted provide results that vary across national cultures indicating the need for research in different countries, especially when it comes to Greek Generation Z for which little is known. This study contributes by providing a new approach when investigating entrepreneurial intention, by investigating Greek university students' work values and grit. A convenience sample of 255 business administration students were surveyed in terms of their entrepreneurial intention. Grit, extrinsic and intrinsic work values, alongside social values are studied to understand student entrepreneurial intention, while results indicate that only grit has a positive and statistically significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. Results are useful for higher education's stakeholders and for employers seeking to attract and to effectively integrate Generation's Z employees to their organizations.
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the ... more Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the potential to encourage entrepreneurial abilities and mindsets. Despite the increasing number of these programs offered worldwide, their effectiveness remains to be determined. Research has produced mixed outcomes, and there needs to be a consensus on the definition of entrepreneurship education in incubators or the outcomes of such courses. The perception of business incubators has evolved to become supportive settings for new business ventures and aspiring entrepreneurs. They are considered the future training grounds for entrepreneurship and experimental hubs for learning. Nevertheless, the degree to which they enhance business performance is debatable, and research into their outcomes needs to be more varied and largely inconclusive. The research methodology employed in this study is quantitative and involves a questionnaire. The sample consists of 112 start-ups and visionary entrepreneurs that have participated in entrepreneurship education programs offered by the incubators in Greece, and 21 business incubators. The results of the study show that entrepreneurship education programs have the potential to enhance specific skills and attitudes in participants that could be advantageous in the long run. While the research does not provide conclusive evidence, it does demonstrate promising correlations. Therefore, although business incubatorbased entrepreneurship education programs in Greece may not immediately impact start-ups, they could be advantageous in the future.
Evaluating the Progress of Digital Transformation in Greek SMEs
Advances in electronic government, digital divide, and regional development book series, Feb 23, 2024
Developing a Multitasking Augmented Reality Application for Theatrical, Cultural Content
Skills and Knowledges Expected in Digital Transformation’s Era
Springer proceedings in business and economics, 2024
Sustainability , 2024
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Heritage, 2024
Implementing digital technologies, such as augmented reality and 3D modeling, to various cultural... more Implementing digital technologies, such as augmented reality and 3D modeling, to various cultural sectors is an ongoing procedure, especially favorable after the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though such technologies are common to museums, galleries and archaeological places all over the world, little research or practical cases have been developed when it comes to theaters and theatrical costumes. The proposed research article describes the methodology of both reference material collection and application development, while an analysis of functions and aesthetic results are described, especially when it comes to 3D modeling. This paper’s aim is to reveal that theatrical operations (as part of the cultural sector) as well as structured parts (such as acts, performances and costumes) can be preserved and served to larger audiences via technological means, such as an augmented reality application.
Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE)), 2023
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected devices and sensors communicating and exch... more The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected devices and sensors communicating and exchanging data through the Internet. Wearable technologies are a popular application of IoT and can potentially affect users' lifestyles, health, wellbeing, behaviors, and decisions. Smartwatches are the most popular type of wearable device among athletes. We are interested in the factors influencing the adoption of smart devices which monitor and track sports and fitness activities. Our data was based on a convenient sample of 128 amateur runners and we performed descriptive statistics and regression analysis. We applied the theoretical model of Technology Acceptance and empirical results reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and smartwatch health indications, are notable antecedents of someone's decision to adopt a smart device. Sport wearable companies may get insights from this research about significant factors of smartwatch adoption and products to help athletes enhance their performance. Keywords Wearable technology • Technology Acceptance Model • Technology adoption • Smartwatch • Wearable health monitors • Amateur runners 109 billion dollars [1, 2]. Sports wearables account for 50% of the unit sales in
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies
IGI Global eBooks, Jan 18, 2011
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture’s necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. Moreover, the way culture affects the success and failure of a series of enterprising practices, such as mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures is presented. All these create a rather interesting framework in which organizational managers should cultivate and implement the appropriate organizational culture in order to keep their organization competitive and well managed. Finally, case studies from the telecommunications industry will be presented, a field where culture plays a dominant role in either changing procedure or in developing new enterprising practices.
Administrative Sciences
The proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enter... more The proposed study aims to investigate the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a particular focus on their digital maturity and the strategic and organizational factors contributing to digital transformation. The research issue of digital transformation has been attracting considerable interest among academics and business practicians since COVID-19 accelerated the procedure of implementing Industry 4.0 principles all over global economies. Quantitative research on 147 Greek SMEs revealed the most important issues on how these businesses implement digital transformation, factors accelerating or decelerating the process, barriers and expected outcomes. The results indicate that digital maturity, digital transformation strategy and digital business models are strongly interconnected, while the main barriers of successfully implementing them is a lack of funding, cultural issues and the management’s engagement with the whole procedure. Greek SMEs a...
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies
IGI Global eBooks, 2009
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture’s necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. Moreover, the way culture affects the success and failure of a series of enterprising practices, such as mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures is presented. All these create a rather interesting framework in which organizational managers should cultivate and implement the appropriate organizational culture in order to keep their organization competitive and well managed. Finally, case studies from the telecommunications industry will be presented, a field where culture plays a dominant role in either changing procedure or in developing new enterprising practices.
Οργανωσιακή δομή, επιχειρησιακή στόχευση, δείκτες και προβλέψεις στην τηλεπικοινωνιακή αγορά
Transforming Strategic Management Using Agile Methodologies
Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science
The international business environment is characterized by high complexity while gaining a compet... more The international business environment is characterized by high complexity while gaining a competitive advantage and achieving long-term sustainability is a hard–gained goal. A key in reaching that goal lies on flexible methodologies that affect strategic management. The chapter's aim is to research on aspects related with Scrum's implementation and productivity/quality achieved, where a need for constant research exists. Systematic literature review was conducted in order to choose the most relevant studies and to code the key words and themes that seem most important to address this relationship, while two interviews with Scrum's experts came to provide empirical information. The most important aspects for successful agile methodologies' adoption are presented, while results indicate that “adoption” and “perception” seem to be the most critical factors for its successful implementation. Moreover, a widespread extended misconception about agile methodologies is pres...
Playing with the Artist
In this paper we present a field study that took place in the environment of the exhibition “Stef... more In this paper we present a field study that took place in the environment of the exhibition “Stefanos Rokos: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ No More Shall We Part, 14 paintings 17 years later”, hosted at the Benaki Museum (May 2019). A group of visitors played the game “Find the Artwork behind the Story!”, crafting stories over the displayed artworks and sharing their thoughts, reasoning and emotions. Then the artist, Stefanos Rokos, joined the group and a new game round was played. We investigate how the artist’s participation affected the group experience, examining both the visitors’ and the artist’s perspective. Our findings show that the visitors were willing to share their stories and highly appreciated their gameful interaction with the artist. We observed that the artist behaved similarly to the rest of the players, rejecting our hypothesis that he would take on a leading role in the discussions. The artist expressed his enthusiasm for the game experience, stating that his partic...
ΠΙΣΕΤΟ is a project that designs and implements gameful experiences for groups of visitors, in th... more ΠΙΣΕΤΟ is a project that designs and implements gameful experiences for groups of visitors, in the environment of cultural institutions. Current research presents the project’s landscape and we elaborate on its central objectives, overall approach and vision. The main research and software outcomes of the project are shortly described, highlighting key challenges that are faced in the whole process. Finally, authors outline open issues with a focus on personalization and player data collection, sketching the path for exploring them.
EAI Endorsed Transactions on Creative Technologies, 2020
Social interactions are a key objective in cultural experience design and museum games are often ... more Social interactions are a key objective in cultural experience design and museum games are often aimed to foster conversations between visitors. However, the participation of cultural creators is hardly explored. In this paper we examine how the artists may participate in storytelling games played over their artworks. We present a field study at a museum exhibition, where the artist joined a group of visitors crafting and sharing stories over his paintings. We investigate how the artist's participation affected the group experience, considering the visitors' perspective along with the artist's. Both sides reported positive outcomes, indicating an engaging social cultural experience. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of bystanders in traditional as opposed to game-event settings. Building upon the later, we pinpoint limitations and challenges over the artist's participation, and explore varying levels of engagement, sketching good practices and new directions.
Interplay of Skills in the Digital Era: A European Perspective
Leading and Managing in the Digital Era, 2024
Industry 4.0 and digital transformation play an important role in business, especially after the ... more Industry 4.0 and digital transformation play an important role in business, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The changes occurring are not merely concentrated on technology implementation and digital business, but also involve understanding and reshaping labour forces, since the skills and knowledge needed are being transformed in terms of significance and importance. This research uses the European labour database to provide insights into how the occupation of managers is shaped in terms of skills and knowledge in the current digital era. In addition, it explores frequently appearing patterns of skills and knowledge, and provides insights for the skills needed for four distinct categories of managers. The results indicate a strong skill orientation among most subgroups of managers, while the need for lifelong training is highlighted especially for skills that seem more promising when the business environment becomes more digital.
Strategic Innovative Marketing and Tourism, 2024
The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, ... more The telecommunication industry has been for decades one of the most innovative business sectors, not only in terms of technologies but moreover in terms of organizational changes and services provided. Especially mobile market has been the field of implementation for new strategies regarding customer satisfaction and business productivity. This research aims to enlight the relationship between customer satisfaction and business productivity in the Greek mobile market. A quantitative methodology and actual data about mobile services usage were adopted to evaluate customers' satisfaction. Moreover, a series of productivity and customers' satisfaction indexes were used to confirm research hypotheses. Results indicate that market penetration plays crucial role, by providing interconnection with other users through the same mobile network. Proposed research provides evidence about why, in the current digital era, social media as a means of interconnection between end-users seem to constantly play more and more significant role in their daily communication.
Strategic Innovative Marketing and Tourism, 2024
Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital techno... more Generation Z are the young people born and grown up in the age of social media and digital technology, within the Internet era and who are currently in the higher education-to-work transition phase. It is the generation that makes its first working steps in a global economic environment heavily affected by Covid-19 consequences and digital transformation’s influence. Empirical studies conducted provide results that vary across national cultures indicating the need for research in different countries, especially when it comes to Greek Generation Z for which little is known. This study contributes by providing a new approach when investigating entrepreneurial intention, by investigating Greek university students’ work values and grit. A convenience sample of 255 business administration students were surveyed in terms of their entrepreneurial intention. Grit, extrinsic and intrinsic work values, alongside social values are studied to understand student entrepreneurial intention, while results indicate that only grit has a positive and statistically significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. Results are useful for higher education’s stakeholders and for employers seeking to attract and to effectively integrate Generation’s Z employees to their organizations.
Evaluating the Progress of Digital Transformation in Greek SMEs
Digital Transformation and Sustainable Development in Cities and Organizations, 2024
Digital transformation has been an important issue for all kinds of companies, especially after C... more Digital transformation has been an important issue for all kinds of companies, especially after COVID-19, since risks increased and the procedure of transforming traditional forms of doing business was accelerated. This chapter evaluates the digital transformation of Greek small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A series of different aspects are evaluated by using a quantitative approach, including operational elements such as digital maturity, digital transformation strategy, and implementation of specific technologies driving this process. Results indicate a positive relationship between digital maturity and digital transformation strategy, alongside employees' training and investments in new technologies. COVID-19 delayed Greek SMEs transformation procedure, with main technologies related with sales and collecting customers' data. The research contributes to the evaluation of the digital transformation progress in Greek SMEs by providing insight on most significant technologies used and the overall strategic planning implemented.
Skills and Knowledges expected in Digital Transformation’s era
ISPIM 2022: Digital Disruption and Transformation, 2024
Digital transformation involve a series of structural changes in all as-pects of businesses’ oper... more Digital transformation involve a series of structural changes in all as-pects of businesses’ operations and strategies. Moreover, it involves a constant reevaluation of employees’ capability to adjust to new conditions and needs. Rec-ognizing existing skills and knowledges is important for businesses viability while cultivation of desired competencies needed for digital transformation is es-sential for growth and competitiveness. Proposed research uses data, coming from European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) da-tabase, in order to provide information about existing and forthcoming needs in terms of skills and knowledges. Managers’ and Professionals’ occupations are examined to reveal frequent appearing and interesting skills and knowledges. Re-sults indicate a wide complexity of skills as far as Professionals are concerned, while Managers have an interesting variation of future skills related with supply chain management. Research contributes on understanding which skills and knowledges format Managers and Professionals, two major importance occupa-tions regarding businesses digital transformation and development of future em-ployees.
Reinventing Museums in 21st Century: Implementing Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Technologies Alongside Social Media's Logics
Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education, Art, and Museums, 2019
The forthcoming Industry 4.0 is expected to change not only manufacturing and industrial services... more The forthcoming Industry 4.0 is expected to change not only manufacturing and industrial services, but will rearrange how services are offered in a variety of sectors, including museum's services. Museums will inevitably be led to more digital (VR & AR) and promoting (Social Media) paths. A forthcoming “digital convergence” between VR & AR technologies and social media's promoting logic could enlarge museums' potentialities in attracting more visitors, younger visitors, while new patterns for connecting learning effects and amusement should be established. This chapter contributes to the following: • Presenting existing theoretical and empirical research on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technological implementation in Museums. • Presenting current tensions on social media's usage from cultural organizations. • Exploring how VR & AR applications can incorporate various elements coming from social media operational logic.
Industry 4.0 in Cultural Industry: A Review on Digital Visualization for VR and AR Applications
Impact of Industry 4.0 on Architecture and Cultural Heritage, 2019
This chapter enlightens how Industry 4.0 is gradually implemented in Cultural Industry. Even thou... more This chapter enlightens how Industry 4.0 is gradually implemented in Cultural Industry. Even though Industry 4.0 started from manufacturing, it soon expanded to less technologically consuming industries, such as the Cultural, creating new opportunities especially in the field of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies. Taking into account existing research on Industry 4.0 and its main technologies and existing research and projects on Cultural Heritage's aspects related with the 4th Industrial Revolution, the chapter investigates how Industry 4.0 is implemented into Cultural Sector from a technological point of view, but moreover to investigate its potential role.
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies: I. Background and Motivation
Handbook of Research on …, Jan 1, 2009
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture's necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. ...
The Role of Organizational Culture to the Management of Telecommunication Companies: II. Applications and Case Studies
Handbook of Research on …, Jan 1, 2009
This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and en... more This chapter analyzes the importance of organizational culture through a set of strategies and enterprising practices in order to emphasize the culture's necessity for the effective management of any organization and especially for the management of telecommunication companies. ...
Designing Performative, Gamified Cultural Experiences for Groups
CHI EA '19 Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2019
Envisioning cultural institutions as “social places”, where the visitors can “create, share, and ... more Envisioning cultural institutions as “social places”, where the visitors can “create, share, and connect to each other around the cultural heritage content”(as defined by Nina Simon), we explore how to design cultural group experiences that combine personal moments of reflection to social encounter. In previous work we proposed a storytelling game where visitors conceive and narrate stories about the artworks, orchestrating group interactions according to the game phases.
Fixed-mobile convergence in telecom markets: Evidence from Greece
Joint 13th CTTE and 10th CMI Conference on Internet of Things - Business Models, Users, and Networks, 2018
The telecommunications market has significantly changed the last years with customer needs and co... more The telecommunications market has significantly changed the last years with customer needs and competitive landscapes shifting in several ways. Fixed-mobile convergence in the telecom sector has been an interesting topic for a long time as important synergies, mergers and acquisitions between fixed and mobile operators are taking place all over the world. The main focus of these synergies is usually profit maximization by achieving economies of scale and by maintaining a market share and a loyal customer base. The current study investigates such a case between the largest mobile and fixed network operators in Greece during the period 2005-2015 and especially after 2008, the year that the fixed network operator (FNO) fully acquires the mobile network operator (MNO). On the methodological side, this paper uses the Cobb Douglas production function and applies linear regression analysis to measure and evaluate the performance of the two companies. The results show that after the year of the acquisition, both companies gradually reach optimal production cost conditions, while they maintain, in total, their customer base.
The impact of ICT on economic growth of Greece and EU-28 under economic crisis
2017 Internet of Things Business Models, Users, and Networks, 2017
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are a key factor which affects economic develop... more Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are a key factor which affects economic development and business growth significantly. However the assessment of whether and how ICT contributes to economic growth in general is a challenging topic, especially during periods of economic crisis. The study presented hereafter, aims to investigate the contribution of ICT to the economic growth of Greece and the countries of the European Union (EU-28) during the last 26 years (1990–2016) and especially during the economic crisis (2008–2016). By exploiting growth accounting methodology and the Cobb-Douglas production function, we obtain production functions of the Greek and European economies. The results show that during the economic crisis, the contribution of ICT capital has decreased, but ICT capital is the only production factor that has a positive impact on GDP growth. Thus, ICT has positively contributed to the economic development of Greece and can help the country overcome the crisis.
Η ιδέα της ευρωπαϊκής ολοκλήρωσης αποτελεί μία πρόκληση που δοκιμάζεται στις μέρες μας τόσο από τ... more Η ιδέα της ευρωπαϊκής ολοκλήρωσης αποτελεί μία πρόκληση που δοκιμάζεται στις μέρες μας τόσο από την οικονομική κρίση, όσο και από τις διαφορετικές «ανάγκες και θέλω» των χωρών που σχηματίζουν υπερεθνικές ενώσεις, όπως η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Η παρούσα εισήγηση, εξετάζει την κατηγοριοποίηση των χωρών εντός της Ένωσης και διαμορφώνει ένα ευρύτερο μοντέλο εξέτασης α) της αποτελεσματικότητας της διοίκησης, β) του μοντέλου της οικονομίας και γ) του επιπέδου της ευημερίας των πολιτών των χωρών της Ευρώπης. Με βάση το μοντέλο αυτό ομαδοποιούνται 40 ευρωπαϊκές χώρες, εξετάζεται το επίπεδο σύγκλισης – απόκλισης των χωρών μεταξύ τους και διερευνάται η θέση που έχουν τα Δυτικά Βαλκάνια στο σύστημα που διαμορφώνεται. Τα αποτελέσματα αποκαλύπτουν μία Ευρώπη πολλών ταχυτήτων, στην οποία οι ρυθμοί απόκλισης μεγεθύνονται παρά την όποια πρόσκαιρη σύγκλιση κάποιων περιφερειακών υποσυστημάτων, ενώ η θέση των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων όσον αφορά την προοπτική ένταξης τους στην Ε.Ε. χαρακτηρίζεται μάλλον επισφαλής, αφού με εξαίρεση το Μαυροβούνιο οι υπόλοιπες χώρες υστερούν στους υπό εξέταση δείκτες.
Η οριοθέτηση τω ελληνοτουρκικών σχέσεων είναι πολύπλοκη. Ένα πλέγμα ιστορικών διαφορών, αντικρουό... more Η οριοθέτηση τω ελληνοτουρκικών σχέσεων είναι πολύπλοκη. Ένα πλέγμα ιστορικών διαφορών, αντικρουόμενων κυριαρχικών δικαιωμάτων, «αμφιβολίας» και ιστορικού συγκρούσεων διαμορφώνουν ένα δαιδαλώδες πλαίσιο μελέτης. Σκοπός της διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η μελέτη του διλήμματος ασφαλείας στις σχέσεις των δύο χωρών και η αξιοποίηση της offence – defense theory για την βαθύτερη κατανόησή του, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη το σύγχρονο διεθνοποιημένο πολιτικό περιβάλλον και την παγκοσμιοποίηση των οικονομιών. Ιδιαίτερο σημείο αποτελεί η αποτύπωση τυχόν διαφοροποιήσεων που προέκυψαν μετά το ξέσπασμα της οικονομικής κρίσης στην Ελλάδα, γεγονός που επέφερε σημαντικές μεταβολές σε οικονομικό– αμυντικό – πολιτικό επίπεδο στη χώρα.
Τα σημαντικότερα εκ των αποτελεσμάτων αναδεικνύουν την απουσία του διλήμματος ασφαλείας όταν εξετάζονται οι συνολικές αμυντικές δαπάνες των δύο χωρών. Αντίθετα όταν εφαρμόζεται η offence – defense theory (εξοπλιστικές δαπάνες) το δίλημμα ασφαλείας εμφανίζεται να υφίσταται για την περίοδο 1996-2007. Η Τουρκία έχει συσχετίσει την άμυνα της με τη μεγέθυνση της οικονομίας της, αλλά παράλληλα και με τις εσωτερικές της εξελίξεις στον τομέα του εκδημοκρατισμού. Αντίθετα, η Ελλάδα δεν παρουσιάσει στατιστικά σημαντικές συσχετίσεις των αμυντικών μεγεθών της, ούτε με την οικονομία της, ούτε με τους δείκτες εκδημοκρατισμού.
Αποτίμηση, με τη χρήση της Μεθοδολογίας Κόστους – Οφέλους και με την εφαρμογή SWOT Analysis, του ... more Αποτίμηση, με τη χρήση της Μεθοδολογίας Κόστους – Οφέλους και με την εφαρμογή SWOT Analysis, του συγχρηματοδοτούμενου του Προγράμματος με τίτλο: «Ενίσχυση της Αυτοαπασχόλησης Πτυχιούχων Τριτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης» Αντώνιος Κάργας Περίληψη Η παρούσα εργασία σκοπό έχει να μελετήσει ένα από τα συγχρηματοδοτούμενα προγράμματα που αναμένεται να προκηρυχτούν στο επόμενο χρονικό διάστημα. Με τη χρήση των μεθοδολογιών κόστους – οφέλους και της SWOT θα επιχειρηθεί να εκτιμηθεί η συμβολή και η σημασία τους για την ελληνική οικονομία και κοινωνία, να αποτυπωθούν οι παράμετροι εκείνες που διαμορφώνουν τον χαρακτήρα και περιγράφουν τις δυνατότητες τους ως αναπτυξιακά εργαλεία και τέλος να προταθούν πολιτικής που κρίνονται ωφέλιμες για την περαιτέρω αξιοποίηση τους. Συγκεκριμένα, προτείνονται πολιτικές που καθιστούν αποτελεσματικότερη την αξιοποίηση των ευκαιριών που ανοίγονται και επιτρέπουν την αντιμετώπιση τυχόν απειλών που αντιμετωπίζει η ελληνική οικονομία. Όλα τα ανωτέρω αξιοποιώντας τα δυνατά χαρακτηριστικά και βελτιώνοντας τις αδυναμίες που η συγκεκριμένη κατηγορία συγχρηματοδοτούμενων προγραμμάτων παρουσιάζει.
Η παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση, που αρχικά εκδηλώθηκε στην καρδιά του παγκόσμιου οικονομικού συστήμ... more Η παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση, που αρχικά εκδηλώθηκε στην καρδιά του παγκόσμιου οικονομικού συστήματος -στις ΗΠΑ -γρήγορα εξαπλώθηκε και στην Ευρώπη. Τα χαρακτηριστικά που η κρίση έλαβε στην Ευρώπη ήταν αυτά της χρηματοοικονομικής κρίσης αλλά και της κρίσης δημόσιου χρέους.
Εισαγωγή Η παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση, που ξεκίνησε ως εγγενής χρηματοπιστωτική, δεν άργησε να με... more Εισαγωγή Η παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση, που ξεκίνησε ως εγγενής χρηματοπιστωτική, δεν άργησε να μεταβληθεί σε παγκόσμια κρίση χρέους των κρατών με συστημικά χαρακτηριστικά τέτοια που έκανε πολλούς να την παρομοιάζουν με την αντίστοιχη του 1929. Σκοπός τη παρούσας εργασίας, είναι στις ενότητες που ακολουθούν να αποτυπωθούν τα στάδια εξέλιξης και τα αίτια που εκδηλώθηκε η κρίση, τα ίδιαίτερα χαρακτηριστικά του ευρωπαϊκού τραπεζικού συστήματος που το κατέστησαν ευάλωτο σε αυτήν, τις επιπτώσεις που είχε στην ευρωπαϊκή οικονομία και τις μεταρρυθμιστικές προσπάθειες που ακολούθησαν στην προσπάθεια διαμόρφωσης ενός πλαισίου που θα αποτρέπει αντίστοιχες κρίσεις στο μέλλον. Ο ευρωπαϊκός τραπεζικός κλάδος διανύει ήδη την πέμπτη χρονιά κρίσης του. Μία κρίση που από εγγενής χρηματοπιστωτική το 2008, με παγκόσμιες διαστάσεις και ισχυρές πιέσεις που δικαιολογούν τη σύγκριση με την αντίστοιχη του 1929, μετατράπηκε σε κρίση χρέους κρατών το 2011-2012 με συστημικά χαρακτηριστικά, απειλώντας εκ νέου την ακόμα εύθραυστη παγκόσμια οικονομία. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό και με βασικό στρατηγικό στόχο την αποφυγή της εκδήλωσης μιας παρόμοιας κρίσης στο μέλλον, ήδη από τις αρχές της τρέχουσας δεκαετίας σχεδιάζονται και υλοποιούνται δομικές μεταρρυθμίσεις του ευρωπαϊκού τραπεζικού κλάδου. Σκοπός της παρούσης είναι η ανάλυση της πορείας των διαδικασιών μεταρρύθμισης του ευρωπαϊκού τραπεζικού κλάδου μέσα από τα αντίστοιχα κείμενα των ευρωπαϊκών θεσμών. Βασικά ερωτήματα που απαντόνται στις ακόλουθες ενότητες: 1. Ποιοι είναι οι βασικοί λόγοι που οδήγησαν στην παγκόσμια χρηματοπιστωτική κρίση του 2007; 2. Ποιες ήταν οι επιπτώσεις της κρίσης στην ευρωπαϊκή οικονομία; 3. Ποιες πολιτικές σχεδιάζονται για την αποφυγή παρόμοιας κρίσης σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο στο μέλλον;
Η συμφωνία NAFTA υπό το πρίσμα του νεοφιλελευθερισμού (θεωρία διεθνών σχέσεων) Εισαγωγή Το τέλος ... more Η συμφωνία NAFTA υπό το πρίσμα του νεοφιλελευθερισμού (θεωρία διεθνών σχέσεων) Εισαγωγή Το τέλος του Ψυχρού Πολέμου και η παγκοσμιοποίηση, έφερε στο προσκήνιο μία νέα πραγματικότητα για τα κράτη, σε επίπεδο διεθνών σχέσεων. Ο ρεαλισμός, με την έμφαση στην ισχύ των κρατών ως μέσο επίτευξης του εθνικού συμφέροντος, υστερούσε στην ερμηνεία ζητημάτων συνεργασίας κρατών [1], έναντι του νεοφιλελευθερισμού ο οποίος μπορούσε να ερμηνεύσει καλύτερα την πραγματικότητα [2], δίνοντας ιδιαίτερο βάρος στην μελέτη των παραγόντων που οδηγούν σε διασυνδέσεις αυξανόμενης έντασης μεταξύ κρατών και μη κρατικών δρώντων. Στο επίκεντρο της θεώρησης αυτής, βρέθηκαν οι σύνθετες αλληλεξαρτήσεις και οι πολλαπλές αλληλεπιδράσεις που αναπτύσσονται σε διεθνές επίπεδο και οι οποίες επιτρέπουν το πέρασμα από τον ανταγωνισμό, σε μία μορφή συνεργασίας που οδηγεί σε κατά pareto αύξηση της ωφέλειας όλων των εμπλεκομένων εταίρων [3], όπως φαίνεται στο Γράφημα 1. Γράφημα 1 Κατά pareto αύξηση ωφέλειας Πηγή: Powel R. [3] Τα κράτη βρίσκονται στο σημείο Q (status quo), ενώ το πέρασμα στα σημεία Α1 και Α4 σηματοδοτεί αύξηση της ωφέλειας (U) μόνο του ενός έναντι του άλλου. Υπάρχει όμως η δυνατότητα να μετακινηθούν σε κάποιο εκ των ενδιάμεσων σημείων (Α, Α2, Α3), στα οποία μεγαλώνει από κοινού η ωφέλεια, έστω και σε σχετικά διαφορετικό βαθμό. Υφίσταται έτσι το ζήτημα του σχετικού οφέλους (έναντι του απόλυτου οφέλους), όπου οι δρώντες καλούνται να αποφασίσουν αν προτιμούν να αυξήσουν τη δική τους ωφέλεια ή αν πρώτιστο μέλημα τους είναι απλά να μην αυξηθεί η ωφέλεια άλλων εμπλεκόμενων δρώντων [4]. Το πέρασμα από τον ανταγωνισμό, στη συνεργασία οδήγησε στη βαθμιαία ανάπτυξη πολλαπλών διαύλων επικοινωνίας μεταξύ των δρώντων στην παγκόσμια σκακιέρα των διεθνών σχέσεων [5]. Οι διεθνείς θεσμοί και τα διεθνή καθεστώτα, έρχονται προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή, να αποτελέσουν τον διαμεσολαβητή και το μέσο για την επίτευξη συνεργασίας, διαχειριζόμενα την παγκοσμιοποίηση, όπως αυτή εκφράζεται μέσα από την προσπάθεια διαμόρφωσης πολυμερών συνεργασιών [3]. Οι συνεργασίες αυτές ενισχύουν τάσεις «περιφερειοποίησης» (regionalism) της πολιτικής οικονομίας μεγάλων γεωπολιτικών ζωνών, ακόμα και αν η ολοκλήρωση δεν επιτυγχάνεται απόλυτα σε όλους τους τομείς [6].
Στην παρούσα μελέτη θα ασχοληθούμε με την διαδικασία έρευνας και ανάπτυξης νέας τεχνολογίας καθώς... more Στην παρούσα μελέτη θα ασχοληθούμε με την διαδικασία έρευνας και ανάπτυξης νέας τεχνολογίας καθώς και με την υιοθέτηση των καινοτομιών που προκύπτουν από την διαδικασία αυτή, υπό το καθεστώς ύπαρξης «network externalities». Θα εξετάσουμε λοιπόν τις ανωτέρω διαδικασίες έχοντας υπ' όψιν μας ότι βρισκόμαστε σε μία αγορά όπου η χρησιμότητα που ο καταναλωτής λαμβάνει από την χρήση ενός δικτυακού προϊόντος ή υπηρεσίας αυξάνεται, όσο αυξάνεται ο αριθμός των καταναλωτών-συνδρομητών που χρησιμοποιούν το εν λόγο δίκτυο (άμεσες εξωτερικότητες) και πως όσο περισσότεροι χρησιμοποιούν το δίκτυο από τόσο περισσότερα συμπληρωματικά προϊόντα και υπηρεσίες μπορεί να επωφεληθεί (έμμεσες εξωτερικότητες). Έχει παρατηρηθεί πως οι αγορές που παρουσιάζουν δικτυακές εξωτερικότητες εμφανίζουν υψηλά επίπεδα επένδυσης σε έρευνα και ανάπτυξη νέων τεχνολογιών. Σκοπός μας λοιπόν είναι να δείξουμε πως οι δικτυακές εξωτερικότητες επηρεάζουν έναν μεγάλο αριθμό επιχειρηματικών αποφάσεων που έχουν να κάνουν με R&D, αλλά και την σημαντικότητα τους στην υιοθέτηση νέων τεχνολογιών από τους καταναλωτές. Στο πρώτο κομμάτι λοιπόν, θα αναπτυχθεί τρόπος και τα κίνητρα που ωθούν μια επιχείρηση στο να επενδύσει σε έρευνα και ανάπτυξη νέων τεχνολογιών υπό το καθεστώς των δικτυακών εξωτερικοτήτων. Θα εξεταστούν θέματα που έχουν να κάνουν με την δομή της αγοράς που συντελείται η έρευνα και ανάπτυξη νέων τεχνολογιών καθώς και κίνητρα των επιχειρήσεων για R&D. Θα μελετηθεί ακόμα η εισαγωγή πατέντας στις νέες τεχνολογίες και κάποια ειδικά θέματα που έχουν να κάνουν με το ρίσκο που είναι διατιθέμενες να αναλάβουν οι επιχειρήσεις όταν επενδύουν σε έρευνα και ανάπτυξη. Στην συνέχεια θα εξετάσουμε ζητήματα υιοθέτησης των νέων τεχνολογιών τόσο από πλευράς καταναλωτών (demand side), όσο και από πλευράς επιχειρήσεων (supply side). Θα γίνει προσπάθεια να αποφευχθεί η απλή παραβολή διαφορετικών μοντέλων και θεωριών περί έρευνας, ανάπτυξης και υιοθέτησης νέων τεχνολογιών αλλά θα επιχειρηθεί η όσο το δυνατόν πληρέστερη σύμπτυξη των ουσιαστικότερων σημείων της υπάρχουσας θεωρίας. 2. Καινοτομίες
Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, υπό το πρίσμα του δομικού ρεαλισμού και του κονστρουκτιβισμού Αντώνιος Δ. Κάργ... more Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, υπό το πρίσμα του δομικού ρεαλισμού και του κονστρουκτιβισμού Αντώνιος Δ. Κάργας Α.Μ.: 3033201401014 ΚΟΡΙΝΘΟΣ ΙΟΥΝΙΟΣ 2015 ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ Το σύγχρονο διεθνές περιβάλλον, χαρακτηρίζεται από σημαντικές μεταβολές στα καθιερωμένα πρότυπα λειτουργίας και συμπεριφοράς όλων των δρώντων. Στα πλαίσια αυτά, έννοιες όπως αυτή της «εθνικής κυριαρχίας» μεταλλάσσονται, αποκτώντας νέα δυναμική και νόημα. Ή μήπως όχι; Η παρούσα εργασία έρχεται να συμβάλει στο ζήτημα αυτό αποτυπώνοντας το νόημα και τη σημασία της «κυριαρχίας», τόσο στην υφιστάμενη μορφή της, όσο και στις δυναμικές της εξελίξεις, όπως αυτές λαμβάνουν χώρα στα πλαίσια της Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωσης. Η στόχευση στο συγκεκριμένο αυτό περιβάλλον είναι ιδιαίτερης σημασίας εξαιτίας της μοναδικότητας τους φαινομένου της οικειοθελούς παραχώρησης τμημάτων εθνικής κυριαρχίας, αλλά και της μετουσίωσης αυτής σε μία νέα μορφή «συλλογικής κυριαρχίας». Η εργασία πραγματοποιείται αξιοποιώντας το πλαίσια ανάλυσης των σχολών σκέψης του νεορεαλισμού και του κονστρουκτιβισμού, που κρίθηκαν περισσότερο κατάλληλες για τη μελέτη της σχέσης εθνικής κυριαρχίας και συμμετοχής στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση.
Το φαινόμενο της ακροδεξιάς στην Ευρώπη, δεν είναι ούτε σύγχρονο, ούτε μονοδιάστατο. Οι πρόσφατες... more Το φαινόμενο της ακροδεξιάς στην Ευρώπη, δεν είναι ούτε σύγχρονο, ούτε μονοδιάστατο. Οι πρόσφατες Ευρωεκλογές του 2014, αλλά και μία σειρά εθνικές εκλογές τα τελευταία δέκα χρόνια έχουν ενισχύσει την εκλογική επιρροή της άκρας δεξιάς (Γράφημα 1), επιτρέποντας την είσοδο της σε περιφερειακά, εθνικά και ευρωπαϊκά κοινοβούλια [1]. Η επιβράδυνση του ρυθμού αύξησης της εκλογικής επιρροής της μετά το 2009, απαιτεί την περαιτέρω μελέτη του φαινομένου [2] προς την κατεύθυνση της κατανόησης των αιτιών που την προκαλούν, αλλά και την περαιτέρω καταγραφή των επιπτώσεων στην κοινωνική και πολιτική ζωή. Γράφημα 1: Απόλυτος αριθμός ψήφων και ποσόστωση ακροδεξιών κομμάτων στις ευρωεκλογές Η ανάγκη για περαιτέρω μελέτη, οφείλεται στο γεγονός της συνεχούς μετεξέλιξης και των μετασχηματισμών που έχουν συντελεστεί στην άκρα δεξιά από τις απαρχές της πολιτικής της εμφάνισης μέχρι και σήμερα, αλλά και των διαφορετικών χαρακτηριστικών από χώρα σε χώρα που αυτή υιοθετεί [3]. Η διαδρομή της ακροδεξιάς «κινητοποίησης» χωρίζεται σε τρεις διακριτές φάσεις [4], ενώ ο όρος «κινητοποίηση» επιλέγεται καθώς ενσωματώνει πέραν της δράσης του κομματικού σκέλους της ακροδεξιάς και τρόπους κοινωνικής επίδρασης μέσω: α) οργανώσεων κοινωνικών κινημάτων/ακτιβισμού, στα οποία οι ομάδες παρέχουν ιδεολογικά πλαίσια ερμηνείας και ταύτισης έναντι συγκεκριμένων προβλημάτων και β) κοινωνικό-πολιτισμικών ομάδων, χωρίς απαραίτητα οργανωτικές δομές, που μπορούν να χαρακτηριστούν και ως «χώροι υποκουλτούρας», με κλασσικά παραδείγματα τους skinheads, τις ομάδες νεοναζί και άλλους [3].
Η ρωσική πολιτική στην πρόσφατη ουκρανική κρίση υπό το πρίσμα του κλασσικού ρεαλισμού Εισαγωγή Απ... more Η ρωσική πολιτική στην πρόσφατη ουκρανική κρίση υπό το πρίσμα του κλασσικού ρεαλισμού Εισαγωγή Από την εποχή των πρώτων θεωρητικών του ρεαλισμού (Θουκυδίδης και Μακιαβέλι), μέχρι και σήμερα ελάχιστα πράγματα άλλαξαν στην ανθρώπινη φύση, που παραμένει εγωιστική και με ροπή προς το ατομικό συμφέρον [1]. Η τάση αυτή αντικατοπτρίζεται και στις διεθνείς σχέσεις, όπου η εθνική επιβίωση και επικράτηση, αποτελούν βασικό δόγμα των κρατών στην προσπάθεια τους να περιορίσουν τις συνέπειες του άναρχου παγκόσμιου συστήματος. Βάσει του Morgenthau [2], οι διεθνείς σχέσεις δεν είναι τίποτα περισσότερο από τη διαρκή πάλη για ισχύ και τα κράτη επιδιώκουν την αύξηση της ισχύος και της εξουσίας τους, καθώς αυτό αποτελεί την αναγκαία συνθήκη για τη διατήρηση της ύπαρξης ενός κράτους [3]. Στα πλαίσια αυτά, τα κράτη πρέπει να μην στηρίζουν την ύπαρξη και την ασφάλεια τους, σε κανέναν πέραν του εαυτού τους, ενώ ακόμα και στην περίπτωση συμμαχιών, η επιτυχία τους θεωρείται πρόκληση, καθώς κάθε ένας από τους συμμετέχοντες σε αυτήν επιδιώκει την επίτευξη των μέγιστων δυνατών ωφελειών για αυτόν [3]. Ο κλασσικός ρεαλισμός λοιπόν έρχεται για να αναζητήσει τα αίτια των πολεμικών συγκρούσεων, αναλύοντας τις συμμαχίες, τα πολεμικά γεγονότα και το ποιοι κέρδισαν. Παρόλα αυτά, ο ρεαλισμός πιστεύει στην ανάγκη διαχείρισης των συγκρούσεων και στον αυτοπεριορισμό, καθώς μία ανεξέλεγκτη μάχη μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε γεγονότα πέραν ερμηνείας ή ανάλυσης (π.χ. κίνδυνος πυρηνικού πολέμου). Η αποτροπή και η ασφάλεια, δεν εξασφαλίζουν απαραίτητα ειρήνη, αλλά ένα λιγότερο βίαιο και επικίνδυνο κόσμο [1]. Με βάση αυτά, ο ρεαλισμός επιτρέπει την ύπαρξη τοποθετήσεων σε ζητήματα, όπως η κρίση στην Ουκρανία, που περιλαμβάνουν: Τα κράτη δρουν και κινητοποιούνται για να υπερασπίσουν τα συμφέροντα τους, Τα κράτη επιζητούν την αύξηση της ασφάλειας ή/και της ισχύος τους, Βασική ευθύνη των κρατών είναι διαφύλαξη της βιωσιμότητας τους, Το διεθνές σύστημα είναι άναρχο,
1 Η ανάδειξη της Ρωσίας σε περιφερειακή δύναμη ισχύος: η επέμβαση στη Ν. Οσσετία και η κρίση της ... more 1 Η ανάδειξη της Ρωσίας σε περιφερειακή δύναμη ισχύος: η επέμβαση στη Ν. Οσσετία και η κρίση της Ουκρανίας. Εισαγωγή Ένα από τα βασικά ζητήματα των διεθνών σχέσεων που έχει ανακύψει μετά τις εξελίξεις των τελευταίων 10 ετών στην ανατολική περιφέρεια της Ευρώπης, είναι το ζήτημα της στάσης που θα ακολουθήσει τα επόμενα χρόνια η Ρωσία, όσον αφορά το «Εγγύς Εξωτερικό» της. Ο όρος περιγράφει τις πρώην σοβιετικές δημοκρατίες της Ευρώπης και της Ασίας, καθώς και τις χώρες του Συμφώνου της Βαρσοβίας [1], οι οποίες δεν έχουν ακολουθήσει κοινή πορεία μετά τη διάλυση της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης, την αποδυνάμωση της Ρωσίας και την εκ νέου γεωστρατηγική της ενίσχυση. Τα κράτη αυτά βιώνουν έναν συνεχή αγώνα διασφάλισης της εθνικής τους κυριαρχίας και ακεραιότητας, προσπαθώντας να μεγιστοποιήσουν τη σχετική και την απόλυτη ισχύ τους [2]. Βάσει του Mearsheimer [3], οι τρόποι επίτευξης είναι τρεις: 1. η κατάκτηση εδαφών, 2. ο έλεγχος συμπεριφοράς κρατών, μέσων διαφόρων μοχλών πίεσης (απειλή στρατιωτικής επέμβασης, κυβερνήσεις μαριονέτες, κ.λ.π.) και 3. η προσπάθεια άμεσου ή έμμεσου ελέγχου της οικονομίας. Η ανάδειξη του Β. Πούτιν στην ηγεσία της Ρωσίας επέφερε μία σειρά σημαντικές αλλαγές στον τρόπο λειτουργίας του κράτους και του ρόλου του στο διεθνές προσκήνιο. Αναπτύσσοντας τη ρωσική οικονομία, βασιζόμενος στους τεράστιους ενεργειακούς της πόρους, ο Πούτιν διαμόρφωσε το πλαίσιο αμφισβήτησης δυτικών πολιτικών, όπως η επέκταση του ΝΑΤΟ σε Γεωργία και Ουκρανία και επεδίωξε την καθιέρωση της χώρας, τουλάχιστον σε περιφερειακή δύναμη, ώστε να αποκαταστήσει κάποιες από τις ζώνες επιρροής στα γειτονικά της κράτη. Στα πλαίσια της κατανόησης των σχέσεων και των ρόλων που διαμορφωθούν τα επόμενα χρόνια καθίσταται αναγκαία η κατανόηση των εξελίξεων που έλαβαν χώρο το 2008 στη Ν. Οσετία, όταν Ρωσία και Γεωργία οδηγήθηκαν σε πολεμική εμπλοκή, αλλά και το 2014 με την Ουκρανική κρίση. Κεντρικό ερώτημα αποτελεί, αν εν τέλει η Ρωσία έχει κατορθώσει να αναδειχτεί σε περιφερειακή δύναμη ισχύος, ακολουθώντας μία συγκεκριμένη πολιτική,
Η εργασία μας εξετάζει το ιδιαίτερο τμήμα του ηλεκτρονικού εμπορίου που αφορά στις κινητές υπηρεσ... more Η εργασία μας εξετάζει το ιδιαίτερο τμήμα του ηλεκτρονικού εμπορίου που αφορά στις κινητές υπηρεσίες. Στην εργασία, εξετάζουμε θέματα που αφορούν στην τεχνολογία, στο marketing και στις υπάρχουσες μεθόδους πληρωμών.
Η διάκριση τιμών, αποτελεί μια από τις πλέον διαδεδομένες τακτικές μάρκετινγκ, καθώς οι επιχειρήσ... more Η διάκριση τιμών, αποτελεί μια από τις πλέον διαδεδομένες τακτικές μάρκετινγκ, καθώς οι επιχειρήσεις γνωρίζουν πολύ καλά τα οφέλη από την εφαρμογή μιας τέτοιας στρατηγικής. Παρόλα αυτά, δεν υπάρχει κάποιος ικανοποιητικός ορισμός, σχετικά με το τι είναι διάκριση τιμών. Γενικά θα μπορούσαμε να πούμε πως είναι η πώληση δύο ίδιων αγαθών, σε διαφορετικές τιμές είτε στον ίδιο καταναλωτή, είτε σε διαφορετικούς [Tirole (1988)]. Ο παραπάνω ορισμός φυσικά είναι ατελής καθώς παραβλέπει την σημαντικότατη έννοια του κόστους παραγωγής και διάθεσης ενός αγαθού. Πρέπει δηλαδή να γνωρίζουμε, ότι δεν αποτελεί διακριτική τιμολόγηση, όταν το ίδιο αγαθό προσφέρεται σε διαφορετικές τιμές λόγο κόστους εξυπηρέτησης (για παράδειγμα υψηλότερη τιμή λόγο κόστους μεταφοράς). Για να μπορέσει όμως να εφαρμοστεί η στρατηγική διακριτικής τιμολόγησης, πρέπει να συντρέχουν οι τρεις ακόλουθες προϋποθέσεις: α) Η επιχείρηση πρέπει να έχει επαρκή ισχύ στην αγορά. Η στρατηγική της διακριτικής τιμολόγησης, απαιτεί την δυνατότητα τιμολόγησης πάνω από το οριακό κόστος παραγωγής του προϊόντος. Για τον λόγο αυτό η στρατηγική αυτή εμφανίζεται συνήθως σε μονοπωλιακές ή ολιγοπωλιακές καταστάσεις. β) Η επιχείρηση, πρέπει να έχει την δυνατότητα να ομαδοποιεί τους καταναλωτές, ώστε να μπορεί να τιμολογεί κατάλληλα τον οριακό καταναλωτή. Αυτό συμβαίνει εύκολα όταν η ζήτηση εξαρτάται από εξωγενείς παράγοντες (όπως η ηλικία των καταναλωτών) ή όταν η επιχείρηση έχει στην διάθεση της πλήρη πληροφόρηση για τις προτιμήσεις και τους εισοδηματικούς περιορισμούς των καταναλωτών της. Στην πραγματικότητα όμως η ζήτηση εξαρτάται κυρίως από ενδογενείς παράγοντες (όπως ο χρόνος κατανάλωσης) και η πληροφόρηση είναι ατελής. Στην περίπτωση αυτή όπως θα δούμε παρακάτω, η επιχείρηση αντιμετωπίζει την πρόκληση την δημιουργίας 'πακέτων' τιμολόγησης, ώστε οι καταναλωτές να καταταγούν από μόνοι τους σε μία από τις κατηγορίες. γ) Η επιχείρηση όταν τιμολογεί διακριτικά, πρέπει να μπορεί να αποτρέψει την δυνατότητα μεταπώλησης του προϊόντος της. Πρέπει να μπορεί δηλαδή να αποτρέψει το αρμπιτράζ, στο οποίο ενδέχεται να καταφύγουν κάποιοι από τους καταναλωτές που αγοράζουν τα προϊόντα της σε χαμηλότερες τιμές [Varian (1987)] και μπορούν να τα πουλούν σε υψηλότερες. Στην μελέτη μας θα εξετάσουμε μια επιχείρηση που αρχικά τιμολογεί ενιαία τους καταναλωτές της βάσει του κόστους και του κέρδους που μπορεί να αποκομίσει λόγο της θέσης της στην αγορά. Μια τέτοια τιμολόγηση μάλλον αναποτελεσματική μπορεί να χαρακτηριστεί αφού η επιχείρηση δεν λαμβάνει υπόψη της παράγοντες της αγοράς, μειώνοντας έτσι την κερδοφορία της αλλά και την κοινωνική ευημερία. Το παρακάτω διάγραμμα, είναι χαρακτηριστικό αυτής της περίπτωσης. Βλέπουμε τα τρίγωνα που δείχνουν το πλεόνασμα του καταναλωτή και την απώλεια κοινωνικής ευημερίας, καθώς και το σταθερό κόστος εξοπλισμού και εγκατάστασης δικτύου που έχει να λάβει υπόψη της μια τηλεπικοινωνιακή επιχείρηση. Η αδυναμία λοιπόν της επιχείρησης να απορροφήσει το πλεόνασμα του καταναλωτή και να καλύψει πλήρως τις ανάγκες για τηλεπικοινωνιακές υπηρεσίες, μειώνουν την 1
Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE)), 2023
Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the ... more Entrepreneurship education programs have gained popularity in the last 20 years as they have the potential to encourage entrepreneurial abilities and mindsets. Despite the increasing number of these programs offered worldwide, their effectiveness remains to be determined. Research has produced mixed outcomes, and there needs to be a consensus on the definition of entrepreneurship education in incubators or the outcomes of such courses. The perception of business incubators has evolved to become supportive settings for new business ventures and aspiring entrepreneurs. They are considered the future training grounds for entrepreneurship and experimental hubs for learning. Nevertheless, the degree to which they enhance business performance is debatable, and research into their outcomes needs to be more varied and largely inconclusive. The research methodology employed in this study is quantitative and involves a questionnaire. The sample consists of 112 start-ups and visionary entrepreneurs that have participated in entrepreneurship education programs offered by the incubators in Greece, and 21 business incubators. The results of the study show that entrepreneurship education programs have the potential to enhance specific skills and attitudes in participants that could be advantageous in the long run. While the research does not provide conclusive evidence, it does demonstrate promising correlations. Therefore, although business incubatorbased entrepreneurship education programs in Greece may not immediately impact start-ups, they could be advantageous in the future.
Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE)), 2023
During the last few decades one of the most important factors in a Higher Education Institution (... more During the last few decades one of the most important factors in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) is the students' satisfaction. University students' satisfaction measurement should be one of the core processes of a HEI. The aim of this research is to measure and analyse students' satisfaction for a business administration department of a Greek public university based on MUSA. The research results were based on the analysis of a convenient sample based on 387 questionnaires which were collected during the period between October to November 2021. One method of analysis that can be used for analysis is the multicriteria MUSA (Multicriteria Satisfaction Analysis) method. MUSA is an ordinal regression model which is based on the principles of multi-criteria decision analysis. The results show that the level of service which provided by the department of business administration is satisfactory (86.3%). Through this survey, decision-makers can learn how students view the services which receive from university and which aspects of student's satisfaction need to be enhanced. Keywords Business students • Student satisfaction • Multicriteria analysis • MUSA methodology
The International Conference on Strategic Innovative Marketing and Tourism, 2023
Electronic educational technology for learning is an essential tool towards a knowledge-based soc... more Electronic educational technology for learning is an essential tool towards a knowledge-based society. As technology continuously evolves, our focus will be on the perception of satisfaction from the educational process, which was challenged to quickly switch to distance education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this paper examines university business students' satisfaction from elearning concerning various factors, such as platform reliability, functionality, efficiency, usability and trust. Data were collected by applying a structured questionnaire on a final sample of 368 students from September to October 2021. The results are based on the Multi-criteria Satisfaction Analysis (MUSA) method. The analysis highlighted the vital role of reliability and trust in the applied e-learning platform. Those aspects should be further improved in the future to increase the comfort of using distance learning tools and increase participants' perceived satisfaction in the process.
3ο Τακτικό Συνέδριο ΠΕΔιΣ - Δημοκρατία, ανάπτυξη και ασφάλεια: Πολιτική σε συνθήκες αβεβαιότητας, 2017
Το 2016, σύμφωνα με στοιχεία της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας, το Παγκόσμιο ‘Κυρίαρχο’ ή Δημόσιο Χρέος ξεπ... more Το 2016, σύμφωνα με στοιχεία της Παγκόσμιας Τράπεζας, το Παγκόσμιο ‘Κυρίαρχο’ ή Δημόσιο Χρέος ξεπέρασε τα 59 τρισεκατομμύρια δολάρια που αντιστοιχεί στο 99% του Παγκόσμιου Ακαθάριστου Εγχώριου Προϊόντος (ΑΕΠ). Αυτό σημαίνει ότι η αθροιστική αξία όλων των εισοδημάτων και των προϊόντων που παράγονται για μία χρονιά στον πλανήτη είναι υποθηκευμένα προς όφελος των ’δανειστών’, που μπορούν να χωριστούν σε τρεις (γενικές) κατηγορίες: (α) κράτη (ακόμα και κράτη που δανείζουν άλλα κράτη, έχουν δημόσιο χρέος), (β) διεθνείς χρηματοπιστωτικοί φορείς και οργανισμοί και, (γ) ιδιώτες (τράπεζες, επιχειρήσεις, funds και φυσικά πρόσωπα).
Οι λόγοι που οι ανωτέρω τρεις κατηγορίες «δανειστών» συμμετέχουν στις διεθνείς χρηματοοικονομικές αγορές ποικίλουν και αφορούν (ενδεικτικά) την επίτευξη κέρδους, τον αποθησαυρισμό, τη δημιουργία χαρτοφυλακίων χαμηλού / υψηλού ρίσκου, την περαιτέρω υποστήριξη κάποιας αρχικής επένδυσης, την απόκτηση επιρροής σε κάποια οικονομία κ.α. Από την άλλη πλευρά, οι κυβερνήσεις των κρατών συνεχίζουν να δανείζονται για να μπορούν να χρηματοδοτούν δημόσια έργα, αμυντικές δαπάνες, κοινωνική ευημερία και φυσικά για να αποπληρώνουν παλαιότερα δάνεια τους.
Η σύζευξη προσφοράς και ζήτησης χρηματοοικονομικών πόρων δημιούργησε το παράδοξο της πλήρους σχεδόν υποθήκευσης του παγκόσμιου πλούτου που παράγεται σε ένα έτος (εκτόξευση του παγκόσμιου δημόσιου χρέους), γεγονός που υποθηκεύει τη δυνατότητα των κρατών να ασκούν ’ανεξάρτητη, κυρίαρχη πολιτική’ προς όφελος των πολιτών τους. Κριτική ασκείται στη διαφαινόμενη ισχύ των αγορών χρήματος και κεφαλαίου να ’επιβάλουν’ τις επιλογές τους επί των κρατών. Ή μήπως αυτό δεν ισχύει;