Evangelos Psomas’s research while affiliated with University of Patras and other places

This research investigates food safety culture (FS-culture), a crucial component of food safety, by identifying its multifaceted effects and delineating future research directions. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted utilizing data from four eminent publishers: Elsevier/ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, SpringerLink and Taylor & Francis. An in-depth analysis of 60 articles obtained from 20 journals covering the years 2010–2024 was performed. An affinity diagram was systematically utilized to categorize the extensive collection of FS-culture effects and recommendations for future research into their respective thematic categories. The identification of five themes concerning the effects of FS-culture, alongside four themes on future research, underscores the prioritization of FS-culture as a strategic element, thus establishing frameworks intended to guide subsequent research endeavours. Limitations encompass a restricted scope of publishers, keywords and the subjective nature of theme classification. To date, no SLR studies have been conducted concerning the effects of FS-culture and the recommendations for future research.

Purpose Online learning gained ground during the pandemic and has continued to be used in the post-Covid era. Items related to online learning should be included in service quality assessment. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of service quality, which includes the online learning dimension, on student satisfaction in higher-education in a blended learning environment. Design/methodology/approach A total of 452 valid questionnaires were collected from business undergraduate students enrolled in public universities in Greece. A modified version of HEdPERF is used to evaluate service quality. Due to the extensive use of online learning, an additional dimension was added to the HEdPERF scale which focuses on online education, a field that has not yet been widely examined. Structural equation modeling is used to examine the relationships between service quality, and student satisfaction. Findings The research findings verify the six-structure scale of the HEdPERF instrument (non-academic aspects, academic aspects, reputation, access and programs issues and online learning), providing satisfactory results in terms of reliability and validity tests. Service quality dimensions such as academic aspects, access, program issues and online learning are the influential dimensions of student satisfaction in a blended learning context. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has expanded traditional service quality instruments to include the dimension of service quality of online learning.

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.

Purpose Food manufacturing companies which are essential for national economies, need to attach importance to the adoption of both the lean manufacturing (LM) operational excellence methodology and the Industry I4.0 (I4.0) technologies that empower LM to achieve operational improvement. This study aims to focus on the Greek food manufacturing companies and determine the degree of implementation of LM practices and I4.0 technologies and the impact of I4.0 on LM. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted based on a structured questionnaire which included items reflecting LM practices and I4.0 technologies. A sample of Greek food manufacturing companies were approached and 102 of them fully completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied to determine the degree of implementation of LM practices and I4.0 technologies, while the impact of I4.0 on LM was determined through the linear regression analysis. Findings The degree of implementation of LM practices in the responding food manufacturing companies is high, while the degree of implementation of I4.0 technologies is low to medium. The findings also support a significant and positive impact of I4.0 on LM. Research limitations/implications The small size of the sample of the responding Greek food manufacturing companies, the subjective character of the data collected and the cross-sectional nature of the study, constitute the main limitations of the study. Based on these limitations, further studies can be designed. Practical implications The present study findings can guide the managers of the food manufacturing companies to further increase the degree of implementation of LM practices through adopting I4.0 technologies. Therefore, they can improve quality, eliminate waste, survive and be more competitive in the current difficult business environment. Academics can also benefit from the present study, given that it provides the LM practices and I4.0 technologies that can be further tested and validated in the food sector. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that focuses on LM and I4.0 in the Greek food manufacturing companies operating in a business environment where the crises of finance, energy and the Covid-19 pandemic dominate.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive structural model to understand the outcomes of organizational ambidexterity (OA) within the manufacturing and service sector. It focuses on evaluating the effects of OA on business performance and strategic flexibility while also exploring the under-researched relationship between strategic flexibility and business performance. To accomplish this objective, an empirical survey was carried out among a sample of 370 Greek manufacturing and service firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were utilized to extract and validate the latent constructs examined. Finally, the structural relationships among these latent constructs were determined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study’s findings reveal the significant contributions of OA to both firm performance and strategic flexibility. Additionally, the results demonstrate the positive influence of strategic flexibility on business performance. This research sheds light on the multifaceted impacts of ambidexterity, offering valuable implications for managers, decision-makers, and practitioners. The outcomes underscore the importance of ambidexterity in various dimensions of business performance and highlight its role in fostering strategic flexibility. This study stands out by offering a holistic model that explicates the outcomes of OA within the manufacturing and service sector. It places particular emphasis on the interplay between business performance and strategic flexibility, an area that has received limited attention in prior research. By empirically examining these relationships and providing practical guidelines, the proposed model enriches our understanding of ambidexterity’s significance and supports further research in this domain within organizations.

Purpose This study aims at determining the influence of the competitive strategy types and organizational structure dimensions on Cost of Quality (CoQ) in Food and Beverage (F&B) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was sent to F&B companies in Greece and 307 responded positively and fully completed the questionnaire. The research model developed (consisting of the competitive strategy types, the organizational structure dimensions and CoQ) was tested using the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Findings The findings indicated that cost leadership, centralization and formalization influence the CoQ positively and significantly. By contrast, differentiation does not influence CoQ. Research limitations/implications The small sample of the responding companies operating in one country, the different F&B sub-sectors, the subjective perceptions of only one representative per company and the cross-sectional nature of the study are the main limitations of the present study. Practical implications This paper provides academicians and practitioners with a better understanding of the factors that influence the quality-cost level. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that examines the effect of competitive strategy and organizational structure on CoQ.