Ilias Kapareliotis, Katerina Voutsina and Athanasios Patsiotis
Changes in the workplace have raised serious concerns about the future of work and the effectiveness of undergraduate academic programs to sufficiently prepare students for…
Abstract
Purpose
Changes in the workplace have raised serious concerns about the future of work and the effectiveness of undergraduate academic programs to sufficiently prepare students for business. The purpose of this paper is to address this concern by exploring how internship employment (placement) is implicated in the young business graduates’ employability prospects.
Design/methodology/approach
This research explored the students’ perceptions regarding their degree of “work readiness” after completing an internship program. The concept of “work readiness” is conceptualized in terms of role clarity, ability and motivation. An institution of higher education in Greece provided the sampling frame for this research. Online survey data have been used.
Findings
Students who attend internship programs assessed positively all aspects of the work readiness construct. They knew what it was expected by employers from them to do at work. They were able to effectively apply basic academic skills, high-order skills and professional skills required by employers on the job and placed greater importance to the intrinsic rewards than the extrinsic ones.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study and is designed as a foundation for future empirical studies. Further research could examine the dimensions of the work readiness concept in other geographic contexts and validate the scale measurement with larger samples.
Originality/value
The integration of scattered pieces of literature on graduates’ employability through the lenses of “work readiness” is a novel theoretical approach to explore the effectiveness of internship programs on employability prospects in the Greek context.
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Athanasios Patsiotis, Marwan Atik and Toula Perrea
This paper explores the potential impact of mobile marketing tools on consumer buying behaviour within the context of dining. The aim is to examine the influence of mobile…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the potential impact of mobile marketing tools on consumer buying behaviour within the context of dining. The aim is to examine the influence of mobile marketing tools through their different functions on the stages of the consumer buying process. The study addresses a lack of relevant research with evidence from both customer and supplier perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The mobile tools that are found useful for dining were considered in this study. Qualitative interviews with marketers and consumer opinion leaders were conducted, given the limited extant research.
Findings
The results reveal that mobile marketing tools influence consumers' decision-making differently and their effect varies according to the customer type. Additionally, it shows that loyalty has a direct influence on mobile marketing effectiveness, as the decision-making process of loyal customers is more affected by mobile marketing tools than the non-loyal customers.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations are mainly based on the qualitative nature of this study and are relevant to the research context. Further research could examine these findings in different service and geographical contexts.
Practical implications
Marketing activity through the smartphone should focus on loyal customers and opinion leaders with the use of appropriate mobile tools.
Originality/value
The study provides empirical evidence on the variable influence of mobile marketing tools on consumer decision-making and develops a conceptual framework. It is also found that loyalty is an important factor that positively affects smartphone tools adoption.
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Athanasios Patsiotis, Ioannis Krasonikolakis and Jing Lyu
Capital controls restrict cash withdrawals and international transfers, among other restrictions. The purpose of the study is to explore how capital controls have influenced…
Abstract
Purpose
Capital controls restrict cash withdrawals and international transfers, among other restrictions. The purpose of the study is to explore how capital controls have influenced m-banking usage and disclose the underlying factors that explain m-banking usage intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study assumes that usage behavior may be different from intentions to adopt. In-depth interviews (study 1) were employed with both consumers and bank employees to explore the factors of m-banking adoption under capital controls, followed by an online survey (study 2) pertaining to examine the relationships between underlying factors.
Findings
Study 1 reveals that the growth of m-banking usage is strongly associated with capital controls that perceived ease of use, usefulness, risk, technology anxiety and decision comfort are significant attributes in influencing usage intention. Study 2 verifies that most underlying factors are important predictors of m-banking usage intention, except technology anxiety does not impact m-banking usage.
Research limitations/implications
The respective effects on usage intentions may be different in the absence of capital controls. A similar study could examine the importance of the respective constructs in conditions of no forced use. The case of forcing consumers to adopt a technological innovation could be further explored.
Practical implications
Retail banking consumers have changed their banking and financing behaviors because of capital controls. Forced usage may cause customers to cultivate positive attitudes towards the technology and consider it for continuous usage.
Originality/value
Capital controls were found to impact positively customer behavior towards m-banking. It is revealed that capital controls have forced bank customers to adopt and use m-banking for their financial needs.
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Athanasios G. Patsiotis, Tim Hughes and Don J. Webber
This study examines internet banking adoption and resistance behaviour in Greece in order to develop profiles of adopters and non‐adopters of the service. The aim is to illustrate…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines internet banking adoption and resistance behaviour in Greece in order to develop profiles of adopters and non‐adopters of the service. The aim is to illustrate customers' resistance behaviour towards internet banking. The existing research does not explain resistance behaviour, since it does not clearly distinguish non‐adoption from resistance. Consequently, it has not recognised the different types of non‐adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
A measuring instrument was developed and utilised in a survey of a convenience sample of 1,200 customers. The derived dimensionality of the relevant perceptual variables was used to explore the existence of different customer segments through cluster analysis.
Findings
Three segments were identified, where the description of their profiles is based on customer perceptions of the service and general usage data. Across these segments adopters and non‐adopters were found to have different characteristics. With regard to demographics, only income was found to be associated with segment membership.
Research limitations/implications
Perceptual and usage variables are useful in market segmentation. The results also suggest the possible existence of sub‐groups within each segment characterised by different aspects of resistance behaviour. Further research could identify and explore their potential and study non‐adopter behaviour.
Practical implications
Service providers should target users and non‐users across the segments differently. While the users identified require different retention policies, the resistance or non‐resistance observed in non‐users suggest the proper management of delay and rejection behaviours.
Originality/value
The customer segments identified in this study are based on new links found between the factors that drive diffusion and resistance to diffusion and general usage data. Non‐adopters across the segments resist for different reasons, or not resist.
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Athanasios G. Patsiotis, Tim Hughes and Don J. Webber
This paper aims to provide a better understanding of non-adoption of technological interfaces. The majority of diffusion research on technological innovations does not distinguish…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a better understanding of non-adoption of technological interfaces. The majority of diffusion research on technological innovations does not distinguish clearly between non-adoption and resistance behavior and assumes a symmetrical or linear relationship between the positive and negative influencing factors. As a result, it has not recognized the different types of non-adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
The determinants of customers ' propensity to adopt or not to adopt computer-based technologies were examined in the context of internet banking. Several multivariate analysis methods were combined to examine the dimensionality of the constructs involved and their explanatory power on customer intentions and usage behavior.
Findings
The resulting five dimensions revealed new links that help to explain customer intention in relation to usage behavior. The results reveal that some of the factors explaining non-adoption are not the opposite of those explaining adoption behavior and that others influence positively both behaviors. It is also found that pre-adoption behavior may be different from usage behavior and that delay behavior may be characterized by different phases.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this exploratory study suggest new evidence on non-adoption behavior that may stimulate further research inquiry.
Practical implications
Recognizing these different aspects of customer behavior in relation to adoption/non-adoption has implications for managers involved in utilizing the internet as a channel for customer service.
Originality/value
This study examined diffusion of innovation from a different angle, looking at non-adoption behavior which may sometimes be the result of some kind of resistance.