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The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether predicting factors of conventional ventures’ performance are appropriate in interpreting the creative industries context. Moreover, this paper introduces a way to measure venture performance in creative industries.

A structured questionnaire was used to address this research objectives, based mainly on scales tested in previous studies. Data were collected from a sample of 371 female entrepreneurs of creative industries. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the research hypotheses.

In congruence with the hypotheses, the findings demonstrated that venture performance in creative industries can be predicted by factors that affect conventional venture performance. Creative personality and professional network ties are regarded according to the empirical analysis presented in this paper as the factors with the highest impact.

Data were pulled from female entrepreneurs in Greece, especially from the two biggest cities Athens and Thessaloniki. Consequently, it was precarious to fulfill the condition of generalizability. Additionally, a snowball sampling method was used, because of the absence of creative industries firms’ directory in Greece.

Based on authors’ knowledge and review, no prior study has examined predictors’ effect on creative industries venture performance.

This paper discusses the service quality of Greek banks on the basis of their customers’ perceptions, and analyses how gender differences affect customers’ perceptions of service quality dimensions such as effectiveness and assurance, access, price, tangibles, service portfolio, and reliability. The results of an empirical study of 1,260 customers of Greek banks generally support the hypothesis that gender affects service quality perceptions and the relative importance attached to various banking service quality dimensions. This paper provides important information for bank managers to use in developing operational, human resource, and marketing strategies, and in targeting those strategies in terms of the gender differences in quality perceptions among their customers.

The purpose of this study is to examine factors leading to venture success, emphasizing the role of entrepreneurs as critical in the whole process, based on a sample of women entrepreneurs. Drawing upon the competence-based view of the firm, it examines the effect of entrepreneurial competencies, managerial competencies and reliance on networks toward increased female venture success rates.

A structured questionnaire was allocated to women entrepreneurs to seek respondents’ perceptions. Principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was undertaken to confirm the constructs’ validity. A hierarchical regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses.

Networking stands out as having the most significant positive effect on venture success while entrepreneurial and managerial core competencies are both important, with entrepreneurial competencies demonstrating a slightly higher score. Also, years of entrepreneurial experience, entrepreneurial family background and family status prove significant.

The study confirms prior research, highlighting the role of entrepreneurs as central, sharpening understanding of the required determinants of venture success. It further provides new insight into venture success from the perspective of the competence-based theory, highlighting clear-cut competencies.

The study paves the way for the design of entrepreneurial learning programs targeting entrepreneurs and particularly females, highlighting the need for on-going education and educational programs to support entrepreneurs and distinctly women.

The study contributes to the effective management of venture progress and success and provides insight into entrepreneurs and policymakers.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the benefits, barriers and challenges of the transdisciplinary approach to training, and to present findings of a case analysis.

The paper is based on the research findings of an experimental training program for Greek local government managers co‐funded by the European Union.

The adoption of the transdisciplinary approach for the effective training of (local government) managers has a number of important advantages, including the connection of training with real problems that organizations face today, as well as the development of transdisciplinary competences necessary for the effective adaptation and activation of managers in the turbulent environment of the new economy.

The experimental training program focuses on managers of Greek local government organizations. However, the critical factors that are described are relative to the training needs of most organizations operating in the new globalized economic environment.

The design of the transdisciplinary training programs, as well as their implementation and evaluation processes, can be of use to all organizations interested in the strategic training and development of human resources, regardless of their size and sector.

There is a great potential for the development of training programs based on the transdisciplinary approach. Fields of immediate application are those where social, economic and ecological elements interact and should be integrated in a sustainable way.

This paper is an “evaluation” study in the form of an extensive “case study” of one particular business school in Greece. Its alleged contribution focuses on the conclusions it hopes to draw in relation to the evaluation research methodology, based on the case evaluation research, experimenting with the use of students' ratings (SETs). The effect of a number of quantitative variables (expected course grade, student study hours, course difficulty, and instructor grading system) as well as of a number of qualitative variables (student's major discipline and reason for taking a course, and instructor gender and employment status) on SETs are examined in order to provide a basis for restructuring the currently employed evaluation research methodology.

The aim of this article is to offer a framework model of the planning of the activities of organisations of continuing education and training, which gives the opportunity to determine their mission, to seek specific aims, to develop the available resources and to create a cooperative operating climate. Adopting this recommended model would help these organisations to adapt to the changes and challenges of the contemporary environment, ensure their functioning and the implementation of feedback and, where necessary, use corrective steps in order to achieve the objectives set.

This paper's primary purpose is to emphasize the importance of entrepreneur training regarding creativity and innovation. Their significance and the importance of the latter regarding the development of business and training needs are the research questions of a survey conducted in northern Greece.

The survey, of 116 entrepreneurs, owners of small medium and very small enterprises, investigates awareness, attitudes and perceptions regarding creativity and innovation, for facilitating the design and development of training interventions. Data were collected using modified and extended questionnaires of an analogous tool created for the needs of the TRACTORS project. The questionnaires included both open‐ended and closed questions. Descriptive statistics were generated by the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.

Findings suggest that entrepreneurs/owners and/or managers of micro and small medium enterprises in northern Greece are largely aware of the significance of creativity and innovation, believing that these are positively related to each other and interact in the development of their business. Training intervention is deemed as of great importance, and obstacles concerning financial resources, experience, time, infrastructure and not risk averse, were underlined.

Creativity and innovation training interventions for entrepreneurs in terms of process, content, method, duration, trainers etc., is in a fledgling stage and requires further research to determine the “right training intervention mix” serving the needs of the non homogeneous entrepreneurial category.

Although entrepreneurship creativity and innovation are viewed as the “creation of the future”, little has been done to train entrepreneurs to participate creatively in the innovation economy. The present paper traces these needs.

Despite the rapid growth and internationalisation of services and financial services in particular, managers realise that to successfully leverage service quality as a global competitive tool, they first need to correctly identify the antecedents of what the international consumer perceives as service quality. This paper aims to examine the differences: in perceptions of service quality; and in the ranking of quality dimension between the bank customers of five Balkan countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM and Serbia.

Bahia and Nantel proposed a specific scale for measuring perceived service quality in retail banking consisting of six dimensions of service quality: effectiveness and assurance; access; price; tangibles; service portfolio; and reliability. This instrument was used for collecting data in the context of banking services from the five Balkan countries. T‐test and factor analysis were employed to answer the research questions.

The results suggest that Greek customers perceived receiving the highest level of service quality. Differences and similarities between the countries were also reported related to the degree of importance attached to the BSQ dimensions of service quality.

The results have significant implications for banks in developing operational, marketing and human resource strategies in the Balkan context.

The international bank managers need to understand the value of environmental differences between countries in terms of economic development, political situation, socio‐cultural system and the level of sector maturity. Accordingly they can emphasise the various dimensions of service quality differently and in addition focus on commonalities to introduce quality initiatives in the Balkans.

The purpose of this paper is to appraise rural women entrepreneurs, running co‐operatives in Greece. The paper seeks to examine the effects of training support on their entrepreneurial skills and attitudes, co‐operatives' viability and growth prospects, and work‐family balance.

An evaluation research was conducted in which 104 rural women members of co‐operatives, who had participated in a specific training program contributed. Anonymous questionnaires were used to collect data on participants' perceptions of the effects of the training intervention. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and intercorellations were employed in analysing the data.

The data illustrate that participants perceived benefits in terms of skill improvements, i.e. identification and capturing of business opportunities, effective co‐operation and flexibility in decision making and more positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship. In addition, perceptions related to the development and growth prospects of the co‐operative and to work‐family balance have also been positively affected.

The effectiveness of an entrepreneurship program can be enhanced when it is designed to meet the real needs of the organization and thus is more focused. Training needs analysis prior to intervention is a prerequisite. Moreover, achieving work‐family balance can also be seen as an aspect of a co‐operative's performance that can be improved through training.

This paper enriches research on the effect of entrepreneurship training programs for rural women co‐operative members.

The purpose of this paper is to advance the argument for the transformative potential of e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs, presenting an e‐mentoring intervention to rural women entrepreneurs in Greece.

A six stage e‐mentoring process is practiced through a project supporting rural women entrepreneurs, based on mentees' and mentors' reactions. Their expressed degree of satisfaction with regard to the e‐mentoring relationship, achievement of personal goals, as well as their desire to continue the relationship are served as useful indicators. Questionnaires are used during three times (pre and post the e‐mentoring relationship, i.e. before, just after its end and six months later) to obtain information from mentees' and mentors' groups.

The features of the quality of the e‐mentoring relationship such as mentors'/mentees' characteristics, frequency of contacts, and e‐services are judged to be satisfactory by both mentors and mentees. Mentees perceive that they sufficiently achieved their personal goals, emphasizing the successful role modeling that their mentors provide. Mentors gain publicity and the broadening of their connections.

The survey results could offer substantial assistance to decision makers concerning designing and implementing e‐mentoring processes supporting female entrepreneurship.

Despite the explosion of online mentoring opportunities, few academic articles and little empirical evidence have addressed e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs. The present paper attempts to add research results and suggests a framework of e‐mentoring process discussing both mentors' and mentees' reactions.