Computational and Strategic Business Modelling

Technology has been the driver of change and nowadays blockchain is one of its most recent innovations. Various application of blockchain technology have emerged, with cryptocurrencies being one of them. Cryptocurrency organizations provide the ability for decentralized payments, since enabling the development of decentralized payment networks (DPNs). The process of enhancing the digital marketing of DPNs has simultaneously arisen. A key issue for this enhancement could be the DPNs’ Web page factors, which determine a website’s efficiency. The authors gathered for 60 consecutive days analytic data from five DPNs’ websites, regarding technical and behavioral Web page factors, and analyzed them. Data elaboration was held via correlation and regression analysis, followed by the development of fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) and dynamic modeling (DM) processes. Throughout this paper, DPNs’ digital marketing campaigns can be evaluated by specific Web page factors, like crawl depth, raw internal link, and incoming internal links, since these factors appear to have a strong connection with DPNs’ organic campaign metrics.

Decentralized payment companies are one of the most important factors of the payment networks’ role in the global economy. Organizations in the Decentralized payment sector need to develop their services through digital marketing to improve their customers’ engagement. To achieve this, a plethora of digital marketing strategies can be developed, like webpage auditing. The authors aimed to examine the role of the webpage auditing of decentralized payment services websites in the optimization of their digital marketing performance. For this reason, a framework of three stages was deployed consisting of regression analysis, fuzzy cognitive mapping, and hybrid model development. Webpage technical data were used as input of this context through 100 days of simulation. The outcomes of the paper highlight the importance of webpage auditing in explaining the websites’ abandoning rate and the optimization of decentralized payment organizations’ digital marketing performance.

COVID-19 pandemic induced forced travel restrictions, flight suspension, and entry bans, which significantly affected the worldwide transportation industry. The airline industry experienced up to 50% service demand reduction, triggering great uncertainty and revenue losses. Airlines are heavily relying on Web-based platforms in order to establish brand awareness, maintain existing clients, attract new ones, and increase their sales revenue. This study is investigating the effect of the pandemic on online customers’ behavior through the utilization of user-engagement-related big data extracted from airlines’ Web domains. Results indicated that user engagement behavior was significantly affected by the pandemic and, to a substantial degree, directly correlated with the crisis escalation. The results of this study can help airline companies to better understand users’ online behavior during and after crises and develop more efficient risk management plans, through effective allocation of resources.

Airlines tragedies are fortunately rare, but when they happen, the results are devastating. Most of the companies under crisis are not able to manage effectively the “post-crisis” period, resulting in reputational damage with enormous consequences on business performance, revenue, and brand name. This kind of crisis strikes usually without warning and escalates with remarkable speed, mainly due to the widespread use of social media. Airline companies try to mitigate the risk of potential reputational crisis by preparing various response strategies and investing in risk mitigation. This paper investigates the mechanism behind customers’ online behavior during a reputational crisis, focusing on users’ online behavior, utilizing Web analytics, and fuzzy cognitive mapping methods. The results of the study clearly demonstrate the need for airline managers to immediately put into action an effective communication strategy across multiple channels, as part of an operational risk management plan, in favor of brand optimization, since digital branding and reach percentage are significantly increased following an air crash.

With 30 million passengers in 2019, cruise tourism was considered a growing part of world tourism. However, the pandemic has proved disastrous for the sector. According to the Cruise Lines International Association 2020 report, the cruise industry suffered a financial loss of $50 billion. As the cruise industry transitions from response to recovery, strategic decisions about building resilience and resetting for a sustainable future are critical. As a result, developing a sustainable recovery strategy and an adaptive mechanism to adjust as the “new normal” arises is critical. This study utilized crowdsourced data from a cruise-sector representative sample and suggests that cruise firms can assess the performance of their recovery approach and prepare themselves with effective risk management plans by using data-driven monitoring and analysis to change business operations in favor of brand optimization.

Since March 2020, most countries around the globe have taken a variety of restrictive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This has significantly affected the travel sector, including rail travel. The new digitalized era imposes the adoption of technology-led platforms to decode users’ online behaviors and achieve brand awareness. The purpose of this study is to track the online attitude and interaction of rail customers prior to and during the pandemic. The results clearly show that the railway ecosystem demands brand recovery. The research suggests that if the railway industry wants to stay competitive post-pandemic, it is imperative to allocate resources to tracing user engagement metrics. This will lead to the development of an effective brand position strategy, based on crowdsourcing marketing, as a risk mitigation tool for brand recovery and performance optimization.

Improvement of organizations’ websites depends on various factors, especially those referring to visitors’ satisfaction. When it comes to centralized payment network firms’ (CPNs) operation, there is no room for Web page usability issues. CPNs need to address whether their digital marketing performance, expressed by the growing number of website traffic, is affected by the issues that accrue to their Web pages. In this context, authors retrieved and analyzed website technical analytic and behavioral data for 60 consecutive days. The analysis that took place concerns the statistical analysis of data and capitalization of factors’ correlations and coefficients into the next stages. Deployment of diagnostic models, through fuzzy cognitive mapping and hybrid modeling via agent-based and dynamic models set up the paper’s next phases. Research’s results highlight the need for CPNs’ digital marketers to further develop and optimize their web pages for improved customer usability, since an increasing number of Web page issues could potentially pose serious effects on their digital marketing performance.

The vast majority of startups bankrupt in the first months of operation. So, as a result, the main target is to build a brand name and brand awareness as fast as possible. This study attempts to respond to this question by extracting and analyzing big data and web analytics from five startups to extract useful insights into the user’s activity inside the startup’s websites. The extracted data have been analyzed statistically, and a fuzzy cognitive map has been developed to create useful optimization scenarios for decision-makers and marketers. The findings suggest investing in social media ads much more than other types of advertisements. Additionally, developers need to develop their websites in a user-friendly way to extend the average time that a visitor spends on a startup’s website.

In a highly competitive environment, airline companies need to differentiate their marketing strategy and delivery of their services in order to acquire a bigger market share. The current study attempts to provide a user engagement optimization scenario based on big data gathered from four world-leading airlines. Those data were analyzed statistically and used for the creation of a Fuzzy Cognitive Map. The results were backed up by an eye-tracking study based on the mobile apps of those airline companies. To achieve competitive differentiation, the research suggests that airlines build mobile applications with clear guidance on how to purchase a ticket, as well as invest in social media marketing.

How eye tracking and neuromarketing could provide an added value to the digital marketing strategy in the logistics sector? The research attempts to respond to this question by gathering big data from 3 of the biggest 3pl companies in the world. The extracted data were analyzed statistically and incorporated into the creation of an optimization scenario with the assistance of a fuzzy cognitive map. Then, an eye-tracking study was implemented on 16 adults to compare the big data results with motorized consumer decisions based on a given scenario. The finding of the study suggests that logistics websites need to develop their websites with fewer pages in order to be efficient and in order to avoid consumers’ frustration and anger. Finally, further research in different dedicated regions could provide optimization for regional logistics companies.

How social media big data can be beneficial for hospitality companies to promote customer satisfaction indirectly? This chapter attempts to respond to this question by extracting and analyzing big data and web analytics from eight world-leading hospitality social media pages. The extracted data have been analyzed statistically, and an FCM has been adopted to create useful optimization scenarios for social media administrators. The findings suggest investing in interactivity by uploading posts regularly will be more beneficial for customer satisfaction than having numerous fans on social media that remain inactive.

In recent years, there has been an increase in reporting on research in the field of eco-innovation, “green” innovation, or innovation in the field of sustainable development in digital marketing. To meet the challenge of sustainable development, companies need to balance economic, social and environmental performance.

The rapid changes that are taking place in the IT sector bring a series of changes that affect commercial companies. Businesses are required to meet the demands of the modern environment which is constantly changing and in which the competition is constantly escalating. E-commerce is a modern method of promoting products and services with rapid development in the field of internet. E-commerce has been adopted not only by large companies but also many individuals—family businesses have integrated it into the wider context of their activities. The speed and ease with which buying and selling can take place rank e-commerce high in the preferences and activities of internet users (Horch et al., An e-shop analysis with a focus on product data extraction. Springer, 2017; Koumparoulis DN, Int J Econ Manag Soc Sci 2:31–36, 2013).

Nowadays, the increased access of users to social media and smartphones, as well as the interconnection of users through social networks, has significantly increased the circulation of ideas, news, and information. The slightest movement on the Internet (posting photos, searching the Internet, and posting comments) produces the so-called digital tracks from which companies can draw important information about users’ consumer behaviors.Businesses use social media to build their image, develop public relations, and positively influence the discussions around their brands, helping to increase their recognition and competitive advantage. The competitive advantage of companies depends on their ability to innovate by utilizing the capabilities of new technological means.

Drones are increasingly being used for a variety of purposes, such as monitoring forests and locating threatened individuals or objects in a large area. For countries where there is a huge border airport that becomes difficult to track, where even manned aircraft tracking ends up being very costly either in terms of fuel or aircraft maintenance, then the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as a solution is advisable. So manned aircraft are used more in cases where it becomes necessary.However, there is still a very big problem, as the autonomy of the batteries used by these RPAS devices is very short. Hence, they must land at some point to replace the batteries and continue their mission. There are many studies being done to reduce the energy consumption of the aircraft’s built-in system, as well as to change their design, but the focus of this work is to use the findings from performed flights with electric aircraft using solar cells.This research work studies the problem with the use of modeling and simulation, aiming to bring an improvement in the process.

The global drone market is growing every year. The number of applications is increasing from search, rescue, security, and surveillance to science, research, and unmanned cargo systems. A limiting factor for drone operation is that for energy storage, a battery is usually used and consequently the duration of the flight is affected. However, there is still a very big problem, as the autonomy of the batteries used is very short. There are many studies being done to increase the system’s energy and most particularly to determine when it is most appropriate, in terms of system mass, to use a battery or hybrid system (lithium battery and fuel cell battery) to power the drone.This research work studies the problem, aiming to bring an improvement in the process with the use of modeling and simulation.

As renewable energy production and grid-connected inverter ports have almost no damping and inertia, the renewable energy generation system has low inertia and weak damping characteristics (Yingjie et al., IEEE Trans Power Syst, 2018). In terms of absorbed power or output power of the BESS, the battery power station can stabilize the unbalanced power in the power system and improve the ability to support the constant frequency of the system to produce energy from renewable sources, with a friendly to solar panels adjacent (Serban and Marinescu, IEEE Trans Power Electron 29(9):5010–5020, 2014).However, there is still a very big problem, as the autonomy of the batteries used is very short. Following the above consideration, a support control strategy for BESS with the third-order model of modern generators is proposed. Through the design of the adjustment factor, the dynamic process of the battery storage station in question is analyzed, which participates in the frequency response of the power grid and affects the frequency stability of the power generation system from renewable sources, at the depth of the BESS frequency modulation. This research work studies the problem, aiming to bring an improvement in the process with the use of modeling and simulation.

The problem of long-haul flight has not yet been adequately solved with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Conventional engines are usually at a disadvantage due to limited capacity for non-renewable fuels, but in theory, a renewable energy source would allow self-sustaining flight. However, most official research to date focuses on the development of aircraft with huge wings, while overlooking tiny UAVs due to difficulties in effective degradation. Meticulous energy-saving techniques make continuous flight a reality. Minimizing aircraft mass reduces engine load, saving energy. Further efficiency is based on a built-in system that, with minimal load, can dynamically coordinate aircraft behavior for strategic energy savings, such as gliding, disabling non-critical electronics and altitude adjustment. The goal of the UAV is to maintain a permanent station in the air without being dependent on human intervention. Many applications will benefit from a low-cost, standalone, permanently airborne platform: Monitoring of weather conditions Emergency communications and High-altitude scientific research Its smaller size, lower cost, and lower maintenance requirements will allow the rapid development of drone-specific applications in a sky-based network. The present research work studies the problem, aiming to bring an improvement in the process with the use of modeling and simulation.

The time that an unmanned aerial vehicle can fly is called endurance. Endurance for an unmanned aerial vehicle can be described as the total time required to complete the flight. For a fixed-wing or quadrotor electric aircraft (four propellers), this is directly related to the capacity of the battery and the amount of current generated by the engine to keep the system in the air.The present research work studies the problem, aiming to bring an improvement in the process with the use of modeling and simulation.

The main issue examined in this paper, is the implementation of technological tools and equipment in educational procedures, under special circumstances or emergency conditions such as a pandemic period. It analyzes the way in which the members of the educational community could adopt and use contemporary techniques and methods introduced by the new era in education. Additionally, the means used and their effectiveness in teaching and learning processes are examined in combination with existing obstacles, as far as the availability of equipment is concerned. A basic prerequisite for an adjustment in such demanding conditions is the cooperation between the educational parties (teachers and learners) which proved to be invaluable. How important is it for the community to be prepared in advance to face such challenges? Teachers must be adequately trained and educated on the needs of distance education and students must be provided with the right motivations to be part of and deal with this kind of learning successfully. It is considered of high importance that the parties involved in the educational processes must be willing to move on, following the pace of times and try to come across the contemporary challenges that come up because of the extremely difficult condition of a pandemic within an unknown context and, of course, without losing the main structure.

Business ecosystems serve as hubs, where value is co-created by multiple stakeholders, rather than single entities. The motives that drive participants to join an ecosystem need to be explored, for the sustainable development of the network. Furthermore, the connection between these intentions and the roles that each participant takes up is also a key point in the exploration of the value co-creation process. In this study, an overview of the above research areas is presented. Along with the ecosystem stakeholders’ motivations, the basic structure of role sharing is discussed. What is more, the adoption of i* modeling framework is researched and identified as the best modeling framework for the stakeholders’ intentions, goals, and relationships. The more analytical interconnection between roles and motivations is left to be investigated in the future, as is as the adaptation of i* model in an actual ecosystem framework.

The healthcare sector is undoubtedly one of the largest and most complex in the global economy. A combination of social, demographic, regulatory, and economic challenges and trends, such as rising costs, patients’ increasing expectations due to globalization, and technological disruptions, have driven healthcare service systems and institutions to struggle for delivering higher levels of accessibility, affordability, and quality of healthcare. The imperative of transformative change through collaboration-driven solutions came about for healthcare organizations to address the above challenges and gain competitive advantage through value co-creation. In this context, the trend of business ecosystems, which refers to the continuous, interacting collaboration among multiple resource-integrating entities to capture and deliver value, has emerged and is leading to a new era, known as healthcare business ecosystems. The present research aims to examine and develop the main complications in the healthcare sector that drive the adoption of business ecosystems. A thorough review of healthcare ecosystems along with the main ecosystemic models is conducted. By studying all the abovementioned trends, it is evident that viewing the healthcare industry through the business ecosystem lens suggests an innovative solution for competitiveness and value creation, for patients and other stakeholders.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the priority areas of research in the field of computer science. AI uses software to solve problems that have not yet been solved by a person. Whereas humans get tired, experience emotions, often think irrationally, and resort to crime, corruption, and other undesirable behaviors, robots are devoid of these shortcomings. However, for them to replace humans in critical areas, robots must have human-like intelligence.This chapter provides a brief history of the work in the field of AI, characterizes the directions of AI, overviews the current state of research and development of AI systems, lists the main search and development (R&D) trends in the field of AI, and shows the possibilities of using AI systems in the field of public administration. Finally, the directions for modern AI technologies and the timeline of the development of social relations for artificial intelligence are revealed.

This study considers the effects of digital transformation projects together with associated risks. Based on the reports of the World Bank and OECD, and academic papers of Russian and foreign scientists, the author highlighted a number of positive and negative consequences of digitalization at the state- and corporate-levels, which have both material and intangible effects and affect the economy and social sphere. Despite the number of existing articles devoted to the digital economy, academics usually sidestep assessments of generated impacts and do not contain methodological proposals or a criterion platform. The author proposes the following approaches for the evaluation of impacts inspired by digital transformation. At the state level – through the growth of gross domestic product, calculated based on an increase in gross value added and tax receipts. At the corporate level – through the calculation of economic value added. The author also evolves intangible effects, including the well-being of the population and employees and proposes to apply “willingness to pay” methodology. To systematize and centralize the impacts of digital transformation at the state level, a special digital index, similar to the OECD digital government concept, could be developed. This will allow the Russian Government to assess the current level of digital maturity, identify weaknesses and gaps, as well as areas for action. Further research in this area can be aimed at clarifying individual indicators of digital transformation and the effectiveness of their adaptation to the specifics of particular sectors of the economy.

Τhis study aims to set the basis for a context-sensitive methodology on how to negotiate a common entrepreneurial skills language between all stakeholders involved in agrifood ecosystems in Europe and to help the sharing of information and good entrepreneurial practices. A systematic analysis was first conducted on three skills frameworks (ESCO, O*Net, and SCT) to identify entrepreneurship-related concepts among their lists of competencies, skills, abilities, and knowledge. The analysis resulted in the identification of 15 entrepreneurship-related concepts. Then a review was conducted on 21 empirical research papers and project reports in the agrifood sector. The purpose was to identify entrepreneurship-related concepts and map them to the SCT framework. This provided us with insights regarding the relative emphasis that is placed in the agrifood literature on different entrepreneurship competencies/skills, abilities, and knowledge. The analysis revealed that there is a heavy emphasis on topics related to the management of resources, starting up and carrying out projects, and financial planning and much less on other entrepreneurial-related concepts such as leadership, critical mindset, determination, and new learning. On this basis, we propose that a context-sensitive entrepreneurship skills framework that responds to the needs of an agrifood ecosystem has to move away from top–down generic taxonomies and “global” skills descriptions to place-based, bottom–up, and evidence-based understandings of the multiplicity of perspectives, life experiences, and local wisdom on what kind of skill combinations and skills’ mastery are needed to set up and successfully run a business in a specific agrifood ecosystem.

Green innovation has greatly emerged in the last decade in Greece, while current issues such as climate change and geopolitical turmoil bring problems and configurations in the supply chain, with the effects reaching the final recipient of each product. It is not uncommon for these issues to be of global concern. At the same time, the legal framework undoubtedly plays a decisive role in the smooth running of various functions of a system, such as a country. There is, therefore, room for research on how Greece’s legal framework manages the growing interest in green innovation and responds to the global or local challenges that arise. A competent tool that can examine and qualitatively evaluate the legal framework in terms of the applicability of green innovation in the supply chain is the SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). A specific methodology was adopted and the groundwork was laid to implement the analysis on the subject. Finally, using this tool, several conclusions were drawn regarding the legal framework of Greece, mainly in terms of its ability to respond and adapt, through the application of green innovation, to potential problems and requirements in the supply chain.

Innovation and knowledge are key factors in the development and sustainability of firms. The same context applies to the supply chain sector, where the more innovative the firm is, the more efficient it becomes. Therefore, analyzing the various subfactors of the knowledge basis of supply chain firms could provide valuable information for the sector’s growth. This research is focused on Greek supply chain firms, which are divided into clusters based on their knowledge-sharing level. After selecting the business sample required for the research, by distributing questionnaires, the desired data from the Greek supply chain sector were collected. This data set underwent extensive cluster and factor analysis, with the strongest clusters and factors clearly emerging. Through this process, it becomes obvious that supply chain firms closer to the concept of knowledge-based entrepreneurship and innovation tend to more beneficially utilize their networks and resources due to achieving better results in opportunity recognition and exploitation factors than other firms.

Technological advances raise the manufacturing capabilities of various firms and thus improve their sustainability. When it comes to supply chain firms, the same treaty applies. Apart from technological factors, various knowledge-based skills and capabilities have arisen lately, driving the force of innovation and sustainability in supply chain firms. This chapter aims to classify supply chain firms in knowledge-based skills and dynamic capability clusters and derive results based on their characteristics. To do so, we gathered data from Greek supply chain firms that responded to our questionnaires regarding businesses’ key knowledge-based capabilities. Factor and regression analyses were the main tools for extracting the desired outcomes. Through this research, we found that four main clusters of Greek supply chain firms can be discerned based on their innovation level, with the first three clusters scoring the highest levels of knowledge skills and innovative performance.

In recent times, innovative firms in the supply chain sector have faced various obstacles in their course to sustainability. Through this context, many of these companies have planned efficient strategies to overcome various obstacles. These obstacles mainly refer to the operational level of firms and are analyzed in this chapter. The focus of this chapter has been the elaboration of the most common operational obstacles in the supply chain sector, as well as the dynamic capabilities of the firms, in order to propose opportunities and strategies to these firms for exploitation. To do this, the factor analysis was utilized. Through this research, it has been found that there are two main obstacles for supply chain firms, technological and economical problems, with the first barrier affecting more companies with highly skilled staff, while the second barrier affecting more companies that are looking for alternative ways to cope with their daily problems.

The energy sector consists of big enterprises and organizations that transfer and produce electricity. In this sector, various small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have emerged that are occupied with providing innovative services related to electricity supply. These SMEs could benefit from reengineering their core activities to more marketing-related strategies and increase their websites’ visibility. The authors were orientated toward that direction and gathered 3-month data from innovative SMEs in energy sector regarding website visits’ metrics. At a later stage, regression analysis and fuzzy cognitive mapping modeling were performed by capitalizing on the correlation coefficients. Our research highlights the advantages of adjusting the marketing activities of SMEs’ websites in energy sector so as to attract more new visitors and engage them more, thus emphasizing the importance of reengineering to marketing procedures.

SMEs’ sector has proven to be a key factor in world’s economic performance, since it represents the majority of modern businesses. SMEs in all market sectors are keen to apply efficient and sustainable strategies for improving the marketing outcomes of their organizations. A process of reengineering SMEs’ strategy to marketing could help these businesses to reorganize important aspects of their core procedures and enhance their performance. The authors focused on the reengineering process of marketing activities for improving SMEs’ digital marketing efficiency in supply chain sector. Collection of the appropriate data was performed for 3 months, regarding SMEs’ website technical characteristics and digital marketing efficiency variables. This chapter’s research consists of correlation and linear regression analysis, followed by simulation analysis based on Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping models, with inputs of the previous statistical methods. Study outputs show the benefits for SMEs in supply chain sectors from adopting marketing strategies for enhanced customer attraction and the need for more reengineering toward marketing processes.

This chapter aims to highlight the importance of combining risk and business continuity standardized management systems in the supply chain. For this purpose, a case study is presented of a Greek company active in logistics and dealing with the sale and distribution of medical devices. The company has been certified according to ISO 22301 standard for business continuity and at the same time implements the ISO 31000 standard for risk management. Specifically, this chapter presents how the combined implementation of the standards mentioned above helped the company successfully handle the two most significant crises in the modern history of Greek companies (i.e., the imposition of capital controls and the COVID-19 pandemic). The findings of this chapter show that although these two crises could not have been predicted in time, the existing business continuity plan—previously developed as a result of business impact analysis and risk assessment—helped the company survive and come out more robust in the face of competition.

Environmental awareness and growing worries about climate change, natural environment deterioration, and natural resource depletion have resulted in worldwide trends and push for a greener, more sustainable environment. Green supply chain management (GSCM) refers to the incorporation of environmental considerations and concerns into supply chain management (SCM). The construction sector is one of the most harmful to the environment, since it is responsible for massive quantities of natural resource depletion, CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and solid waste around the world. The sector’s complexity and size, together with a diverse set of participants and stakeholders and its considerable representation in the Greek economy, make it one of the country’s most important economic sectors. This paper aims to investigate the major GSCM practices used by large Greek construction companies, as well as the fundamental factors that enable them, the major barriers that they face, and the metrics that quantify their influence on performance. The findings are derived from a questionnaire-based survey addressed to key GSCM-related staff of eligible Greek construction companies.

The Internet allows for more consumer and service provider interaction as well as more access to product and service information. Therefore, online customers now have more power of influence and negotiation than those in physical stores. The Internet shifted the power balance in favor of customers by allowing them to compare items and locate alternatives without being pressured by salespeople. On the other hand, various issues have emerged with respect to supply chain performance and customer satisfaction. The goal of this study is to assess the logistical performance of online supermarkets from the perspective of their customers. It aims to improve our knowledge of customers’ expectations for the relevant service and how they view the final delivery. The Kano model is used to assess customers’ perceptions regarding the presence and absence of attributes related to supply chain service quality in the case of Greek supermarkets.

Ports are still conducting a big part of the port administration release cargo process paper-based, which increases the lead time and decreases the customer service experience. Authors research prior work in the container port industry, analysing the current business process through VSM related to import procedures at containers port terminal and proposing an optimized VSM model.

This work is based on a survey of 50 completed questionnaires collected from both business owners and their managers, in Thessaly (Greece). The business units of the research are food and belong to the primary and secondary sectors (livestock units and livestock cooperatives).Three main questions were investigated in this work that focus on: (a) the potential relationship of warehouse with supply chain performance, (b) the potential relationship of inventory with supply chain performance, and (c) the potential combined relationship of warehouse and inventory with supply chain performance. According to the results, there is a relationship between factors considered by inventory with corresponding factors of supply chain performance, as well as the relationship between factors considered by warehouse and inventory (combined) with corresponding factors of supply chain performance is also confirmed.

The aim of this chapter is to investigate the impact of potential Systemic Bank Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) in Greece on the competitiveness of the country’s banking system. The subject is highly topical nowadays given the various reports circulating in financial news sources regarding upcoming mergers between systemic banks in Greece. The period under investigation includes the decade 2008–2018, which covers the pre-crisis period and spans the crisis period in Greece, which started as a sovereign debt crisis, which affected also the banking sector. In our analysis, we apply the Lerner index to estimate the impact of each potential merger on the concentration of the Greek banking sector, and then we classify the M&As according to the Herfindahl-Hirschman and the Bank Z indices. We find that concentration has no significant impact on stability, while competition relates marginally significantly and positively to stability. Furthermore, according to the GMM estimators, there is no evidence of a significant correlation between the two indices. Finally, we apply a third model, in which a square term represents competition, to test the presence of non-linearity. The findings of our study contribute to the theory of effective structure demonstrating that an increase in concentration, because of M&As, does not affect market power and bank stability, whereas by focusing on effective management, operational costs and non-performing loans are very likely to increase ban stability.

Tax evasion is a major and structural problem in the Greek economy, with serious consequences for economic development. As the construction sector in Greece is of particular importance on the country’s employment and GDP, the present study studies tax evasion in Greece focusing on a survey conducted among 154 accountants from 53 technical companies. The study firstly analyzes the concept of tax evasion and provides a thorough literature. Then the results obtained are critically assessed again the surveyed literature is classified in three categories, namely Tax Evasion Practices, Opportunities for Tax evasion on technical companies’ value chain and Effectiveness of potential measures against tax evasion. The main findings suggest that tax evasion is mostly carried out by companies registered in the country and that tax offenders use the method of physical registering in a country with a high VAT rate and carrying out technical activities in countries with low rates. Opportunities for tax evasion seem to exist along technical companies’ value chain, mostly related to transportation services, subcontracting and suppliers’ overbilling. Tax evasion by technical companies limits economic growth. The stabilization of the tax legal framework, the improvement of the tax control mechanism, the reduction of tax rates, contributions, fees, etc., as well as the tightening of fines and penalties, are considered necessary for limiting tax evasion. Suggestions for further study are assessed.

The objective of this chapter is to study the tax burden on business activity in Greece as well as its consequences before and during the economic crisis. The periods 2005–08 and 2009–12 were compared with an empirical survey of 120 professionals from the financial-accounting sector covering all the industries operating in the Epirus region. The analysis yielded useful conclusions and policy recommendations to address the crisis.

The economic crisis that has hit Greece in recent years has been a particularly decisive factor in the country’s economic and social life over the past decade. During the economic crisis, the country’s most important sector, tourism, despite the positive effects, came under strong pressure, as the increase in taxation and the general negative climate prevailing in the country significantly affected it. This chapter focuses on the rapidly developing tourism in the Halkidiki area, analyzes 165 questionnaires by investigating the financing possibilities of SMEs in tourism and the impact of the recent economic crisis in Greece on them, and explores the impact of sample socioeconomic characteristics on the results obtained. The findings of the survey revealed that for half of the companies in the sample, bank lending is a reality, while the main sector in which money is directed is the company’s facilities and the renewal and maintenance of its technological equipment. It is worth noting that for the majority of respondents, the company’s financing is used in the right way. However, especially in the case of Halkidiki, it seems that tourism businesses showed a slight decrease in their turnover, as the shift to other markets, such as the Balkan countries, gave a new impetus to tourism in the region.

The current chapter presents the courier sector in Greece in the financial perspective. The data used are extracted from the published financial statements for the period 2016–2020. Based on the results obtained, the specific industry is viable as well as profitable. On the contrary, companies with the public culture face difficulties.

This chapter discusses the role and possibilities of forming a digital economy in the world economy. The main problem of the global digital development is in its digital asymmetry, which is connected with the absence of companies – the leaders of global world markets in many countries. In this situation, the implementation of most projects for the transition to digitalization of the economy will be based on loan technologies and components, creating both the threat that countries will not be able to take any significant share of new global markets and the real threat of weakening information security and increasing cyberattacks.The features of the development of the digital economy and its relationship with industrial clusters are also considered. The definition of the digital economy is presented, the main goals and indicators for evaluating the development program of the digital economy are formulated, as well as the characteristics, the implementation areas, the main development trends and the characteristics of the modern digital economy are presented. It is shown that the category of “cluster” is firmly entrenched in modern economics. Moreover, there is a strong tendency for the subsequent development of relevant legislation.The features of innovative and innovatively active industrial clusters are considered, the impact of digital technologies on the economy is discussed. The ambiguity in the interpretation of the concept of “digital economy” is noted, which leads to inconsistency of assessments and decisions made on their basis. The conclusion is made about the need to develop and implement a system of indicators to assess the use of digital technologies in the economy and their impact on “non-digital” processes, the economy and society, the structure of this system is justified.The world is constantly changing, and in recent years, it has become increasingly common to hear about the growing role of advanced technologies and innovations in the development of the economy. The latest technology allows you to increase the efficiency of production and business processes. Traditional approaches and methods of work change as new technologies penetrate into all new industries and spheres of human activity.

Modern Russian economic transformations are undergoing complex transformational changes, the purpose of which is to build a competitive national economy and identify positive and negative trends in the economic and social effectiveness of transforming measures in society, requiring the definition of priority targets for the economic development of the state. Assessment of the socioeconomic development of Russian regions is the most urgent task of the regional economy. The concept of socioeconomic development implies the increasing dynamics of the economic and social sphere of the Russian subject, which can be measured using various qualitative and quantitative, absolute and relative criteria. The socioeconomic development of Russian subjects is influenced by a large number of different factors. As a result, in order to increase the effectiveness of management decisions and establish growth points and available reserves, a comprehensive assessment of the level of socioeconomic development of Russian regions is necessary. The chapter gives an assessment of the current state of the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Dagestan based on state statistics and calculations of the Ministry of Economy and Territorial Development of the Republic of Dagestan. It is emphasized that in modern economic conditions, the role of regional and local production complexes in the socioeconomic development of the country is increasing dramatically. Priority projects and ways to increase the economic potential of the republic are discussed.

The chapter highlights the problems of the transition of domestic enterprises to the digital environment. It is determined that the main factors of the problems are high risks and the lack of analog solutions, insufficient technical equipment, and low qualifications of employees. To improve skills, it is necessary to create an effective incentive system. The insufficient effectiveness of the existing incentive systems for modern workers is considered one of the urgent problems of enterprises in the context of digital transformation. As a way out of this situation, it is proposed to rely on compliance with the principles of effective incentives and the introduction of flexible forms of incentives. In particular, the expediency of using grading is justified.

This chapter deals with methodological approaches to the analysis of regional development. The subject of the study is the socio-economic processes that determine the development of the region. Since in recent years, there has been an increasing unevenness in the development of Russian regions; this aims at the inevitable search for unity of regional and Russian economic policy aimed at smoothing spatial inequalities. Analysis is an important link in the management and determination of the foundations of a regional economic policy based on the current state of the economy and focused on achieving economic advantages by the region, taking into account the exceptional diversity of natural, geopolitical, socio-economic, national-cultural, and other conditions that ensure the effective development of the region. The author reveals the concept of the methodological base for analyzing the development of the regional economy, its goals and objectives, methodological approaches to system analysis and also defines the foundations of the political analysis of the regional economy, since economic policy is reflected in the response of business, stimulating entrepreneurial initiatives. Stating that the regional economy is a rather complex object of study both in terms of analysis and forecasting of its development, the author considers the considered methods of analysis to be far from exhaustive. It is necessary to take into account a large number of factors influencing regional development. At the same time, the main methodological approaches to the analysis of the state of the region’s economy, presented in the chapter, allow using them in assessing the socio-economic processes taking place in the region, assessing the consequences of political decisions on entrepreneurial activity, the formation of the investment climate, and more. The author concludes that the use of various methods of analysis and their improvement contributes to the formation of a positive economic policy that stimulates the economic growth of the regional economy.

The current stage of development of society is characterized by the rapid development of the global information space, the accelerated pace of globalization, which leads to a rapid change in working conditions, public attitudes, and beliefs. The changes taking place in the world during the transition to a postindustrial society are largely associated with the emergence and development of information technologies. In turn, the development of digital technologies is becoming the driving force behind the ongoing changes. The high rates of scientific and technological progress lead to the rapid obsolescence of the knowledge of specialists, which necessitates the continuation of the educational process throughout the entire active period of life.

In the modern education system, new approaches to education management are being developed based on the structural and functional analysis of national databases of educational analytics. The entire educational system continuously creates and accumulates a huge array of data, and as a result, the issue of systematic work with data from a wide range of subjects of education today can be called one of the most significant. Big data technologies (big data) can become a powerful tool for transforming learning, rethinking approaches, and adapting experiences to improve the efficiency of the educational system. Relevant is not only the task of describing the technology of operating big data, aimed at the development of educational systems through the identification of patterns formed in the education system but also solving the problem of heterogeneity and unstructured data. To combine data and process it effectively, not only work is required to bring it into a workable form but also certain analytical tools (systems).

In modern Russia, there are a number of complex problems in the field of information security that require urgent and radical solutions. To develop an effective system of national information security, it is necessary to carefully study the experience of the world’s leading countries that carry out effective information protection for electronic business. In the modern world, the basic principles and tools for the formation of effective protection of the national information space have already been developed.

In today’s world, which has been changed by the pandemic situations, scientists and scholars are searching for new outcomes. Despite the cultural and traditional diversity, the global society has found itself in the same circumstances – restrictions, prohibitions, lock-downs, QR-code passes, the fear of the unknown, and the uncertainties of tomorrow. Currently, there have been increasing discussions about artificial intellect (AI) and the impact that it has on various spheres of human activity, mainly the educational sphere. These issues have previously been overviewed by numerous professional societies worldwide; however, it is in the current conditions of an approaching threat from the coronavirus (and its variants) that the positive and negative impacts of AI on the spheres of human activity and the ethical side of the topic have become increasingly important. This article summarizes the main challenges and key factors in overcoming the pandemic conditions and the principle measures taken in an attempt to adapt to modern learning circumstances.

Modeling the activities of network communities based on the analysis of linguistic, social, and structural components is one of the most effective methods for obtaining information. To study network communities, methods of analysis associated with the use of sociology, statistics, and graph theory are used. The main method on the topic of this study is the structural analysis of the network community using the social graph model and its visualization in the Gephi software package. This chapter analyzes the essence of online communities, their principles, and their goals of creation. The main existing methods for studying network communities are considered. A typology of network communities and their users is presented. This chapter analyzes and builds a network community model using a social graph and subsequent visualization using the Gephi package.

The purpose of this chapter is to review the regulatory challenges of the aviation business environment in Southeastern Europe and to assess their impact on the market. The topic touches on a significant business and management issue as regulatory requirements, deregulation processes, and employment practices jointly affect organizational performance in the market. A review of theory assesses which models provide an effective theoretical framework for addressing the research problem. The methodology then employs primary qualitative research to collect data from interviews with senior officials in the industry, utilizing participant insight, and expertise to extend knowledge on the topic. The triangulation of data and theory enables thematic analysis of the findings and suggests practical recommendations for organizations facing the triple issues of regulation, deregulation, and changing employment practices in the aviation industry. The research concludes that: taking a systems approach enhances responsiveness to the demands of dynamic markets; facilitating deeper stakeholder engagement supports value creation and trading; and adopting a relationship marketing orientation boosts performance through relational exchanges in market networks.

This research attempt is an empirical attempt at the previously proposed research model discussed in the paper entitled “Trust in e-government and successful information management in the public sector during a pandemic: proposing an extended framework.” Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to investigate and identify whether certain factors from DeLone and McLean’s Information System (IS) model (2003) (such as the quality of the information, the quality of the services, the quality of the system, the actual use made of e-government (online state services), the user satisfaction with e-government, and the trust in e-government) are related to the factor trust in e-government. Also, this research aims to test the IS model in the Greek public sector during the pandemic.This research was conducted with the help of a structured questionnaire on a sample of Greek citizens who use e-government. According to the results of the research, the main conclusion of the study is that there is a strong and positive acceptance of e-government on the part of citizens as a means of a new digital state that provides quality information, quality services, and user satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic invaded the lives of people all over the world in early 2020 and created a new way of life for everyone. In order for the Greek government to be able to cope with the difficult situation, it suddenly found itself in, and, for development to continue in all sectors, it was deemed imperative that the government cooperate with the various state mechanisms and take the appropriate measures to solve the existing technical problems that arose due to the imposition of lockdowns and social distancing measures. The main – and most significant – of all the measures that needed to be taken in this respect was the creation of a digital state and the possibility of internet access for all the citizens of the country, so that everyone could continue to work, communicate, be educated, and be facilitated by the various state services with as little exposure to the deadly virus as possible.The purpose of this chapter is to propose an extension of the well-known DeLone and McLean Information System success model by incorporating the factor of trust in e-government, which arguably can contribute by improving the effectiveness of government.