A monetary analysis of the Drachma/ECU exchange rate determination, 1980–1991

The validity of the monetary approach to the Drachma/ECU exchange rate determination is investigated through cointegration, impulse response and variance decomposition analysis. The empirical results reported confirm recent findings that the monetary approach may be interpreted as a long-run equilibrium condition with highly complex short-run dynamics. First version received: November 1997/Final version received: May 2000     

Productivity,credit, risk,and the demand for weather index insurance in smallholder agriculture in Ethiopia

The article explores the relationship between fertilizer use and the demand for weather index insurance (WII) among smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. We examine whether fertilizer use is profitable under current smallholder production conditions, whether risk‐related factors affect fertilizer use, and we estimate the returns to inputs in the agricultural production function in the absence of insurance. We then study how these primitives of agricultural production functions relate to insurance demand. The study compares a survey‐based estimate of willingness to pay with actual uptake for the weather insurance, finding the stated and actual demand to be almost completely uncorrelated. While those with high marginal returns to inputs say they would purchase insurance, only those with low marginal returns actually do, consistent with the stated purpose of the product as input insurance. Insurance demand proves to be highly responsive to the existence and amount of randomly allocated insurance vouchers.     

The criticality of risk factors in customer relationship management projects

Customer relationship management (CRM) remains an area of considerable interest in contemporary project management literature, due to its association with high failure rates. This research examined the criticality of four risk factors. Quantitative data analyzed using PASW17 were collected from a sample of 250 CRM project practitioners. Although we found strong evidence to support the focus on these risk factors, which include “user training,” “top management support,” “business strategy and technology alignment,” and “effective project feedback,” the authors found that, although some risk factors may be identified as “critical,” their criticality is dependent on the context of the project.     

Shortage marketing: A comprehensive framework

Resource shortages have recently attracted substantial attention by marketing writers. However, articles heretofore published have utilized a piece-meal approach, and no comprehensive framework exists to guide marketing strategy in scarcity periods. This paper offers such a framework, which incorporates both causal and contextual factors that must be considered in shortage strategy development.     

Greek Marketing Strategies in the European Tourism Market

Between 1960 and 1985 international tourism to Greece enjoyed one of the fastest rates of growth in the world, averaging 12.2 per cent annually. Numerous inter-related explanations were offered for this phenomenon, including endowed factors such as warm climate and antiquities; low costs; the supportive infrastructure and the strength and efficiency of the supply of tourist services and products. One aspect, however, which has not attracted much attention is the quality of Greek marketing. The Greek tourism marketing strategies are examined using a sample of Greek national tourist offices located in major European cities. Data for the study were gathered from personal interviews with the directors of such tourist offices. Although the marketing strategies undertaken by the national tourist offices of Greece abroad have been generally successful, the long-term viability of such strategies can only be sustained by a formalised strategic marketing planning process which caters for a host of interacting internal and external variables.     

The empirical application of a small open economy model: Greece 1954–81

A small macroeconometric model designed to analyse the major macroeconomic aggregates in the open economy of Greece is presented. The specification of the model is based on the assumptions of the ‘Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments and Exchange Rate determination’. Also, it contains an Expectations Augmented Phillips Curve and consists of seven equations. The empirical findings suggest that for the period 1954–81, the Greek economy did not behave consisently with the particular theoretical or other persuasion model. However, the empirical model tracks reasonbly well the historical values of the endogenous variables and it captures the cyclical behaviour of the economy. The evidence suggests that monetary policy had no significant influence on output growth with its role being confined on determining the balance of payments. On the contrary, fiscal policy played a dominant role in output determination and prices variation.     

Measuring advertising intensity and intangible capital in the Greek food industry

The objective of the present paper is to examine market conduct and its determinants in the Greek food industry and to measure how and to what degree the industry and the firm's structural characteristics affect advertising intensity. An advertising intensity model giving emphasis to intangible capital is formulated. Data from ICAP have been used on a four-digit classification for the food industry during the 1990–1997 period. The empirical results indicate that intangible capital positively affects the advertising intensity of the firm and plays an important role in strategies that affect total cost, demand and structure of the market.