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Recognizing the fundamental role of quality as a means to differentiate service organizations, the purpose of this paper is to propose a strategic decision making framework for service organizations, which prioritizes performance improvement strategies that are rooted to customer requirements, organizational goals and constrained by organizational resources.

The proposed framework is realized through the implementation of two stages and four distinct phases mirroring the combination of enhanced quality function deployment (first stage), and zero-one goal programming (second stage). It proposes the utilization of a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, and the collection of data from multiple sources including customers, middle, and top management.

The application and validation of the proposed framework utilizes information from both customers and employees in the bank services sector. Overall, results from the specific study revealed that a combination of “reengineering” and “expansion” strategies was more appropriate corresponding to customer priorities, organizational goals and effective utilization of available resources.

The paper presents a novel two stage strategic framework for service organizations. It utilizes a balanced mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods in an effort to capture and delineate elusive customer requirements and design characteristics of services, allowing the assessment of different combinations of quality improvement strategies in response to management objectives.

The purpose of this paper is to promote the integration of quality function deployment (QFD) with quantitative methods in an attempt to enhance its effectiveness and resolve issues like the failure of prioritizing customer requirements and determining proper importance levels.

This paper discusses the combination of QFD with analytic hierarchy process‐analytic network process (AHP‐ANP) and DEAHP‐DEANP methodologies to prioritize selection criteria in a service context. DEAHP is a hybrid method, developed by Ramanathan. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is embedded in the AHP methodology and potentially replaces the eigenvalue method. In this paper DEAHP is used for completing the relationship matrix of house of quality (HOQ). Furthermore, in accordance with the DEAHP method, a methodological framework for completing the roof matrix of HOQ is developed, based on DEA and ANP techniques‐DEANP. The implementation of QFD along with the above mentioned quantitative approaches is studied utilizing data from the Greek banking sector, and a comparative analysis is conducted.

The illustrative implementation offers support to the compatibility of the two alternative approaches demonstrating both applicability and ease of use. Results suggest that the QFD‐DEAHP‐DEANP methodology provides superior information since it offers more robust sensitivity analysis outcomes.

The novelty of this research lies in the innovative idea to use QFD in conjunction with DEAHP and in the development of the DEANP method. The proposed methodology is a valuable tool for identifying strategic opportunities and gaining sustainable advantage since it helps service providers to capture the mix of services that customers are expecting them to offer.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a quality function deployment analytic hierarchy process (QFD‐AHP) framework to improve quality and competitive positioning within the financial services context. The applicability of the model is demonstrated through a case study.

Results of two empirical surveys were utilized to detect the “Voice of the Customer”. The first identified main bank selection criteria and questionnaires and exploratory factor analysis were employed. The second utilized structured interviews for the development of the first house of quality (HOQ), relating customer requirements to key market segments. The AHP was used to determine the intensity of the relationships within the HOQ.

In total, six key selection criteria were designated. Analysis incorporated customer needs and evaluations for the bank's current position, future goals related to specific market segments, and competition allocations. “Pricing” was the most important criterion, followed by “effective services” and “location”.

Data analysis was carried out with data from one relatively large organization. Future research might comprise additional financial institutions and possible comparative analysis regarding criteria and modeling alternatives. In addition, integration of tools such as fuzzy AHP to account for the volatility of bank selection criteria could be of great interest.

Prioritizing selection criteria is a valuable tool to help managers focus future improvement efforts and goals in a sector which faces important challenges due to the global financial crisis. As selection criteria and relative importance change due to turbulent financial situation, models such as the proposed allow adaptation, echoing the evolving voice of the customer in the key attributes and performance improvement priorities.

The paper develops a model that integrates the AHP and the QFD through which banks will identify key customer segments’ needs, as a first step in their effort to improve quality and performance. The authors emphasized the research design to foster face validity.

The purpose of this paper is to promote successful application of quality function deployment (QFD) combined with quantitative techniques in service organizations.

The paper assesses advantages and disadvantages of implementing the QFD method in service organizations. It discusses the integration of quantitative techniques with QFD in order to overcome some of the problems that organizations face in its application. The implementation of QFD along with AHP and ANP is studied within the bank sector. With the intention of completing the first House of Quality and thus prioritizing customers' bank selection criteria, a field survey was carried out with customers of a bank. Also, information from interviews with the bank's managers was utilized.

The real world illustration confirms the compatibility between QFD, AHP and ANP and demonstrates the applicability and ease of use of the proposed model.

A procedure is presented to help practitioners of this improved QFD framework deal with the challenges of quick response to dynamic shifts in customer needs by automating the House of Quality (HOQ). The paper could be useful to academics and practitioners in developing the integrated QFD‐AHP‐ANP method to design high quality services in various services.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an enhanced version of quality function deployment (QFD) that captures customers’ present and future preferences, accurately prioritizes product specifications and eventually translates them into desirable quality products. Under rapidly changing environments, customer requirements and preferences are constantly changing and evolving, rendering essential the realization of the dynamic role of the “Voice of the Customer (VoC)” in the design and development of products.

The proposed methodological framework incorporates a Multivariate Markov Chain (MMC) model to describe the pattern of changes in customer preferences over time, the Fuzzy AHP method to accommodate the uncertainty and subjectivity of the “VoC” and the LP-GW-AHP to discover the most important product specifications in order to structure a robust QFD method. This enhanced QFD framework (MMC-QFD-LP-GW-Fuzzy AHP) takes into consideration the dynamic nature of the “VoC” captures the actual customers’ preferences (WHATs) and interprets them into design decisions (HOWs).

The integration of MMC models into the QFD helps to handle the sequences of customers’ preferences as categorical data sequences and to consider the multiple interdependencies among them.

In this study, a MMC model is introduced for the first time within QFD, in an effort to extend the concept of listening to further anticipating to customer wants. Gaining a deeper understanding of current and future customers’ preferences could help organizations to design products and plan strategies that more effectively and efficiently satisfy them.

The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence regarding the link between accounting education and the industry, with particular emphasis on the links between accounting education and firm performance. In particular, the paper investigates corporate governance education and its relation to firms’ performance, to improve the content of business‐related programs at Frederick University.

Survey analysis, action research and literature review are used in order to apply the findings of corporate governance research on course programmes at the university.

The main recommendation of the research is that new modules have to be introduced for both the accounting and finance and business administration degrees so as to meet the increasing need for corporate governance education. This is reflected in the interviews of managers, the student questionnaires, the faculty interviews and the literature review on the subject. These new modules will serve the increasing needs of the Cyprus business world towards better corporate governance practices. These modules should cover the main theoretical aspects concerning corporate governance and the empirical findings concerning corporate governance education and its relation with performance.

The paper provides new insights as to how corporate governance research could be applied to business‐related degree courses at a university in Cyprus.

This paper presents a decision-making framework for e-banking operations, based on the Quality Function Deployment and the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The main research question is the development of a framework and its potential contributions in supporting decision makers in implementing quality strategies that will encourage the usage of e-banking services (EBS).

The introduced framework comprises four distinct stages which include criteria determination, field surveys and EFA, QFD application including AHP and finally sensitivity analysis investigating the dynamic nature of the environment. AHP determines the intensity of the relationship between e-banking quality criteria and customer banking activities. A novel House of Quality (HoQ) is proposed, based on a market mix founded on key e-banking activities, and sensitivity analysis is used to investigate alternative scenarios. To illustrate the steps of applying this framework, the authors use a convenience sample from the Greek e-banking sector.

Through the illustrated example is supported that the proposed approach can reveal valuable information when contemplating strategies to improve e-banking usage and expand its acceptance. In addition, sensitivity analysis leads to purposeful insights regarding the effects of market segmentation and/or target settings on the ranking of e-banking quality/selection criteria provided by the HoQ. In the specific numerical example, the most critical quality factors were “Security and Reliability”, “Convenience”, “Design”, “Pricing” and “Skills,” although different rankings night well appear in different contexts or geographical regions. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that these results depend on the specific market mix and targets. As mentioned above, the implementation of the framework in different geographical regions or e-service sectors might certainly reveal different critical factors.

Discussed in the paper body.

Discussed in the paper body.

The paper presents a well-defined four stage framework for improving EBS penetration. It utilizes a structured qualitative and quantitative approach and outlines and ranks e-banking quality factors stemming from the market mix and allows assessment of alternative scenarios through sensitivity analysis.

Radon is responsible for approximately 50 per cent of public exposure to environmental radiation. The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively assess indoor radon levels in Cyprus.

In total, 500 passive radon detectors were used to estimate radon levels in the areas of Nicosia (capital), Paphos, Nisou and Famagusta. A total of 240 different public and private buildings were randomly selected in the above districts and two passive radon detectors were placed inside each building. The detectors were collected on average, three months following placement.

The average radon level from all passive detectors was 53.7 and 49.2 Bq/m3 after excluding the seven highest values. The two highest measurements were observed in Paphos, Tsada-Kili elementary school (429 Bq/m3) and Emba, Paphos district (410 Bq/m3), respectively. Differences were also seen in public buildings compared to private buildings (p=0.058). In addition, rural buildings had higher radon levels compared to urban buildings (p=0.001). Predictive multilevel regression models for logarithmic radon levels were employed and differences were seen on point estimates regarding building- and district-level radon measurements. Most of the random variability observed was due to building-level variation.

Residents from different geographic areas in Cyprus are reassured about the safety of indoor radon levels in public and private buildings.

The estimation of indoor radon levels was done by the optical microscopy technique using a specific mathematical formula. Observed radon levels do not raise concern regarding residents’ radon exposure in Cyprus. Paphos district and Nisou area may require further investigation.

Drowsiness is a common cause of severe road accidents. Therefore, numerous drowsiness detection methods were developed and explored in recent years, especially concepts using physiological measurements achieved promising results. Nevertheless, existing systems have some limitations that hinder their use in vehicles. To overcome these limitations, this paper aims to investigate the development of a low-cost, non-invasive drowsiness detection system, using physiological signals obtained from conventional wearable devices.

Two simulator studies, the first study in a low-level driving simulator (N = 10) to check feasibility and efficiency, and the second study in a high-fidelity driving simulator (N = 30) including two age groups, were conducted. An algorithm was developed to extract features from the heart rate signals and a data set was created by labelling these features according to the identified driver state in the simulator study. Using this data set, binary classifiers were trained and tested using various machine learning algorithms.

The trained classifiers reached a classification accuracy of 99.9%, which is similar to the results obtained by the studies which used intrusive electrodes to detect ECG. The results revealed that heart rate patterns are sensitive to the drivers’ age, i.e. models trained with data from one age group are not efficient in detecting drowsiness for another age group, suggesting to develop universal driver models with data from different age groups combined with individual driver models.

This work investigated the feasibility of driver drowsiness detection by solely using physiological data from wrist-worn wearable devices, such as smartwatches or fitness trackers that are readily available in the consumer market. It was found that such devices are reliable in drowsiness detection.

At a European level, despite the numerous policies developed in relation to the inclusion of Roma, Roma continue to be discriminated. With regard to education, Roma children remain among the lowest academic achievers in all European countries and the same is reported in Greece. This chapter discusses aspects of life for Roma living in Greece, with an emphasis on education: first, it details aspects of Greek Roma’s social and cultural life; second it focuses on Greek Roma’s education (educational situation, policies and supportive programmes for Roma children); third, it presents studies which have started to examine contexts where the Greek Roma have experienced some educational progression against the odds.