Zoekresultaten

In-depth assessment of the situation of the textile and clothing sector in the EU and prospects

The in-depth assessment of the situation of the European textile and clothing sector is composed by six independent reports with a close focus on key aspects useful to understand the dynamics and the development of the textile and clothing industry, drivers of change – most notably the impact of the financial crisis – and identification of policy responses and best practices. This has been done in six specific tasks leading to the six reports: Task 1 Survey on the situation of the EU textile and clothing sector Task 2 Report on research and development Task 3 Report on SME situation Task 4 Report on restructuring Task 5 Report on training and Education Task 6 Report on innovation practices The overall objective of the study in Task 3 is the “assessment of main difficulties faced by T/C SMEs in 5 regions of the EU and prospects to overcome these difficulties”. - to assess the general problems that SMEs are pre-facing because of “all-encompassing” phenomena such as globalization and the financial/economic crisis (2008-2010). This part of the study shall highlight the general context that all SMEs have to cope wit - to identify paradigmatic situations or cases (in terms of regions/clusters and SMEs) that, for their clarity, or special conditions, may highlight new developments and/or unprecedented business conditions for SMEs. This part will provide inputs for designing support initiatives targeting specific problems in order to understand how SMEs: - see the competitive context - overcome constraints - reposition the firm by learning or (dis)investing - are hampered in their change by institutional factors.

The potential of partnerships between restaurants and food forests in The Netherlands

How do we increase biodiversity in the Netherlands? By working together! What can food forests and restaurants mean for each other? This report focuses on the question: “What is the potential of collaborations between food forests and restaurants in the Netherlands?”Interviews revealed that successful partnerships are based on direct supplier relationships, internal motivation and niche products that create a unique selling point.

A global mind, a joy forever

This dissertation increases our insight into the role of the service employee’s intercultural competences in the service to culturally diverse customers. Investigating the effect of the intercultural competences of service employees is of major importance because, as a consequence of globalization, the number of intercultural service encounters has increased dramatically and still does. The delivery of service to a culturally diverse customer-base requires a combination of knowledge, skills and attitude; the intercultural competences (also known as Global Mindset). In this study the hotel sector has been investigated specifically. The hotel sector is an important economic player that continues to grow inspite of economic downturn. The special characteristics of hotel services make the sector also very suitable for the research of face-to-face encounters in an international context. In this dissertation, a holistic approach has been chosen, meaning that in the four empirical studies not only the perspective of the manager, but also that of the employee and the customer was investigated. All three of the above-mentioned are actors in intercultural service according to the argumentation of the ‘service-profit chain’ (Heskett, Jones, et al., 1994). Together, the manager, employee and the customer form the so-called ‘service triangle’ (Bitner, 1990).

Moving a taxi sector to become electric

The increased adoption of electric vehicles worldwide is largely caused by the uptake of private electric cars. In parallel other segments such as busses, city logistics and taxis, are increasingly becoming electrified. Amsterdam is an interesting case, as the municipality and the taxi sector have signed a voluntary agreement to realise a full electric taxi fleet by 2025. This paper investigates the results of a survey that was distributed amongst 3000 taxi drivers to examine perceptions and attitudes on the municipal charging incentives as well as taxi ride characteristics.

Behaviours and attitudes towards sustainable food provision on the part of Dutch restaurateurs

Restaurant tipping in Europe : a comparative assessment

Tipping is a social norm in many countries and has important functions as a source of income, with significant social welfare effects. Tipping can also represent a form of lost tax revenue, as service workers and restaurants may not declare all cash tips. These interrelationships remain generally insufficiently understood. This paper presents the results of a comparative survey of resident tipping patterns in restaurants in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. ANOVA and ANCOVA analyses confirm significant variation in tipping norms between countries, for instance with regard to the frequency of tipping and the proportion of tips in relation to bill size. The paper discusses these findings in the context of employment conditions and social welfare effects, comparing the European Union minimum wage model to gratuity-depending income approaches in the USA. Results have importance for the hospitality sector and policymakers concerned with social welfare