Title: Marketing and organisational evaluation of rural firms in the internet

Authors: Georgios Tsekouropoulos; Zacharoula Andreopoulou; Christiana Koliouska; Nikolaos Katsonis

Addresses: A.T.E.I. of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 141, GR – 574 00 Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece ' Laboratory of Forest Informatics, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece ' Laboratory of Forest Informatics, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, Greece ' Department of Business Administration, School of Business Administration, University of Patras, Patras, 26500, Greece

Abstract: Internet has become a successful way to promote a firm and it provides the firms' managers a key point in organisational and marketing functions through incorporation of e-marketing activities, total quality management and corporate social responsibility in corporate website. Since many firms already have an enhanced internet presence, this paper aims to evaluate the marketing and organisational functions in a corporate website as to further decide for website's improvement and innovation. As a case study, the agri-food sector in Greece was selected. Thirty Greek big agri-food firms were studied, analysed and were categorised taking into account six marketing and organisational criteria in their corporate websites. Through factor analysis, it was provided a three-factor model, to be used as a validated determinant that can be applied in wider context. Business managers can use this three-factor model to decide on the current marketing and organisational functions adoption in the corporate website and decide to proceed in website development and upgrading.

Keywords: marketing evaluation; internet marketing; rural firms; corporate websites; corporate social responsibility; CSR; website evaluation; factor analysis; Greece; organisational evaluation; e-marketing; electronic marketing; online marketing; total quality management; TQM; agri-food business; website design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2013.055342

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2013 Vol.8 No.3, pp.272 - 286

Received: 01 Dec 2012
Accepted: 09 May 2013

Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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