New concepts have entered the vocabulary of larger and smaller companies: culture, empowerment, support, mental and physical well-being, mindfulness, shared values, lifelong development, inclusion, empathy, and diversity. Concepts that reflect a broader social action that goes hand in hand with the harmonious coexistence of business and employee.
What is the definition of corporate culture, and how is it shaped in modern business practice?
Moderator
Christos Kolonas, journalist
Experts
Ioanna Kounoupi Talent & Development Director of Qualco group
Maria Vakola, Associate Professor of Human Resources Management, Athens University of Economics and Business
Giorgos Mavros, Country Director, Great Place to Work® Hellas
In the post-Covid era and a business environment characterized by continuous and often harsh changes, organizations' priorities have changed, highlighting the human being as a critical factor in development and success. As a result, new concepts have entered the vocabulary of larger and smaller companies: culture, empowerment, support, mental and physical well-being, mindfulness, shared values, lifelong development, inclusion, empathy, and diversity. Concepts that reflect a broader social action that goes hand in hand with the harmonious coexistence of business and employee.
- What is the definition of corporate culture, and how is it shaped in modern business practice?
- Why is everyone talking about company culture?
- What factors shape and influence it?
- How is it connected to the success and development of the business?
- How did the person/employee become the focus of the values of the modern business?
- What changes does this new perspective bring?
- In what specific ways does the modern, open-minded business "take care" of the employee?
- How is the shift of interest to the human factor connected to the "Big Resignation" and "Quiet Quitting" phenomenon?
- What values do businesses aspire to cultivate by highlighting their human face?
- How can empathy, active listening, and genuine interest attract and retain Gen Z and talent within businesses?
Christos Kolonas is a journalist specializing in financial reporting.
He is the editor-in-chief of the financial news website ot.gr (Economic Post) and has been writing for the newspapers TA NEA and TO VIMA for the last five years. He covers business reporting and, more specifically, the energy, industry, and construction sectors.
He has been engaged in journalism continuously for the last 29 years, with a break of 18 months to fulfill his military obligations.
He has collaborated with many media. His longest professional career was at ETHNOS and IMERISIA newspapers. At the same time, his career stands out for his collaborations with the once-powerful news radio station Flash 96 and, until two years ago, with the financial news website Euro2day.gr.
In 2018, Christos Kolonas was awarded the "Economic Reporting" Special Award by the Botsi Foundation.
He is a graduate of IIEK Journalism and, specifically, the Athens Center for Journalism and Communication.
Ioanna Kounoupi holds the role of HR Director at Qualco Group, for Talent Acquisition, Employer Branding, Learning & Development, and Employee Experience.
She has previously worked at Randstad, holding the role of Risesmart & Commercial Manager.
Ioanna Kounoupi has more than 15 years of experience in Greek and multinational companies in leadership roles in HR & consulting.
In parallel, Ioanna Kounoupi enjoys working as a mentor for NGOs via Bodossaki Institution and leads a Circle in the LeanIn network.
She holds a Bachelor in French Literature from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MSc in Human Resources from the Athens University of Economics & Business.
Ioanna Kounoupi holds the AADCT, by Association for Coaching, and she is certified in assessment tools provided by Kenexa and Evalion and in The Preventing Burnout Test© - PBT©. Fluent in Greek and English.
Maria Vakola obtained a degree in psychology from EKPA (1995) and completed her master's and doctoral studies at the University of Manchester and Salford, England (2000).
Maria Vakola is a professor who has been researching, teaching, and consulting companies on human resource management issues for the last twenty years.
She has 30 publications in authoritative human resource management and organizational psychology journals and has published five books. Among the journals she has published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, etc. She is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science and HR Case Study Series Editor. Maria Vakola founded the IFPOC network of change researchers and has many years of experience in European Programs. She has been honored with awards and distinctions for her teaching and research work.
At the same time, she has been working as a consultant and executive trainer for 20 consecutive years, designing and implementing change and human resource management programs, the results of which she has presented in executive seminars. She participated in the OPA Senate and represented the department and the university on several occasions.
She is a co-founder and has been honored with the award for innovation in human resource management by the Hellenic Society of Business Administration for the action of the non-profit company job-pairs. gr against unemployment in our country.
Giorgos Mavros is Country Head of Great Place to Work Hellas. He has completed postgraduate studies in Engineering-Economic Systems and Operational Research at Stanford University in California, USA., and a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Mathematics and Economics from Tufts University, Massachusetts (USA). He has worked as a Consultant at the London-based consultancy Mars & Co, where he was responsible for business planning projects for leading multinational and UK companies. In 2004, he founded Great Place to Work in Greece, which advises and recognizes the companies with the best working environment in Greece. The list has established itself as the benchmark for employer branding in Greece. George Mavros has personally provided Consulting services to large Greek and multinational companies to improve the working environment and has delivered lectures and seminars on creating and maintaining a great workplace. In addition, he has carried out significant research initiatives, evaluating the working environment in more than 500 companies in Greece.
