Mahdi Yousefi Nejad Attari, Tohid Farrashzadeh Miandoab, Babak Ejlali and Ali Ebadi Torkayesh
Consumption of fossil fuels due to their non-renewability has always been one of the fundamental problems among energy-related issues. Major dependence of mining equipment and…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumption of fossil fuels due to their non-renewability has always been one of the fundamental problems among energy-related issues. Major dependence of mining equipment and activities on energy, fuel and adequate fuel allocation has become of great importance in fuel consumption of mines. Therefore, this study aims to propose a model for optimal fuel allocation for mining industry.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), as one of the well-known statistical methods, is used to model and analyze fuel consumption pattern in mine industry.
Findings
To show the applicability of the proposed model, the study investigates the model for a real mine in Iran. In this regard, real data of important factors affecting mine fuel consumption are collected. Results of statistical models construct a general formula to calculate the fuel consumption based on three main variables.
Originality/value
Policymaking is one of the important tasks in energy-related organizations. One of the main sectors that uses noticeable amount of fossil fuels is mining industry. Despite the government subsidy for mining in Iran, there is a significant price difference between the price of allocated fuel for mine and the price of the same fuel in the open market. Therefore, this study implements PLS-SEM approach to formulate the fuel consumption pattern under all possible fuel consumption indicators to enable policymakers to make reliable decision for future purposes.
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Morteza Yazdani, Ali Ebadi Torkayesh and Prasenjit Chatterjee
In this study, an integrated decision-making model consisting of decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), best worst method (BWM) and a modified version of…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, an integrated decision-making model consisting of decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), best worst method (BWM) and a modified version of evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) methods is proposed for supplier selection problem in a public procurement system considering sustainable development goals.
Design/methodology/approach
DEMATEL and BWM methods are used to determine weights of the criteria that are defined for the supplier selection problem. Weight aggregation method is applied to combine the weights obtained from these two methods. A modified version of EDAS method is then used in order to rank the alternative suppliers.
Findings
The proposed decision-making model is investigated for a supplier selection problem for a hospital in Spain. The validity of the results is checked using comparison with other decision-making methods and several performance analysis tests.
Practical implications
The proposed multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model contributes to the healthcare supply chain management (SCM) and aims to lead the policy makers in selecting the best supplier.
Originality/value
There is no such study that combines DEMATEL and BWM together for weight generation. The application of the modified EDAS method is also new. In real time situations, the decision experts may confront to the difficulty of using BWM while identifying the best and the worst criteria choices. The idea of using DEMATEL is to aid the experts to make them enable in distinguishing between the best/worst criteria and handle BWM easily.
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Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi, Mohammad Saadati, Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani, Ali Ebadi and Samad E.J. Golzari
Clinical governance should be based on cultural elements that value lifelong learning, skill development and research. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a set of…
Abstract
Purpose
Clinical governance should be based on cultural elements that value lifelong learning, skill development and research. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a set of indicators to improve educational governance in hospitals.
Design/methodology/approach
Key indicators were identified from the international and national literatures. Later, the indicators were rated and prioritized by a multidisciplinary panel of medical professionals using two rounds of Delphi technique. Subsequently at two consensus meetings, the panel evaluated the indicators.
Findings
A set of 51 draft indicators were identified. The expert panel members rated 28 indicators as high priority indicators for measuring educational performance of the hospitals.
Practical implications
This set of indicators can be used to measure the educational performance of the hospitals in identifying the gaps and take steps to resolve them.
Originality/value
Education and training is the basic component of clinical governance. Hospital staff education and training is a fundamental step towards organizational and individual development. To improve the educational performance at hospital level it is necessary to reliably measure such performance. This can be done through developing and using relevant indicators. There are limited systematic studies, especially in middle and low income countries, to introduce appropriate indicators. This study has investigated developing a set of indicators to measure and improve the educational performance in hospitals.
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Ali Zackery, Mohsen Taheri Demneh and Maryam Ebadi Nejad
Due to the limitations of conventional urban planning, it is essential to develop novel techniques of urban futruing. This paper aimed to use the scenario technique to create four…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the limitations of conventional urban planning, it is essential to develop novel techniques of urban futruing. This paper aimed to use the scenario technique to create four plausible narratives of the future of Isfahan. Also, the authors described the problems of city foresight in the Global South.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper chronicles the Schwartzian steps taken to build explorative scenarios of Isfahan City in Iran in 2040. After using a STEEPV (Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic, Political, Value) analysis, the authors prioritized the collected variables by combining influence diagrams, the iceberg metaphor and an expert-based survey. Once the key uncertainties were derived, four scenarios were developed and discussed.
Findings
Through thematic analysis of the official visions of Isfahan’s future and the juxtaposition of these narratives with insight yielded in the scenario-development process, the paper concludes that the Northernness of the prevailing urban imaginaries, uncritical mimetic benchmarking, depoliticization of urban futures and the decorative reductionistic visions colonize urban futures in Isfahan/Iran. Critical/deconstructive city foresight and application of discomfort/ignorance criteria in the generation of scenarios can improve the rigor and quality of city foresight in the Global South.
Originality/value
The application of city foresight in the Global South has been limited. The paper is a step toward bridging this gap and providing some recommendations on how city foresight in the Global South might differ from its counterparts in the Global North.
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Ali Zeinal Hamadani and Rouhangiz Ebadi
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a modified MCp by considering the effect of gauge measurement error on the multivariate process capability index.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a modified MCp by considering the effect of gauge measurement error on the multivariate process capability index.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the effect of measurement system on the quality characteristics appears as coefficient matrix A which changes the variance‐covariance matrix of quality characteristics ∑, into A ∑. In this case, the authors investigate the properties of multivariate index and present adjusted confidence intervals and critical values for capability testing purpose of this index.
Findings
The results show that the simplicity of the obtained index, calculating the true process capability by using empirical process capability and also computing the critical value and power of the process capability testing is simpler in this modified approach.
Originality/value
The results presented in this paper would help practitioners to determine their actual process capability and see if their processes meet the preset capability requirement, and then make reliable decisions.
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Online feminist activism has opened a different path for ordinary Iranians who are not necessarily versed in post-revolutionary discourses on feminism and political activism, nor…
Abstract
Online feminist activism has opened a different path for ordinary Iranians who are not necessarily versed in post-revolutionary discourses on feminism and political activism, nor are familiar with the names and past achievements of Iranian women’s activist pioneers since the birth of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Social media has helped to tease apart government statecraft that continually touts and reemphasizes Islamic values, at the same time providing a platform for a feminist consciousness that more recently has passionately supported individual rights, especially the right to privacy. This chapter delves into this move toward a more individualized form of dissent, surveying the generational, ideological, and technological divides that have emerged among Iranian women’s activists following popular uprisings that have been happening domestically since 2009.
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Sadia Mansoor, Erica French and Muhammad Ali
A narrow focus of past diversity research and inconsistent findings have contributed to a lack of understanding of how to manage diversity for positive outcomes. Focusing on age…
Abstract
Purpose
A narrow focus of past diversity research and inconsistent findings have contributed to a lack of understanding of how to manage diversity for positive outcomes. Focusing on age, gender and ethnic diversity, this paper aims to review literature on group objective demographic diversity and individual perceived demographic diversity to present an integrated multilevel framework for our improved understanding and to present testable propositions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a thorough review of 51 empirical studies of demographic diversity at individual and group levels to propose a multilevel framework.
Findings
Drawing on information elaboration theory, social categorization theory and social identity theory, an integrated multilevel framework is proposed at individual and group levels. The framework suggests that demographic diversity (age, gender and ethnicity) aids positive information elaboration processes, while also causing negative social categorization processes. These processes impact individual and group outcomes. The framework also identifies moderating factors not sufficiently addressed in the demographic diversity literature. Propositions and implications for future research in the field of demographic diversity are presented.
Originality/value
This review provides an integrated multilevel framework of objective and perceived demographic diversity and its positive and negative processes and effects at both individual and group levels, drawn from information elaboration, social categorization and social identity theories.
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Mohammad Reza Shokouhi, Mohammad Torabi, Rasoul Salimi and Parisa Hajiloo
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers are often faced with a range of ethical dilemmas in their line of work that require moral courage to make a quick and ethical decision…
Abstract
Purpose
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers are often faced with a range of ethical dilemmas in their line of work that require moral courage to make a quick and ethical decision. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of professional moral courage (PMC) in EMS providers and its relationship with their demographic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
In 2022, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 175 EMS providers at the Hamadan Emergency Medical Center. The study utilized an available sampling method. Data was collected using a demographic information form and Sekerka's moral courage questionnaire, which was distributed electronically. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS 26 software with descriptive and analytic tests.
Findings
According to the findings, the average age of the participants was 34.57 ± 3.46 years. The majority of participants were married (50.3%), had work experience ranging from 8 to 14 years (49.7%), and held a degree in emergency medicine (52.6%). The participants displayed a high level of PMC, with an average score of 62.5 ± 8.14. Notably, age, work experience, educational level, and employment status were all found to have a significant relationship with moral courage (p < 0.05) among the demographic characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
The study has a limitation in terms of the sampling method employed, which may impact the generalizability of the results. Another limitation, by a narrow margin, is that the sample size is smaller than what was estimated. Furthermore, using various measurement tools to assess PMC might lead to varying outcomes. Consequently, it is recommended that future research incorporates random sampling and devises a dedicated psychometric instrument to assess the PMC of EMS providers.
Originality/value
The results revealed a positive correlation between work experience and PMC among providers. This can be attributed to the challenges and outcomes they have encountered throughout their careers. Moreover, EMS providers with higher educational qualifications and job stability demonstrated higher levels of moral courage.
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Eliot Assoudeh and Debra J. Salazar
Contributing to the literature on movement structure in authoritarian regimes, this analysis focuses on the structure of two Iranian movements. We use a multi-method approach to…
Abstract
Contributing to the literature on movement structure in authoritarian regimes, this analysis focuses on the structure of two Iranian movements. We use a multi-method approach to analyze the organization of the student and women’s movements in Iran between 1997 and 2008. From 1997 to 2004, a reform government opened political opportunities. The period between 2005 and 2008 was characterized by increased repression. The student movement was organized during the first period as a hybrid composed of several networks linked in a federal structure. As the political context changed, the movement became less centralized. Its strategy shifted from one based in alliance with governing reformers to coalition building outside of the regime. In contrast, the women’s movement was organized as a densely linked web of noncentralized campaigns. The women’s movement overcame divisions as political opportunities closed in the mid-2000s and built a grassroots strategy during the latter part of the decade.
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This study aims to examine the scholarly impact of funded and non-funded research published in ten core library and information science (LIS) journals published in 2016.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the scholarly impact of funded and non-funded research published in ten core library and information science (LIS) journals published in 2016.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, ten high-impact LIS journals were selected using Google Scholar metrics. The source title of each selected journal was searched in the Scopus database to retrieve the articles published in 2016. The detailed information of all the retrieved articles for every journal was exported in a CSV Excel file, and after collecting all the journal articles’ information, all CSV Excel files were merged into a single MS Excel file for data analysis.
Findings
The study analyzed 1,064 publications and found that 14% of them were funded research articles. Funded articles received higher average citation counts (24.56) compared to non-funded articles (20.49). Funded open-access articles had a higher scholarly impact than funded closed-access articles. The research area with the most funded articles was “Bibliometrics,” which also received the highest number of citations (1,676) with an average citation count of 24.64. The National Natural Science Foundation of China funded the most papers (30), while the USA funded the highest number of research publications (36) in the field of LIS.
Practical implications
This study highlights the importance of securing funding, open access publishing, discipline-specific differences, diverse funding sources and aiming for higher citations. Researchers, practitioners and policymakers can use these findings to enhance research impact in LIS.
Originality/value
This study explores the impact of funding on research LIS and provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between funding and research impact.