This paper seeks to disclose the important role of missing documents, broken links and duplicate items in the results merging process of a metasearch engine in detail. It aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to disclose the important role of missing documents, broken links and duplicate items in the results merging process of a metasearch engine in detail. It aims to investigate some related practical challenges and proposes some solutions. The study also aims to employ these solutions to improve an existing model for results aggregation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research measures the amount of an increase in retrieval effectiveness of an existing results merging model that is obtained as a result of the proposed improvements. The 50 queries of the 2002 TREC web track were employed as a standard test collection based on a snapshot of the worldwide web to explore and evaluate the retrieval effectiveness of the suggested method. Three popular web search engines (Ask, Bing and Google) as the underlying resources of metasearch engines were selected. Each of the 50 queries was passed to all three search engines. For each query the top ten non‐sponsored results of each search engine were retrieved. The returned result lists of the search engines were aggregated using a proposed algorithm that takes the practical issues of the process into consideration. The effectiveness of the result lists generated was measured using a well‐known performance indicator called “TSAP” (TREC‐style average precision).
Findings
Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model increases the performance of an existing results merging system by 14.39 percent on average.
Practical implications
The findings of this research would be helpful for metasearch engine designers as well as providing motivation to the vendors of web search engines to improve their technology.
Originality/value
This study provides some valuable concepts, practical challenges, solutions and experimental results in the field of web metasearching that have not been previously investigated.
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Farshid Riahi Dorcheh, Seyed Hossein Razavi Hajiagha, Misagh Rahbari, Vahid Jafari-Sadeghi and Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji
In recent years, and especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the significant role of agriculture, specifically red meat, in household consumption has…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, and especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the significant role of agriculture, specifically red meat, in household consumption has been increased. On the other hand, the lack of proper policymaking in the production and pricing of red meat and the lack of a comprehensive study on the beef supply chain has led to a reduction in the role of this protein product in the household food basket. Thus, in this research, comprehensive strategic planning considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been illustrated to overcome the aforementioned problems.
Design/methodology/approach
To study the intended objectives, first, using qualitative methods, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) to the studied company's supply chain in Iran were identified and then using the SWOT-Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) technique, the surrounding strategies have been analysed.
Findings
The results indicate that the most important strength of the studied company is the “access to the red meat market of the retirement plan”; the most important weakness is the “lack of required and on-time funding, especially in the condition of the COVID-19 pandemic”; the highest-ranked opportunity is the “access to banking facilities” and the main threat to the company is the “COVID-19 pandemic limitations and health protocols”. In the same vein, by examining the attractiveness score of internal and external factors, it was observed that diversity and competitive strategies would have a higher priority. Finally, the QSPM illustrated that activating the full capacity of existing infrastructure has the highest priority.
Originality/value
According to the red meat supply chain and the link amongst different market levels, identifying, analysing and improving the beef supply chain is of particular importance. One of the threats facing the international community is the emergence of events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires businesses to choose the right strategy to deal with the issue. Therefore, the main distinction of this study is to identify, analyse and improve the red meat supply chain of a real case due to the condition of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The purpose of this paper is to introduce two new automatic methods for evaluating the performance of search engines. The reported study uses the methods to experimentally…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce two new automatic methods for evaluating the performance of search engines. The reported study uses the methods to experimentally investigate which search engine among three popular search engines (Ask.com, Bing and Google) gives the best performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study assesses the performance of three search engines. For each one the weighted average of similarity degrees between its ranked result list and those of its metasearch engines is measured. Next these measures are compared to establish which search engine gives the best performance. To compute the similarity degree between the lists two measures called the “tendency degree” and “coverage degree” are introduced; the former assesses a search engine in terms of results presentation and the latter evaluates it in terms of retrieval effectiveness. The performance of the search engines is experimentally assessed based on the 50 topics of the 2002 TREC web track. The effectiveness of the methods is also compared with human‐based ones.
Findings
Google outperformed the others, followed by Bing and Ask.com. Moreover significant degrees of consistency – 92.87 percent and 91.93 percent – were found between automatic and human‐based approaches.
Practical implications
The findings of this work could help users to select a truly effective search engine. The results also provide motivation for the vendors of web search engines to improve their technology.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on two novel automatic methods to evaluate the performance of search engines and provides valuable experimental results on three popular ones.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a new method for evaluating the performance of metasearch engines (MSEs), which was used in the reported study to investigate which of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a new method for evaluating the performance of metasearch engines (MSEs), which was used in the reported study to investigate which of eight popular MSEs (Clusty, Dogpile, Excite, Mamma, MetaCrawler, Search.com, WebCrawler and Webfetch) is the best.
Design/methodology/approach
This research evaluated the performance of eight MSEs. For each MSE the average of closeness degrees between its ranked result list and those of its underlying search engines (SEs) was measured. Next, these measures were compared to each other to determine which MSE gives the best performance. Furthermore the experiment was repeated ten times with ten different queries to reach a stable result.
Findings
The findings revealed that Dogpile outperformed all the others, followed by MetaCrawler, Excite, Webfetch and then Mamma. MetaCrawler and WebCrawler had almost the same performance and occupied the next positions. Clusty and Search.com performed poorly in comparison to the others.
Practical implications
The findings of this research would be useful for MSE designers as well as helping the numerous users of MSEs to choose a truly effective one.
Originality/value
This paper provides a novel method for assessing the performance of MSEs and valuable experimental results on eight popular ones.
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Nastaran Mansouriyeh, Hamid Poursharifi, Mohammad Reza Taban Sadeghi and Mohammad Raze Seirafi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of illness-related worries as a mediator among depression, anxiety and self-care in heart failure (HF) patients was the aim of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of illness-related worries as a mediator among depression, anxiety and self-care in heart failure (HF) patients was the aim of this study.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was descriptive and correlational study. In total, 149 patients with HF were selected for sampling in 2016. Patients completed self-care behavior scale, illness-related worries questionnaire and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaires. The Pearson correlation coefficient and Sobel test were also done.
Findings
According to the analysis of the Sobel test, the role of illness-related worries as a mediator in the relationship between depression and self-care result was −5.37. Sobel test analysis was done to assess the role of illness-related worries as mediator between anxiety and self-care (6.66). The correlation between depression and self-care was 0.488 (p<0.01); correlation between anxiety and self-care was 0.4 (p<0.01); correlation between anxiety and depression was 0.79 (p<0.01); and the correlation between illness-related worries and self-care was 0.71 (p<0.01).
Originality/value
Illness-related worries can serve as a mediator in the relationship among depression, anxiety and self-care. There was a significant correlation among the research variables. Therefore, educational programs to reduce depression, anxiety and increase self-care should be given priority to for HF patients.
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One of the concepts most commonly evoked in order to characterize and explain the zig-zag trajectory of political dynamics in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the “middle…
Abstract
One of the concepts most commonly evoked in order to characterize and explain the zig-zag trajectory of political dynamics in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the “middle class.” Yet there is no scholarly consensus on a fundamental approach to identification and measurement of the middle class. Rather, the category of the middle class is both a category of analysis – long debated within social theory – as well as a category of practice – routinely deployed in political behavior and social distinction. In order to better conceptualize and understand the formation and role of Iran's middle classes in the country's sociopolitical dynamics, theories of class formation in the global South should be rearticulated away from a reified notion of the middle class as a transhistorical subject. To do so, this chapter is divided into four sections. First, internal debates over the role of Iran's middle classes in the country's recent political history are assessed and data from the 2016 Iran Social Survey is used to test a long-standing demographic assumption on the class dynamics of electoral behavior. Second, the tradition of theorizing the social power of middle classes is reassessed, drawing on the growing scholarly attention to the heterogenous origins and differentiated internal composition of middle classes across the global South. Third, a typology is proposed of four middle classes across the twentieth century shaped by varying state attempts at “catch-up” development. These types are then applied in a revisionist telling of the making and unmaking of middle classes in postrevolutionary Iran. Finally, implications of this framework beyond Iran are sketched out for global waves of protest in the twenty-first century.
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Tariq Jalees, Sherbaz Khan, Syed Imran Zaman and Miao Miao
This study aims to explore the global issues of impulse buying, compulsive purchasing and materialism. It examines how materialism relates to self-esteem and the tendencies for…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the global issues of impulse buying, compulsive purchasing and materialism. It examines how materialism relates to self-esteem and the tendencies for impulsive and compulsive buying. In addition, the study delves into the impact of religiosity on self-esteem and materialistic values in an Islamic country.
Design/methodology/approach
Enumerators visited universities, distributing 415 questionnaires and receiving 397 in return. Due to the unavailability of a sample frame for the target population, the study used nonprobability sampling for statistical analysis, which included assessments of normality, reliability, validity and bootstrapping for the structural model, the researchers used Smart PLS.
Findings
The study confirmed 13 hypotheses while rejecting four. The unsupported hypotheses are: (i) materialism negatively impacts impulsive purchasing behavior, (ii) impulsive purchasing does not mediate the relationship between materialism and compulsive purchasing, (iii) materialism does not mediate the relationship between religiosity and impulsive purchasing and (iv) in an Islamic country, neither materialism nor impulsive purchasing significantly mediates the relationship between religiosity and compulsive purchasing.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted in a city within a developing Islamic nation, focusing on college students. It suggests that future research could include more cities, a diverse population segments and multicultural perspectives. The research primarily examined the direct relationships between religiosity and factors such as self-esteem, materialism and impulsive purchasing. Future studies could explore religiosity as a mediating factor. This study highlights that materialism (M), impulsive buying (IB) and compulsive buying (CB) are not only closely interconnected but also adversely affect individual, family and societal well-being, raising global concerns. While occasional impulsive behavior is common among individuals in Islamic nations, repeated indulgences in the same behavior could lead to an obsession with excessive purchasing.
Practical implications
This study holds significant implications for consumers and retailers. Excessive and unnecessary spending can increase financial burden and adversely affect family welfare. Often, families and acquaintances inadvertently teach children to engage in extreme purchasing behaviors. To combat this, families and religious leaders should educate individuals about the detrimental effects of impulsive and compulsive purchasing. In addition, colleges and other institutions should organize seminars and workshops to address these issues. Retailers, whose sales largely depend on impulsive and compulsive consumers, should employ interpersonal influencers and brand advocates to connect with this customer segment effectively.
Originality/value
This study examined the relationship between religiosity, materialism, self-esteem and impulsive and compulsive purchasing behaviors. This study thoroughly tested 17 hypotheses, encompassing direct, mediating and multimediating relationships. The findings reveal that materialism’s impact on impulsive behavior is negligible compared to previous research, corroborating the findings presented in the cited literature.
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Fatemeh Ranjbar, Hooshang Dadgar, Masoud Azizi and Hamid Dalvand
This study aims to examine the concurrent influence of parental stress, executive functions and communication skills on challenging behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the concurrent influence of parental stress, executive functions and communication skills on challenging behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These behaviors are frequently exhibited by children with ASD and can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the child’s environment and their own level of development.
Design/methodology/approach
The current investigation was cross-sectional. Based on the inclusion criteria, 74 children with ASD were chosen, including those aged 4–7 years and 11 months, those with a moderate level of ASD and those without medical conditions or accompanying issues. Convenience sampling was implemented.
Findings
In children with ASD, challenging behaviors were observed to be significantly correlated with all three factors of parental stress, executive functions and communication skills (p < 0.05). Additionally, the executive functions were the most effective predictor of the frequency of challenging behaviors in these children. Furthermore, parental stress was the most effective predictor of the severity of challenging behaviors.
Originality/value
In previous research, the examination of the concurrent impact of factors that influence challenging behaviors demonstrated by children with ASD was restricted to the child’s level (executive functions and communication skills), whereas environmental factors such as parental stress were disregarded. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to look at the concurrent influence of three crucial factors: parental stress, executive functioning and communication abilities on challenging behaviors in children with ASD. The findings suggest that interventions targeting challenging behaviors in children with ASD may benefit from addressing the child’s executive function difficulties and parental stress.
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Shahab Shoar, Farnad Nasirzadeh and Hamid Reza Zarandi
The purpose of this paper is to present a fault tree (FT)-based approach for quantitative risk analysis in the construction industry that can take into account both objective and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a fault tree (FT)-based approach for quantitative risk analysis in the construction industry that can take into account both objective and subjective uncertainties.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, the identified basic events (BEs) are first categorized based on the availability of historical data into probabilistic and possibilistic. The probabilistic and possibilistic events are represented by probability distributions and fuzzy numbers, respectively. Hybrid uncertainty analysis is then performed through a combination of Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy set theory. The probability of occurrence of the top event is finally calculated using the proposed FT-based hybrid uncertainty analysis method.
Findings
The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by implementing in a real steel structure project. A quantitative risk assessment is performed for weld cracks, taking into account of both types of uncertainties. An importance analysis is finally performed to evaluate the contribution of each BE to the probability of occurrence of weld cracks and adopt appropriate response strategies.
Research limitations/implications
In this research, the impact of objective (aleatory) dependence between the occurrences of different BEs and subjective (epistemic) dependence between estimates of the epistemically uncertain probabilities of some BEs are not considered. Moreover, there exist limitations to the application of fuzzy set rules, which were used for aggregating experts’ opinions and ranking purposes of the BEs in the FT model. These limitations can be investigated through further research.
Originality/value
It is believed that the proposed hybrid uncertainty analysis method presents a robust and powerful tool for quantitative risk analysis, as both types of uncertainties are taken into account appropriately.
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Amy Yeo Chu May, Carmen Teoh Chia Wen and Jeffton Low Boon Tiong
This study seeks to find an interactive effect between ethical leadership (EL) and corporate governance (CG) variables and investigate whether they would affect employee…
Abstract
This study seeks to find an interactive effect between ethical leadership (EL) and corporate governance (CG) variables and investigate whether they would affect employee organizational citizenship behavior (EOCB) in a Malaysian organizational setting. The collected data from the 300 accounting/finance department employees were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM; SmartPLS 3.0). Several primary results confirmed a coherent significant relationship between EL and ethical climate (EC), EL and EOCB, EL and CG, and CG and organizational success. Theoretically, it implies a more enhanced EOCB literature on how it can be infused in an organization. It also offers valuable knowledge by providing organizations with several insights concerning the improvement of EOCB, enabling the organization to achieve its desired success and, more importantly, how the findings could contribute directly and indirectly to emerging markets in terms of their industrial and financial performance.