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The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel condition-based maintenance (CBM) policy with two sampling intervals for a system subject to stochastic deterioration described by the Cox’s proportional hazards model (PHM).

In this paper, the new or renewed system is monitored using a longer sampling interval. When the estimated hazard function of the system exceeds a warning limit, the observations are taken more frequently, i.e., the sampling interval changes to a shorter one. Preventive maintenance is performed when either the hazard function exceeds a maintenance threshold or the system age exceeds a pre-determined age. A more expensive corrective maintenance is performed upon system failure. The proposed model is formulated in the semi-Markov decision process (SMDP) framework.

The optimal maintenance policy is found and a computational algorithm based on policy iteration for SMDP is developed to obtain the control thresholds as well as the sampling intervals minimizing the long-run expected average cost per unit time.

A numerical example is presented to illustrate the whole procedure. The newly proposed maintenance policy with two sampling intervals outperforms previously developed maintenance policies using PHM. The paper compares the proposed model with a single sampling interval CBM model and well-known age-based model. Formulas for the conditional reliability function and the mean residual life are also derived for the proposed model. Sensitivity analysis has been performed to study the effect of the changes in the Weibull parameters on the average cost.

The results show that considerable cost savings can be obtained by implementing the maintenance policy developed in this paper.

Unlike the previous CBM policies widely discussed in the literature which use sequential or periodic monitoring, the authors propose a new sampling strategy based on two sampling intervals. From the economic point of view, when the sampling is costly, it is advantageous to monitor the system less frequently when it is in a healthy state and more frequently when it deteriorates and enters the unhealthy state.

Nowadays, organizations are facing fast markets’ changing, competition strategies, technological innovations and accessibility of information. In such highly dynamic situations, many factors must be coordinated to realize effective decision-making. In addition, the definition of organizational intelligence is as follows: intellectual ability to answer organizational issues and focus on the unification of human and mechanical abilities for solving problems. This paper aims to investigate important factors (organizational learning, knowledge management and e-learning systems) that influence organizational intelligence.

Data have been collected from 290 personnel of tax administration of East Azarbaijan, Iran. For measuring the model’s elements, a questionnaire has been proposed. Surveys have been reviewed by experts with significant experiences in the organizational intelligence field. For statistical analysis of questionnaires, the statistical package social sciences 25 and SMART-partial least squares 0.3 have been used.

Findings from the study verify the validity of the design for an organizational intelligence assessment. The outcomes indicate that e-learning systems positively affected organizational intelligence. In addition, they show that the influence of knowledge management and organizational learning on organizational intelligence is important.

Organizational intelligence’s multidimensional nature makes it a very useful and essential management tool. Therefore, it provides beneficial results for the organizations’ managers to study the important factors affecting it.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the causational effect of both internal and external motivation with learning outcomes at a peripheral university in the province of Aceh. It also aims to evaluate which of the two factors possess stronger impact on the other across different genders.

Design/Methodology/Approach – The model of research utilizes quantitative approach. Using the questionnaires as data gathering methodology, it is designed to understand aspects of both internal and external motivation which influences the results. Correlational information was then derived from the data using SPSS software. Then, data were elaborated for more detail and ease of reading for readers.

Findings – The results obtained from this research showed that there was no relationship between both internal and external motivation with students grades. Claiming to have relatively high motivation, still students failed to attain good grades. Observed individually, no apparent relationship was visible from each aspect. The finding also suggested that there was no difference impact was visible across different gender. Both genders, male and female, in this university did not show any significant correlation between motivation and grades.

Research Limitations/Implications – Unlike many findings on similar studies, the research found out that motivation cannot be utilized as predictor to predict grades in the peripheral university. New approaches should be developed to find out working predictors for students grades.

Practical Implications – To understand influencing aspects for students’ grades attainment, more and or other variables should be utilized. Both internal and external motivation factors failed to predict students’ grades.

Originality/Value – Research on students learning motivation specifically at peripheral university was much been studied.

Studying the relationship between crime and traffic accidents in different geographical regions is very critical since varying relationships have been reported to exist in diverse areas. The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between crime with injuries and deaths due to road traffic accidents in Iran.

In this study, macro-level panel data between 2007 and 2013 were used. The number of folders due to crimes in each province was used as explanatory variables to show the amount of crime in each province. The number of fatal and injury death was used as outcome variables. The models were estimated using fixed effect panel regression estimator.

The results of this study showed that the number of records in courts (Cr) had a significant positive relationship with fatal accidents (coefficient=0.006). In the injury accidents model, Cr coefficient was 0.008 and significant. In addition, GINI had positive relationship with fatal accidents (coefficient: 1.396), while it had no significant relationship with injury accidents.

A positive association was found between crime and mortalities and morbidities due to traffic accidents. Traffic accidents and crimes are derived from a similar nature. So traffic accidents could be categorized as crime and it is important to increase more prohibitions to decrease traffic accidents. Prevention programs should focus on population groups with high social distinction and criminals, especially traffic offenses.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the leading cause of death after lung cancer in the world. Considering the economic burden of cancers and their impact on household welfare, this study aims to estimate the cost of gastric cancer in Tabriz (Northwest city of Iran) in 2017.

This was an incidence-based cost of illness study which was conducted from the perspective of society with a bottom-up costing approach. The inclusion criteria for the study were all patients (n = 118) with gastric cancer at the period of the first six months after diagnosis that 102 patients participated. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.

The mean medical direct cost was US$3288.02, 18.19 per cent paid by the patient and 81.81 per cent paid by insurance organizations and governmental subsidies. The estimated out of pocket rate was 18.19 per cent. The mean non-medical direct cost estimated at US$377.54. The mean total direct cost was US$3665.56, 26.61 per cent paid by the patient. The mean indirect cost estimated at US$505.41 and the mean total cost was US$4170.97, 35.5 per cent which imposed on the patient. The mean total cost of gastric cancer within the first six months after diagnosis was equivalent to 0.81 GDP per capita.

Based on the findings, gastric cancer is a highly costly disease that despite insurance coverage imposes a high economic burden on the patients and their families.

Economic development programs in Saudi Arabia have rapidly enlarged organizational size, and complexity. New organizations have also been created to implement the objectives of the developing nation. Yet in its quest for economic progress, Saudi Arabia continues to face challenges resulting from ways in which cultural values influence administrative structures and behavior in organizations. Current problems in organization can be understood in the context of an ongoing encounter between forces of change and forces of stability. This study examines Saudi management problems, explores alternative models for reform, cites areas of compatability between Saudi Islamic tradition and Western management practices, and makes recommendations to integrate the various systems.

This study investigates the impact of top management’s networking capabilities on the organizational networking and absorptive capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Puerto Rico. This study aims to enhance understanding of how top management influences the networking behaviors that drive SME performance.

Data were collected from Puerto Rican SMEs and analyzed using multi-item reflective indicators on a five-point Likert scale. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses and explore relationships between networking capabilities and absorptive capacities.

The study finds that top management’s networking capabilities are predominantly reactive, significantly impacting information acquisition, opportunity enabling and weak-tie resource mobilization. Both potential and realized absorptive capacities are critical for SMEs to leverage resources for competitive advantage.

Further research is needed to explore how these findings apply to other regions or industries and expand on the role of proactive networking in enhancing SME competitiveness.

The study underscores the importance of refining proactive and reactive networking capabilities to sustain competitive advantage in dynamic environments.

Puerto Rico’s unique economic context, including natural disasters and economic downturns, makes the findings relevant for SMEs in similar regions that rely on strong networks for resilience.

This research contributes to the dynamic capabilities literature by confirming SMEs’ proactive and reactive networking dimensions. It also offers a unique perspective by focusing on Puerto Rican SMEs facing distinct economic and social challenges.

Este estudio investiga el impacto de las capacidades de networking de la alta dirección en las redes organizacionales y las capacidades de absorción de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMEs) en Puerto Rico. La investigación tiene como objetivo mejorar la comprensión de cómo la alta dirección influye en los comportamientos de networking que impulsan el desempeño de las PYMEs.

Se recopilaron datos de PYMEs puertorriqueñas y se analizaron utilizando indicadores reflexivos de múltiples ítems en una escala Likert de cinco puntos. Se empleó el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM) para probar las hipótesis y explorar las relaciones entre las capacidades de networking y las capacidades de absorción.

El estudio encuentra que las capacidades de networking de la alta dirección son predominantemente reactivas, lo que impacta significativamente en la adquisición de información, la habilitación de oportunidades y la movilización de recursos a través de vínculos débiles. Tanto las capacidades de absorción potenciales como las realizadas son fundamentales para que las PYMEs aprovechen los recursos para obtener una ventaja competitiva.

Esta investigación contribuye a la literatura sobre capacidades dinámicas al confirmar las dimensiones proactivas y reactivas de networking en las PYMEs. También ofrece una perspectiva única al centrarse en las PYMEs de Puerto Rico que enfrentan desafíos económicos y sociales particulares.

Se necesita más investigación para explorar cómo estos hallazgos se aplican a otras regiones o industrias y para profundizar en el papel del networking proactivo en la mejora de la competitividad de las PYMEs.

El estudio subraya la importancia de perfeccionar las capacidades de networking proactivas y reactivas para mantener una ventaja competitiva en entornos dinámicos.

El contexto económico único de Puerto Rico, incluidas las catástrofes naturales y las recesiones económicas, hace que los hallazgos sean relevantes para PYMEs en regiones similares que dependen de redes sólidas para su resiliencia.

Este estudo investiga o impacto das capacidades de networking da alta gestão nas redes organizacionais e nas capacidades de absorção das pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) em Porto Rico. A pesquisa visa melhorar a compreensão de como a alta gestão influencia os comportamentos de networking que impulsionam o desempenho das PMEs.

Os dados foram coletados de PMEs porto-riquenhas e analisados usando indicadores reflexivos de múltiplos itens em uma escala Likert de cinco pontos. Foi utilizado o modelo de equações estruturais de mínimos quadrados parciais (PLS-SEM) para testar as hipóteses e explorar as relações entre as capacidades de networking e as capacidades de absorção.

O estudo conclui que as capacidades de networking da alta gestão são predominantemente reativas, impactando significativamente a aquisição de informações, a habilitação de oportunidades e a mobilização de recursos através de vínculos fracos. Tanto as capacidades de absorção potenciais quanto as realizadas são fundamentais para que as PMEs aproveitem os recursos para obter vantagem competitiva.

Esta pesquisa contribui para a literatura sobre capacidades dinâmicas ao confirmar as dimensões proativas e reativas de networking nas PMEs. Também oferece uma perspectiva única ao focar nas PMEs de Porto Rico, que enfrentam desafios econômicos e sociais distintos.

Mais pesquisas são necessárias para explorar como esses achados se aplicam a outras regiões ou indústrias, além de expandir o papel do networking proativo no aumento da competitividade das PMEs.

O estudo destaca a importância de aperfeiçoar as capacidades de networking proativas e reativas para manter a vantagem competitiva em ambientes dinâmicos.

O contexto econômico único de Porto Rico, incluindo desastres naturais e crises econômicas, torna os achados relevantes para PMEs em regiões semelhantes que dependem de redes sólidas para sua resiliência.

This study aims to elucidate institutional analysis as an effective approach to investigating and designing the multilevel policymaking system of online social networks (OSN) for achieving a participatory model.

The institutional mapping approach has been used to analyze Iran’s OSN multilevel policymaking system. A combination of two matrices, including institutions-institutions and institutions-functions, was used to perform the institutional mapping. Two main steps were taken to draw the mentioned matrices. First, a review of related studies in Iran’s OSN policymaking system was conducted and the policy functions mentioned in these studies were identified and categorized using the meta-synthesis. Second, based on analyzing two policy documents of Iran’s OSN, institutions and their interactions were identified and policy functions were allocated to institutions.

Based on the results, the most important policy functions in the current OSN policymaking system in Iran are support, regulatory, monitoring and evaluation, business environment development, culture building and promotion, organizing licenses and permissions, policymaking and legislation. Also, the results show that there are shortcomings in this system, some of the most important of which are lack of transparency in regulatory, little work in culture building and promotion, neglect of the training of specialized human resources and research and development, slow development of the business environment and neglecting the role of nongovernmental organizations in policymaking.

By examining and analyzing how different institutions operate within a multilevel policymaking system, the policymaking process and its overall effectiveness can be enhanced. This analysis helps identify any inconsistencies, overlaps or conflicts in the roles and policies of these institutions, leading to a better understanding of how a multilevel policymaking system is organized.

The present study aimed at developing and validating a self-development training package and determining self-development's effectiveness on job variables and human capital agility among secondary school principals in Isfahan.

In the first phase, the researcher conceived a full version of the self-development training package by studying the theoretical evidence of research and interviewing experts as well as using content analysis. The questionnaire was presented to several experts (n = 8) in that field of study for evaluation after compiling the initial version of the self-development training package, with the aim of determining the face and content validity. In the second phase of the study, the effectiveness of the self-development training package was experimented on secondary school principals using a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design and follow-up with a control group.

The evaluation results were suitable for the training package based on the proposed Lawshe method. The results also indicated that the implementation of a self-development training package in the experimental group had a significant effect on job performance and its dimensions, as well as human capital agility. The effect of the training package on increasing job performance in the post-test stage was 55.3% and was 50.2% in the follow-up stage. Also, the effect of this package on increasing the agility of human capital in the post-test phase was equal to 34.8% and was equal to 28.9% in the follow-up stage.

Question 1: What are the components of a self-development training package? Question 2: What is the credibility of the developed training package from the experts' point of view? Question 3: Does the self-development training package have an effect on job performance and its dimensions? Question 4: Does the self-development training package have an effect on human capital agility?.