Vahid Beygi, Mohammad Abooyee Ardakan and Seyyed Mohammad Moghimi
Despite the rather adequate physical and human resources available to Iranian state-owned enterprises (SOEs), they have proved not only unproductive and unprofitable but also…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the rather adequate physical and human resources available to Iranian state-owned enterprises (SOEs), they have proved not only unproductive and unprofitable but also corrupt in cases due to their corporate governance (CG) systems. This study aims to identify the most important challenges faced within designing, implementing and operating such systems in Iranian SOEs.
Design/methodology/approach
A judgmental sampling technique was adopted for the purposes of the present qualitative study to select a heterogeneous group of interviewees in terms of experience and expert knowledge in CG and SOEs. Using 28 semi-structured interviews and the thematic analysis methodology within an exploratory approach, the themes/challenges were extracted from the data thus collected that were subsequently analyzed and explicated.
Findings
The 16 challenges derived from the data set were subsequently classified into the four categories of “general assembly deficiencies”, “contextual issues of ownership”, “board deficiencies” and “external managerial constraints”.
Research limitations/implications
This study aims to provide insights into policy-making systems at both national and international levels to gain a better understanding of the contextual factors that could be exploited toward developing and/or reforming CG codes. To improve SOEs, this study also suggests four main solutions to the CG challenges faced within Iran and similar centralized economic planning systems.
Originality/value
The literature on the topic indicates that while a few theoretical and empirical studies have been conducted on CG of SOEs, no study has ever been conducted on similar Iranian cases. The present study provides ample empirical evidence from the CG systems in a state-controlled and centralized economic system to offer new insights into the comparative CG, especially in a developing country like Iran, where the government is the major player in the economy.
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Mahboobeh Hajkazemi, Mohammad Abooyee Ardakan, Neda Mohammadesmaeili and Mojtaba Kianie
This study addresses a gap in organizational culture literature by detailing the creation of cultural artifacts, specifically media artifacts, that align with values and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study addresses a gap in organizational culture literature by detailing the creation of cultural artifacts, specifically media artifacts, that align with values and strategies in a dynamic environment, thereby enhancing organizational change management.
Design/methodology/approach
Participatory observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine design professionals from six companies and eleven media artifact audiences from a telecommunication company. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis.
Findings
Two main findings emerged: “Significant Factors in Designing Media Artifacts,” which encompasses seven themes, and “The Process of Designing Media Artifacts,” which comprises seven process steps.
Originality/value
The study clarifies the term “media artifacts” by identifying two key categories: “Significant Factors in Designing Media Artifacts,” focusing on elements aiding designers and “The Process of Designing Media Artifacts,” outlining the necessary steps and interpretations for creating these artifacts.
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Sirous Alidousti, Maryam Nazari and Mohammad Abooyee Ardakan
This paper aims to present the results of a study on success factors of resource sharing (RS) and cooperation in Iranian Academic Libraries (IAL), from the point‐of‐view of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the results of a study on success factors of resource sharing (RS) and cooperation in Iranian Academic Libraries (IAL), from the point‐of‐view of librarians who have direct experience of such activities. It investigates and compares the librarians' experiences of, and opinions on, the importance of the success factors in the current and desirable situations in the IALs.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, 58 success factors of RS were identified from the previous studies. Using Likert scale technique, the importance of the factors in the current and desired situations of the RS programs were explored and ranked, based on the experiences and opinions of a sample of “key informants” who had direct experience of RS activities in the context of IALs. Then the consistency and/or inconsistency between the current and desired situations of the success factors were identified, using gap analysis method.
Findings
The findings revealed that almost all of the success factors mentioned in previous studies are considered important by the respondents. However, only eight factors received high rankings in the current and desired situations of the RS programs in the IALs.
Research limitations/implications
The research focuses on factors identified in previous studies. This may ignore certain, especially cultural, factors, which are effective in the context of IALs.
Practical implications
The study highlights the importance of success factors in development or improvement of any RS activity. The factors would provide both researchers and practitioners with a rich framework to examine the current situation of their RS programs and develop informed strategic plans to improve that. In particular, the findings inform the RS planners and policy makers that particular attention needs to be given to the factors that are identified as very important by the study participants. These factors would alert them to the causes and impacts of such a deficiency in the RS and library cooperation systems.
Originality/value
There is no comprehensive study on the success factors of RS in libraries and, as such, no investigation of the factors in some real‐life contexts of RS activities. Both researchers and practitioners in the field of RS may value the novelty and results of this study.
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Allahyar Beigi Firoozi, Mohammad Bashokouh, Naser Seifollahi and Ghasem Zarei
The rising complexity of business changes has increasingly highlighted the requirements to provide a comprehensive and empirical framework for the supply chain agility (SCA). A…
Abstract
Purpose
The rising complexity of business changes has increasingly highlighted the requirements to provide a comprehensive and empirical framework for the supply chain agility (SCA). A review of extant studies shows that the results are complicated and ambiguous. Moreover, this study is a meta-analytical review of previous empirical studies to identify SCA antecedents and effects of SCA on firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the protocol, 64 studies were chosen as the sample to survey the relationships between five clusters of SC allopoietic properties (SCAPs) (SC connectivity, symbiotic relationship (SR), cognitive openness (CO), homeostasis and collaboration) and SCA, as well as its effects on firm performance.
Findings
Among antecedents, horizontal collaboration’s effect on SCA is the strongest, and the relationship between SR-SCA and CO-SCA is less than moderate. SCA affects firm performance and its dimensions, with a stronger effect on financial performance (FP). Furthermore, the SCA study in the framework of allopoietic systems is a good starting point for future research.
Practical implications
Managers are advised to constantly review repetitive interactions between the company and its environment and to learn about interactions between SC and the environment. Learning from these interactions and disseminating their explicit knowledge among company members lead to a quick response to the environmental instability.
Originality/value
As the first meta-analysis on SCA antecedents and its effects on firm performance, this study contributes to the SCA literature and provides research directions for the future.