Alireza Jahani, Peyman Akhavan, Mostafa Jafari and Mohammad Fathian
Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) is a tedious and repetitive process. A challenge for the effective use of KDD is understanding and confirming its results derived from the…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) is a tedious and repetitive process. A challenge for the effective use of KDD is understanding and confirming its results derived from the harmonized process. To exploit the advantages of agents’ application, this paper aims to propose a conceptual model based on a multi-agent system (MAS) to control each step of the KDD process.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reports the empirical findings of a survey conducted among academic and industrial sectors in Tehran, Iran. In this survey, the participants answered a questionnaire about the main factors of designing a suitable model for the KDD process based on MAS. The factor analysis reveals important insights of previous models developed by various researchers.
Findings
This research uses the survey results to find six critical success factors, continuity in refinement and improvement; learning and acting concurrently; loosely or tightly coupled approach for using technologies; cooperative, dynamic and flexible environment; documentation and reporting; and extracting and evaluating knowledge intelligently, for a proper conceptual model of the KDD process based on MAS.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model reflects all aspects of the KDD process by applying the intelligent agents for each process steps. In addition, this research only considers the Iran society; hence, it cannot be generalized to other nations, and it may need further research in other countries and to be implemented in real-world business domains.
Originality/value
This research helps organizations to adopt a proposed model and implement a KDD process to advantage the valuable knowledge that exists in their data resources.
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Keywords
Reza Aalikhani, Mohammad Reza Rasouli, Hossein Ghanbari, Mohammad Fathian and Alireza Ali ahmadi
Interorganizational collaborations are crucial for delivering high-quality, integrated healthcare services. To maximize the benefits of these collaborative networks, effective…
Abstract
Purpose
Interorganizational collaborations are crucial for delivering high-quality, integrated healthcare services. To maximize the benefits of these collaborative networks, effective governance structures and mechanisms must be in place. While previous studies have extensively examined organizational-level factors, such as partner capabilities and backgrounds, this study focuses on network-level factors, including collaboration structures and tie characteristics that shape effective network governance.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify and synthesize the key network-level factors influencing governance structures and mechanisms in healthcare networks.
Findings
The review identified 22 critical factors, categorized into three primary groups that impact network governance. These findings offer a robust foundation for developing context-sensitive governance models tailored to healthcare systems.
Practical implications
This study provides valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, policymakers and researchers by highlighting key factors that can improve interorganizational collaboration within healthcare systems. The findings contribute to both theory and practice, with the potential to enhance healthcare service delivery and patient outcomes.
Originality/value
This study is the first to systematically identify and categorize the network-level factors that influence governance structures and mechanisms in healthcare networks, providing a comprehensive and novel contribution to the field.
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Mostafa Jafari, Mohammad Fathian, Peyman Akhavan and Reza Hosnavi
The main purpose of this study is to explore knowledge management and learning features in some Iranian small and medium‐sized enterprises.
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to explore knowledge management and learning features in some Iranian small and medium‐sized enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was designed, applied and then analyzed using statistical methods. The results discuss various perspectives from the knowledge management point of view, and provide some important findings and a regression model to show the essential issues of the subject.
Findings
The learning factor was assumed as a dependent variable to carry out regression analysis with four factors: training; interactive participation of employees; flat structures in SMEs; and CEO support and commitment. The statistical analysis determined the four factors as important issues in the regression model. The results also showed that there is no relationship between organizational size and the need for knowledge management.
Practical implications
Most SMEs in Iran are still traditional. Their school of thought belongs to the industrial age and their efforts are not aligned to the knowledge era's requirements. Today's changes dictate a new model of thinking as a basic requirement. SMEs in Iran have to restructure their way of thinking towards a knowledge‐based paradigm for competitiveness and survival.
Originality/value
This study is probably the first to provide an integrated perspective of exploring knowledge management through Iranian SMEs. It gives valuable information and guidelines that hopefully will help SME leaders in decision making in the KM area.
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Yoones Asgharzadeh Sekhavat and Mohammad Fathian
In traditional commerce, an auction is known as a mechanism of determining the value of a commodity that does not have a fixed price. Auctions are exciting and an increasing…
Abstract
Purpose
In traditional commerce, an auction is known as a mechanism of determining the value of a commodity that does not have a fixed price. Auctions are exciting and an increasing number of transactions are performed through e‐auctions. But most current auctions cannot address all the important security requirements. Usually, auction systems force bidders and sellers to trust the auctioneer and, on the other hand, do not provide anonymity for bidders and sellers. This paper aims to solve these problems by presenting an efficient anonymous secure auction schema (ASAS) without a fully trustworthy auctioneer.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyzes security properties and the complexity of previous works in auction security and then proposes a new ASAS that is more secure and efficient than previous works. Finally, security properties and the complexity of the new schema and previous works are compared with one another.
Findings
The proposed auction protocol does not force bidders and sellers to trust the auctioneer. In addition, it provides anonymity for both of them. Owing to these newly added features and high degree of security of ASAS, it is suggested that its use in high‐value auctions should require tighter security.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a new schema for electronic auctions that is secure and efficient and, in addition, does not force bidders and sellers to trust the auctioneer.
Details
Keywords
Mostafa Jafari, Peyman Akhavan, Mehdi N. Fesharaki and Mohammad Fathian
The main objective of this paper is to develop a knowledge management (KM)approach in Iran aerospace industries based on the findings through the analysis of successful practices…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of this paper is to develop a knowledge management (KM)approach in Iran aerospace industries based on the findings through the analysis of successful practices in KM area.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection and analysis. For that, “grounded theory” research approach has been selected by which the collected data from successful organizations in KM adoption are categorized and analyzed. The extracted concepts were deployed in Iran aerospace industries to present a KM approach through benchmarking.
Findings
The overall results from the case studies analysis were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness for benchmarking. The extracted concepts clarify how to develop KM approach in an organization. This approach has been applied in a large case study in Iran and is supported by practical implementation in Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), one of the most important high‐tech industries in Iran.
Practical implications
This paper provides a helpful roadmap for practitioners in implementing KM through out the organizations and especially in large‐scale ones. This helps to ensure that the essential issues are covered during design and implementation phase. For academics, it provides a common language for them to deploy a KM approach in the organizations.
Originality/value
This study is probably the first to provide a benchmarked integrated KM approach based on the critical success factors extracted by analysis in a multi case study research. This study further opens up new lines of research and highlights implications for KM efforts through benchmarking. It gives valuable information and guidelines which hopefully will help the leaders to deploy KM in their organizations.
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Keywords
Morteza Namvar, Mohammad Fathian, Peyman Akhavan and Mohammad Reza Gholamian
This paper aims to empirically explore the effects of intellectual property (IP) on intellectual capital (IC) and firm performance in Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to empirically explore the effects of intellectual property (IP) on intellectual capital (IC) and firm performance in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire‐oriented survey from senior and top managers in the Iranian computer and electronic industry was utilized for regression analysis.
Findings
The findings indicate that IP significantly influences other dimensions of IC, which consists of human capital (HC), relational capital (RC) and structural capital (SC). The study also provides empirical evidence that gaining firm performance is positively related to these three elements of IC.
Research limitations/implications
First, more advanced statistical techniques with a larger number of respondents could be used to evaluate the regression equations. Second, the companies chosen for the study are from two specific and fairly similar industries in Iran. Thus, the results may not be applicable to other industries in different countries.
Practical implications
With a broad view on IP that considers its creation, protection and utilization too, IP has a central role in knowledge‐based organizations to enhance competitive advantage.
Originality/value
This study builds on and extends the research made by Bollen et al., to link IP and IC to company performance. The paper focuses on the effects of IP on other parts of IC.
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Mohammad Fathian, Yaser Hoseinpoor and Behrouz Minaei-Bidgoli
Churn management is a fundamental process in firms to keep their customers. Therefore, predicting the customer’s churn is essential to facilitate such processes. The literature…
Abstract
Purpose
Churn management is a fundamental process in firms to keep their customers. Therefore, predicting the customer’s churn is essential to facilitate such processes. The literature has introduced data mining approaches for this purpose. On the other hand, results indicate that performance of classification models increases by combining two or more techniques. The purpose of this paper is to propose a combined model based on clustering and ensemble classifiers.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on churn data set in Cell2Cell, single baseline classifiers, ensemble classifiers are used for comparisons. Specifically, self-organizing map (SOM) clustering technique, and four other classifier techniques including decision tree, artificial neural networks, support vector machine, and K-nearest neighbors were used. Moreover, for reduced dimensions of the features, principal component analysis (PCA) method was employed.
Findings
As results 14 models are compared with each other regarding accuracy, sensitivity, specification, F-measure, and AUC. The results showed that combination of SOM, PCA, and heterogeneous boosting achieved the best performance comparing with other classification models.
Originality/value
This study examined the performance of classifier ensembles in predicting customers churn. In particular, heterogeneous classifier ensembles such as bagging and boosting are compared.
Details
Keywords
Mohammad Fathian and Peyman Akhavan
To date, assessment models for intelligent buildings have not been systematically investigated. Most of the existing studies have derived their findings from information…
Abstract
Purpose
To date, assessment models for intelligent buildings have not been systematically investigated. Most of the existing studies have derived their findings from information technology (IT) perspectives and have not considered all factors including the architecture of the building and the necessities of IT as part of an integrated approach. This paper aims to bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a review of recent literature, this paper identifies the principal factors of intelligent buildings, discusses various perspectives from the point of both architecture and IT, and provides a general model for assessment. This model has been applied in relation to a case study and the results have been analyzed by surveys.
Findings
The overall results from the case study were appropriate, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed model. The conceptual model presents a roadmap for the assessment of intelligence in buildings. The research reported in this paper was carried out as a pilot study to determine an assessment system for intelligent buildings.
Practical implications
The elements of the proposed model provide a list of attributes for the intelligent buildings. This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during the design and implementation phase in the construction industry. For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the assessment of intelligence levels in buildings.
Originality/value
This study provides an integrated perspective of critical issues for intelligence assessment in the construction industry. It gives valuable information and guidelines that help the designers and constructors in one hand and the project managers on the other hand to construct the intelligent buildings in an effective way.
Details
Keywords
Mohsen Ziaee, Mohammad Fathian and S.J. Sadjadi
This paper aims to study an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection problem. The primary goal of this paper is to propose a two‐phase procedure to select an ERP…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection problem. The primary goal of this paper is to propose a two‐phase procedure to select an ERP vendor and a suitable ERP software.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first phase of the proposed method the preliminary actions – such as constructing a project team, collecting all possible information about ERP vendors and systems, and identifying the ERP system characteristics – are established. In the second phase, the authors present a modular approach to ERP vendor and software selection and propose a 0‐1 programming model to minimize total costs associated with procurement and integration expenditures.
Findings
The proposed approach and the model are considered to be more useful for small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs).
Originality/value
In using the model for analyzing the data about a real case study that is a commercial SME and based on obtained results, some parameter values of the model for all SMEs are suggested.
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Peyman Akhavan, Mostafa Jafari and Mohammad Fathian
To date, critical success factors for design and implementing knowledge management (KM) system in a multi‐case study research have not been systematically investigated. Most of…
Abstract
Purpose
To date, critical success factors for design and implementing knowledge management (KM) system in a multi‐case study research have not been systematically investigated. Most of existing studies have derived their critical success factors from single company perspectives and have not considered all factors in an integrated way in a multi case study research. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection to gain insights into the topic being investigated. For that, “grounded theory” research approach has been selected by which the collected data from real case studies (successful organizations in KM adoption) are categorized and analyzed through specific stages. The extracted concepts can demonstrate critical success factors of KM system within organizations.
Findings
The overall results from the real case studies were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed critical success factors. Also 16 concepts and a conceptual framework are the other findings of this research that clarify how to design and implement a KM system in an organization. The conceptual framework presents a roadmap for success of KM programs in the organizations.
Practical implications
The set of critical success factors can act as a list of items for organizations to address when adopting KM. This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during design and implementation phase. For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the success of KM program in an organization.
Originality/value
This study is probably the first to provide an integrated perspective of critical success factors for implementing KM through a multi case study research. It gives valuable information and guidelines which hopefully will help the leaders to accomplish KM through their organizations in an effective way.