Mohammad Reza Habibi and Chiranjeev S. Kohli
This paper aims to provide lessons from the emergence of the sharing economy after the 2008 recession and helps managers prepare more effectively for recessions in the future.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide lessons from the emergence of the sharing economy after the 2008 recession and helps managers prepare more effectively for recessions in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
In this conceptual paper, the authors build on research on the sharing economy and study the best practices contributing to the sharing economy’s emergence and growth after the 2008 recession. The authors identify the key characteristics of this new economic sector and share lessons that can be used by other companies.
Findings
The authors recommend five major takeaways: seeking a more flexible supply; actively watching the trends; leveraging customers like employees; using advanced data science and technology like the sharing economy companies; and proactively avoiding panicked responses. This will help companies succeed during recessionary times – and the boom times that follow.
Originality/value
This is the first paper that, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, investigates the interplay between the sharing economy and recession and highlights practical lessons.
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Chiranjeev S. Kohli and Mohammad Reza Habibi
Business success and pricing are very closely intertwined. This study aims to explain how businesses can improve their profitability by relying on creative pricing strategies that…
Abstract
Purpose
Business success and pricing are very closely intertwined. This study aims to explain how businesses can improve their profitability by relying on creative pricing strategies that managers across industries can adopt.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses research from related fields and a detailed analysis of the airline industry to deconstruct its success and identify innovative pricing practices that have helped salvage it.
Findings
Based on our analysis, the authors propose several strategies that can help companies control their pricing and leverage it to increase profitability. These include decommoditizing, segmenting the market (up and down), scrutinizing customer behavior, offering versioning and ancillary services, actively promoting these add-ons and using dynamic pricing.
Originality/value
This study takes an unusual approach and look at the airline industry – literally a textbook example of an oligopoly. The authors argue that if companies in an oligopoly – with undifferentiated services – can dig themselves out of the depths of nonexistent profits by using innovative pricing, it should be much simpler for companies in other industries that offer easier differentiation.
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Meysam Amini, Esmaeil GhasemiKafrudi, Mohammad Reza Habibi, Azin Ahmadi and Akram HosseinNia
Due to the extensive industrial applications of stagnation flow problems, the present work aims to investigate the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow and heat transfer of a magnetite…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the extensive industrial applications of stagnation flow problems, the present work aims to investigate the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) flow and heat transfer of a magnetite nanofluid (here Fe3O4–water nanofluid) impinging a flat porous plate under the effects of a non-uniform magnetic field and chemical reaction with variable reaction rate.
Design/methodology/approach
Similarity transformations are applied to reduce the governing partial differential equations with boundary conditions into a system of ordinary differential equations over a semi-infinite domain. The modified fourth-order Runge–Kutta method with the shooting technique which is developed for unbounded domains is conducted to give approximate solutions of the problem, which are then verified by results of other researchers, showing very good agreements.
Findings
The effects of the volume fraction of nanoparticles, permeability, magnetic field, chemical reaction and Schmidt number on velocity, temperature and concentration fields are examined and graphically illustrated. It was found that fluid velocity and temperature fields are affected strongly by the types of nanoparticles. Moreover, magnetic field and radiation have strong effects on velocity and temperature fields, fluid velocity increases and thickness of the velocity boundary layer decreases as magnetic parameter M increases. The results also showed that the thickness of the concentration boundary layer decreases with an increase in the Schmidt number, as well as an increase in the chemical reaction coefficient.
Research limitations/implications
The thermophysical properties of the magnetite nanofluid (Fe3O4–water nanofluid) in different conditions should be checked.
Practical implications
Stagnation flow of viscous fluid is important due to its vast industrial applications, such as the flows over the tips of rockets, aircrafts, submarines and oil ships. Moreover, nanofluid, a liquid containing a dispersion of sub-micronic solid particles (nanoparticles) with typical length of the order of 1-50 nm, showed abnormal convective heat transfer enhancement, which is remarkable.
Originality/value
The major novelty of the present work corresponds to utilization of a magnetite nanofluid (Fe3O4–water nanofluid) in a stagnation flow influenced by chemical reaction and magnetic field. It should be noted that in addition to a variable chemical reaction, the permeability is non-uniform, while the imposed magnetic field also varies along the sheet. These, all, make the present work rather original.
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By analyzing urbanism products, development plans and the process of modernization in Iran, the purpose of this paper is to critically trace the effect of dictatorial control on…
Abstract
Purpose
By analyzing urbanism products, development plans and the process of modernization in Iran, the purpose of this paper is to critically trace the effect of dictatorial control on urbanism and the emergence of government-imposed urban segregation.
Design/methodology/approach
The main body of this work is concentrated on studying the history of urbanism in Iran, of which collecting data and descriptions played a crucial role. To prevent the limitations associated with singular methods, the methodology of this research is based on methodological triangulation (Denzin, 2017). With the triangulation scheme, the data are gathered by combining different qualitative and quantitative methods such as library, archival and media research, online resources, non-participatory observation and photography. For the empirical part, the city of Tehran is selected as the case study. Moreover, individual non-structured interviews with the locals were conducted to gain more insights regarding the housing projects.
Findings
The results reveal that despite the intense propaganda, the regime policies barely mentioned the urban poor. With the rise of new principles of architecture and urban planning, the regime tried to promote the image of an updated society; restructuring of the urban space was part of this process. However, the majority of the urban projects disregarded the financial ability of low-income groups and eventually benefited only the middle and upper classes. Also, by imposing a physical distance, low-income neighborhoods were located in the south in order to marginalize the urban poor who were in contrast with the idea of a modern city. Under these circumstances, severe economic inequality was provoked, which to this day has transformed into a complex socio-spatial segregation.
Originality/value
The works of general historical studies are not concentrated on urbanism and urban researchers have mostly focused on urbanism products during different periods, regardless, of the importance of urbanism as a tool in the service of hegemony. In other words, the majority of existing research investigates the evolution of urbanism and architecture in modern Iran, by questioning “what has been built?” and has ignored to trace the beneficiaries of the urban projects and to question “built for whom?”. Moreover, urbanism under the government of Mossadegh (1951–1953) has been largely overlooked, which could be due to his short time as Prime Minister of Iran. Mossadegh’s government was the first democratic government in Iran; hence investigating the policies used in this period has a great importance.
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Mohammad Hossein Rahmati and Mohammad Reza Jalilvand
Current models of organizational excellence are appropriate for the private organizations. It is evident that if an appropriate model is not adopted, the process of excellence in…
Abstract
Purpose
Current models of organizational excellence are appropriate for the private organizations. It is evident that if an appropriate model is not adopted, the process of excellence in the organizations fails and some dimensions of the organization get affected by unpredictable damages. This research aims to identify an appropriate excellence model for public organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the excellence criteria and models. Second, the models were through an expert-oriented questionnaire, analyzed by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique. Participants were experts in the two domains of excellence models and public sector management. A sample of 15 experts was selected using purposive sampling. In order to emphasize on reliability, 10 questionnaires were adopted for analysis.
Findings
The findings showed that the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model is the most appropriate model for excellence measurement in the public organizations based on the five selected indices.
Originality/value
The identification of a model for measuring organizational excellence for public sector can significantly contribute to existing literature on excellence measurement.
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Milad Abbasi, Mohammad Reza Monazzam, Hossein Arabalibeik and Mansour Shamsipour
The purpose of the study was to identify and weight the dimensions and indicators of individual job performance (IJP).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to identify and weight the dimensions and indicators of individual job performance (IJP).
Design/methodology/approach
To identify dimensions and their measuring indicators, a literature review was conducted in PubMed, Embase™, ProQest, Scopus®, Web of Science™ and Google Scholar. Based on the results of the literature review and consensus among the research team, dimensions and measuring indicators were identified and an IJP framework was constructed. For weighting dimensions and indicators, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and fuzzy Delphi technique (FDT) were conducted, respectively.
Findings
Based on the results, the conceptual framework showed that IJP consisted of four dimensions as follows: task performance (TP), contextual performance (CP), counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) and adaptive performance (AP). The results of FAHP showed that TP (0.358) had the highest weighting in measuring IJP. The weight of CWBs, CP and AP was 0.302, 0.244 and 0.096, respectively. The results showed that 102 indicators were identified to measure the dimensions. Using the FDT, 45 indicators were accepted and 57 were rejected. Of the accepted indicators, 12 indicators belonged to TP. In addition, 11, 12 and 10 belonged to CP, CWBs and AP, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The results of the article can be useful in research and practice and bridge the gap between theory and practice. In the research area, the researchers can use this model to develop questionnaires for evaluating IJP in all occupations. The researchers can choose the most effective dimensions or indicators in accordance with the corresponding occupation. Moreover, the results can be used in practice (economic and commercial impact), teaching, influencing public policy and helping to establish a more complete knowledge system.
Originality/value
In order to select dimensions and their measuring indicators, the work in the study took the unique approach to employ powerful decision-making methods combined with fuzzy methods to remove any ambiguity in opinions.
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Large-scale interventions are still the dominant approach in dealing with historic cities in Iran; however, during the last decade there has been a shift towards integrated and…
Abstract
Purpose
Large-scale interventions are still the dominant approach in dealing with historic cities in Iran; however, during the last decade there has been a shift towards integrated and decentralised policies and a series of locally based projects were initiated across the country. Political and ideological forces, population growth as well as cultural and heritage consensus are influencing approaches towards urban conservation and heritage management constantly. This paper opens up the urban intervention approaches in the historic core of Shiraz and provides a deeper insight and better understanding of heritage management and regeneration plans in Shiraz as a representative of historic Iranian cities.
Design/methodology/approach
The study explains and analyses major urban transformations in Shiraz. The main approaches towards historical city core are identified and the mechanism that shaped these approaches in national and local scale is discussed. This investigation primarily uses qualitative data sources. The study relies on multiple sources of evidence which result in the reliability and validity of the investigation. Therefore, primary sources include original documents, maps and photographs published in documentation for the projects, published and unpublished materials and archives about case study city and secondary sources such as interviews with consultants and authorities as well as residents have been used.
Findings
This paper provides a more detailed explanation about several interrelated factors that affected the process of decision and policy making, planning and implementation of city centre interventions during the last two decades.
Originality/value
This paper anticipates consequent trends in heritage management in Shiraz and recommends further research areas. The paper can be used to develop a more practical set of recommendations for urban heritage management in Iran.
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Ayda Rastiemadabadi, Joaquín Sabaté Bel and Melisa Pesoa Marcilla
This study aims to explore the relationship between contemporary cities and traditional urban forms. The central focus lies in identifying the key factors that facilitate the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the relationship between contemporary cities and traditional urban forms. The central focus lies in identifying the key factors that facilitate the harmonious coexistence of these contrasting sides of the city.
Design/methodology/approach
This study takes Iranian bazaars as exemplars of traditional urban forms. To assess their current status, a comprehensive examination of their general evolution is conducted, tracing the transition of these urban complexes up to the present day. Subsequently, morphological analysis and exploration of spatial arrangements across numerous cases are employed to unveil the factors contributing to their disappearance or adaptation within the framework of Iran’s contemporary urban era.
Findings
The evolution process of the Iranian bazaar shows that the encounter between traditional bazaars and modernity occurred swiftly and blindly, resulting in adverse effects on traditional urban forms, notably bazaars. In recent years, contemporary urban planning has undertaken corrective measures, adopting a more nuanced approach. This shift significantly strides in restoring the symbiotic relationship between cities and their traditional bazaars. Morphologically, certain bazaars have preserved their vitality in contemporary cities through their natural development patterns, adept integration with new urban textures and the implementation of ingenious adaptive strategies.
Originality/value
This study employs a comprehensive and equitable approach to examining a distinct category of traditional urban forms. It initiates the inquiry by meticulously considering historical continuity in conjunction with detailed contemporary circumstances, subsequently scrutinising their losses, damages and developmental aspects. An extensive collection of cases is assembled and subjected to a consistent analytical framework for comparative evaluation to obtain the most accurate result. Consequently, the outcomes of this research may help the present urban planners engaged in projects concerning the restoration, preservation, revitalisation and development of traditional urban forms.