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Article
Publication date: 1 March 1999

Hamad S. Al‐Daeaj, Bahman P. Ebrahimi, Mary S. Thibodeaux and Ercan G. Nasif

Relationships between multinational corporations (MNCs) and developing nations are known to have benefits as well as costs, particularly for the host country. The purpose of this…

220

Abstract

Relationships between multinational corporations (MNCs) and developing nations are known to have benefits as well as costs, particularly for the host country. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of managers on the effects of MNCs on a developing nation. Using a sample of 1344 Arab and non‐Arab managers in Kuwait, the authors find the respondents perceive positive effects of MNCs on the business‐economic, legal‐political, and technological environments of the country. However, the effects of MNCs on the social‐cultural environment in Kuwait are perceived as negative. The authors recommend that MNCs operating in Kuwait be sensitive to these perceptions to ensure harmony in future business ventures.

Details

International Journal of Commerce and Management, vol. 9 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1056-9219

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Article
Publication date: 4 September 2019

Pejman Ebrahimi, Mahsa Ahmadi, Abbas Gholampour and Hamidreza Alipour

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of CRM performance and technological innovation on performance of media entrepreneurs considering firm size.

1616

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of CRM performance and technological innovation on performance of media entrepreneurs considering firm size.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an analytical study used to empirically test the hypotheses proposed for SEM techniques using PLS and R packages. It used two steps in this way: the assessment of the outer model and the assessment of the inner model. Moreover, a bootstrapping method was employed to test indirect effects. Data were collected by distributing 127 questionnaires between the managers and deputies of active firms across Rasht, Iran.

Findings

The effect of CRM performance on SMEs performance development is partially mediated by media entrepreneurship. Moreover, the effect of technological innovation on SMEs performance development is mediated by media entrepreneurship. Furthermore, permutation test results indicated that there is no significant difference between small- and medium-sized firms.

Research limitations/implications

This study used cross-sectional sampling method that can seriously limit result generalization. Therefore, conducting longitudinal studies is strongly recommended.

Practical implications

The results of IPMA matrix indicated the serious importance of technological innovation, as a variable with the highest importance for SMEs performance development. Nevertheless, this variable has received the lowest importance in the studied population. Therefore, SMEs’ managers should pay sufficient attention to the concepts of “product innovations” and “process innovations.”

Originality/value

This study is of high importance in that it has adopted new and effective indices for statistical analysis. IPMA matrix, permutation test, CTA and FIMIX are examples. In addition, plspm and Matrixpls packages in R were used for the first time in this study.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 January 2022

Maryam Soleimani, Leo Paul Dana, Aidin Salamzadeh, Parisa Bouzari and Pejman Ebrahimi

This study explores the effect of internal branding on organisational financial performance and brand loyalty with the mediating role of psychological empowerment.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the effect of internal branding on organisational financial performance and brand loyalty with the mediating role of psychological empowerment.

Design/methodology/approach

The data gathered from 200 Pasargad insurance employees in Iran were analysed. Structural equation modelling and R were used to evaluate the model. Financial performance was measured by four concepts (ROI, ROE, Sales growth, ROA) based on available data from March 2010 to March 2020.

Findings

The results revealed that internal branding and psychological empowerment have no significant effect on financial performance, but both have a significant positive effect on brand loyalty. Likewise, the mediating role of psychological empowerment on the subject of the impact of internal branding on brand loyalty was confirmed. Furthermore, psychological empowerment did not play a mediating role in the impact of internal branding on financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study could be important for managers of organisations active in the insurance industry to highlight internal branding and enhance psychological empowerment and employee brand loyalty. Moreover, managers' perception of the effective role of psychological empowerment to enhance employee brand loyalty is another practical aspect of this research.

Originality/value

Considering the mediating role of psychological empowerment to the effect of internal branding on financial performance and brand loyalty is an innovative aspect of the present study. Meanwhile, the use of R software for VB-SEM was another point to surge the value of this paper.

Details

Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-964X

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Article
Publication date: 30 December 2024

Mohammad Gharipour, Ehsan Masoud, Jamal Esmaeilzadeh Vafaei and Fateme Jahani Sadatmahalle

The advancement of medical care during the late 19th century and the rising importance of public health led to the creation of a healthcare infrastructure in Iran in the early…

17

Abstract

Purpose

The advancement of medical care during the late 19th century and the rising importance of public health led to the creation of a healthcare infrastructure in Iran in the early decades of the 20th century. The study focuses on the formation of this infrastructure through the study of historical materials as well as the study of case studies built in the Gilan region in the north of Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper begins with a review of medical, sociological and historical resources, then turns to field studies and interviews as methods to focus on the medical transformations in the Gilan region.

Findings

This study offers four key findings: First of all, most studies tend to focus more on traditional medicine in Iran than on the initiation and spread of modern medicine. Secondly, foreign physicians and missionaries played an influential role in shaping the culture of Iranian hospital care. Thirdly, the interactions with and influences coming from Iran’s northern neighbors in Gilan transformed the province into an educated, freedom-seeking society. And finally, in its early stages, hospital construction in Iran followed local architectural traditions.

Originality/value

In the case of Gilan, the core structures of urban hospitals were similar in their pavilion typology to those that had been common in Gilan for centuries.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

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Article
Publication date: 13 February 2017

Mahdi Moradi, Mohammad Ali Bagherpour Velashani and Mahdi Omidfar

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of product market competition and corporate governance on firm’s management performance in the Tehran Stock Exchange market…

1148

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of product market competition and corporate governance on firm’s management performance in the Tehran Stock Exchange market. According to the research literature, the governance mechanisms used in this study consist of ownership structure, structure of the board of directors and capital structure. In addition, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and market size were used to measure the product market competition.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used one selected sample among the firms in the capital market of Iran from 2004 to 2012.

Findings

The results of this study indicated that there is a significant relation among the major governance mechanisms (including ownership concentration, independence of the board of directors and debt ratio) and product market competition and management performance. The findings of this study also showed that product market competition is effective on the relation between corporate governance and the performance, and this is what has been ignored in most of the conducted studies.

Originality/value

In general, the results of this study supported the idea that product market competition is effective on implementation and efficiency of governance mechanisms.

Details

Humanomics, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0828-8666

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Publication date: 14 February 2025

Aksakalli Isil Karabey

Purpose: In this study, monolith analysis methods, microservice identification, and decomposition methods proposed for the transition to microservice architectures that enable the…

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, monolith analysis methods, microservice identification, and decomposition methods proposed for the transition to microservice architectures that enable the development of appropriate solutions by adapting to the complex demands that will shape the technological infrastructure of the future are evaluated.

Need for the study: Decomposition from monolithic architectures to microservices has become a popular approach in organizations and companies with Industry 5.0. This transformation of Industry 5.0 enables businesses to gain a competitive advantage and can provide a quick solution to personalized problems such as personal service systems.

Methodology: The study, decomposition from monolith to microservice, initially includes monolith analysis, followed by microservice decomposition review. Various classification methods have been proposed for microservice identification and decomposition and are aligned with Industry 5.0 principles, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI)-based approaches, especially human-centered AI.

Findings: Four analysis methods (domain, static, dynamic, and version) are identified for monolith analysis, with static and dynamic being the most common. Version analysis is not typically used alone. In the decomposition phase, clustering-based methods are prevalent due to the uncertain dimensions of microservices. Rule-based and unsupervised methods are identified for decomposition, with AI algorithms like affinity propagation, Kmeans clustering, hierarchical clustering, Hungarian algorithm, genetic algorithm, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), and minimum spanning tree (MST) being employed.

Practical implications: Microservice architecture enables flexibility, scalability, and resilience compared to monolithic structures. Decomposing large-scale monolith projects into microservices is challenging, requiring selection of appropriate monolith analysis methods based on project details (e.g., domain analysis for detailed Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams) before proceeding with decomposition. This transformation improves deployment, maintenance, fault isolation, and scalability, while allowing for diverse service-specific databases and programming languages.

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Article
Publication date: 12 May 2022

Saurabh Agrawal, Dharmendra Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Raj Kumar Singh

Reverse supply chain (RSC) is one of the ways to handle product returns efficiently. Recovery of residual value from product returns also helps in achieving sustainability. Its…

649

Abstract

Purpose

Reverse supply chain (RSC) is one of the ways to handle product returns efficiently. Recovery of residual value from product returns also helps in achieving sustainability. Its successful implementation requires coordination among all the channel members involved in the activities, from the acquisition to collection to the disposition of returned products. This article aims to review the literature about coordination issues in the RSC.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of 151 articles published during 2004–2021 is carried out. Theory, context and methodology (TCM) framework of the literature review is used to identify the research gaps for future research directions.

Findings

This study identifies the characteristics of RSC coordination. It includes channel structures; coordination mechanisms; performance measuring parameters; the methodology applied and explored industries. The review shows that game-theoretical modeling in RSC coordination is the most commonly used method to coordinate the channels. It was found that issues like disruption, fairness and corporate social responsibility are not explored in-depth and offer much potential for future research.

Originality/value

There are very limited studies on coordination issues in the RSC. The proposed articles add value by considering RSC issues from different strategic, government, consumers' behavior and functionality decision-making point of view.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

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Article
Publication date: 1 April 2008

S. Ebrahimi and P. Eberhard

This paper extends the linear complementarity problem formulation of [7] and [8] for normal impact of planar deformable bodies in multibody systems. In the kinematics of impact we…

101

Abstract

This paper extends the linear complementarity problem formulation of [7] and [8] for normal impact of planar deformable bodies in multibody systems. In the kinematics of impact we consider the normal gaps between the impacting bodies in terms of the generalized coordinates. Then, the generalized coordinate’s vector is formulated in terms of the impact forces using the 5th order implicit Runge‐Kutta approach RADAU5. Substituting the generalized coordinates in the relation of normal gaps together with the complementarity relations of unilateral contact constraints leads to a linear complementarity problem where its solution results in the solution of the impact problem including impact forces and normal gaps. Then, alternatively another formulation on velocity level based on the 4th order explicit Runge‐Kutta is presented. In the presented approach no coefficient of restitution is used for treatment of energy loss during impact and, instead, the material damping is responsible for energy loss. A good agreement between the results of our approach with the results of FEM for soft planar deformable bodies was shown in [7]. Here, we improve the results for stiff planar deformable bodies and show that with a proper selection of eigenmodes, the results on both position and velocity level approach the precise results of FEM provided that an optimal time step of the integration is chosen. We also investigate the effect of considering material damping and some higher eigenfrequencies on the amount of energy which is dissipated during impact based on our approach.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2017

Esmaeil Salahshoor and Saeed Ebrahimi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of joint clearance on the behavior of a needle driver mechanism (a slider-crank linkage) of a typical sewing machine with an…

193

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of joint clearance on the behavior of a needle driver mechanism (a slider-crank linkage) of a typical sewing machine with an imperfect joint between the coupler and the slider (including needle).

Design/methodology/approach

In order to model the clearance, the momentum exchange approach is used. The Lankarani and Nikravesh’s continuous contact force model is used to model the contact force, and the modified Coulomb’s friction law represents the friction between sliding members. The penetration force applied on the needle by fabric is chosen based on an experimental data in the literature. The dynamic response is validated for the existing properties in the literature without considering the penetration force.

Findings

It is shown that the clearance joint made considerable effect on the dynamic response of the system. The rough changes of the needle acceleration and jerk are obvious. The base reaction force changed roughly and did not vary as smooth as that of the mechanism with ideal joint. So, clearance joint in the mechanism could lead to an undesirable vibration in the system. Furthermore, the crank driver must provide a non-smooth moment on the crank to keep the crank rotational velocity constant. Moreover, reducing the clearance size sufficiently could make the dynamic response closer to that of the mechanism with ideal joint. In addition, smoother crank moment could be required if the clearance size is reduced sufficiently. Furthermore, the rough change of the base reaction force which can represent the vibration caused by the mechanism on the fixed frame could be reduced if the clearance size is small enough.

Originality/value

Lockstitch sewing machine is one of the most common apparel industrial machines. The needle driver mechanism of a sewing machine could have an important role for proper stitch forming. On the other hand, clearances are inevitable in assemblage of mechanisms to allow the relative motion between the members. This clearance is due to machining tolerances, wear, material deformations, and imperfections, and it can worsen mechanism performance such as precision, dynamic behavior and vibration. Unfortunately, despite the importance of the dynamic behavior of the needle driver mechanism from practical point of view, very little publications have focused especially on the investigation of the effect of clearance joint on the dynamic behavior of the sewing machine which could lead to undesired vibration of the system and shorter lifetime as a result. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the system including, needle velocity and acceleration, crank moment and base reaction force was compared with that of the ideal mechanism. Finally, the effect of clearance size on the dynamic behavior of the system was investigated.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 29 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

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Article
Publication date: 26 October 2021

Patanjal Kumar, Dheeraj Sharma and Peeyush Pandey

An apparel supply chain primarily consists of geographically distant suppliers, manufacturers and retailers. The coordination among the members of the supply chain becomes…

653

Abstract

Purpose

An apparel supply chain primarily consists of geographically distant suppliers, manufacturers and retailers. The coordination among the members of the supply chain becomes difficult when we consider the triple bottom line of sustainability in it. Moreover, the complexity increases with the change in dominance power of the respective members. However, the task of managing the channel further becomes complicated after incorporating sustainability and dominance power simultaneously into the supply chain. To fill this gap, this paper focuses on designing of mechanism and demonstration of three-echelon model to coordinate sustainable supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the noncooperative game theoretic method has been applied for the exploration of models. The various structures of the centralized and decentralized supply chain are considered on the basis of a player's dominance power. The model uses simultaneous and sequential move games to analyze optimal profit of supply chain agents, total channel profit, green innovation level and corporate social innovation level.

Findings

Analytical results show that simultaneous game performs better than the sequential game. The consumer sensitivity toward green and social innovations increases total channel profit. We also proposed a linear two-part tariff contract model. The proposed model enhances the sustainability level and leads to perfect channel coordination. Using a numerical example, we present the effectiveness of multiple game structures under centralized and decentralized settings. The results reveal that channel efficiency is the highest in the two-part tariff contract followed by a simultaneous move game structure and lower in the cases of sequential move game.

Research limitations/implications

In this research, model setting are deterministic and there is no any information asymmetry. Therefore researchers are encouraged to study multiechelon sustainable supply chain coordination models under stochastic and information asymmetry settings.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the development of sustainable supply chain coordination model to tackle the problems of dominance power, sustainability issues and lower channel efficiency of supply chain.

Originality/value

This study proposes game-theory-based three-echelon sustainable supply chain for the channel coordination.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

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