April 2013
A distance consensus method to aggregate viewpoints of different stakeholders for design alternative selection
Concept selection methods are commonly used throughout industry to determine which among several alternatives should be further developed. Choosing between different concept design alternatives is a complex task because of the presence of multiple conflicting criteria, multiple stakeholders which have diverse viewpoints, and incomplete information. A manufacturer should also pay attention to processes from the viewpoint...
April 2013
A systematic analysis of group-buying website as a system and a tool
The growing popularity and development trajectory of group-buying are comprehensively examined in this paper. We argue that group-buying, which is a new phenomenon in electronic commerce, can be analyzed from the perspective of system and technology. Using the qualitative data of group-buying websites in the USA and China, we make comparisons between various group-buying website models. Our analysis reveals that the...
April 2013
A model for evaluating cloud-computing users’ satisfaction
Cloud computing is a new discussion in enterprise information technology (IT). It is becoming popular in terms of distributed technology in some companies. It helps managers who intend to setup a business in cyberspace not to use high capital to buy computers, software and hire staff who are experts; instead, they can run their business with low cost. Cloud computing also helps users pay for their use of services...
April 2013
Calculating the best cut off point using logistic regression and neural network on credit scoring problem- A case study of a commercial bank
Credit scoring is a method used to estimate the probability of default or becoming delinquent of a loan applicant or existing borrower. There are several methods used for scoring, such as traditional statistics models like probit and logistic regression, data mining approaches and also artificial intelligence algorithms. In this paper, two high-usage methods on real data of legal customers of a commercial were used, and...
April 2013
Re-examining the revival of online group buying mechanisms
In commercial environments consumers with limited order size can aggregate their demand through a group buying mechanism allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a wholesale deal. In electronic commerce, group buying was first introduced in the late 90s. Researchers in various fields conducted studies showing the business viability of the group buying model and it was even regarded as the shopping method for the 21st...
April 2013
Competition in a company’s product market and the quality of financial reporting (Evidences in Iran)
As one of the basic components of economic growth and development in every country, the capital market is responsible for optimal allocation of capital. For the correct guidance of the decisions along the optimal allocation of capital, information has a main role and financial reports are of the most important information resources. So, in the present study, effort is on studying the effect of competition in the...
April 2013
Improvement of renewable energy supply forecasts: The case of Taiwan renewable industry
Grey theory is one of the new mathematical theories born out of the concept of the grey set. It is an effective method used to solve uncertainty problems with discrete data and incomplete information. In this paper, an improved grey GM (1, 1) model, using a technique that combines residual modification with the Markov chain model, is proposed. This paper employs the annual supply value of Taiwan renewable industry as...
April 2013
Recognizing organizational variables affecting organizational health of Iranian agricultural colleges
The aim of this study was to recognize organizational variables affecting organizational health of Iranian agricultural colleges. Organizational health has a positive role on organizational effectiveness; hence improving organizational health through management mechanisms in which some effective organizational variables were recognized and used as an important issue. This was a descriptive–analytic...
April 2013
Factors responsible for the rising trend in teenagers’ online purchases
Previously, the field of e-commerce was only interested in doing business with organizations and adults. However, recently online business owners started to focus on teenagers because the numbers of teenagers that go online increases day by day. If compared to adults, teens usually spend much more time using the internet. Thus, the website designers started to focus on designing e-shopping portals for teenagers. Teens...
April 2013
A heuristic algorithm for determining the production batch size and the idle time for minimizing makespan
In this paper, a heuristic algorithm has been presented with the aim of determining the quantity of the best batch size for minimizing the makespan of a production system in order to meet the demands of a specified period for a product. This algorithm calculates the time required for fulfilling each of the requisite operations for producing a batch size by taking into account the standard time for fulfilling the...
April 2013
A study on the effect of intellectual capital and organizational learning process on organizational performance
Today, the nature of business is facing some important and critical challenges and changes that have changed organizations' economic activities greatly. Issues such as competition expansion, advances in information technology, the changes to organizational structures, and economic units' attempt to land on a pioneer rank have made continuous improvement of organizational performance inevitable....
April 2013
Designing a fuzzy model for decision support systems in the selection and recruitment process
Today, most companies require skilled and experienced staff in their firms, but they encounter problems in identifying the necessary personnel to recruit. However, there is lack of a system that has the capability of integrating the needs of organizations in this field. A case study is Iran Khodro Company, Iran's largest car maker which has always been faced with these problems. Based on this study,...
April 2013
Indonesian small medium enterprises (SMEs) and perceptions on Halal food certification
This paper reports on a study of entrepreneurs of small medium enterprises (SMEs) in food business in Indonesia and their perception of the halal certification process as currently adopted by Indonesia. A total of 102 usable questionnaires were analysed using SPSS to search for the mean score for each of the information on Halal certification process (HFC 1 to HFC 3). HFC 1 was regarding their perceptions towards market...
April 2013
Microfinancing in Pakistan: Growth prospects and poverty reduction strategy
Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are globally considered as a distinctly effective way to make the living standard of the people better. The purpose of conducting this research study is to investigate the growth prospects of microfinance programs in Pakistan to eradicate poverty. The microfinance program has been operative in Pakistan since October 1972 in one form or the other. It was first launched by the then...
April 2013
Impact of work and family involvement on work-family conflict of non professional Igbo Nigerian employees
This study aimed at examining the impact of work and family involvement in work-family conflict. Two hundred self selected non professional Igbo workers (95 males and 125 females) participated in the study. Carlson, Kacmar and William’s 18-item work-family conflict scale was used to assess workers’ experience of work-family conflict. In addition, Job involvement and family involvement questionnaires were...
April 2013
Strategic management practices and corporate entrepreneurship: A cluster analysis of financial and business services firms in South Africa
As emerging economies become more market-based, it is necessary for reformed enterprises to undergo an entrepreneurial transformation at the organizational level in order to adapt to the transitioning institutional environment and maintain competitiveness in both local and global markets. This study combines the research domains of strategic management and corporate innovation by examining the impact of strategic...
April 2013
Profitability and resource-use efficiency in poultry egg farming in Ogun State, Nigeria
Profit maximization which is one of the common objectives of business enterprises is grossly dependent on how best productive resources are harnessed. In the light of this, this study was carried out to determine the profitability and resource use efficiency of poultry egg farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria. Primary data were obtained with the aid of structured questionnaire from a cross section survey of 120 farmers drawn...
April 2013
The economy of distribution centers: The case of large retail networks in Brazil
Large retail chains have revolutionized their logistics systems by positioning distribution centers (DC) close to urban centers. The primary objective was to be a prompt supplier for the nearby stores; another was to comply with the increasing traffic problems, which restrict the access of large trucks to urban retailers, while the last objective would be associated with a broader spectrum of reasons, called...
April 2013
Strategies for scheduling jobs in an identical parallel machine production environment
This paper addresses an identical parallel machine environment present in industry. In such an environment, no machine can execute more than one job at the same time. Each job is characterised by a release date that reflects the instant that the processing is able to start. There are no compatibility constraints between job and machine, so that each machine can perform any job. There are no precedence constraints or...
April 2013
Environment CSR initiatives of manufacturing units in India – An empirical study
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns into their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Especially, manufacturing firms in developing countries such as India the world’s 'manufacturing floors' – are under heavy scrutiny from many parties. This paper is an effort to research...
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