اسماعیل مزروعی نصرابادی

The supply chain of machine-made carpets has faced several fluctuations in recent years. One of the most important fluctuations is the bullwhip effect. Future study of bullwhip effect in the supply chain can prepare decision makers to deal with possible scenarios. This research has been carried out in the Iranian machine-made carpet industry.

Future study of the bullwhip effect in the supply chain of Iran's machine-made carpet industry

The statistical population of this research is the experts of Iranian machine carpet industry who have been selected by judgment and snowball method. Theme analysis was used to analyze the interviews and Micmac and Scenariowizard software were used for future study.

The results of the interview showed that there are 10 drivers for bullwhip effect in the supply chain, 9 of which were selected as important drivers by Micmac software. Out of 1152 possible scenarios, 3 scenarios were consistent, which are a favorable scenario, an unfavorable scenario and a median scenario.

Finally, suggestions such as reducing start-up time, improving demand forecasting methods, changing the replenishment policy, volume-based discounts instead of batch-based discounts, and vendor inventory management were presented to achieve the desired scenario and avoid the unfavorable scenario.

Coopetition strategy, which means simultaneous cooperation and competition between competitors, is one of the most efficient strategies to overcome limitations in resources and expertise. Despite these advantages, there are several disadvantages in this strategy that should be identified. According to the existing research gap, in this research, coopetition disadvantages in the health supply chain were identified and ranked.

The research approach was a mixed research method. In the qualitative phas, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis method were used to identify the disadvantages. In the quantitative phas, the ordinal priority approach was used to rank the disadvantages. The statistical population was the health supply chain experts of Kashan, Aran and Bidgol cities.

The results show 13 disadvantages under the title of loss of independence in decision-making, loss of opportunity to cooperate with others, increasing transaction cost, severe conflicts and patient delays, danger of losing control over resources, asymmetric access to resources, unethical partner behavior, profit disproportion, distortion of brand image due to conflict with competitors, information leakage, prioritizing your patients, risk of sending patients to others treatment places and fluctuations in positions and government decisions. According to ordinal priority approach, the most important disadvantage was identified as severe conflicts and delaying of patients.

Originality/Value: 

The findings of this research identify and rank 13 significant disadvantages of the coopetition strategy in the healthcare sector, whereas the literature only references 7 of these. The identification and ranking of these disadvantages constitute the theoretical contribution of this study. Examining the competitor's cultural fit, setting professional contracts, meritocracy in managers and setting the monitoring and control process are the most basic strategies for dealing with disadvantages.

The current research was conducted with the aim of identifying, modeling and analyzing the scenario of coopetition acceptance factors in the health sector. For this purpose, in the first step of the research by using semi-structured interviews with experts in the health sector, 44 acceptance factors for coopetition were identified. Following this stage, the factors were categorized in 13 categories: "stakeholder engagement", "management attitude", "organizational factors", "Previous experiences in coopetition", "Society culture", "cognitive skills", "manpower characteristics", "management ability", "complementarity", "special conditions", "organizational culture", "legal conditions", and "perceived benefits". In the second and third stages, in order to identify key factors, scenario analysis was conducted. The results of the cognitive mapping show that "stakeholder engagement" is the dependent variable, "previous experiences in coopetition", "society culture", and "special conditions" are driving variables and other common variables. The "stakeholder engagement", "managerial attitude", and "legal conditions", have highest degree of influence from other factors, and the "management ability", "managerial attitude", and “perceived benefits", have the highest degree of greatest influence on others factors. Also, the "managerial attitude", "managerial ability" and "stakeholder engagement" have the highest degree of centrality. The path analysis results highlight the significance of "managerial attitude" and "managerial ability" in backward scenarios, as well as "organizational factors" and "perceptual skills" in forward scenarios. The findings suggest the need to attract capable managers, boost the self-confidence and flexibility of human resources, and foster associations among competitors.

Funding in the healthcare supply chain has always faced challenges, and the challenges of this industry have increased due to inflation and the government's financial problems. One of the most important methods of financing in the healthcare supply chain is a public-private partnership, therefore it is important to identify the drivers of this method of financing. According to the research gap in the field of identification of drivers in this supply chain, modeling, and analysis of their scenario, this study has been carried out to cover this research gap. This research has been done in two qualitative and quantitative stages. In the qualitative stage, with semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, drives were identified, and in the quantitative stage, using a researcher-made questionnaire and fuzzy cognitive map, modeling, and scenario analysis of drives were done. The results of the qualitative stage show 23 drives that were grouped into 8 categories. The results of the fuzzy cognitive map indicate the independence of the ‘risk transfer’ drive, the dependence on the ‘profit’ drive, and the highest degree of centrality of the ‘hardware upgrade’ drive. The analysis of forward and backward scenarios shows the high importance of ‘asset management and financing’ and ‘infrastructure improvement’ drivers. According to the findings of the research, it is suggested to formulate a road map for the development of infrastructures, pay according to the quality, and determine the correction factor for the improvement of important drivers.

The machine-made carpet supply chain faces multiple disruptions and must be resilient. To be resilient, identifying barriers holds significant importance. Previous research has examined barriers without considering the stages of supply chain resilience. In this study, barriers to supply chain resilience were identified based on the five stages of supply chain resilience, and their model was presented. The research population consisted of experts in the supply chain of the machine-made carpet industry, using judgmental and snowball sampling methods. The sample size for identifying factors based on theoretical saturation was 14, while in the modeling stage, it was 10. The results indicated 20, 20, 16, 16, and 16 barriers in each of the five stages. Variables such as lack of trust, network complexity, lack of top management commitment, cultural challenges, and low human resource competence are of high importance based on their frequency in the five stages and the roles they play, requiring special attention. To overcome these barriers, it is suggested to focus on developing information infrastructure, employing innovative technologies, conducting training courses, and enhancing human resource management systems

In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a significant technology in the industrial and academic sectors, particularly in the context of the fourth-generation industry. Encouraging industries, including oil, gas, and electric power sectors to adopt IoT technology expeditiously is crucial due to its numerous advantages. This article focuses on the oil and gas and electric power industry, which is a vital sector in any country, and emphasizes the need for the accelerated implementation of IoT to unlock its potential benefits. Despite the potential of IoT to achieve important and innovative changes in oil, gas, and electric power industries, surveys indicate a slow adoption trend in Iran. Thus, this research aims to identify and model the drivers that influence the implementation of IoT in Iran's oil, gas, and electric power industry supply chain. The research consists of two stages: the identification of drivers through literature review and assessment using the Delphi method and the presentation of a model of drivers using fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling. The results, comprising 75 drivers categorized into 14 general categories, highlight "government regulations" as the most fundamental driver in Iran's oil, gas, and electric power industry supply chain.

In the current digital landscape, organizations are increasingly leveraging innovative strategies in online advertising to capture consumer attention and foster brand loyalty. Among these strategies is gamification, which involves incorporating game design elements into non-game contexts to enhance user engagement and motivation. Gamification has proven to be a powerful tool in digital marketing, particularly on social media platforms, where user interaction is pivotal to success. By embedding game-like elements into advertisements, businesses can attract attention, heighten engagement, enrich user experiences, and ultimately improve retention rates, fostering greater brand loyalty. A notable example of this approach can be found in the online transportation sector, specifically with TAPSI, a ride-hailing service. TAPSI has employed various gamification mechanics and dynamics within its app and on Instagram, aiming to attract and engage users more effectively. However, a key challenge lies in aligning TAPSI’s gamification strategies with established principles and addressing the gap between the company’s implementation of gamification elements and customer perceptions of their presence. This research examines the role of gamification in the social media advertising content of the online car service industry, focusing on TAPSI’s application of gamification and the perceptual gap between the company's intentions and customer experiences.

This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, conducted in two phases. The first phase involved qualitative content analysis to assess the presence or absence of gamification mechanics and dynamics in TAPSI’s app and Instagram content. The corpus for this analysis comprised all advertisements posted by TAPSI on its Instagram platform and within the TAPSI app between 2023 and 2024. Gamification elements analyzed included dynamics-such as emotions, constraints, narrative, progression, and relationships - and mechanics - including turn-taking, chance, competition, collaboration, feedback, resource acquisition, rewards, challenges, transactions, and winning status.In the second phase, a quantitative survey was conducted to evaluate customer perceptions of the use of gamification elements in TAPSI’s app and Instagram content. The survey instruments were based on established gamification scales by Xu & Hamari (202) and Kim et al. (202). Convenience sampling was employed, with a sample size determined to be 384, following the Morgan table for an infinite population. Data analysis was performed usingSPSS version 26 and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Ultimately, by aligning customer perceptions of gamification elements in the TAPSI software with researchers’ analyses (using a qualitative content analysis approach) regarding the presence or absence of these elements, the implementation-perception gaps were identified, and strategies were proposed to address them.

TAPSI has integrated various gamification dynamics and mechanics into its business practices, particularly within its advertising content Instagram and its mobile app. Analysis of the 2023-2024 content revealed extensive use of gamification elements, with examples of dynamics such as emotions, constraints, narrative, progression, and relationships frequently observed. For instance, TAPSI’s support for national during major international events, intended to evoke emotions of pride patriotism, exemplified its use of emotional dynamics. The progression dynamic was in the app’s design, where users could track their points and progress through various levels, such as Earth, Moon, Sun, and Galaxy.Constraints, another key dynamic, were also prominent. Time limitations on discounts and points incentivized users to monitor available offers to avoid missing out. Furthermore, TAPSI fostered a sense of community and relationship-building among users, drivers, and management, positioning them as interconnected members of TAPSI ecosystem.Regarding gamification mechanics, TAPSI effectively utilized a wide range of elements, including challenges, chance, competition, and rewards. One notable mechanic was the element of chance, which TAPSI incorporated through periodic lotteries and promotions. The feedback and winning status mechanics were also used to publicize winners of challenges and competitions, serving to motivate broader user participation. TAPSI successfully engaged users by introducing a variety of challenges and competitions supported by rewards. However, not all mechanics were present. Notably, no instances of transactions or turn-taking mechanics were identified in TAPSI’s app or Instagram content.The analysis of the implementation-perception gap revealed discrepancies between TAPSI’s use of gamification elements and customer awareness and understanding of these elements. Customer perceptions of transactions, collaboration, and turn-taking were notably weak, mirroring the absence or limited of these elements by TAPSI. Additionally, while TAPSI implemented mechanics such as narrative, progression, constraints, competition, resource acquisition, and rewards, customer perceptions of these elements were similarly underwhelming. In several cases, TAPSI had implemented a dynamic or mechanic, but customers exhibited a limited perception of its presence.

Despite the growth of this sector in major cities, the market remains largely dominated by traditional transportation companies. Consequently, gamification plays a significant role in fostering the expansion of online transportation services. However, when implementing gamification within the transportation sector, it is essential to recognize that its effectiveness is contingent upon various factors. Moreover, a structured and well-informed approach is vital for ensuring the successful application of gamification.Given these considerations, careful attention must be paid to the use of gamification in online transportation to maximize its impact and enhance overall effectiveness. Despite TAPSI’s strategic efforts to incorporate gamification into its advertising content, customer perception of these elements remains incomplete, undermining their overall effectiveness in capturing user attention. To address this gap, TAPSI must consider several recommendations based on the research findings. First, the company should establish partnerships with reputable firms to enhance the resource acquisition mechanic and design challenges that accommodate varying skill levels to foster greater competition. Second, TAPSI should implement campaigns with clear themes and objectives to encourage collaboration among users, thereby strengthening the collaboration mechanic.Additionally, although TAPSI has employed a range of rewards for both passengers and drivers, customer perceptions of the reward remain limited. The divergence in customer expectations regarding the type and value of rewards may explain TAPSI’s lack of success in this area. To address this, TAPSI should tailor its reward offerings to reflect the diverse demographic and socio-economic of its users, providing both monetary and non-monetary incentives.Finally, to boost user engagement with the app and TAPSI’s social media content, the company should explore additional strategies for imposing limitations, such as capping point accumulation or limiting the frequency of reward usage. These modifications could serve to increase the attractiveness of TAPSI’s gamification efforts and better align customer perceptions with the company’s objectives.

Humanities graduates have serious concerns about their employment status in the society. The increase in graduates in this field, especially due to the growing number of higher educational institutes in the country, requires policymakers to adopt more logical and practical measures to deal with the problem. Using future research, the current paper aims to draw a picture of the employment status of humanities graduates. The research method is qualitative, with the statistical population being professors and experts in the field of humanities. There is purposeful sampling method where the data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. After implementing the interviews, its components were identified at the level of litany, social causes, discourse/worldview and myth/metaphor. At the litany level, categories of "unemployment crisis", "abandoned and marginalized humanities", "inefficient/unskilled humanities" and "lack of independent identity" were created. At the level of systematic causes, a set of cultural-social and economic factors are marked as fundamental ones. At the level of discourse/worldview, product-oriented, post-modern, Islamic humanities and problem-oriented discourses were used. At the level of metaphor/myth, metaphorical interpretations of the boy of engineer, Professor Balthazar, the Achilles heel of national development and advanced/regressive sciences were used. Finally, with a literature review and referring to the interviews and going back and forth and asking the opinion of experts and specialists, the two driving forces of an engineering-like and top-down view against the provision of open intellectual and academic space and the policy of unifying sciences were found. In contrast to the development of interdisciplinary studies approach, four scenarios were identified and developed.

Several disruptions in the business environment can occur naturally or by unnatural causes. Due to the destructive effects of disasters, crises, natural and unnatural disasters on supply chain performance, organizational experts seek to study the concept of risk in the supply chain as well as how to deal with them. Resilience refers to the system's ability to cope with disruptions and swiftly return to a prior or improved state. If the supply chains are not resilient, they will suffer severe damage with any disruption; as a result, resilience is a critical issue for the supply chain. Given the significance of this issue, the objective of this study is to identify suitable strategies for enhancing resilience in the supply chain.

A metasynthesis approach was employed to identify supply chain resilience strategies. To evaluate the validity and reliability of the research, the quality assessment program (CASP) and the Cohen's kappa formula were utilized. For this purpose, by referring to the valid documents available in the databases "Google Scholar", "Science direct", "Emerald","Springer", "Elm Net", "Magiran" and "Noormagz" in the period 2000-2019 (External) and 80-98 (internal) 577 articles in the field of supply chain resilience identified, and then 66 articles related to the topic of strategies were selected. Of them, eight articles were In Persian, and 58 articles were in Latin.

With a systematic review of the literature, 68 strategies for enhancing supply chain resilience were identified: “Increase backup inventory”, “Considering the bill of materials and substitutes (BOM)”, “Production of semi-finished products”, “Strategic inventory management”, “Postponing”, “Creating flexibility in transportation”, “Channel rerouting and reconfiguration”, “Adaptation of social and environmental issues”, “Creating additional capacity in the structure of the distribution network”, “Create backup capacity”, “Compliance with sustainability”, “Increasing speed”, “Delivery during low traffic hours”, “Create redundancy”, “Achieving a high level of flexibility”, “Ensuring supply chain agility”, “Customer response”, “Demand forecast”, “Creating diversity in the portfolio”, “Product differentiation and customization”, “Building relationships with buyers”, “Smooth replacement of the product”, “Creating appropriate contractual agreements”, “Establishing public and private partnerships”, “Creating relational competencies and social capital”, “Focus on integrity and communication”, “Increase creativity”, “Efficiency and skill development”, “Establishing a relationship with the supplier”, “Use of multiple sources of supply”, “Choosing the right supplier”, “Creating flexibility in supply”, “Providing parts and goods from domestic suppliers instead of foreign suppliers (use of domestic resources)”, “Using incentives for supplier development and improvement”, “Supplier resilience”, “Production outsourcing”, “Strengthening facilities”, “Dispersion of facilities”, “Operations and Supply Chain - Focus on supply chain management”, “Designing the supply chain network (paying attention to the size of the network/structure of the distribution center)”, “Building a strong culture of collaboration”, “Use of employees overseas”, “Human resources management”, “Quality Control”, “Using Six Sigma processes”, “Improve production and process for efficiency and reduce waste”, “Implementation of lean production processes with timely delivery and low inventory”, “Implementation and use of information and communication technology”, “Increased traceability”, “Provide security”, “Improve the security system”, “Creating a risk management culture”, “Safety certificate”, “Classification planning”, “Creating contingency planning”, “Revenue management through dynamic pricing and advertising”, “Economic supply incentives”, “Possible redirection”, “Creating logistics capabilities”, “Superior transportation”, “Use of multiple carriers/ports”, “Accelerate transportation”, “Creating flexibility in transportation” and “Channel rerouting and reconfiguration”. They were grouped in 12 categories including "inventory management", "adaptability", "demand management", "communication management", "knowledge management", "and supply chain management “,” quality management “,” information management “,” risk management, Planning “,” Financial Management and Logistics Management". Finally, according to the time of their use, they were classified into three general categories: preventive strategies, concurrent strategies and reactive strategies. Some categories were placed in only one category of preventive strategies, concurrent strategies and reactive strategies, but some strategies were placed in two or three categories. A review of previous studies in this field has not provided a complete and comprehensive set of supply chain resilience strategies, and this article seeks to identify and present these strategies using a systematic review of the literature. Finally, creating flexibility, creating redundancy, ensuring supply chain agility, increasing visibility and building a strong culture of cooperation were identified as the most important strategies for supply chain resilience.

The supply chain resilience strategies are categorized into those that can be utilized before a disruption, during a disruption, and after a disruption, based on the timing of their application. In the pre-disruption conditions, adopting preventive strategies will help to prevent the occurrence of disruptions. Based on this categorization, it is essential to identify preventive strategies according to the specific conditions and implement them effectively. When a disruption occurs, the supply chain must be prepared for it and be able to respond quickly to that disruption. Consequently, identifying concurrent (current) strategies is crucial here. Thus, by adopting concurrent strategies, the supply chain can be saved from severe damage in the event of a disruption. In situations where supply chain disruption has occurred and led to supply chain disruption, it is crucial to adopt reactive (recovery) strategies to improve the situation and its recovery. In summary, the adoption of appropriate strategies is crucial, considering the specific conditions in which the supply chain operates. Managers should focus on identifying strategies that enhance supply chain resilience.

The supply chain of the food industry is crucial for countries, yet it is vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disasters like floods, frost, and heatwaves, as well as operational shutdowns. These disruptions can trigger a ripple effect throughout the food supply chain, posing significant challenges for the country. Therefore, it is imperative to identify and analyze strategies to mitigate the ripple effect. This research has been conducted in two stages: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative stage aimed to identify coping strategies, employing thematic analysis. The quantitative stage involved scenario modeling and analysis using fuzzy cognitive maps. The findings revealed 84 primary codes grouped into 21 sub-categories and 4 main categories: "Strategic Management," "Operations Management," "Compilation and Correct Implementation of Laws," and "Supply Chain Management." Analysis of backward scenarios underscored the importance of "supplier relationship management," "cooperation and coordination in the supply chain," and "contingency plans." Conversely, analysis of forward scenarios highlighted the significance of "monitoring environmental changes" and "strategic planning." Focusing on short-term plans, enhancing managers' decision-making and problem-solving skills, refining supplier selection criteria, optimizing supply network design with backup locations, and maintaining safety stock for critical goods are recommended actions for industry stakeholders.

The ripple effect, which refers to disturbances with a low probability of occurrence but a high impact, has been able to have many negative effects on the supply chain of Iran's food industry. Considering the strategic importance of the food industry, it is necessary to investigate the causal conditions of this effect.

Design/methodology/approach: 

This study has been performed in two phases with a mixed approach. The qualitative phase was conducted to identify the causes of the ripple effect and the quantitative phase was conducted to model and analyze the scenario. The participants in the qualitative phase were industrial experts, and judgmental sampling was used to collect data. The sample included 15 respondents, and the data analysis method was thematic analysis. The statistical population of the quantitative phase included industrial experts and university professors, and judgmental sampling was used to collect data. The sample included 10 respondents, and the data analysis method was fuzzy cognitive mapping. To analyze the scenarios, two categories of backward and forward scenarios have been designed. FCMapper software has been used to design the scenarios.

The results of the thematic analysis indicated 56 causes, which were grouped into 14 sub-categories: “business planning”, “production problems”, “financial problems of the organization”, “logistical problems”, “supply chain management”, “supplier problems”, “human disasters”, “natural disasters”, “legislative issues and law enforcement”, “political crises”, “macroeconomic issues”, “the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the business environment’, “infrastructure problems”, and “problems of production of complementary industries”. Finally, the sub-categories were grouped in four main categories: "business-level problems", "supply chain-level problems", "natural and unnatural disasters", and "macro problems of the country". The results of the second phase indicated that "political crises", "macroeconomic issues", and "complexity and uncertainty of the business environment" had the highest degree of influence. The results of the analysis of the scenarios implied the significance of "complexity and uncertainty of the business environment", "macroeconomic issues", and "political crises".

Research implications:

 Since inventory plays a significant role in dealing with the ripple effect, and inventory in the food industry is perishable, it is necessary to investigate how to balance the amount of buffer and perishable inventory. Another important issue in the supply chain of the food industry is the lack of advanced technologies and sufficient information on the areas under cultivation, the amount of harvest, and the amount of surplus or shortage of products in different parts, which strengthens the ripple effect. Studying the obstacles, challenges and key success factors of using advanced technologies in the supply chain of the food industry can help solve this problem.

Practical implications: 

According to the findings, it is suggested to include long-term factors, price flexibility, and support clauses in the contract with suppliers. For foreign products, it is recommended to contract with companies that have active agencies inside the country. The purchase of critical layers of the supply chain (vertical integration) is recommended to reduce risk. Contingency plans are necessary to deal with the ripple effect, while environmental and political issues must be monitored carefully to develop suitable contingency plans. As a result, it is necessary to form management teams in the food industry to investigate environmental and political issues and communicate with people with political influence to receive news faster.

Originality/value:

 Considering the problems that the supply chain of Iran's food industry has with the occurrence of a ripple effect, in this research the reasons for such an effect were investigated for the first time. Modelling and scenario analysis of the causes of the ripple effect was also performed for the first time.

Since, the digital business industry has been able to experience great growth in recent years due to the growth of Internet access and the acceleration of digital transformation in business, and also due to the newness of a large percentage of companies in this industry, the competition among them are very high and the cost of changing the brand for customers is low, as a result, focusing on branding and examining the customer brand co-creation approach in this industry is of particular importance. This approach is an organic perspective of the brand that is replacing the traditional perspective that considers brand management only under the management and control of the company. The customer brand co-creation behavior emphasizes that the brand is formed and developed in collaboration with stakeholders and it is a set of voluntary, active actions based on customer interaction, which is based on the relationship between the brand and the customer and in line with the value creation for the brand and its growth. This approach can be very effective for digital and online businesses where the cost of switching brands for customers is low. Consequently, it is necessary to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) of customer brand co-creation behavior. The aim of this paper is to identify the CSFs of customer brand co-creation behavior, model them and determine the most important CSFs through scenario analysis.

This paper is a mixed research including two phases. In the qualitative phase, the CSFs were identified through semi-structured interviews which conducted with 30 experts of academic and industrial in the fields of marketing and branding that data collected are analyzed using thematic analysis approach. The selection of experts has been done in a judicious and purposeful manner, and the snowball method was also used to find suitable experts for interview. In the quantitative phase, CSFs are modeled by fuzzy cognitive mapping approach. The request data is also collected using a researcher-made questionnaire which distributed among experts. This modeling leads to a relative understanding of the relationships between CSFs and helps in determining the sequence of factors and also improves performance. Finally, scenario planning is used in the form of forward and backward scenarios for better analysis of the model3.

Theme analysis shows that in total, there are 71 conceptual codes in the form of 19 semantic themes for the CSFs of customer brand co-creation behavior in three levels of “organizational readiness”, “community support and governance” and “customer willingness and interaction”. The results obtained from scenario analysis illustrate that “strategic attitude towards co-creation”, “expert knowledge in the field of co-creation”, and “preparedness of managers” are the most important influential factors. Furthermore, “brand loyalty”, “brand trust” and “customer identification with the brand” are as the most influencing factors. Forward-facing and backward-facing scenarios and also their overlap indicate the importance of "strategic attitude of co-creation" and "managers' readiness". Therefore, companies need to pay special attention to these two factors.

The results of the research emphasize the need for a long-term perspective in co-creation behavior, attracting managers based on the necessary competencies for brand co-creation and in-service training. In the formation of a strategic attitude in the organization towards the customer brand co-creation approach, it is suggested that managers of companies understand this approach with details, know its possible advantages and disadvantages, examine the challenges of this direction, and formulate a comprehensive plan to achieve long-term objectives in the field of customer communication and also partnership strengthen with customers.Managers' readiness is considered as one of the most important CSFs in the formation of customer brand co-creation behavior. It is suggested that the companies consider benefits of the partnership with customers and this approach in the path of brand growth and development and specialized contents prepare about the advantages and disadvantages of using brand co-creation for managers which increase their knowledge and make more informed decisions in this field. The most important action is to attract capable managers according to the personality traits and skills necessary for co-creation. In-service trainings and promotion path based on merit will also be complementary steps for this issue.Since there is no research has in the field of competencies required for managers in order to co-create the brand and the role of managers' preparation in this process is high, it is suggested to implement a research in this field. Furthermore, due to the limitations of empirical research, using the causal relationships and hypotheses raised among customer brand co-creation behavior and other variables of branding and marketing is suggested that the validity of these relationships in different businesses should be investigated.

According to the teachings, the personality of people is among the variables that can be effective in the relationship between people’s perceptions and their behavior. Also, focusing on the health of the organization means focusing on the future success of the organization. Considering the very changing conditions of hospitals and the necessity of their effectiveness, there is a need for employees who have voluntary behaviors for the organization. Despite all the theoretical advances in the field of health, attention to the spiritual dimension of health has been neglected in most health promotion programs. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of personality and spiritual health on organizational citizenship behavior. The statistical population of this research is made up of nurses from selected hospitals in Kashan. The sample size in this research was 218 people using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was used to collect research data. Structural equation modeling by smartpls3 software was used for data analysis. The results showed that personality traits (psychological entitlement, malice, utilitarianism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, narcissism) had a significant and negative effect on organizational citizenship behavior. And the characteristics of psychological entitlement and selfishness did not have a significant effect on citizenship behavior. Also, spiritual health had a positive and significant effect on organizational citizenship behavior. According to the findings of this research, it seems that it is necessary to hire, train and advise nurses with personality traits that promote organizational citizenship behavior in hospitals. As a result, the implementation of these solutions helps to increase spiritual health in the organization and to strengthen and form positive and desirable behaviors among employees.

The emergence of numerous crises in supply chains has increased the importance of financial resilience, and this issue also applies to the supply chain of health tourism. Identifying and modeling the factors affecting the financial resilience of the health tourism supply chain is necessary to improve financial resilience. So far, no research has been done on this matter, as a result, the main goal of the research is to identify and model the factors affecting the financial resilience of Iran's health tourism supply chain in crisis conditions. In order to achieve the goal of the research, in the first stage, with a qualitative approach, factors affecting financial resilience were identified through semi-structured interviews with health tourism supply chain experts. The method of judgmental and snowball sampling and its volume was determined to be 25 people and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. In the second stage, with a quantitative approach and the use of the comprehensive fuzzy interpretative structural modeling method, the model of relationships between factors was presented. Judgmental and snowball sampling method and its volume was determined to be 10 people. The research results show 33 factors affecting financial resilience, which were classified into 12 general categories. Finally, the model of effective factors was determined, according to which "financial thinking factor" has the most effect and the factors "debt management", "customer relationship management", "inventory management", "supplier management" and "liquidity management" have they are the most effective.

The healthcare sector is a primary driver of a country's growth. In light of recent healthcare crises, adequate financing has gained special importance. This research aims to explore potential futures of service-based financing in the healthcare supply chain.

This study, applied in nature and employing a mixed-methods approach, was conducted in Iran over four stages from 2021 to 2023. The first stage involved 15 participants, followed by 12 in the subsequent stages. Participants included healthcare supply chain managers and university professors specializing in healthcare management and research. In the first stage, semi-structured interviews, interview guidelines, and thematic analysis were utilized to identify the drivers of the service-based financing chain. The second stage involved a researcher-made questionnaire and the Micmac software to extract the main drivers. In the third stage, an interactive management approach determined the uncertainty of each main driver. Finally, the fourth stage used a researcher-made questionnaire and the ScenarioWizard software to identify consistent scenarios.

The study identified 20 drivers, with 13 deemed as main drivers, leading to 15 consistent scenarios. The results reveal a contradiction: while the improvement and differentiation of services (coupled with inflation) may increase the cost of services, leading to reduced accessibility for some, failure to improve healthcare services could result in capital flight and inadequate treatment for new diseases.

To resolve this contradiction, two approaches for the healthcare sector can be envisioned: a) customer segmentation based on financial capacity and required services, and b) alternative financing methods. Approach "a" potentially increases social inequality by providing different services based on financial ability. Approach "b", relying on inconsistent income sources like charity, leaves the government's role in financing ambiguous. Consequently, approach "a", supplemented with governmental support for vulnerable groups, appears more viable.

Damages caused by globalization and rapid urbanization have shown the importance of urban identity. Therefore, maintaining it is an important issue in sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to change the identity of the city of Tehran with the qualitative method of prospective research (causal layer analysis) in order to deconstruct Tehran's identity and formulate alternative scenarios. The statistical population of this research is 14 people who are specialists in urban planning, architecture and urban sociology, whose views were extracted through a semi-structured interview. Then, by analyzing the theme of the interviews, their opinions were explained in the form of 4 litany tables, systematic causes, discourse and worldview, metaphor and myth. The findings of the study show that in the litany layer, the obvious problem is the identity crisis of Tehran, which is in four categories: "confused, famous, fluid and plural identity, meaningless and soulless", in the layer of systematic causes, "short-term society, speculative spaces, unrestrained spinning, flaming", in the layer of discourse and worldview, "modernism of underdevelopment, urban neoliberalism, global development of the city, individualism " and in the fourth layer, "everything that is hard and stable will smoke and go into the air "The nakedness of poverty and wealth, in the whirlwind of the global city, is the forgotten city". Finally, two drivers of underdevelopment modernism and urban neoliberalism were selected based on importance and uncertainty, and based on that, 4 scenarios were presented that can be considered in urban management process.

The emergence of the 4th generation industry has brought many advantages to supply chains, but it also has disadvantages. If the human resources competencies are not suitable for this transformation, organizations will face many challenges. This issue is very important in the machine-made carpet industry, which has a significant share of Iran's non-oil exports and has seen its competitive position in the international arena shaken in recent years. In this research, the competencies of human resources for the 4th generation industry were investigated. The statistical population of this research is the experts of Iran's machine-made carpet industry. The data collection tool is in-depth interviews. To analyze the data, thematic analysis method was used. The results show 30 competencies that were categorized into 5 categories that are: methodological, social, specialized, general and personal. In order to improve the readiness of human resources, it is suggested to strengthening the multisensory ability, training the rules related to new technologies, focusing on challenging working conditions and strengthening the learning consequential drivers.

The purpose of this research was to identify, modeling and scenario analysis of the acceptance factors of the Internet of Things in the supply chain of Iranian businesses.

To conduct this research, we used both qualitative and quantitative strategies combined. The statistical population in both stages consisted of experts; besides, judgmental and snowball sampling methods were used. In the first stage, acceptance factors were identified through semi-structured interviews. In the second stage, using fuzzy cognitive mapping approach, the acceptance factors were modeled, and the scenario was analyzed.

The results of the first phase show 58 factors of Internet of Things acceptance, which are categorized into 17 sub-themes and 5 main themes. The second-stage results show that the theme of expertise enjoys the highest degree of influence, then the theme of technology readiness comes next. Also, the overlapping of forward and backward scenarios indicates the importance of expertise and technological readiness.

Originality:

 Since there is little understanding of the factors affecting the acceptance of the Internet of Things at the supply chain level of Iranian businesses, this research has been able to add to the literature of this field and to fill the gap by identifying, modeling, and analyzing the scenario of these factors.

Implications:

 Changing recruitment and hiring policies to find and hire qualified personnel, using in-service training tools, and having access to a technological roadmap are the most important strategies of the supply chain, which can lead to organizational expertise and readiness.

The supply chain of machine-made carpets has faced many fluctuations in recent years. One of the most important fluctuations is the ripple effect that has been observed in recent years. The ripple effect has had many negative consequences for the machine made carpet supply chain, so future research of possible scenarios in the future is highly necessary and is the main purpose of this study. This study was conducted in the machine-made carpet industry of Iran. The data were collected in 4 stages based on the opinion of experts. Micmac and ScenarioWizard software were used for future research. The results of the interview showed that there are 15 drivers for the ripple effect in the supply chain, of which 12 drivers were selected as important drivers based on the output of Micmac software. Four consistent scenarios for the future of the ripple effect were identified as one favorable scenario (robust supply chain), two unfavorable scenarios (unstable supply chain and shaky supply chain) and one mid-range scenario (astonished supply chain). In order to achieve the desired scenario and prevent unfavorable scenarios, flexibility must be built in the supply chain. This is possible through the use of up-to-date technology, collaboration, and backup facilities.Keywords: supply chain; machine made carpet; ripple effect; future study

Health financing is very important and means providing money, budget or necessary resources for it. Considering the vital role of the government in financing health, in this research, the drivers of financing were identified by the government and possible futures were investigated.

The present qualitative study was developed in 4 phases. Judgmental and snowball sampling methods were applied in all stages. In the first stage, based on theoretical saturation, 15 people and in other stages, 12 experts participated. In the first phase, financing drivers were identified through interviews and thematic analysis. In the second phase, using the researcher-made questionnaire and Micmac 6.1.2 software, the main drivers were extracted. In the third phase, the uncertainty of each of the key drivers was determined by an interactive management approach, and finally, in the fourth phase, compatible scenarios were determined using a researcher-made questionnaire and its analysis with the Scenariowizard 4.3.1 software.

In this research, 14 factors influencing the government funding of the healthcare sector were identified. Moreover, 5 compatible scenarios for financing were obtained. In the "wealthy government" scenario, the financing conditions were favorable by the government, but in the scenarios of "calm inefficient", "inefficient without a plan", "inefficient unstable" and "bankrupt government", the government had many problems and the health sector should focus on other financing methods.

Due to the lack of favorability of most scenarios, it is necessary for healthcare managers to reduce dependence on the government budget and promote financing from other methods. Methods such as financing through the provision of services, charitable donations and insurances, and the stock market should be given serious consideration.

COVID-19, as the most challenging global concern in recent years, forced countries in the world to adopt strategies to manage and deal with its consequences. The experiences of countries in this field can be used to plan for future pandemics. This study aims to identify strategies for managing and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and find the necessary facilities for their implementation.

This is a systematic review. The data were collected by searching for related studies in Web of Science, Scopus and google scholar and were finally analyzed to identify the strategies and facilities using the MAXQDA software, version 2020.

Three main categories of strategies were extracted including elimination strategies, suppression strategies, and mitigation strategies. There were 29 subcategories including complete lockdown, closure of borders, economic support for businesses, providing correct and timely information, research and development of vaccines, and vaccinations. A strong economy, proper organizational culture and structure, software/hardware infrastructure, and financial flexibility were identified as facilities needed for the implementation of strategies. 

To cope with critical situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should adopt and implement proper strategies before the occurrence of a crisis to have the best performance and cause less damage to people.

project portfolio management is a framework for integrated management of projects to achieve strategic goals of companies, considering the constraints. Its significance is more apparent in uncertain conditions that prevails in Iran's oil and gas industries, which confronts with capital constraints, sanctions, and economics fluctuations. The itroduced framework in this research encompasses the identification and definition of various scenarios for each oil and gas field, determination of mathematical model parameters, necessary data for calculating the model parameters, and the process and methods for their identification. Ultimately, it leads to the development of a mathematical model, which is the distinctive aspect of this study. The research, in terms of objective, is an application with a modeling and mathematical simulation approach, to providing a model for selecting an optimal portfolio of investment projects for upstream oil and gas companies under uncertainty conditions. After collecting the required data, the mathematical programming model was designed as an integer zero-one programming model with an objective function to maximize the net present value of different field scenarios, considering investment constraints and other binding constraints. The coding of the above model was executed and the intended simulation for uncertain parameters was performed using the CRYSTALL BALL software.

With the emergence industry 4.0, many industrial and service sectors have moved towards using it to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. This transformation has been done slowly in Iran's healthcare sector, so it is necessary to identify the factors affecting its acceptance. The requirement to start this movement is to accept it. Considering the existing research gaps, this research has been conducted to identify, model and analyze the scenario of Industry 4.0 acceptance factors in Iran's healthcare supply chain. This research was done in 2 stages with a mixed approach. The first stage with a qualitative approach seeks to identify acceptance factors and the second stage with a quantitative approach seeks to model and analyze their scenarios. The statistical population in both stages are experts in the healthcare supply chain and sampling methods is judgmental and snowball. In the first stage, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis were used, and in the second stage, a researcher-made questionnaire and fuzzy cognitive map were used. The results of the first stage show 23 acceptance factors, which were classified into 4 categories: "personality factors", "organizational behavior", "organizational hardware" and "management". The results of the second phase indicate that "emotional intelligence", "organizational culture", "social responsibility" and "stakeholders' awareness of I4.0 technologies" are drivers and "organizational openness" is the recipient. The results of the analysis of forward and backward scenarios show the importance of "effective change management", "trust", "stakeholders' awareness of I4.0 technologies", "financial capability" and "optimism towards technology".

The implementation of Industry 4.0 in the healthcare sector to improve community health is of great importance. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the critical success factors for implementing Industry 4.0 in the healthcare sector, model them, and analyze scenarios for targeted interventions. This issue has not been investigated in previous studies, and this research aims to fill this research gap. This research was conducted in two qualitative and quantitative stages. The statistical population was experts in both stages, and the judgmental and snowball sampling methods were used. The first stage had a population size of 17, determined based on theoretical saturation, while the second stage had a population size of 10. Thematic analysis was used as the data analysis method in the first stage, and fuzzy cognitive mapping was used in the second stage. The results showed that "competent managers," "support and cooperation," and "competent human resources" have the most significant impact, while "project management," "appropriate planning," and "support and cooperation" are the most susceptible. Furthermore, "support and cooperation," "appropriate planning," and "project management" are the most central. Three forward and three backward scenarios were designed for more effective interventions. It is recommended to improve the organization's educational system, strengthen the succession system, implement transparent contracts, and improve the quality of human resource management to achieve independent variables.