جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « Fuzzy Dematel » در نشریات گروه « علوم انسانی »

This research identifies and explains urban resilience indicators in the form of physical-infrastructural, environmental, social-cultural, economic, and institutional-management resilience in Tehran. An effort is made to determine the most important and most influential indicators of urban resilience with the approach of passive defense in Tehran so that the managers of this metropolis while being aware of the indicators affecting the resilience of the city, can plan and perform executive actions to improve the resilience indicators in this metropolis in order to achieve the goals of passive urban defense. The importance of the current research is in increasing knowledge and filling the scientific weakness in the field of identifying and explaining urban resilience indicators at the level of urban spaces with the passive defense approach, as well as theoretical development in the field of combining the two issues of urban resilience and urban passive defense. Therefore, the current research aims to identify and explain the indicators of urban resilience in the metropolitan areas of Tehran according to the passive defense approach. Thus, the current research seeks to answer these questions:-What are the most critical urban resilience indicators concerning thepassive defense approach in Tehran metropolitan areas?-What is the prioritization of indicators that are effective on urban resilience in the metropolitan areas of Tehran according to the passive defense approach?

The current research is of applied type in terms of purpose, descriptive-analytical in terms of nature, and mixed type (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of research method. The statistical population of the research to explain the indicators of urban resilience with a passive defense approach are urban science experts, including university professors, graduates, and doctoral students in the fields of geography and urban planning, urban planning, civil engineering, and passive defense who have the necessary knowledge and expertise both theoretically and empirically in connection with Tehran. Sampling experts and elites use a judgmental and available method, including scientific experience, willingness, and ability to participate in research. In this study, the number of samples was considered to be 25 people. The data related to the theoretical foundations of the research were prepared in a library and documentary manner, and surveying experts extracted the raw data of the research. The validity of the researcher-made questionnaire has been confirmed through interviews with professors and experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was also measured by Cronbach's alpha method, which was 0.998. The method of data analysis in the current research includes two qualitative-quantitative stages. The qualitative stage includes identifying and extracting urban resilience indicators with a passive defense approach through the examination of the theoretical foundations as well as the background of the research. In the quantitative stage, by performing the fuzzy DEMATEL technique with the participation of urban science experts, including university professors, graduates, and doctoral students as panel members, the impact and effectiveness as well as the importance of urban resilience indicators with the passive defense approach in Tehran are explained in Excel software.

According to the results, 160 urban resilience indicators have been identified with the passive defense approach in Tehran. Based on the results of fuzzy DEMATEL model, the indicators of distance from faults, distance from airports, distance from power plants, distance from rivers, distance from refineries, distance from mines, distance from green and public open spaces, distance from warehouses and food silos, distance from medical centers and household density in the residential unit have been identified as 10 indicators with the highest impact value (cause) and indicators of the percentage of buildings with resistant facades, the percentage of residential units with bathrooms, the distance from public toilets, the ratio of the number of trash cans to the population, the percentage of residential units with sewage disposal systems, the percentage of buildings with non-resistant facades, the percentage of residential units with services health, the percentage of households with cars, the percentage of residential units with piped water, and the percentage of residential units with fixed telephones have been identified as 10 indicators with the highest impact value (disabled). Also, the indicators of distance from faults with a value of 2.021, distance from power plants with a value of 2.013, distance from airports with a value of 1.982, distance from rivers with a value of 1.914 and distance from green and open spaces general with a value of 1.870 have been identified as the most important indicators of urban resilience with a passive defense approach in Tehran. The research results presented here differ from those mentioned in the background. The previous studies only examined a few urban resilience indicators using a passive defense approach. In contrast, this research comprehensively investigated all the indicators of urban resilience using the same approach, and a new finding was discovered, indicating the superiority of this study.

According to the research results, managers and planners of the Tehran should pay attention to the indicators of urban resilience with the passive defense approach that has been identified and explained in the current research for any measures to prepare the city to deal with natural and manufactured crises and the basis of all their executive plans and decisions should be to improve the mentioned indicators.

Introduction :

Due to the complicated and abundant energy needs of cities, as well as the crisis brought on by the usage of fossil fuels in cities and global warming, optimizing energy use is essential. In this sense, creating smart and sustainable cities—which take into account a variety of sustainability-related factors—represents a significant strategy for reducing energy consumption and accelerating the shift to clean energy through digitalization. A smart city is a city whose construction is developed based on information and communication technology (ICT) sustainable urban development is “the process of change in the environment that strengthens economic development while preserving resources and improving the health of the individual, society and ecosystem”. A large amount of research indicates that the primary focus of smart cities is the field of technology and how organizational characteristics and capacities influence its application; design considerations have been overlooked in this regard. Sustainable cities, however, consider design concepts and principles and ignore smart aspects. Thus, we can discuss sustainable smart cities by bringing together these two concepts. A sustainable smart city is the application of information and communication technology to meet the needs of its current residents without endangering other people or future generations, which facilitates achieving sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life. However, policymakers and stakeholders related to smart cities lack practical research-based recommendations to support the development of sustainable smart cities. Governments may not be able to offer citizens high-quality services if they fail to take into account several factors while formulating policies about the development of sustainable smart cities. As a result, the main goal of the research is to identify and rank the factors affecting the development of a sustainable smart city, and the research questions considered in this article are: What are the factors affecting the development of a sustainable smart city with a focus on optimal energy management? What are the influencing and affectability factors in the development of a sustainable smart city? To answer the questions raised, this paper proposes a model for how to address them in the sustainable smart city agenda. The results of this research help managers, policymakers, and urban planners have a clear picture of sustainable smart city development.

The purpose of this research is to provide a model of factors affecting the development of a sustainable smart city. For this reason, binomial statistical tests and fuzzy DEMATEL methods were applied. Both components are quantitative techniques and use quantitative data for analysis. The binomial test is a non-parametric test for screening factors. By using SPSS software and the binomial test, the significance level is calculated for the factors, and the factors whose significance level is more than 0.05 are removed. DEMATEL is a method that identifies the direction and intensity of direct and indirect relationships between factors in a complex system through matrix calculations and related mathematical theories. The current research is exploratory in terms of its purpose (due to the identification of the effective factors of the research). From the point of view of orientation, it is applied (using the results in the analysis of the important factors of sustainable smart city development) and in terms of methodology, it is mixed. The theoretical research community includes professors, managers, and experts. Also, the sampling method is judgmental and based on expert knowledge and judgment. It should be noted that the sample size in this research is 15 people. The stages of the current research include:1) Literature review to identify factors influencing the development of a sustainable smart city 2) The initial screening of the research factors using a binomial test 3) Determining the most effective factors through the fuzzy DEMATEL method 

The findings of the research show that initially, 20 effective factors for the development of a sustainable smart city with a focus on optimal energy management were extracted with an analytical review of the research literature. Then, by analyzing the binomial test, 10 factors of education and empowerment of citizens, control of pollution level development of private and public collaborations, traffic management systems, development of innovation and entrepreneurship, attractiveness and urban competitiveness, management of resource consumption, urban planning and public policies, cyber security, and the participation of citizens had a significant level above 5% and were excluded from the calculations. Also, the remaining 10 factors were investigated using the fuzzy DEMATEL technique. DEMATEL’s technique evaluates factors from the point of view of Influencing and Affectability. According to the findings of Fuzzy DEMATEL and the net effect index, the factors of high-speed internet (5G technology), research and development, big data, artificial intelligence, and green Internet of things had the highest effect. 

The results of this research show that high-speed Internet (5G technology) is the most influential factor in the future of sustainable smart cities. Using 5G technology increases the speed of users’ access to a large amount of data and reduces its time. The Internet of Things can benefit from 5G technology to manage energy consumption in a sustainable smart city. Therefore, 5G technology can respond well to the needs of a sustainable smart city to manage energy consumption. Research and development is ranked second in terms of influencing the future of sustainable smart cities. Research and development by attracting investment and innovation in products and services and producing advanced technologies leads to knowledge-based activities and as a result, being a pioneer in the field of sustainable policies. Therefore, it is possible to take a big step in this direction by supporting the collaboration between academia and industry as well as new technology-based firms (NTBFs). Big data is ranked third in terms of influencing the future of sustainable smart cities. Determining useful information is very important in data-driven smart city development projects because identifying information to provide to customers is directly related to the value and attractiveness of a service. Artificial intelligence is ranked fourth in terms of influencing the future of sustainable smart cities. Artificial intelligence helps to manage energy production and consumption in changing environments and markets. The integration of artificial intelligence with 5G networks and sensor networks can create a new field for next-generation smart city services. The Internet of Green Things and its application has the fifth rank in terms of influencing the future of sustainable smart cities. Internet of Things technologies bring many challenges such as increasing energy consumption as well as electronic waste in smart cities. Smart city programs must be compatible with the environment, hence smart cities should move towards green IoT. The analysis of these key factors helps the decisions of managers, policymakers, and urban planners to invest and provide the necessary infrastructure of a smart city for optimal energy management.

Landscapes cannot be explained only by obscure geographical frequencies that can be described by objective methods, but they are real subjective observations and experiences that can be inferred by artistic and aesthetic perception, analysis and comparison. Thus, recognizing the elements of the emergence, formation and development of any perspective can be considered as a mirror of the whole picture of human knowledge, culture and perceptions in geography. It is based on such an understanding that the present study attempts to combine qualitative content analysis techniques and soft operations based on interpretive philosophy with a qualitative approach to the question of why each geographical (urban) landscape emerges. Thus, by analyzing the content of printed resources in this field, 14 categories were extracted, and the experts answered the questions related to the role of each category by using the evaluation questionnaire. Finally, after collecting the questionnaires from 10 geography experts, with the help of Fuzzy DEMATEL technique, the existing relationships between categories were analyzed and finally, due to the defect and inability of this technique in leveling, the effective levels between categories were determined by ISM technique. In the meantime, the results indicated that the worldview category, which in the general sense includes religious and ideological concept, is considered as an independent variable of the geographical landscape system. At other levels, there is civic awareness, philosophical thought, and political thought, which serve as the basis for the geographical landscape. In this context, the perspective variables of context, governance, cultural dimensions, and social context are defined as the moderating variables of the geographical landscape system. From the set interaction of variables mentioned, such as the organization of living space, reading of living space, public and private agreement and social resilience are obtained.

Today's markets are no longer just arenas for product competition; they have become battlegrounds for commercial brands. Brands can forge strong emotional connections with customers by tapping into their emotions. Nostalgic brands, in particular, have the ability to evoke positive emotions in consumers by triggering fond memories, thereby offering organizations a sustainable competitive edge. This study sought to construct a model that outlines the factors influencing nostalgic branding. To achieve this, 112 articles published between 2000 and 2023 were reviewed, with 29 ultimately selected, leading to identification of 23 variables. To ensure quality, these variables underwent screening using the fuzzy Delphi method and were evaluated by 20 experts. Subsequently, 13 variables were deemed most crucial and were integrated into a conceptual model comprising 3 categories: individual, psychological, and product characteristics. Fuzzy DEMATEL techniques were then employed to gauge the influence and effectiveness of these variables. Furthermore, fuzzy network analysis was utilized to ascertain the weight and significance of the factors and variables. The findings from fuzzy DEMATEL revealed that "psychological characteristics" held the highest influence with a value of 0.951, while "individual characteristics" were the most affected with a value of -0.094. Additionally, according to the fuzzy network analysis, "personal characteristics" were deemed the most significant with a value of 0.439 and "brand preference" emerged as the most significant variable with a value of 0.159.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the design of adaptive organizational structures for university physical education departments in IRAN. In terms of the purpose of this research, it is part of applied research and in terms of variables, it is a mixed research that was conducted in two stages. First, by the data theory of the foundation and Glaser approach, the factors affecting the design of compatible organizational structures for the physical education departments of Iranian universities were identified, and in the next stage, the factors were prioritized by the fuzzy Dematel method. The statistical population of this study included experts in the field of organizational management in sports, current and former managers and deputies of physical education departments of public universities and professors of sports management who have studies in the field of research. The sampling method was purposive. A total of 16 interviews were conducted as open and in-depth questions until the data reached theoretical saturation. In the fuzzy dimple section, it was determined based on the opinion of 8 experts. Analyzes were performed in Excel software environment. Findings showed that out of 11 main categories identified by Glaser approach, six categories of orienting elements, intellectual structure, flexibility and comprehensiveness of structure, financial and capital resources, good governance and physical infrastructure as influential factors and five components Student organizations, human resources, cultural factors, technology factors and communication networks were identified as influential factors.

The purpose of this study is to understand pragmatic marketing style by analyzing its consequence and consequence factors. The present research is based on mixed method, based on qualitative and quantitative researches and is deductive in the form of deductive method. The statistical population of this study are the professors and marketing managers of industrial companies of Lorestan province,which were selected as members of the sample through the method of snowball sampling and according to the principle of theoretical adequacy of 30 of them as members of the sample.The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews in qualitative part of which their validity and reliability were confirmed by Cohen's Kappa test and CVR index, respectively. In addition,a quantitative part of the questionnaire was used to collect data that their validity and reliability were confirmed by using content validity and reliability of the test. It should be noted that in order to identify the consequence and consequence factors of pragmatic marketing, data collected from qualitative section were analyzed through coding method and Atlas ti software and to prioritize the mentioned factors in the quantitative part were analyzed by Delphi Fuzzy method.The results show that pragmatic rethinking and critical thinking, market-oriented and market-oriented realism, demographic and demographic are considered as the consequence factors of pragmatic marketing. Also, the factors are product evolution based on real needs and demands, data analysis and decision making based on market data, using the system of recording experiences and interactions with customers, as pragmatic marketing consequences.

The insurance industry is vital in the country that is affected by green marketing. However, there is no accurate information on the green marketing situation in the country's insurance industry. This research has been tried to identify the main criteria of green marketing evaluation to provide a model for a green marketing audit. In this regard, first, the main criteria were identified and approved by experts through a questionnaire. The final framework consists of 24 sub-criteria that are classified into ten criteria. Then, by using the fuzzy DEMATEL method, the internal relationships between the criteria and the hierarchical analysis method, each criterion and sub-criteria's final weight are obtained. According to the results, among the causes, the criterion of mission has the greatest effect on all criteria and takes the least effect from other criteria. So, this criterion has the most stimulus role, and by optimizing it, we can expect the optimization of other factors. The green sales factor is also strongly influenced by other factors and is optimized by optimizing other factors. Also, the criterion of the mission with an effective weight of 0.23 is the most important, and the criterion of green design with an effective weight of 0.024 is the least important

Circular economy and Industry 4.0 are concepts that have garnered significant attention from businesses and universities in recent years. They are currently being promoted by many governments worldwide. The synergy between these two concepts offers the potential to move towards a more sustainable society and address the environmental and economic challenges related to managing organizational operations. This research aims to analyze the factors enabling the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the supply chain of Yazd glass factories. In the initial phase of the research, a review of various articles was conducted using the meta-synthesis method to identify and categorize relevant enablers. This process resulted in the identification of 15 enablers categorized into four dimensions: economic, human resources, organizational management, and infrastructure. In the subsequent step, the Fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to examine the cause-and-effect relationships. The findings indicate that, within the economic dimension, the most influential enablers are "budget allocation for the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0" and "stimulation of demand for circular products." In the human resources dimension, "training and development of employees" and "organizational culture" play crucial roles. In the organizational-management dimension, "support and commitment of senior management" and "cooperation and networking with supply chain partners (industrial coexistence)" are highly significant. Lastly, within the infrastructure dimension, "development of information technology standards and infrastructures" and "security and protection of intellectual property rights" are considered the most effective enablers for the implementation of circular economy and Industry 4.0 in the Yazd glass factories. The results indicate that the Ardakan glass factories of Yazd should prioritize attention to economic and infrastructural enablers when implementing circular economy and Industry 4.0.

This research aimed to identify and prioritize psychological factors influencing human resources processes at the preliminary level of the 34000 human resources model. These processes encompass macro and detailed organizational structure design, job analysis and job grading, as well as human resource planning, recruitment, and employee grading.

The research employed a mixed exploratory approach. In the initial stage, a systematic review was conducted to gather qualitative data. Subsequently, a combination of Delphi and fuzzy DEMATEL techniques was employed in the second stage to collect quantitative data. The study's population consisted of all middle and senior managers in an industrial company located in Razavi Khorasan province in 2022. Fourteen of these managers were selected using purposive non-probability sampling. The research instruments included an 18-question Delphi questionnaire to identify psychological factors affecting the preliminary level processes (macro and detailed organizational structure design = 7 questions; job analysis and job grading = 5 questions; human resource planning, recruitment, and employee grading = 6 questions). Additionally, a 16-question fuzzy DEMATEL questionnaire was used to prioritize the psychological factors identified in the third stage of the Delphi process (macro and detailed organizational structure design = 7 questions; job analysis and job grading = 4 questions; human resource planning, recruitment, and employee grading = 5 questions). These questionnaires were designed by the researcher based on the results of the systematic review. Data obtained from the Delphi questionnaire were analyzed using the central index of the mean and the percentage of consensus. The fuzzy DEMATEL method was employed to identify the most influential and influenced psychological factors, with data analysis conducted in Excel software (Excel 2019).

Based on the results of a systematic review of 40 articles published between 2010 and 2022, as well as the outcomes of the third stage of the Delphi questionnaire and the fuzzy DEMATEL questionnaire, the most critical psychological factors affecting the macro and detailed organizational structure design process, in order of importance, included trust in top management, interpersonal trust, perceived organizational justice, perceived organizational support, transformational leadership, job independence, and top management support. The results also indicated that individual growth and development opportunities, the learning climate, interpersonal trust, and transformational leadership were the most influential psychological factors in enhancing the job analysis and job grading process, respectively. Finally, the research findings revealed that psychological factors influencing the human resource planning, recruitment, and employee grading process comprised person-job fit, job identity, perceived organizational justice, organizational reputation, and job meaningfulness.

In conclusion, this research underscores that, alongside the need for physical and organizational structures to facilitate human resources processes, the psychological climate within an organization must also be conducive for the effective execution of these processes. Therefore, organizations seeking to implement the HR 34000 model should consider the psychological factors identified in this study to ensure the model's effectiveness in their implementation efforts

The significant growth in the amount of use of management information systems in different work departments of organizations has caused researchers in the field of information technology management to pay more attention to improving productivity in these systems. The purpose of this research is to identify the cause and effect (causal) mathematical model of the productivity of management information systems in the field of human resources.

This research has used a mixed exploratory approach. First, the conceptual model was calculated using the previous sources, and then the mathematical model of cause and effect was created using the quantitative method of Fuzzy DEMATEL (in six steps). The reliability and validity of the questionnaires of fuzzy DEMATEL pairwise comparisons have been confirmed by using the test-retest method and the content validity method of Lawshe, respectively.

Among the main productivity dimensions of the human resources management information system, the dimension of "intelligence" is the most effective dimension. The "innovation" dimension is the most effective dimension. The dimension of "innovation" has the highest degree of interaction with other dimensions and the dimension of "intelligence" has the highest degree of causality.

Since "effectiveness" is the main problem and "intelligence" is the main solution to the problem, placing the dimension of "intelligence" and the components of "organizational effect" and "individual effect" and "user satisfaction" in the focus of attention; The main priority of the management information system maintenance and development team in Naja's human resources department is to improve productivity.

This paper aims to propose an approach for identifying and prioritizing ecosystem indicators for effective ecosystem management. Specifically, fuzzy Delphi and fuzzy DEMATEL approaches are used to define ecosystem management goals and indicators, rank the importance of quality attributes in ecosystem management, and rank the effectiveness of each indicator in each pillar of ecosystem management. The ultimate goal is to provide a tool to decision-makers that can help in allocating resources more effectively and efficiently toward achieving sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach:

 The proposed approach involves a three-phase framework. Phase 1 involves identifying and determining the indicators affecting ecosystem management. This has been performed by studying theoretical articles, reviewing systematic literature, and searching previous studies to identify different indicators for each pillar of ecosystem management. A list of indicators and factors affecting each of the pillars of ecosystem management has been determined accordingly, and an initial categorization has been created using library studies. Phase 2 involves using a fuzzy Delphi method to rank the most important indicators in each pillar of ecosystem management. Experts have been asked to indicate their proposed indicators in a questionnaire based on fuzzy variables, and the degree of proportionality of the proposed factors. Phase 3 involves using a fuzzy DEMATEL approach to rank the effectiveness of each indicator in each pillar of ecosystem management. This approach handles imprecise or subjective data and can be replicated for different cities. Overall, this methodology aims to provide a comprehensive approach for identifying and prioritizing ecosystem indicators that can be used by decision-makers in environmental management and policy-making.

Findings imply that the integrated approach of the Fuzzy Delphi Method and the Fuzzy DEMATEL can be used to identify and rank the importance of quality attributes in ecosystem management, and to rank the effectiveness of each indicator in each pillar of the ecosystem management. A total of 36 indicators were identified across four pillars of ecosystem management, i.e., economic, social, environmental and institutional. The results indicated that the most important indicators for each pillar were science and technology and innovation for the economic pillar; air quality, waste treatment and energy efficiency for the environmental pillar; poverty, health, and safety and security for the social pillar; and transparent sharing of information and political stability for institutional pillar. It was also found that there was a strong interrelationship between different pillars of ecosystem management. For example, the institutional pillar had serious effects on most of the other identified EM pillars. In addition, the economic pillar was the second most influential factor. Moreover, the institutional pillar profoundly influenced the environmental pillar. Finally, the economic pillar highly affected the environmental pillar, which doubled the complexity of ecosystem management.

Research limitations/implications:

 Several limitations and implications have been addressed for future research. The number of participating experts was limited, which could affect the results and limit the possibility of their summarization. Expert bias may have influenced the results of the study. Such limitations imply that further research with a larger and more diverse group of experts is necessary to validate and expand upon such findings. This study was limited in scope to a particular ecosystem or region and the identified indicators as a result may not apply and be generalizable to other ecosystems or regions. Based on the cause-and-effect relationships between the studied elements, a hypothesis can be expanded and validated using a larger sample. Future studies could replicate this methodology in different contexts to test its applicability and effectiveness.

Practical implications: 

Decision-makers in environmental management and policy-making can use the methodology presented in this study to identify and prioritize ecosystem indicators. By using an integration of the Fuzzy Delphi Method and the Fuzzy DEMATEL, decision-makers can identify the most important indicators for each pillar of ecosystem management and evaluate their effectiveness. This information can be used to allocate resources more effectively and efficiently toward achieving sustainability. Decision-makers could use this methodology to evaluate different ecosystem management practices and policies, and develop new policies or modify existing ones to better address the needs of different stakeholders. Overall, this study provides a useful tool for decision-makers in environmental management and policy-making by providing a comprehensive approach to identifying and prioritising ecosystem indicators.

Social implications:

 This study highlights the importance of considering social factors in ecosystem management. The study identifies several social indicators, such as poverty and material deprivation, education level, public awareness and training, gender equality, and social participation. By prioritizing such indicators in ecosystem management, decision-makers can ensure that the needs and perspectives of different stakeholders are taken into account. This can help to promote social equity and cohesion, which are important for achieving sustainable development. Furthermore, by involving a wide range of stakeholders in the decision-making process, including local communities and marginalized groups, decision-makers can ensure that ecosystem management policies are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all members of society. Overall, this study highlighted the importance of considering social factors in ecosystem management and provides a useful framework for identifying and prioritizing social indicators.

Originality/value: 

The main contribution of this study is the application of the integrated approaches of the Fuzzy Delphi Method and the Fuzzy DEMATEL to identify and rank the importance of quality attributes in ecosystem management. This methodology is innovative because it allows decision-makers to handle imprecise or subjective data, which is often encountered in ecosystem management. The study provides a three-phase framework for identifying and prioritizing ecosystem indicators, which can be replicated for different cities. Findings indicated that science and technology, air quality, poverty, and transparent sharing of information were identified as the most important quality indicators in their respective pillars of ecosystem management alternatives. This implies that decision-makers and policymakers should consider allocating more resources toward improving such areas. Overall, this study provided a useful tool for decision-makers in environmental management and policy-making by providing a comprehensive approach to identifying and prioritizing ecosystem indicators.

The aim of the present research was to explain and prioritize the factors affecting sports diplomacy in the virtual space. This study was fundamental in terms of purpose, descriptive in nature, and a mixed research in terms of variables, which was a combination of the Delphi and fuzzy Dematel methods. The statistical population of this research, given the type of research on sports diplomacy, included all stakeholders and experts in the field of sports diplomacy and international relations, members of the academic faculty of sports management in the country and officials of international federations. The sampling method in the qualitative section was purposeful and snowball, and a total of 16 interviews were conducted to reach theoretical saturation. The Delphi group consisted of 8 of the interviewees, and 13 experts formed the fuzzy Dematel group. The analyses were performed in the Excel software. The interview findings and the theoretical foundations of the research indicated that a total of 79 items were identified as factors affecting sports diplomacy in the virtual space, which were classified into 9 main categories: "nature and potential", "structural factors", "management policy", "media policy", "professional sports policy", "cultural policy", "international policy", "economic factors" and "communication policy". In addition, the findings of the fuzzy Dematel test showed that there are 4 influential factors and 5 susceptible factors on sports diplomacy in the virtual space. In a general conclusion, it was stated that the influential factors should be given priority, as this could have a greater impact on sports diplomacy in the virtual space of Iran and play a more active role in this area.

This research aims to identify and analyze the cause-and-effect relationships of the challenges of implementing sustainable supply chain management in the polluting industries of Iran, particularly in the Yazd Glass Manufacturing Complex.

Design/methodology/approach:

 In terms of results, this research is typically an applied-developmental research. In the first step of the research, the challenges of implementing sustainable supply chain management have been identified and categorized with a systematic approach and by reviewing the published literature and articles using the Meta-Synthesis method. In the second step, the researchers identified the cause-and-effect relationships between the dimensions and challenges through the Fuzzy DEMATEL Method and asked the opinions of eight experts working in Ardakan glass factories in Yazd. The statistical population in the first step of the research included all the studies published in domestic and foreign reliable scientific databases related to the challenges affecting the implementation of sustainable supply chain management. In the second step, the statistical population included all professors and managers in the field of sustainability who were familiar with supply chain management in Ardakan glass factories in Yazd.

The results of the Meta-Synthesis method indicated 32 challenges in seven dimensions of technical, process, organisational management, human-social, institutional, supplier and economic for the implementation of sustainable supply chain management. The results of the Fuzzy DEMATEL method indicated that economic challenges were the most effective and technical challenges in the implementation of sustainable supply chain management.

Research limitations/implications: 

The studied case was one of the glass manufacturing complexes, which can limit the generalizability of the results. Considering that the current research sought to examine the relationships between challenges; therefore, not using methods of weighting and prioritizing challenges is another limitation of this research. To solve such limitations, future researchers are suggested to conduct research in this field and other industries so that better and more appropriate results can be extracted and finally, a more comprehensive model can be designed, since different industries have different characteristics and challenges. It is also suggested to name and categorize the dimensions using survey and quantitative methods such as cluster analysis; and to determine the relationships between the challenges using existing techniques in this field such as structural-interpretive modelling, network analysis process, cognitive map, etc. in different fuzzy theory (type 2, hesitant, neutrosophic, etc.), Z numbers, G and R, and the importance of challenges using techniques such as hierarchical analysis process, entropy, best and worst fuzzy, etc.

Practical implications:

 One of the most important ways to control the emission of pollutants and the increase of waste in different stages of glass production is to move towards sustainable supply chain management. Increasing the awareness of managers and economic operators about the challenges of implementing sustainable supply chain management can help them formulate strategies suitable to help reduce and solve these challenges. To compete in a world-class business, the glass industry must pay sufficient attention to all the identified challenges by focusing on the most important challenges. The use of specific guidelines and a checklist of effective challenges during decision-making can make decision-making easier and the power of decision-making more effective. Were identified, guidelines and checklists should be prepared and provided to the executive managers.Social implications: Identifying the challenges affecting the implementation of sustainable supply chain management is one of the most important factors in implementing and improving the best sustainable supply chain performance. Until the challenges are identified, it is not possible to understand which ones are more important. After the completion of this identification, industry policymakers and practitioners can implement appropriate strategies to reduce and solve such challenges and by implementing this type of supply chain, take steps towards the optimal use of natural and non-renewable resources and pollution reduction.

Originality/value:

 The main contribution of this study was the identification of the challenges of implementing sustainable supply chain management with a comprehensive and scientific approach (Meta-Synthesis) and analyzing the relationships between such challenges using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method. What distinguished this study from other studies is the combination of the challenges of implementing sustainable supply chain management as well as the network approach and examining the relationships and interactions between such challenges in the Ardakan glass factories in Yazd.

Fourth industrial revolution is rapidly changing technology, industry and patterns through increased communications and intelligent automation in the current century. It is crucial to conduct thorough research to determine the importance of dimensions and indicators in assessing the preparedness of Iran's industries for sustainability in Industry 4.0. The goal of this paper is to identify and determine the importance of the influential components on the organization's readiness to move towards the fourth-generation industry. This model should help the organizations and industries understand their industry 4.0 readiness status. In qualitative part of the study, we categorized the data to produce the initial codes, themes and axial codes by examining the theoretical foundations and receiving experts' comments. The result was extracting 60 initial codes and 6 themes. We then used the fuzzy Delphi method on the result of the poll. Experts unanimously voted in favor of 17 sub-criteria. Finally, we used fuzzy DEMATEL method to study the relationships between criteria and sub-criteria. According to this study, ‘functional readiness’ was the most effectible and ‘information technology readiness’ was the most affecting criteria. Among sub-criteria, ‘governmental and institutional laws’ and ‘workplace dynamics’ were identified as the most effectible cause and most affecting effect respectively.

Nowadays, many studies by management researchers aim to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational activities towards work teams. In a way that teamwork has always been given a special place in the literature of excellent organizations. The other important point is the obstacles to teamwork. In this research, the fuzzy DEMATEL technique was used. Experts were selected through purposive sampling to collect data. The results showed that among the components, the lack of up-to-date and practical training had the most impact, and also the inappropriate culture of teamwork had the most susceptibility and more interaction. Negative and inappropriate personality traits, insufficient knowledge, awareness of the benefits of teamwork, lack of material resources and incentives were ineffective, and the inefficiency of interpersonal communication system, inappropriate organizational structure with teamwork, and inappropriate culture of teamwork were also accountable. Also, the inappropriate culture of teamwork is the key and most influential component, and the lack of up-to-date and practical training is the most effective component. Before taking any action, organizations must initiate problem-solving skill training based on individuals' abilities to prevent obstacles to teamwork. To improve teamwork, individuals' personality traits should be taken into account, especially during recruitment and hiring, and their incompatibility with teamwork should be avoided.

Grey markets are unofficial markets where economic players indulge in trading securities and other commodities. They are shaped whenever a suspended stock or commodity, neither purchased nor sold by players, is brought to the market. Such commodities would be traded even before the official trading initiates. The issue is prevalent in developing and emerging markets. Accordingly, this study seeks to explore the formation of grey markets resulting from economic fluctuations and customs gaps, with a specific focus on the Samsung home appliances market in Iran.
 

The present study, applied-developmental, is an applied-developmental one and is qualitative-quantitative in terms of its exploratory nature. Its statistical sample, in the qualitative phase, includes 20 experts in the field of grey markets in the home appliances industry, selected using a judgmental/purposive approach and snowball sampling. The statistical sample, in the quantitative phase, includes 13 experts in the field of grey markets in the home appliances industry, selected purposefully. To collect the required data both in the qualitative phase of the interview and the quantitative phase, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. The data theory approach was adopted to analyze the collected data in the qualitative part, and the fuzzy Dematel approach was used in the quantitative phase.
 

The obtained results of fuzzy Dematel analysis, proved cross-border markets with 23.2332 interactions to have the highest priority; i.e. they need to be more scrutinized and investigated by researchers and policymakers. Besides, the smuggling of goods with the interaction of 22.2800 had the second priority. Based on the achieved findings, more attention must be paid to the customs to prevent such issues which could directly shape grey markets. Next, the fluctuations of economic indicators with the interaction of 22.772 got the third priority. The fluctuations were mainly caused by the socio-political stability or instability of the country in a certain period. Finally, the stagnation of the home appliances markets with 22.292 interactions took the fourth priority.
 

According to the achieved results, economic fluctuations and lack of supervision at border checkpoints end in the formation, emergence, and extension of grey markets. Besides, the lack of effective border controls sets the ground proper for unauthorized or illegal distributors to transport or smuggle Samsung products into Iran, helping the formation of grey and parallel markets.

The main purpose of this study was determining the cause-effect relationships among the components of meritophobia within the public organizations’ culture based on the viewpoint of organizational experts. The study at hand was an exploratory mixed-methods research project. In the qualitative phase of the study, the thematic analysis, and in the quantitative phase, the Fuzzy DEMATEL method was used. Data triangulation was used to examine the validity of the instrument, and interrater and test-retest reliability measures were employed for reliability checking.  The statistical population in the quantitative phase were the experts and managers of Tehran city public organizations who were familiar with meritophobia issue. In this section, 14 participants were selected using snowball sampling. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population were 10 experts. The data collection instruments were semi-structured interviews in the qualitative phase and questionnaire in the quantitative phase. The findings of the qualitative phase showed that overall, 8 factors – including toxic organizational atmosphere, political biases of the managers, administrative corruption, deviations from law, human resource challenges, inconsideration of meritocracy system, the sick structure of the society, and the dominant culture at workplace – were identified as the factors forming meritophobia. The sick structure of the society, the dominant culture at workplace, organizational corruption, and deviations from law affect other variables more, and the inconsideration of meritocracy system is highly influenced by other factors. Culture is the most important tool that can prevent meritophobia in organizations. Attention to cultural ground-setting in the societies and organizations paves the way for the institutionalization of meritocracy system in organizations.

Research shows that psychological competency factors have a direct and significant impact on managerial performance in organizations. This study examined the psychological competencies of organizational managers using the Fuzzy DEMATEL method. Data were collected from participants who were selected through purposive sampling. After identifying the analyzed factors using research literature, the components of psychological competencies were examined, and the cause-and-effect relationships and the impact of the factors under study were assessed using the Fuzzy DEMATEL technique. The results of the study showed that the psychological competencies of managers include responsibility, self-confidence, interpersonal communication, self-control, flexibility, creativity and initiative, and self-awareness. In this research, responsibility has the greatest impact, followed by interpersonal communication. Self-confidence, flexibility, creativity and initiative, and self-awareness have a secondary impact. Responsibility, self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-control are the causal factors, while flexibility, creativity and initiative, and interpersonal communication are the effect factors. Overall, this research demonstrates that increasing the psychological competencies of managers in organizations can improve their performance as well as the overall performance of the organization

The purpose of this study is investigating the cause and effect relationship between the factors affecting the development of ecotourism in Yazd city using descriptive-analytical method. The statistical population included experts in the tourism and ecotourism industry of Yazd city who were selected using purposive sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The reliability of the measurement tool was 0.7. The novelty of the research is to determine the causal relationships between the factors affecting the development of ecotourism using the DEMATEL approach in Yazd city. The results show that the factors influencing in development of ecotourism in Yazd city is including Appropriate planning and management, Education and training manpower in the field of ecotourism, The direct supervision of the government and institutions active in the field of ecotourism, existence of experts fluent in the living languages of the world along with tourist attractions, culturization tourism development and promotion of culture tourism to citizens (host society), Trying to improve security in the region and enact environmental laws to intensify charges and impose more restrictions.