esmaeil mazroui nasrabadi

Coopetition is a strategic approach that can address existing shortages in resources and expertise within the healthcare supply chain. Its implementation requires competent managers. The competencies of managers for coopetition have not been previously examined, and this research aims to identify these competencies to fill this research research gap. In order to answer the research question, a qualitative method with an exploratory approach of thematic analysis has been used. In order to collect data, semi-structured interviews were used. The statistical population of the research is the health supply chain experts of Kashan, Aran and Bidgol cities. After thematic analysis , 67 competencies were identified and grouped into 15 categories: "knowledge and innovation competency," "conflict resolution competency," "time management," "visionary and foresight competency," "cognitive pattern competency," "cultural competency," "perceptual competency," "problem-solving and decision-making competency," "team-building and teamwork competency," "leadership competency," "security competency," "personal competencies," "interactive competency," "supervisory competency," and "legal competency". Based on these findings, it is recommended to recruit managers based on the competencies identified in this research and to conduct training programs to strengthen these competencies.

The importance of financing in the healthcare sector is twofold considering its role in the health of the society. The purpose of this research is to identify, model and analyze the scenarios of the CSFs of financing through PPP in Iran's healthcare supply chain.

This research was conducted in two qualitative and quantitative phases. The statistical population is Iran's healthcare supply chain experts. In the first stage, the CSFs were identified with semi-structured interviews and the use of thematic analysis. In the second stage, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to model and analyze the scenario. To analyze the data, fuzzy cognitive mapping was used in FCM appear and Pajek software's.

The results show 38 CSFs. The results of fuzzy cognitive mapping showed that "government support", "monitoring management" and "information management" have the highest degree of effectiveness. The forward and backward scenarios and their overlap show the high importance of "government support", "monitoring management" and "information management".

It is necessary for the government to take act in the field of long-term loans, the possibility of using government facilities and tax exemptions, including the "accessible payment" clause in the payment mechanism section, and setting up an electronic monitoring system.

The emergence of the Internet of Behaviors (IoB) has created new opportunities for influencing and guiding human decisionmaking. IoB refers to the collection, analysis, and application ofdata generated by individuals’ online activities, behaviors, and interactions. This concept integrates data from various sources, including social media, wearable devices, smartphones, andother digital platforms, to gain insights into human behavior patterns. This technology can profoundly affect various areas of our lives, such as healthcare, education, and transportation. Thispaper explores the transformative potential of IoB in educational businesses, where it enables personalized learning, real-time feedback, and improved student retention. By analyzing data onstudent engagement and performance, IoB supports differentiated instruction, enhances collaborative learning, and drives datadriven curriculum development. Additionally, IoB contributes to students’ health and safety through wearable technology and promotes smart, resource-efficient classrooms. However, the implementation of IoB in education poses significant challenges, including privacy concerns, technical complexities, and access disparities. The paper identifies key areas for future research, such as the integration of IoB with traditional pedagogical approaches, equitable access to IoB technologies, and development of ethical standards to safeguard student privacy. This commentary underscores IoB’s potential to revolutionize education while emphasizing the need for careful consideration of its challenges to ensure broad and equitable benefits.

The healthcare supply chain in Iran needs coopetition to compensate for its shortcomings and optimize resource allocation. coopetition refers to the collaboration of competitors, which can bring numerous benefits to Iran's healthcare system. Given the significance of this topic, it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of coopetition and identify its possible futures. In this study, utilizing a thematic analysis and layered causal analysis approach, scenarios of coopetition within the healthcare supply chain were identified. The statistical population of the research comprises experts in Iran's healthcare supply chain. Data collection was conducted through fieldwork, using semi-structured interviews as the tool. The findings revealed 51 codes categorized into four levels: latent, systematic causes, discourse, and metaphor. Based on two major drivers—"coopetition management" and "economic conditions"—four scenarios were identified: pioneers, traditional competitors, allies, and the losers. Among these scenarios, the pioneers scenario, characterized by favorable economic conditions and effective coopetition management, is the most desirable. Following this is the allies scenario, where coopetition management is in a favorable state as well. Based on the research findings, recommendations were provided at three levels: optimal selection for managers, drafting competition contracts, and in-service training for the managers of the healthcare supply chain.

Given the uncertainties and shortages in the healthcare supply chain, organizations involved in this chain have increasingly adopted coopetition strategies. However, some coopetition efforts have failed, often due to neglecting essential criteria for selecting partners. As no prior research has comprehensively addressed the factors influencing partner selection for coopetition, this study was conducted to identify and model these factors, aiming to determine the most fundamental ones. In the first phase of the study, using thematic analysis, 38 factors influencing partner selection were identified and categorized into 15 groups: "complementary services and resources", "accurate and experienced human resources", "adherence to ethical principles", "providing accurate, prompt, and high-quality services", "acceptance of changes and innovation", "brand reputation", "presence in the private sector", "strategic alignment with our organization", "geographical proximity", "appropriate human resource management", "having sufficient working capital to manage changes", "information sharing", "similar organizational culture", "organizational discipline and coherence", and "service capacity." In the second phase, the factors were modeled using the fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling method. The results showed that "presence in the private sector" and "geographical proximity" are the most fundamental factors influencing other factors. In the next level, "accurate and experienced human resources", "adherence to ethical principles", and "having sufficient working capital to manage changes" were identified. Based on the identified criteria, organizations are advised to prioritize these factors in selecting coopetition partners. Additionally, organizations should strive to enhance these attributes internally to become more attractive partners. To this end, recommendations include reducing administrative bureaucracy, strengthening organizational culture, improving information infrastructure, and enhancing human resource management.

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.

Ripple effect has many destructive effects on supply chains because if it occurs, it can involve a large number of layers of the supply chain. After the ripple effect occurs, issues in the supply chain can act as its intensifiers. This issue has not been investigated in previous studies, so this study has identified and modeled them in the Iranian machine-made carpet supply chain. The statistical population of this study is machine-made carpet supply chain experts. The data collection tool in the first stage is a semi-structured interview and in the second stage is a researcher-made questionnaire. The data analysis method in the first stage is content analysis and in the second stage is interpretive structural modeling. The results indicate 40 intensifiers that were grouped into 12 categories, which are: "weakness in planning and foresight", "structural intensifiers", "upstream intensifiers", "weakness in supply", "purity", "operational intensifiers", "technological intensifiers", "weakness in market orientation", "structural weakness of the chain", "chain culture", "human resource intensifiers" and "knowledge intensifier". After identifying these factors, an interpretative structural model was presented. The structural model indicates the great importance of "upstream intensifiers", "structural intensifiers" and "weakness in planning and foresight". Developing different scenarios, creating rapid response teams, creating market monitoring systems and simplifying processes and regulations are among the solutions to deal with intensifiers.

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.

Customer brand co-creation behavior plays a crucial role in effective branding. However, previous research has not thoroughly explored the challenges associated with fostering this behavior or the strategies for overcoming them. This study aimed to identify these challenges, analyze their interrelationships, and propose actionable strategies. Conducted in 3 phases, the research involved a population of academic experts and professionals in the e-commerce industry, utilizing judgmental and snowball sampling methods. In the first and third phases, qualitative approaches—including semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis—were employed to identify challenges and strategies. The second phase utilized a quantitative approach, incorporating a researcher-designed questionnaire and fuzzy cognitive mapping to analyze the relationships among the identified challenges and create scenarios. The findings revealed 15 challenges categorized into 3 general levels: "internal organizational challenges", "environmental obstacles", and "customer-related issues". Notably, challenges, such as ineffective communication between brands and customers, a weak employer brand, and a lack of strategic alignment, were prominent across all backward scenarios, underscoring their significance. Conversely, cultural issues within society emerged as the most independent challenges in forward scenarios. Additionally, weak corporate branding and a closed organizational culture were present in all forward scenarios, highlighting their critical importance. The analysis of both scenarios emphasized the significant impact of the weak employer brand challenge. To address these potential obstacles, the study proposed 16 strategies organized into 3 key levels: "preparing the organization for co-creation", "mitigating the effects of external environmental obstacles", and "encouraging customer engagement in brand co-creation".

The Internet of Behavior (IoB) represents an evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), utilizing behavioral data to enhance decision-making and service delivery. By integrating technology, data analytics, and behavioral science, IoB provides a robust framework for predicting and influencing human behavior. This technology is particularly transformative in the healthcare sector, where it leverages data from wearable devices and other digital tools to offer comprehensive insights into patients' physical and behavioral health. Such data facilitates accurate diagnoses, preventive care, and personalized treatment plans, especially for individuals with chronic conditions or the elderly. Despite its potential, the implementation of IoB in healthcare presents significant ethical challenges. These include concerns about privacy, data security, transparency, behavioral manipulation, equity in access, and the psychological and social consequences of continuous monitoring. Addressing these ethical issues proactively is essential to maximizing the benefits of IoB while mitigating its risks. It is imperative that the deployment of IoB technologies in healthcare does not compromise patients' dignity or lead to a perceived loss of independence, control, and privacy. Additionally, reliance on algorithms for IoB data analysis should not diminish human oversight in healthcare decision-making. To address these concerns, healthcare organizations must establish ethical protocols, including stringent security measures, informed consent procedures, and robust data protection strategies. Ensuring the secure and responsible use of patient data is critical to maintaining trust in IoB systems. Future research should prioritize the exploration of these ethical challenges, particularly focusing on the psychological and social impacts of continuous monitoring.

In today’s world, supply chains must adopt new and intelligent technologies to achieve objectives such as enhancing productivity and performance, competitiveness, and overcoming challenges. The Internet of Things (IoT), as an emerging and transformative technology, is considered one of the most significant technology areas today and has garnered considerable attention across various industries. However, the implementation of IoT at the supply chain (SC) level faces numerous challenges and obstacles, and its acceptance at this level requires specific drivers. To date, no specific classification has been provided for drivers at the SC level, and existing classifications for challenges also need to be reviewed and updated. Given the importance of IoT in SC management, a systematic review at this level is necessary. This article provides a systematic literature review to identify and classify the challenges and drivers of IoT at the SC level. The study reviewed articles published from 2004 to 2023, ultimately identifying and categorizing 92 challenges into 16 categories: financial, standards and government regulations, privacy and security, energy consumption, health issues, hardware and software issues, culture in the SC, lack of knowledge and awareness, poor IT management, coordination in the SC, perception, the Challenge of uncertainty, lack of Plan and Strategy, incompatibility with existing technology, supply Problems, and user acceptance and trust in technology. Additionally, the study identified 4 antecedent drivers (pressures, understanding the benefits, government regulations, government incentives) and 10 consequent drivers (production benefits, improving competitive advantage, inventory management, cost management, improving transparency, efficiency of information flow, development of responsiveness and agility, sustainable development, facilitation of management, and development of cooperation and coordination). Finally, a model for implementing IoT technology in the SC is presented. This model synthesizes the findings from the literature review and offers a practical roadmap for organizations seeking to leverage IoT in their supply chains. By addressing the identified challenges and utilizing the drivers, organizations can effectively integrate IoT technology, thereby enhancing the efficiency, transparency, and overall performance of their SC operations.

Along with recent advances in technology, a significant change has taken place in all industries, including banking industry, causing banks to move towards digital and open banking (Misra, 2019). In open banking, users can access their financial data through diverse ways, including internet banking, mobile banking and are no longer required to go to banks to do their banking (Carriere-Swallow, Haksar, & Patnam, 2021). Open banking challenges the existing data ownership methods and returns the control of financial data to consumers (Chan, 2020). In general, open banking can solve the challenges of data ownership for controlling customers’ financial information (Laplante, & Kshetri, 2021; Sivathanu, 2019) and help overcome financial problems (Arner, Barberis, & Buckley, 2015; Schueffel, 2016). Despite the benefits of open banking, studies have shown that, despite the long queues of customers in some branches of Tejarat Bank in Kashan (Iran), customers still prefer traditional/face-to-face banking and do not approve of open banking. According to the technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989), perceived ease, usefulness, and people’s attitudes are the main factors affecting people’s view towards new technologies. Studies have shown that other factors may also influence the intention to accept technology: perceived risk, previous consumption experience, uncertainty avoidance, and consumer inertia. Accordingly, the present study aims to develop a technology acceptance model (TAM) in the field of open banking.

This study is positivistic in terms of research philosophy. The research strategy is correlational since cause-and-effect relationships between the variables are examined in the research model. The research type is quantitative as the collected data are examined through statistical computing software. The target population of this study is the customers of Tejarat Bank branches in Kashan (Iran). G-Power software was used to determine the sample size; the suggested number of the software was 47 people. Also, to estimate the sample size, the rule of minimum 5 times and maximum 20 times of the maximum number of questions of a variable was used. Since the largest number of questions related to the variables of previous consumption experience and consumer inertia was 9 questions, the minimum and maximum sample size were determined as 45. A total of 251 questionnaires were distributed among the target samples. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. To check the validity of the measurement instrument, content validity was used for determining the appropriateness of the content of the questionnaire items. Additionally, to confirm its formal validity, the questionnaire items were extracted from previous relevant literature; duplicate items were removed; similar items were merged; and additional items were reduced. Experts confirmed the validity of the questionnaire. The questionnaire included 8 variables: the ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes towards use, consumer inertia, uncertainty avoidance, perceived risk, previous consumption experience, and intention to use open banking. Each dimension was investigated by a specific number of components through a researcher-made questionnaire.In order to ensure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha method was used. The α coefficients were between 0.921 and 0.970 for the 8 variables, which indicated the reliability of the questionnaire. One-sample t test was run in SPSS examine the relationships between the studied variables. Due to non-normality of the data, the structural equation modelling was performed in Smart PLS software for checking the model fit and for analyzing the data.

The results of testing the proposed research model are shown in Figure 1.Figure 1: Significant relationships based on Smart-PLS results As shown in Figure 1, the amount of factor loading in all the questions related to the variables is higher than 0.7; thus, the reliability of the research model can be confirmed. The numerical explanation coefficient is between zero and one, and if this number is more than 0.6, it indicates that the independent variable has been able to explain the dependent variable to a large extent. The coefficient of explanation in intention to use is 0.953, which is very high. It shows that this variable is explained by other independent variables in the study. For the amount of the explanatory coefficient in the attitudes to use variable, this number is higher than 0.6, which indicates that the independent variable of attitude can explain this variable to a large extent.shows the results of testing all the research hypotheses. As shown in this table, the mediating role of attitude in the relationship between perceived risk and intention to use as well as in the association between perceived ease and intention to use is rejected. In other relations of attitude mediation, due to the non-rejection of the direct and indirect influences of variables, attitude has a partial mediating role. Moreover, the perceived usefulness has a partial mediating role due to the direct and indirect effect of the perceived ease on the attitude to use.

The results showed that, among all the research hypotheses, only two hypotheses which were related to the effect of perceived risk on the attitude to use and the effect of perceived ease on the attitude to use were not confirmed. Additionally, consumer inertia, perceived risk, and uncertainty avoidance had a negative effect on the intention to use open banking while perceived usefulness, perceived ease, and previous consumption experience had a positive effect on the intention to accept open banking. To reduce the risks perceived by the customers of Tejarat Bank, the following suggestions are provided:Creating an option in the software to return the transactions done with a limited time condition
Reducing the obligations of software users during the registration of bank customers Offering substantial support to customers with respect to the lost information and their capital To reduce the consumer inertia of Tejarat Bank customers, the following suggestions are provided:Guiding and encouraging bank customers by bank employees in order to help people use open banking services Comparing traditional banking with open banking and explaining the positive effects of the latter for the customers

Coopetition strategy(cooperation-competition)is a popular strategic approach in the healthcare.Despite the acceptance of this approach,organizations have faced difficulties in implementing it to benefit from all its advantages.Therefore,the current research was conducted with the aim of identifying the key success factors of the cooperation-competition strategy in the healthcare and analyzing the scenario of these factors.This research is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative)research.In the first stage(qualitative)based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis,the key success factors were identified and in the second stage(quantitative),fuzzy cognitive map and scenario analysis was used to rank these factors.As a result of the first stage,74key factors of success were identified and categorized to15categories:"human resource management","skills to detect and resolve inconsistencies","training of managers","management of relations between organizations","degree of dependence and similarity".,"Information management","Smart monitoring and evaluation","Smart service","Appropriate culture creation","Positive manager","Multiple sources","Work environment design","Team work","contracts Management"and,"benchmarking".Based on the output of the fuzzy-cognitive-map,"Training of managers"and"contracts Management "are the driver and"Smart service"is the receiver.Other key success factors are typical.The highest degrees of dependence are "inter-organizational relationship management"and"intelligent monitoring and evaluation"."benchmarking"and"skill to detect and resolve inconsistencies"have the highest degree of effectiveness,and"management of relations between organizations"and"skill to detect and resolve inconsistencies"have the highest degree of centrality.The overlap of the backward scenarios indicates the special position of"smart monitoring and evaluation","contract management"and"proper culture building".Also,the overlap of future scenarios shows the importance of"benchmarking"and"training managers". Based on the findings,the development of information infrastructure,benchmarking,regulation of contracts based on the coverage of challenges and management training are recommended for the development of cooperation-competition strategy in health care sector.

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.

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 present study has investigated the possible effects of the implementation of value added tax on Iran's inflation in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. The temporal domain of this information is related to the financial statements of the manufacturing companies accepted in the Tehran Stock Exchange in the period of 6 years from the beginning of 2013 to the end of 2018. The obtained data includes manufacturing and service companies and institutions. And there are no other than leasing companies and financial institutions, insurance and banks, and their obtained information has been uploaded based on the Kodal site. To check the liquidity growth, its base year has been obtained from 2013. In this chapter, the collected data have been evaluated in two sections of descriptive and inferential statistics; In the descriptive analysis of information, the indicators of descriptive statistics include frequency, percentage of relative frequency, mean, standard deviation, and in the inferential part, research hypotheses have been investigated using independent variables on the dependent variable. In the following, efforts were made to investigate the direct and indirect effects of statistical equations and Eviews10, Excel software. The results showed that there is a direct relationship between value added tax and gross national product, liquidity growth, the amount of money in circulation, the amount of tax revenues and finally inflation in Iran.