home appliance industry

Brands are forgotten with the passage of time and becoming old. Forgetting the brand is one of the basic challenges of businesses that can have significant negative effects on business performance and profitability. The current research is also done with the aim of designing defensive strategies of brand forgetting in Iran's home appliance industry.

The approach of the current research is qualitative, in terms of practical purpose and in terms of nature and descriptive method. The statistical population of this research includes academic experts and managers with experience in Iran's home appliance industry. . The sampling method was snowball sampling. In this research, Brown and Clark's six-stage thematic analysis method was used to code and analyze the findings.

In this research, after analyzing the data collected from the interviews with thematic analysis method, 69 basic themes were categorized into 14 organizing themes and 5 inclusive themes. Defensive strategies of forgetting the brand include: knowledge, research-oriented and technological strategy, repositioning strategy, reduction strategy, participation strategy, market orientation strategy. According to the categories that have been obtained, it can be said that each of the main categories, according to the categories they have had, can help companies and the home appliance industry in order to attract and eliminate the causes of forgetting the brand and from the strategy. Defensive measures should be used to prevent forgetting the brand, and this will be profitable for the company as well as the progress and development of the business.

Since the investigation of the business environment and the state of the home appliance industry in Iran shows that this industry suffers from low competitiveness in terms of the status of its products in the domestic and foreign markets, hence the purpose of this research is to investigate The experiences of selected countries in the home appliance industry of the world (including South Korea, China, ASEAN countries, Turkey and India) and the explanation of the priority policy programs from the perspective of the country's home appliance industry experts, as well as defining recommendations for improving the competitiveness of Iran home appliance industry.

In terms of the purpose of the research, the present research is an applied type research, and in terms of the data collection method, it relies on the comparative study method and the descriptive-survey method. Therefore, in the first phase, the study of the theoretical foundations of the current research and the comparative study including the study of the pioneer and successful countries of the home appliance industry (which are located especially in the Asian continent) have been considered. Therefore, the studied sample in the comparative method in the current research is based on the review and analysis of important development plans and policies in selected countries including South Korea, China, ASEAN countries, Turkey and India, in order to promote the home appliance industry. In the second phase of the research, meetings and interviews were held with industry experts in order to explain the goals and appropriate policies in order to improve the competitiveness of the home appliance industry in Iran, and then in the third phase, based on the findings from the first and second phase, and by the help of a questionnaire compiled based on the QCD model, prioritized policies to improve the competitiveness of the country's home appliance industry and explained policy recommendations to improve the competitiveness of Iran's home appliance industry is defined and explained.

According to the studies carried out regarding the development programs of selected countries and the analyzes made from the points of views received during interviews with knowledgeable experts of the home appliance industry, it was found that the two elements of cost and quality have a higher priority than the element of on-time delivery in the household appliances industry. According to the experts, the structural reform of the home appliance industry based on the improvement of economies of scale and diversity through the pursuit of collective production policies, mergers and acquisitions has been necessary. After the issue of structural reform of the home appliance industry, technology development and research and development(R&D) become important through the formulation of supporting frameworks for the research and development of active companies and the creation of special incentives for knowledge-based start-up companies active in the home appliance industry is attainable. Following the listed priorities, development of human resources skills, development of supply network, development of standards, development of services connected to production and development and completion of logistics and tracking infrastructures are necessary. Therefore, by taking into consideration the policy programs of selected countries as well as the results of the evaluation of the questionnaires distributed among the experts and the interviews conducted with the activists of the household appliances industry, the axes of measures and programs to improve the competitiveness of the household appliances industry of Iran can be divided into the main axes of the policy including "reforming the corporate structure and improving the economies of scale and diversity", "explaining the competitiveness roadmap based on the development and completion of the supply network (especially component/parts manufacturing)". "Strengthening the competitiveness of production and the value chain by focusing on mergers and the formation of consortiums and business groups", "Recommendation to strengthen the competitiveness of the links connected to production" and "Improving the competitiveness of the product in the technologic aspect through joint research and development".

In this research, non-verbal in-store factors affecting the buying behavior of customers in the home appliance industry have been identified. The data required for this research were collected in two qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, the in-depth interview method was used to collect the necessary information. The data obtained in this phase of the research were analyzed by the method of content analysis. Also, in the quantitative phase, the field method was used to collect information and analyzed using the exploratory factor analysis method. In order to cover the research objectives, at first, by conducting in-depth interviews with experts in the field of non-verbal communication, indicators that can be effective in predicting the buying behavior of customers were identified, and then based on the importance of each From these indicators, the factors that are finally introduced as non-verbal in-store factors that influence the buying behavior of customers. The results obtained in the interview with experts show that 33 indicators can be considered as non-verbal in-store indicators affecting the buying behavior of customers in the home appliance industry. Based on the findings of this research, brands active in this industry can design more optimal stores for end customers, which in addition to creating a positive impact on their shopping experience, also on the branding of industry players. It can have a significant impact

Designing a new brand alone is not enough and what measures can be taken to strengthen it is also of great importance. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to design a model for empowering Iranian brands with an emphasis on open innovation approach in the home appliances industry. The present study can be objectively categorized as an applied one and is conducted through a mixed methodology (qualitative-quantitative). Interviews and questionnaires were used as data collection tools in qualitative and quantitative sections, respectively, and their validity and reliability were evaluated as desirable. Having reviewed the related literature and research background, semi-structured interview protocols were prepared to gather data. The participants were selected among scientific and executive professionals involved in the home appliances industry using the snowball sampling method. Also, the statistical sample of the research in the quantitative part consisted of 386 customers of home appliances in Tehran. To analyze the data in the qualitative section, grounded theory was applied benefitting from MAXQDA software, while in the quantitative part, factor analysis (FA) was used. The findings of the research revealed that the factors focusing on the supply and demand chain strengthen the brand of Iranian home appliances. This study also introduces mental, communicative, and adaptive strategies which, themselves, are affected by intervening (human and organizational factors) and contextual (macro and micro factors) conditions. Moreover, implementing these strategies may have some consequences related to customers, societies, and organizations. Data analysis of quantitative section findings after applying grounded theory led to making a final model based on the factor analysis methodology.

One of the benefits of a strong brand is its impact on reducing marketing costs (Agmeka et al., 2019). Experience has indicated that even during recession periods, strong brands face fewer problems in the field of sales reduction than similar products which are not considered famous brands (Azham & Ahmad, 2020). Academic and management schools of thought jointly agree that the power of a brand leads to profitability and acts as a competitive advantage in the industry (Bianchi, 2014). Although a powerful brand can have a relatively long life in normal conditions, due to the changes and developments in the environment, of which technology is perhaps one of the most important factors, it gradually enters the decline stage. Therefore, the managers and owners of economic organizations and businesses that operate in an increasingly competitive environment face a constant challenge that is maintaining well-known brands and preventing their lifespan from shortening. The issue of maintaining the brand, strengthening it and continuing its life has been raised because building a new brand alone is not enough, and how it should be maintained and what measures can be taken to strengthen it, have also particular importance. Although brand strengthening is important for all goods and services and improves their value (Kleih et al., 2023), the need to strengthen the brand in order to achieve marketing goals for some industries and businesses, including home appliance industries, is more than non-durable consumer goods and some products which are simple and ordinary. This requires providing a model as a guide for managers and researchers so that this vital industry of the country can be pushed towards brand strengthening in the national and international arena, and a wide effort can be made in line with the growth of this industry. Therefore, the answer to this question is vital: what is the appropriate model for strengthening the Iranian home appliance brands with an emphasis on open innovation?

The current research is applied in terms of purpose. In terms of research method and type of data, it is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) design. Due to the impossibility of coordination with a number of experts to attend the joint meeting at the same time and the lack of knowledge of the researcher about the level of knowledge and mentality of domestic experts regarding new issues in strengthening the brand of home appliances with an open innovation approach, the interview method was chosen. Because a semi-structured interview was used instead of a structured interview in this research, the interview protocol includes predetermined open questions that allowed the interviewer to assess and clarify the topics during the interview. The sampling method in the qualitative part is purposeful snowball sampling and the statistical population of this research in the qualitative part is made up of experts in marketing and senior managers of home appliance manufacturing companies, sellers, and managers of the home appliance association in Tehran. The number of selected participants to conduct in-depth interviews is 6 scientific experts and 9 practical experts. The statistical population of this research in the quantitative part also consists of all the buyers of Iranian household appliances in the city of Tehran. Considering that the statistical population of the research in this section is unlimited, the size of the research sample in the quantitative section was considered to be 386 people based on the Cochrane relationship. In order to select the research sample for answering, the available sampling method was used. The process of information analysis in the grounded theory approach is based on three stages of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results of confirmatory factor analysis and average variance extracted have been used to analyze the internal structure of the questionnaire and determine its validity.

According to the results of the qualitative part, the factors affecting the supply side include paying attention to price quality, foundation based on knowledge and technology, and organizational agility. And focusing on the demand side, including after-sales services, encouraging dealers and sales centers, and the use of effective marketing practices and social responsibility creates a phenomenon such as strengthening the home appliance brand with an innovative approach. According to the model, in order to strengthen the brand of home appliances, mental strategies (brand redefinition and storytelling), communication strategies (emotional brand and brand development) and adaptation strategies (brand heritage strengthening and brand audit) should be used. Also, in order to strengthen the brand of household appliances with an open innovation approach, attention should be paid to the context factors. Macro factors (economic, cultural, social, political and legal factors, industry characteristics, and competition) and micro factors (costs related to strengthening the brand and product line compatibility) are among the effective context factors.
Also, some factors and variables interfere with strengthening the home appliance brand with an open innovation approach. In other words, they facilitate or hinder the strengthening of the brand of these products. Some factors were among the obstacles and facilitators of brand strengthening including human factors (expert and knowledgeable stakeholders, expert employees, and top management attitude) and organizational factors (organizational culture, organizational learning, age, and size of the organization).

Considering the results of the study, strengthening the brand of home appliances will also have consequences related to customers and the society (creating purchase intention in customers, brand preference, improving customers' perceptions and attitudes, positive word of mouth advertising, increasing customer satisfaction, and loyalty and prevention of goods smuggling) and the consequences related to the organization (increasing profitability and organizational stability, creating a good reputation and image, improving brand value, increasing employee motivation, and reducing the market share temporarily). Data analysis of quantitative section findings after applying grounded theory led to making a final model based on factor analysis.

Social bundling strategy is an extensive business approach to pricing based on the company's marketing strategies, which involves offering two or more products for sale as an item. In industries that are active in competitive markets and have a diverse product range, the bundling strategy can be effective. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of designing a social bundling model in the home appliance industry using the Grounded theory.

This is mixed research applying both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The statistical population of the study consisted of company managers, marketing managers, and university professors. Since experts in this field are not easily identifiable, the snowball sampling method was used. In the snowball method, the first group of experts is used to identify and select the next sampling units. In this method, sampling is continued until the categories reach theoretical saturation. The data collection tool, in the qualitative part, was a semi-structured interview. In the quantitative part, a questionnaire was used to gather the required data. To evaluate the validity, the Creswell model was used in the qualitative part and the content validity and the reliability of the in-coder and inter-coder were calculated. In the quantitative part, content validity and test-retest reliability were measured.

this study, to present the research model, the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory was applied. The main elements of Strauss and Corbin, included causal conditions, underlying factors, interfering factors, pivotal phenomena, and strategies and consequences, which were identified using ATLAS.ti software and coding methods.

The results of the study present a model including causal conditions (macro-industry policies, competitive market, and sanctions), contextual conditions (culture, organizational performance, and organic structure), and interventionist ones (alignment with economic status and organizational effectiveness). This study also introduces the central phenomenon (sales, pricing, and relationship with customers), presents social bundling strategies (specialist force in sales, advertising media, and market research), and identifies the related consequences (profitability, brand equity, and easy shopping). In this study, the social bundling model is presented based on the three pivots of sales, pricing, and relationship with customers.

In this paper, the problem of scheduling jobs with non-identical sizes has been studied on a single-batch processing machine, in order to minimize the makespan. Using new lower bounds, a branch and bound algorithm has been proposed to solve the problem. In this algorithm, two new methods have been used to generate lower bounds and results have been compared with the existing lower bound in literature. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, test problems have been randomly generated and branch and bound algorithm has been tested with different lower bounds on these cases. Findings indicated that when the size of the jobs is large compared to the capacity of the machine, the branch and bound algorithm with the new lower bound has the best performance. When the size of the jobs is small compared to the capacity of the machine (up to half the capacity of the machine), the algorithm with existing lower bound has better performance. In addition, when the size of the jobs is neither large nor small, the lower bounds provide the best performance.

Based on predictions, services are a key component of the growth of the global economy in future (Arnold et al. 2011). Acording to Jane and Kumar (2012), services play a critical role in a supply chain. Also, according to Wang et al. (2015), a "product" or "service" must exist in each supply chain which is produced by the upstream sectors and delivered to downstream. Recently due to increasing customer expectations, companies’ competition has been replaced by the supply chains competition and as a result, competition has been increased in the simultaneous supply of products and services. This has led to challenges in integrating companies and in coordinating the materials, information and financial flow that were previously overlooked. Accordingly, a new managerial philosophy has been developed known as Product-Service Supply Chain (PSSC) (Stanley & Wisner, 2002). This study seeks to develop a performance evaluation model for the product-service supply chain in the home appliance industry, which is finally solved using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS).

In this paper, performance evaluation constructs and criteria of service supply chain are identified by reviewing the literature and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and then, the performance evaluation of service supply chains in Iran's home appliance industry has been performed using these constructs, criteria and ANFIS. Findings and

Based on the findings, ten main extracted constructs can be suggested for the performance evaluation of the supply chain. They include "Operational Performance (OP)", "Strategic Performance (SP)", "Financial Performance (FP)", "Performance of Information and Communication Technology (PICT)", “Return Performance” (REP), “Risk Performance (RIP)”, “Logistic Performance (LP)”, “Market Performance (MP)”, “Internal Structure Performance (PIS)” and “Growth and Innovation Performance (PGI)”, among which, the Strategic Performance (SP) and Return Performance (REP) are the most important and the least important constructs, respectively.

Based on the findings, the following practical recommendations are suggested to the companies: Enhancing the demand forecasts performance and utilizing more appropriate methods and software to improve forecasts in demand and order management areas. Improving the return management status by increased attention and more investment in return management processes. Effective investment in service development management to enhance the R&D services performance. Utilizing risk management approaches and methods to identify and take preventive actions on the risks in the companies’ service supply chain.

The aim of this study is to propose a comprehensive performance evaluation model with emphasis on service performance metrics in the service-product supply chain rather than the production supply chain in the home appliance industry and using neural-fuzzy networks for performance evaluation. The present study is typically a descriptive-exploratory research with survey approach in which, data analysis has been conducted using quantitative method and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. For the purpose of this study, a sample of 58 home appliance companies has been selected and Smart-PLS, SPSS and Matlab software have been used for data analysis. Findings indicated 10 main constructs and 29 performance criteria obtained for evaluating the performance of service supply chain and fuzzy neural networks of several home appliance companies.

Based on predictions, services are a key component of the growth of the global economy in future (Arnold et al. 2011). Acording to Jane and Kumar (2012), services play a critical role in a supply chain. Also, according to Wang et al. (2015), a "product" or "service" must exist in each supply chain which is produced by the upstream sectors and delivered to downstream. Recently due to increasing customer expectations, companies’ competition has been replaced by the supply chains competition and as a result, competition has been increased in the simultaneous supply of products and services. This has led to challenges in integrating companies and in coordinating the materials, information and financial flow that were previously overlooked. Accordingly, a new managerial philosophy has been developed known as Product-Service Supply Chain (PSSC) (Stanley & Wisner, 2002). This study seeks to develop a performance evaluation model for the product-service supply chain in the home appliance industry, which is finally solved using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS).

In this paper, performance evaluation constructs and criteria of service supply chain are identified by reviewing the literature and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and then, the performance evaluation of service supply chains in Iran's home appliance industry has been performed using these constructs, criteria and ANFIS.
Findings and

Based on the findings, ten main extracted constructs can be suggested for the performance evaluation of the supply chain. They include "Operational Performance (OP)", "Strategic Performance (SP)", "Financial Performance (FP)", "Performance of Information and Communication Technology (PICT)", “Return Performance” (REP), “Risk Performance (RIP)”, “Logistic Performance (LP)”, “Market Performance (MP)”, “Internal Structure Performance (PIS)” and “Growth and Innovation Performance (PGI)”, among which, the Strategic Performance (SP) and Return Performance (REP) are the most important and the least important constructs, respectively.

Based on the findings, the following practical recommendations are suggested to the companies:Enhancing the demand forecasts performance and utilizing more appropriate methods and software to improve forecasts in demand and order management areas.Improving the return management status by increased attention and more investment in return management processes. Effective investment in service development management to enhance the R&D services performance.Utilizing risk management approaches and methods to identify and take preventive actions on the risks in the companies’ service supply chain.