نشریه اقتصاد و تجارت نوین
سال ششم شماره 2 (پیاپی 24، زمستان1389 و بهار 1390)

With regard to dominating role of human capital in knowledge based economy and the crucial importance of incentives to accumulate human capital, this study aims at evaluating the rate of return to education for professional jobs and commercial activities. To the best of my knowledge, no such a study has been done before in Iran. Using data from the survey of socio-economic characteristics of household conducted by the statistical center of Iran in 2002, and applying multilevel modeling, I found that (1) the rate of return to education in Iran is positive but less than 10 percent, (2) estimates of the classic Mincerian Earnings Function (MEF) using OLS technique provide wrong and misleading results, (3) the multilevel estimates of return to education are different among the occupational and activity groups, especially for business activities, and (4) the heterogeneities can in part be explained by gender, geographical location, human capital density and the type of occupation and activity. Moreover, it is found that the return to education in urban areas is more than that in rural by 1.8 percent point, the rate is more for women than men by 4.4 percent point, employees working with higher human capital density earn about 3.5 more and return to education for professional occupations and commercial activities is 1.7 and 1.3 percent point higher, respectively, in comparison with other occupations and activities.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting the wage gap between Iran and selected developing countries using a new economic geography models. A panel data approach is employed using the data for 16 selected developing countries during the period 1998-2007. The sample countries are members of WTO. Based on the results obtained in this study, the new economic geography model provides a suitable explanation for the spatial structure of wage in Iran. More specifically, market size and distance-weighted have a positive relationship with wages while prices of non-trade goods have a negative effect on spatial structure of wage. Therefore, in determining wage levels rather than the characteristics of labor or labor productivity and the conditions governing the labor market are effective. Based on the findings of this paper, it is expected to pay special attention to benefit from the agglomeration and its effects on wages in the economic development programs in selected developing countries.

The aim of this research is to explore managerial factors affecting the success of new product development projects in small and medium sized enterprises. To find out these factors, deep interviews are conducted with successful managers in the field of new product development. Afterwards, a survey is conducted to production/sales/marketing/R&D managers and chief executive officers of small and medium sized enterprises to elicit their points of view. This study examines five factors assumed to be critical to influence on the top managers to achieve their success in the new product development. These factors include commitment, entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, international orientation and tendency to future studies of top managers.

This paper investigates the effects of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) on energy intensity in 40 selected developing countries. Panel data approach is considered to estimate empirical models using annual data over the period 1995-2008. The results of this paper indicate that some of the ICT systems and devices that are used for communication (e.g. Communications) known substitution effect have negative effect on energy intensity. But the network (income) effect has positive effect on energy intensity. However, income effect is more powerful than substitution effect. Therefore, the net effect of ICT capital on energy intensity is positive. It can be concluded that although the demand for ICT products has increased in developing countries, the use of ICT has not spread widely.

Nowadays the usage of technology in organization is discussed every day as a solution for organizational problems. This affair accompanied by the success of technological entrepreneurship approaches in non-organizational districts. Its undeniable role in production of wealth has caused a new research district known corporate technological Entrepreneurship. The aim of this paper is to design a conceptual model for corporate technological entrepreneurship. For this purpose, the corporate technological entrepreneurship process derived from the study of the usage of ''TETRA Telecommunication Technology (TTT)" in Tehran Railway organization is considered using Grounded Theory (GT). The outcome model indicates that the main category of this process is emigrating from previous technology. It was formed from casual reasons such as understanding of technology weaknesses, knowing new technology as well as tendency to eminence. It would be achieved through two main steps of choosing and traveling to technology to three consequences. They comprise present value, future value and front value.

Nowadays, improving total factor productivity (TFP) has become a national priority for both developing and developed countries, since the higher TFP growth rate leads to the higher economic growth and improves standard of living. This paper aims to examine the impact of financial development on TFP using the data over the period 1961-2008. To achieve this objective, we document the stylized facts of the economy focusing on the financial system and then based on the literature review's findings and stylized facts of the economy, the empirical model are specified. Time series techniques are employed to estimate the alternative models. The results show that the financial development indicators have positive and significant effects on TFP in Iran. Moreover, capital intensity, trade openness and real exchange rate have positive and significant effect on TFP while the terms of trade has negative and significant effect on TFP.

This aim of this article is to identify technological factors affecting quality in order to introduce technological entrepreneurship opportunities as a part of entrepreneurial development in dairy industry. Roozaneh Company is considered as a case study to collect the data required in this study. We employ UNIDO model (CAPTECH model) to identify technological factors affecting competitive quality in the company. In the first step, based on the statistical procedure and quantitative data, technological factors are prioritized and in the second step, technological gaps are identified where each gap is recognized as a technological entrepreneurial opportunity.

This paper introduces a model for e-Commerce development in small and medium sized enterprises in Iran. The model is empirically examined in 300 SMEs spread all over the country where they are active in different industrial fields. In the group of conceptual variables, six indicators are defined. They include external social norms, social outputs, the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, emotions and feelings, and trust. The results confirm that there are statistically significant relationship between all conceptual indicators and e-Commerce development except Trust.

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the relationship between talent management and organization considering talent people, job security and existence of people for key positions. This article considers four factors as the antecedents of talent management based on the findings of literature review. A questionnaire is designed to collect data employed in this study to measure the effect of talent management on its antecedents. The questionnaire is distributed among 154 managers of public organizations. A factor analysis technique is used to examine empirical model. The results show that creating talent pool, decreasing leaving rate in organization and existence of people for key position are important factors in talent management of organization.

This study aims to examine the effect of entrepreneurial communication skills of managers on the customers’ satisfaction in private sports clubs in the north and west districts of Tehran. A researcher-made questionnaire is designed consisting of three parts: demographic characteristics, communication skills and customer's satisfaction. In order to determine the rank of elements, Stepwise regression procedures are used. Since there are 320 clubs in these two districts, based on Morgan table, 368 samples out of 9000 statistical population are selected through a cluster sampling and finally 331 valid questionnaires are returned. The results showed that there is a statistically meaningful relationship between manager's communication skills and customer's satisfaction. More specifically, active listening, manner of dressing, cheerfulness, verbal communication, respect and feedback have obtained the highest ranks effecting customer's satisfaction.