Iranian Journal of Management Studies
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Winter 2015

In this study، the relationships between Human Resource Practices (HRPs)، firm performance (service quality)، and the mediation effects of employees’ abilities were examined. To assess the relationships between variables، before evaluating the fitted structural model، the measurement model was defined to verify that the measurement variables used to reflect the unobserved constructs do so in a reliable manner. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was utilized to test the fitness of the model and to provide evidence of discriminate validity through chi-square difference tests. Data were collected from a sample of 179 branches of two banks in Tehran، Iran. Analysis with the bootstrapping method showed that employees’ abilities mediated the relationship between performance appraisal and service quality. Furthermore، the result of this article showed training practices had an indirect significant relationship with service quality through employees’ abilities. Overall، the findings of the current study provided insights into the role of HRPs and employees’ abilities in firm performance. Furthermore، it becomes important for organizations to build strategic practices in terms of training، career development، participation، and performance appraisal.

During the past decade، the World Economic Forum has published its annual reports in which the Global Competitiveness Index is included. This paper aims to investigate the key factors for achieving an innovation-driven economy. In this paper، we used partial canonical correlation analysis (PCCA) to examine the relationships between key pillars in “efficiency enhancers” and “business sophistication” factors. The results of Pearson correlation showed that “technological readiness” and “innovation” are highly correlated. Then، the PCCA method was used to understand the relationships between their sub-pillars. Our findings showed that “availability of latest technologies” and “firm-level technology absorption” in the technological readiness pillar، and “quality of scientific research institutions”، “university-industry collaboration in R&D” and “companies’ spending on R&D” in the innovation pillar present the highest correlations. Furthermore، according to the canonical second root analysis، we analyse some other interrelations. Thus، policymakers can employ the results to prioritize their macro policies.

This study is related to an Islamic project financing with a major focus on investigating the role of Islamic finance in financing infrastructural development projects (toll roads، power plants، airports، and plants، as well as natural resource exploitation projects، such as hydroelectric dams، mining projects، oil and gas assets، and paper mills)، especially in the context of Pakistan. Infrastructural development being a significant indicator of stability and growth، most countries attempt to develop their infrastructure to a competitive level in their respective regions. Considering this critical aspect of economic development، Islamic project financing can be beneficial to developing economies like Pakistan as it would be able to compensate for a lack of domestic infrastructural development. New and innovative financial solutions are required to cater to the needs of infrastructural investment. Islamic project is an area which can open new channels for this purpose and this area is also under-explored. Islamic banks in Pakistan and across the globe need to be involved in huge infrastructural financing. 1 However، their growth rate and efficiency is higher than in conventional financing. Focusing on this aspect، this research study is based on a review of project financing in Pakistan. The study portrayed the current scene of project financing in Pakistan، and investigated the involvement and challenges faced by Islamic modes of financing in infrastructural projects in Pakistan. Fourteen in depth interviews were conducted with public and private sector professionals to investigate the issues and prospects. The main challenges faced by Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are a lack of regulation and investment avenues، and non-coherent standards and practices. However، these IFIs have opportunities with respect to the Islamic market and fund development.

Studying the effect of marketing tactical capabilities on the financial performance of the firms is now proposed as one of the most important priorities of marketing researches. However، the results of the studies in many academic fields that are conducted about a specific issue are usually contrasting. Meta-analysis is a research approach that helps the researcher to achieve a suitable combination of quantitative results of consistent and inconsistent studies in the past. Although various researches have been conducted، such contrast is also observed in the relation between marketing tactical capabilities and financial performance. Therefore، the purpose of this article was to propose and test a comprehensive model of the relation between marketing tactical capabilities and financial performance by critical reviewing of research literature on the basis of meta-analysis approach. The results show that marketing cross-functional capabilities and marketing dynamic capabilities are effective on organizational performance; however، no relation is observed between marketing specialized capabilities and organizational performance. Also، customer performance and market performance will have a positive effect on financial performance of the firm.

While many researchers devoted numerous articles to the organizational culture، relatively few articles have been contributed to culture and performance research. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the role of organizational culture on performance. To achieve this goal and in order to measure organizational culture، Denison organizational culture model was used. The components of this model are: involvement، consistency، adaptation and mission. For performance evaluation survey، EFQM model was used. This model surveys performance in two different areas of enablers and results. The conceptual model of the research was tested by Structural Equation Modelling. Some university professors and Bank experts confirmed the Validity of questionnaires، and the reliability was tested by Cronbach alpha coefficient. Managers of the bank branches filled the performance evaluation questionnaires، and employees filled organization culture questionnaires. The results showed that between the components of organizational culture، just involvement and adaptability affect the performance of banks. The remaining components have indirect effect on the performance.

The aim of this research is to understand and assess the application of organizational learning capabilities in the status quo and review desirable situations in the context of the agricultural faculty environment. Data were collected from 329 faculty members in 19 public agricultural faculties using a survey questionnaire. Results indicate that organizational learning capabilities are below average in the status quo of agricultural faculties. When different capabilities are compared، it seems that sharing knowledge، a flexible structure and system thinking provide more organizational learning opportunities for Iranian agricultural faculties. Finally، the implications of the results and further research are discussed.

Dividend Policy is one of the most important financial decisions that managers encounter. This study contributes to the literature of dividend and empirical research investigating the effects of dynamic factors in Tehran Stock Exchange. Based on some criteria، the study contains 133 listed firms over a 10-year period from 2001 to 2010. To test the research hypotheses، this study uses Fixed Effect model as a static and Generalized Method of Moments as a dynamic regression model. The results indicate that the most important determinants of dividends are market risks with a negative association، followed by market to book value، and firm size with positive associations. The variable of the government ownership has a negative coefficient، and it is statistically insignificant. It means that affiliated firms to the governments generally tend to pay fewer dividends، which is not significant. Therefore، the determinants of dividend decisions are not significantly different between the two groups of firms.