درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose- This study examined the effects of non-revenue water (NRW) on organisation running costs and customer satisfaction. The intention was to describe the NRW's effects on the MUWASA's performance as a case study. Specifically, it identified factors prompting non-revenue water; described the NRW effects on organisation running costs; and examined the level of customer satisfaction towards service provision.Design/methodology/approach- A purposive sampling technique was used to pick respondents for the household survey and key informant interview. The study included 100 respondents (70 connected customers and 30 employees of the authority). MUWASA serves 5 zones of the municipality; therefore, the study obtained 70 connected customers from the five zones of the authority. The household survey and the key informant interviews (KII) were the main data collection methods, the survey technique was used to collect data from 100 respondents and seven were involved in key informant interviews.  Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis were used in data analysis.Findings- The findings have indicated that NRW affects the water utility revenue collection, and organisation running costs, which jeopardizes customer satisfaction with the organizational service delivery. Originality/value- Based on the National Water Policy of 2002 which aims at achieving sustainable, effective, and efficient development and management of Water Supply and Sanitation one of its objectives is to create an enabling environment and appropriate incentives for the delivery of reliable, sustainable, and affordable water supply and sanitation services. Therefore, the findings of this study are a catalyst for the improvement of the set policy objectives and enhance interventions where necessary.

Purpose- Environmental issues such as the ecological footprint, are the product of intellectual, cultural, and economic factors. Therefore, it is necessary to know the variables effective on the amount of the footprint. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting the ecological footprints of the rural settlements in Eslamabad-e Gharb County with a holistic and spatial approach. Design/methodology/approach- The present study is an applied one regarding the objective and descriptive-correlational regarding the methodology. In terms of the data collection method, it is a field survey. The statistical population includes 25% of the villages in Eslamabad-e Gharb County (40 villages). The sample size was determined as 500 households based on the latent and observable variables. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. Also, the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was used to investigate the effects of the locative-spatial factors on the research variables.Findings: The results of the Bootstrap test based on the T values indicated that the variables “ownership”, “environmental awareness”, and “consumerism” had the highest t-value and thus, were most correlated. The variable “ownership” in the economic structure is more correlated with the ecological footprint of the researched villages than other independent variables with a statistic of 26.053. overall, the analysis of the direct and inverse correlations in the SEM indicated that the variables “ownership” and “employment” were the most effective factors on the ecological footprint with coefficients of 0.874 and 0.575, while the “conspicuous consumption” was the least effective variable. Also, the results of spatial regression showed that the villages in the northwest of the county were more effective while moving towards the southeast and getting distant from the center reduces the effectiveness of the research variables on the ecological footprint.Research limitations/implications- The high rate of employment in the agricultural sector, the weakness in environmental issues training, and the high rate of livestock and agricultural ownership among a limited number of people have created obstacles on the road to the ecological sustainability of the region.Practical Solutions: Directing the residents of the researched villages towards non-agricultural employment by providing appropriate facilities and support, promoting an environment-friendly lifestyle, and training the residents to increase their environmental awareness by holding workshops in this field.Originality / Value: The present study is the first to use the SEM and spatial approach to investigate the factors effective on the ecological footprints of rural settlements. The results obtained can aid the planners and decision-makers in the field of rural settlements to advance the goals of sustainable development.

Purpose- The widespread use of virtual platforms has become a common practice in present management, and rural areas are identified as a sector that can greatly benefit from this technology. Statistic data in the field of communication and information technology exhibit a significant increase in internet access in rural areas, a trend that is on the rise globally. The successful implementation of smart village initiatives in Asia shows a promising way to improve life in rural areas, overcome existing challenges, prevent the collapse of social structures, and counteract the problem of rural exodus. It can be argued that by advancing information technology and smart village initiatives, life quality in rural areas can be positively impacted.Design/methodology/approach- The research population comprised the entire statistical community of four districts in Kalar County. Three villages were randomly selected from each district, resulting in a total of 150 samples from 262 households, using the Cochran formula with a 5% error rate. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed through content validity and Cronbach's alpha.Finding- The results of this study indicated that the existing infrastructure for smart village development in the rural areas of Kalar County is in an unsatisfactory condition. Additionally, the level of knowledge and information of residents regarding the smartification process in the study area is insufficient. Moreover, the effectiveness of this emerging process in improving the life quality for the local population was not as impactful as expected. The driving and inhibiting factors affecting the development of smart villages in Kalar County do not align with optimistic expectations hindering the desired outcomes.