مطالب

INTRODUCTION: The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a human-centered organization. Therefore, the competencies of its employees must be improved to make it possible for them to have their best performances. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate and identify the factors that affect the development of key human resource competencies in the Iranian Red Crescent Society and design an appropriate model for its evaluation. METHODS: The present applied qualitative research used an exploratory approach. The statistical population of this study consisted of managers and experts in the field of human resources of the Red Crescent Society who were selected using the snowball sampling method. Moreover, the required data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and we reached saturation after 26 interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the Straussian version of grounded theory. Finally, the collected data were analyzed in the MAXQDA software (version 10). In total, 72 concepts, 568 sub-concepts, and 19 categories were identified in this research. FINDINGS: Five out of the seven fundamental principles of the Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross, including the principle of humanity, voluntary service, neutrality, impartiality, and independence are among the foundational factors and necessities of the development of human resources competencies and were axially coded in causal conditions. Improvement and development of individual, organizational, social, and professional competencies were the four main categories of this research that were selected as the main strategies for the development of human resource competencies. CONCLUSION: According to the results of data analysis, employing appropriate strategies for the evaluation and development of key human resources competencies can have beneficial consequences. More specifically, these categories include human resource efficiency, provision of desirable social services, enhancement of the community health, improvement of human values, increase of public trust and participation, and improvement of the financial position of the organization.

INTRODUCTION: Today, the expansion of urbanization has located cities and residential areas in places exposed to various types of hazards. Natural hazards are characterized by low predictability and can cause numerous human and financial losses to urban settlements. Making cities resilient is one of the United Nations International strategies for disaster mitigation. With this background in mind, the present study aimed to prepare a physical-social resilience map of the study area. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical identified the criteria and indicators of physical and social dimensions after the revision of experimental and theoretical texts. After the identification of indicators, the map of the resilience or non-resilience of the indicators was prepared in binary form. Finally, two methods of Boolean and indicator overlap were used to combine the layers. In the current research, the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process-Technique (FAHP) was used for weighting the map of the studied layers. FINDINGS: Based on the result of the Boolean model map, more than half of the total district will be non-resilient. Nonetheless, according to the result of the indicator overlap method, 7.68%, 24.71%, and 67.61% of the total district has low, average, and high resilience, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the resilience map obtained in the study area, it can be stated that resilience in these areas is not favorable. Moreover, Darband region and its surrounding streets are not in good condition. Therefore, management programs should be implemented in low-resilient areas before the onset of disasters.

INTRODUCTION: Rescue and relief organizations start their operations from the first moments after the occurrence of a disaster. Moreover, they set up emergency accommodation camps after the emergency period to deliver aid and health packages with standard content based on the general needs of the affected people. However, if a family has infants, children, elderly, or sick members, these packages will not be able to meet their needs. Cash donations instead of goods respect the human dignity of the affected people after the emergency period and result in the recovery of the families and the economy of the region. Usage of information technology for this purpose leads to speed, accuracy, and transparency in the implementation of the above-mentioned method. Given the differences between the situation in Iran and the international community, the present study aimed to find localized components that affect the provision of cash-based interventions to the affected people by natural disasters using information and communications technology. METHODS: This mixed method research was performed in two stages; meta-synthesis was used in the first stage and Fuzzy Delphi was used in the second stage to extract the domestic components of the cash-based interventions. The statistical population in the meta-synthesis stage was the local and international journals as well as the performance reports of international aid agencies published during 2004-2019. Finally, through sample selection and systematic selection based on the defined keywords, 71 out of 388 studies were selected for the purposes of the research. In the second stage, the statistical population consisted of executive directors of local aid agencies and crisis management instructors at universities and international workshops. Eventually, 14 experts were selected judgmentally who participated in three Delphi rounds. FINDINGS: In the first stage, 18 components in four categories were determined using the seven-step model of Sandelowski and Barroso. In the first round of Delphi, one component was omitted and six other components were added according to the opinions of the experts. However, in the second and third rounds, all the components were approved by them without any further changes. According to the obtained Kendall’s rank correlation coefficient which was about 0.703, the local components were agreed upon by the selected experts. CONCLUSION: The determined local components that affect the process of transferring cash-based interventions to the affected people by natural disasters using information and communications technology consisted of 23 components that were screened and confirmed by the experts. These components can be used as a basis for the development of a process model for the systematic electronic transfer of money to the affected people by natural disasters in Iran after the emergency response period.

INTRODUCTION: The development and application of new firefighting technologies are inevitable considering an increase in the number of smart technologies, the widespread use of technologies in various industries and all domains of human societies, utilization of polymeric materials in the tools and infrastructure of societies, as well as the production of new structures with diverse uses, and their aggregation together. The occurrence of massive disasters due to the lack of development and application of safety along with technology is the result of neglecting safety in the development process and social progress. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of smart fire management using the fuzzy approach. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was designed based on an applied research method. Initially, all factors influencing the implementation of smart fire management were extracted from the literature. They were then evaluated based on experts and university professors' opinions. Following that, three types of questionnaires were distributed among the experts. The study population included 15 university experts and managers in the Fire Organization in Yazd, Iran. FINDINGS: The results showed that "command and operations", "integration of smart firefighting systems", "clear business plan and vision", "effective change management", "equipment", "cooperation between the business association and information technology" and "management support" obtained positive D-R and were considered causes. CONCLUSION: The "integration of smart firefighting systems" was regarded as the most effective factor, followed by "organizational resource planning", "exchange system", and "communication system" that ensure the success of these systems. This improves information flow and decision-making process, especially in a crisis.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge is a powerful resource to help governments, organizations, and communities to plan and improve their performance in mitigating the harmful effects of disasters. There is a crucial need for knowledge in all phases of disaster risk management, namely prevention, risk reduction, preparedness, as well as response and recovery. The present study aimed to assess the organizational, discourse, and metaphorical challenges and knowledge management improvement policies in disaster risk management in Iran. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in Iran in 2016. The needed data were collected through in-depth interviews with 21 experts and policymakers and analyzed by content analysis method. FINDINGS: Based on the obtained results, the following five categories were extracted: 1. current problems, 2. organizational and structural problems, 3. discourse level, 4. level of metaphors, and 5. knowledge management improvement policies in the disaster response phase in Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Resilience is considered a way of strengthening societies using their capacities which can be defined as the ability of systems to adapt to changes without collapsing at the incidence of disasters. To understand resilience and the way it is analyzed at the community level, it is necessary to study the society's current condition and policies, as well as the measures adopted to reduce risk and how the risks in society are dealt with. This study aimed to assess the resilience of urban communities in the face of an earthquake. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted using a questionnaire to collect the required data in Semnan, Iran, in 2019. The statistical population of this study (n=384) consisted of the citizens of Semnan selected using the Cochran formula and random sampling method. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 23) using mean and percentage for descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient and one-sample t-test for inferential statistical tests. FINDINGS: Based on the results, the sociocultural, infrastructural-physical, economic, and institutional-organizational dimensions showed the current condition of resilience in Semnan with the mean scores obtained as 2.59, 3.05, 2.17, and 2.56, respectively. It was also revealed that resilience had a significant relationship with age, education, income, accommodation ownership, employment, calculated by the Pearson correlation coefficient (P-value=0.99). CONCLUSION: The mean scores and significance level of the economic resilience in Semnan revealed that this city lacked economic resilience. In this regard, it can be noted that residents' lack of skills in other fields and jobs, lack of possessions outside the city, the vulnerability of residents' properties and assets, level of economic poverty in the city, citizens' limited financial ability to participate economically, and low level of household savings to compensate for earthquake damage have made returning to pre-crisis conditions highly difficult for citizens, and consequently, they cannot be economically resilient.

INTRODUCTION: Efficiency is one of the basic measures of organizational performance, and in general, refers to the degree or quality of the achievement of the desired goals. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of Red Crescent population branches in Gilan province and rank them based on the data envelopment analysis model. METHODS: This research was applied in terms of purpose and documentary in terms of implementation. For the purposes of the study, 16 branches of the Red Crescent Society in Gilan province were analyzed with GAMS software (version 24) in 2018. In this research, the input-oriented Banker, Charnes, and Cooper model was used as one of the basic models of data envelopment analysis to measure the relative efficiency of 16 branches of the Red Crescent Society in Gilan province. Afterward, the Anderson-Peterson super-efficiency model was used to rank the efficient units. FINDINGS: Based on the findings, six branches, namely Astara, Rasht, Bandar Anzali, Tallish, Lahijan, and Sowme’eh Sara, had an efficiency score of one. In other words, they were recognized as efficient branches and could provide solutions and models as reference branches for inefficient branches to help them reach the efficiency limit. Afterward, the Anderson-Peterson super-efficiency model was used to rank the efficient units. According to this model, the efficiency scores of the studied units were more than one and the Rasht branch had the highest efficiency. CONCLUSION: The results provide researchers as well as branch managers and staff with suggestions that can help them make better decisions. An important point to keep in mind is that in order to increase the efficiency of a branch, it is necessary to reduce input costs and increase outputs based on reference branches. Due to the fact that this research uses an input-oriented approach, its purpose is to increase the indicators that enhance the efficiency of branches.

INTRODUCTION: Health and healthcare services are of paramount importance in every society and are regarded as the essential needs of people. The present study aimed to assess, describe, and explore the model of human resource development and empowerment adopting a service provision approach in Ilam University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in 2019. METHODS: In the current study, theoretical sources were collected using systematic and library studies, and experts' opinions were collected through open-ended interviews. Thereafter, these sources were analyzed using grounded theory and structural modeling. In this qualitative study, a researcher-made checklist was provided to experts to identify the internal relationship among the components of each variable. The exploratory approach was used in the current study since the focus was on the use of qualitative methods. To identify the dimensions of the model and its associated factors, the indicators were firstly extracted using library studies. The Delphi method was then performed in three steps to monitor the indicators and obtain the final dimensions of the model. The statistical population of the study included all managers and experts of the human resources unit with more than 15 years of work experience in the studied university. MAXQDA software was used to record and manage the codes, and finally, the concept model was designed. FINDINGS: After analyzing the studies and conducting interviews with experts, "employee development and empowerment" was selected as the main category. It encompasses such issues as training and productivity of human resources, development of personnel capabilities, sustainable development of human capital, highlighting the importance of strategic human resource management by the management system, senior managers' support from human resources, and the independence of human resources unit. The relationship of other classes with the central class can be realized in five ways: causal conditions, control system, motivation, and appropriate counseling lead to the development and empowerment of employees. CONCLUSION: Healthcare organizations assume more importance since their human resources are mostly experts in charge of specialized activities. As evidenced by qualitative and library studies, as well as the conducted interviews, the development and empowerment of human resources in Ilam University of Medical Sciences and Health Services is positively correlated with the service provision approach and exerts a significant impact on it.