Modeling

Insurance companies are among the service organizations, which maintain close relationships with their clients by providing insurance services. Clients are the most important resource for service companies. And profitability of insurance companies undoubtedly hinges on clear analysis of client satisfaction and improved productivity of service providers. An important factor of client satisfaction with insurance services in insurance companies is short policy issuance lead time. Insurance companies have rarely paid enough attention to this problem; therefore, this paper aims to provide a strategy for improving policy issuance lead time by simulating the existing system and observing simulation results. After a software model was developed, the discrete-event simulation (DES) results were analyzed. Then model validation tests were conducted. After a valid simulated model was developed, it was decided to design system improvement scenarios. According to the results, policy issuance lead time decreased by changing each of these parameters: the number of operators issuing insurance policies, client referral time to a specialist, specialized test response time, and insurance representative referral time to a policy issuance center. As a result, the service process improved, and productivity increased. This indicates the effectiveness of the DES technique and expansion of operations research methods in the service industry.

The practice of ‘writing to learn’ has been propounded as fast-tracking the dynamic process of noticing problems in L2 writing. However, a marked melioration in learners’ attempted output requires a form of corrective feedback, among which modeling has proven to bear vigorous input enhancement effects. The present study attempted to inspect what EFL learners notice throughout their own output and exposure to model texts and how this noticing acts upon their short-term and long-term writing performance. In a repeated measure quasi-experimental design, the performance of 43 Iranian EFL learners on narrative writing tasks was collected upon pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test. The participants indicated their noticing of linguistic problems through note-taking during the writing task followed by the exposure to two model texts and two revisions of the original writing, immediately, and two months later. The type of linguistic features noticed was studied through qualitative analysis. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to compare students' accuracy performance before and after noticing. The results indicated that learners’ grammatical accuracy was improved by noticing. As to the nature of incorporated features, learners' noticing played a prompting role in the effectiveness of models since learners retained those lexical and grammatical features compatible with their own noticing. It is argued that the participants' engagement in output activity has increased their awareness of the required linguistic features, facilitating their noticing of those features through exposure to positive feedback. The findings provide further evidence for the constructive role of output in language learning.

Teaching grammar has always created some challenges for EFL teachers. Therefore, this study explored the effect of four scaffolding strategies as contextualizing, modeling, metacognitive scaffolding, and bridging on Iranian EFL students’ grammatical knowledge. Moreover, this study examined Iranian EFL learners’ attitudes towards scaffolding strategies. To fulfil the purpose of this study, 40 language learners were chosen based on convenience sampling as the participants of this study. They were both males and females between 20 to 30 years old divided into two groups as the control and experimental groups. After assuring the homogeneity of the students in terms of their English proficiency in general and grammatical knowledge in particular, a parallel achievement test was administered to both groups as the pre-test. Following that, as the treatment, scaffolding strategies were applied for the experimental group to teach grammar and a traditional way of teaching grammar for the control group. After running the classes, a parallel achievement test was administered to both control and experimental groups as the posttest. The data analysis revealed that the experimental group that received scaffolding strategies significantly outperformed in the grammar part compared to the control group which received a conventional way of teaching grammar. It is believed that utilizing scaffolding strategies can motivate learners and facilitate the tough task of grammar learning and thereby make teachers aware of their ability to obtain success in their teaching process.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to design and elaborate the neuro-coaching model (neuroscience of coaching) at Isfahan Steel Company. Methodology: This research is an applied study and, in terms of methodology, a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) research. The statistical population of the study consisted of 15 experts from Islamic Azad Universities and managers of the Isfahan Steel Company. In the qualitative section, their opinions were used to identify and code the categories. For modeling purposes, the statistical population included a group of officials from the Isfahan Steel Company. Cochran's formula was used for sampling, resulting in a sample size of 384, and the sampling method was randomly accessible. To identify the factors, interviews were conducted initially, and with the help of open coding, selective coding, and axial coding, categories and concepts were extracted. Findings: The results of included 41 axial codes and 251 open codes. Subsequently, in the next stage, using confirmatory factor analysis, the axial, causal, contextual, intervening conditions, strategies, and outcomes were examined. Finally, consensus was reached on 209 open codes and 40 selective codes. For modeling, structural equations and partial least squares (PLS) with Smart PLS software were utilized. The results indicated that the neuro-coaching model (neuroscience of coaching) at Isfahan Steel Company is underpinned by 8 causal conditions, 8 contextual conditions, 6 intervening factors, and 7 strategies, leading to 11 major outcomes for Isfahan Steel Company. These outcomes include: improved neural process performance, personal growth and development, empowerment and psychological improvement, enhanced interactions and satisfaction, improved performance and cost reduction, psychology and personal relationships, interaction and communications, personal and psychological growth, individual and professional development, interactions and exercises, and the quality and effectiveness of neural solutions. Conclusion: In conclusion, the neuro-coaching model holds significant promise for transforming coaching practices and enhancing organizational outcomes. The integration of neuroscience principles provides a robust framework for developing more effective and scientifically grounded coaching interventions.