Interpretive Structural Modeling

Due to the dynamic nature of technology, capabilities related to production technologies that have been created for manufacturing new and unique products are constantly changing. Therefore it is essential to monitor the processes and techniques used to understand whether the production of a product fits future circumstances. Leaders of organizations must decide when to switch to a new technology, to maintain and increase competitive advantages. In such conditions, evaluating the maturity of the considered technologies is essential. This article with a conclusive view at various factors affecting the maturity of technology, examines the structuring of the factors affecting the aforementioned maturity. This model is based on Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology. The ISM approach enables groups and individuals to identify complex relationships among a multitude of elements in a complex decision-making situation; and it works as a tool for organizing and directing complexities of relationships between variables. This technique starts with identifying variables that are related to the issue, then the contextual relations between the variables are determined using the knowledge and experience of the experts; finally, the multilevel structural model is formed.

Purpose : The present study aimed to present an interpretive structural model based on DEMATEL for the Entrepreneur University among top universities in the northern region of Iran. Methodology : This study was applied in terms of objective and combined (qualitative and quantitative) in terms of implementation method. The research population in the qualitative section were documents and texts of the Entrepreneurship University and experts in this field that 35 documents and texts and 30 experts were selected as samples according to the principle of theoretical saturation by purposive sampling method. The research population in the quantitative section consisted of the same 30 experts who rated the components. The research tools included text review, semi-structured interview, and 77-item researcher-made questionnaire that their psychometric indices were confirmed. Data were analyzed by Delphi methods and interpretive structural modeling based on DEMATEL in SPSS-23 and LISREL. Findings: The results showed that the Entrepreneurship University included 77 concepts, 24 sub-components in 6 main components. So that among the 6 main components, three components of infrastructure (with four sub-components), management (with five sub-components), and communication with the population (with four sub-components) were identified as effective variables, and three components of services (with three sub-components), knowledge-based entrepreneurship (with five sub-components) and output and outcome (with three sub-components) were identified as affected variables. The results of DEMATEL-based interpretive structural modeling showed that in the first level with 10 components, the component of commercialization of knowledge and research and revenue generation from advanced technology, in the second level with 7 components, the component of entrepreneurial research, R&D, and dissemination of academic results, in the third level with 14 components, the component of entrepreneurial research, R&D and dissemination of academic results, and in the fourth level with 1 component, the core component of strong leadership and change in structural and managerial dimensions were at a higher level. Conclusion : According to the results of the present study, planners and higher education professionals can take advantage of the results of this study and plan for the improvement and growth of the Entrepreneur University through the effective components identified in it.

In this study, we were in search for identification and leveling the dimensions of supply chain in the Iranian religious tourism industry. In terms of purpose, this research is applicable, and in terms of implementation method is descriptive survey of correlation type. The participant team consists of 30 experts and university professors who had been selected by the purposeful method and the snowball sampling. By relatively extensive studies in the field of supply chain, we extracted the most significant factors in the religious tourism industry. Then, fuzzy Delphi method was used to identify the dimensions and parameters of supply chain in this industry. In the next step, the interpretive structural modeling was used for leveling the key factors. Data collections tools included interviews, documents and statistics, and questionnaires; the findings based on the data analysis showed ten main dimensions in the supply chain i.e. accommodation, transportation, visiting centers, reception centers,stores, environment and energy, travel agencies and tour operators, security and safety, economic management, information centers and communications that 3 dimensions reception centers,stores, and travel agencies and tour operators were in the first level; and 2 dimensions i.e. accommodation, and environment and energy were placed in second level; and visiting sites in third level; the economic management, information centers and communications in fourth level; accommodation in fifth level; finally the security and safety were put in sixth level.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effective factors on the productivity of human capital via an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) in General office of Sports and Youth in Khorasan Razavi Province. The present study is a qualitative research with an analytical nature and it is also an applied one that was conducted via interpretive structural modeling. Literature review, interviews and ISM questionnaires were used for data collection. The research population included professors and experts in sports management, managers, deputies and staff of the General office of Sports and Youth in Khorasan Razavi, of which 35 people were totally selected through purposeful sampling in three stages of this study. According to the research findings, 59 effective indicators were identified under seven major dimensions playing role in improving the productivity of human capital, which were classified into five levels. Motivational factors, organizational culture and work environment, the relationship between managers and employees along with individual factors, the quality of labor force, and finally the technology factor were identified under five levels of the model. Finally, it can be concluded that managers in sports organizations should pay special attention to the technology factor and its indicators, which have been identified as the foundation of improving employees’ productivity, which then provides the ground for exploiting other dimensions at higher levels.

"Organizational culture" is a shared and relatively stable pattern of basic values, beliefs, and convictions in an organization. Considering the importance of organizational ethical culture in the country, and especially in public and private organizations, also considering the role of culture as a guarantee of stability in this organization. This descriptive-analytical research aims at identifying and leveling the factors affecting the organizational ethical culture in the audit firm by applying The Pairwise comparisons ISM method was performed.Method:For this purpose, by using the studies and research done in the past and also benefiting from the opinions of fifteen university professors and employees of the auditing organization, the factors affecting the organizational culture were investigated and after the final approval, 9 factors were selected. In the next steps, these factors are used in the research with the interpretive structural modeling technique and with the method of ISM pairwise comparisons and EXCEL software.Findings:Finally, among the investigated factors on "organizational ethical culture", five general levels were classified. The "Working pressure" was selected as the first level. At the second level, the parameters of "performance measurement system", "power structures", and "incentive and punishment systems" were confirmed. The third level also includes "management of educational programs" and "organizational norms". The fourth level is dedicated to "Employee Behaviors". Finally, the fifth level, the most influential parameter of "Organizational Ethical Culture", was declared to be trusted.

Purpose: This research aims to identify the factors affecting social network marketing based on gaining a competitive advantage and designing a model related to the communication between them.Method: This research is applied in its purpose, and conducted using a mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative). In the qualitative phase, first by reviewing the literature in the field of social network marketing and using the meta-combination method, the factors affecting it were identified and divided into three categories. subsequently, the relationships between these factors were determined and analytically analyzed using the interpretative structural modeling approach. In the modeling section, a questionnaire was distributed among experts selected through snowball sampling.Findings: The results of this research led to the classification of factors affecting social network marketing based on gaining competitive advantage and designing a model of these factors. In this model, the categories of organizational and structural resources (responsiveness to customers, service quality), marketing (attracting more customers, efficiency), and competitive advantage based on social media (branding, profitability), indicate the factors and the way of communication and interaction of these factors.Conclusion: Finally, the interpretation of the model, analysis of its levels, and the relationships among dimensions were discussed and solutions were provided in this regard.