Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
S.R. Debi; S. Bhattacharjee; T.D. Aka; S.C. Paul; M.C. Roy; M.A. Salam; Md.S. Islam; A.R. Azady
Abstract
Soil quality assessment is a significant approach for arable land, especially in a coastal region to gain a better understanding of soil productivity and effect of agricultural systems on soil resources. This study aimed to determine the quality of cultivated soil of both urban (Noakhali) and rural areas ...
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Soil quality assessment is a significant approach for arable land, especially in a coastal region to gain a better understanding of soil productivity and effect of agricultural systems on soil resources. This study aimed to determine the quality of cultivated soil of both urban (Noakhali) and rural areas (Kabirhat and Subarnachar) of Noakhali, Bangladesh. The soil quality was evaluated as soil quality index by using 117 soil samples data, collected from three different sites within the Noakhali District. Among 14 soil parameters (total data set), only six parameters namely organic matter, Phosphorous, Boron, potassium, and iron were selected for the minimum data set, based on a combination of principal component analysis, norm values and expert opinion. Four soil quality index calculation methods, namely: linear weighted additive; linear simple additive; nonlinear weighted additive and nonlinear simple additive; were calculated based on the minimum data set. A significant positive correlations (P <0.001, P <0.05) among the four methods were observed. The soil quality of the three sampling regions followed the order of Kabirhat> Subarnachar> Noakhali indicating the better quality soil in rural areas. In Noakhali, the major contributors to soil quality were organic matter (2.94–64.85%) followed by Boron (4.69-58.22%), iron (4.77–50.00%), electrical conductivity (3.48–32.53%), phosphorous (0.36–39.44%) and potassium (1.77–27.76%) whereas in Kabirhat, Boron (31.70%) and iron (23.83%) were the major contributors, and in Subarnachar, organic matter (28.98%) contributed the most.
Urban social and cultural welfare
Z. Nisa
Abstract
Northern areas of Pakistan have blessed with extremely beautiful natural landscapes, waterfalls, glaciated mountains, biodiversity rich valleys and forests and have extraordinary potential for ecotourism. Study is designed to propose potential sites for ecotourism in Kohistan, which is a least developed ...
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Northern areas of Pakistan have blessed with extremely beautiful natural landscapes, waterfalls, glaciated mountains, biodiversity rich valleys and forests and have extraordinary potential for ecotourism. Study is designed to propose potential sites for ecotourism in Kohistan, which is a least developed but biodiversity rich area of Pakistan. Poor planning and mismanagement of tourism practices have already disturbed the ecosystems of these highlands; there is a need to involve the local community in environmental conservation practices. As ecotourism has the potential to provide various new means of income for local people. Geographic Information System serves as a decision support tool in finding suitable locations for ecotourism by taking multiple factors into account and helps in devising strategy by providing ecotourism potential sites map in return. Same approach has been applied in the study with use of remote sensing and Geographic Information System based hybrid techniques. Thematic layers from classified image are overlaid with slope, elevation, soil, and vegetation density layers. Multiple criteria based decision is made from weighted overlay analysis which has given potential sites map. These potential sites can be appropriate places for trekking, skiing, white water rafting, sailing, mountain resorts, forest reserves and sports related activities. It is expected that implementing ecotourism in Kohistan will bring positive change in their economic life and it will be equally beneficial for tourism industry of Pakistan.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
S.H. Raza; M. Shafique; M. Zia-ur-Rehman; A. Sikandar; N. Ahmad; K. Shah
Abstract
Water loss can be minimized and conserve through constructing small storage dams for various irrigation purposes to support local livelihood. Geographic information system provides powerful techniques for many hydrological modeling and suitable dam site selection. The current study explored potential ...
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Water loss can be minimized and conserve through constructing small storage dams for various irrigation purposes to support local livelihood. Geographic information system provides powerful techniques for many hydrological modeling and suitable dam site selection. The current study explored potential sites for small storage dams to meet agricultural requirements in district Malakand, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Multi criteria decision analysis was used for selection of suitable sites for storage dam for agricultural purpose. The methodology was completed in four main steps; acquisition of data, selection of factors and constraints, giving percentage influence to each criterion and performing weighted overlay. Digital elevation model was used for watershed analysis and Landsat 8 image for land use classification. All contributing factors such as slope, soil map, settlements, canals, roads, river, watershed and recreational sites were used in weighted overlay for suitable site selection. Results showed that Masooka rockland soil possessed the highest suitability for dam construction as the high clay proportion of the soil provides cementation. Slope zone of 0-3.16 degree slope was considered best and 3.16-7.90 degrees was highly suitable. Distance (5-10 km or more) form recreational sites and presence of 140-186 Stream links which makes the site more suitable. Regarding land use, the barren land or rangeland was more preferable. Finally, 15 sites were found suitable for small storage dams in the district. The main river lies close to the selected site assuring the perennial flow of water. The study suggests that geographic information system provides efficient tools for decision makers in hydrology and dam site selection.
Urban management and public health
Z. Amin; N.K. Salihoglu
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, an integrated phase change material drying system was designed to evaluate the efficiency of the system with the use of renewable solar energy for different types of sludge with different moisture content. METHODS: This study was performed on the wastewater ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In this study, an integrated phase change material drying system was designed to evaluate the efficiency of the system with the use of renewable solar energy for different types of sludge with different moisture content. METHODS: This study was performed on the wastewater treatment plant sludge, paint, and marble sludge. By distributing the screws on the sludge tray, covering the system floor with a black trash bag, and mounting the reflector around the absorber tubes has increased the efficiency of the system. FINDING: All the types of equipment used in the construction of the system are used as heat storage material and increase the internal air temperature, and the sludge temperature of the system. Temperature is transferred sequentially through air and objects. This research was conducted in winter by 1156 Wh/m2 mean internal cumulative solar radiation. Due to the reduction of solar radiation, as the system was upgraded, more water was released from the sludge surfaces. By Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging, the porous surface was observed after sludge drying. CONCLUSION: In this study, the waste sludge moisture decreased from 80% to 52.2% during three improvement stages. The paint sludge moisture content reduced from 56% to 25%, and marble sludge moisture in the final stage reached from 26% to 5.2%. The proposed solar dryer system is an economical way to reduce the sludge volume in the transportation process.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
O. Gotore; V. Mushayi; R. Rameshprabu; L. Gochayi; T. Itayama
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Water pollution and scarcity are becoming a serious challenge worldwide and methods of treating or recycling the wastewater are becoming expensive, especially in rural areas of least developed countries. An affordable wastewater recycling approach is imminent and should be ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Water pollution and scarcity are becoming a serious challenge worldwide and methods of treating or recycling the wastewater are becoming expensive, especially in rural areas of least developed countries. An affordable wastewater recycling approach is imminent and should be cost-effective, using local materials to alleviate the water shortage and pollution challenges. The use of adsorbents from different biomass has been on the highway and tree barks are no exception for that matter. This research, therefore, intends to test the use of novel material’s capacity to remove Iodine from an aqueous solution under set conditions and use Bayesian statistics to validate the results as compared to the Frequentist approach.METHODS: This study is qualitative and developmental research where Bayesian and Conventional statistics were applied to complimentarly validate the results. Kinetic models, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy were used to characterize the novel adsorbent to check for its potential and capability in removing Iodine from water. Akaike Information Criterion (AICc) was then used to select the best model.FINDINGS: The findings demonstrated that the Bayesian approach was simultaneously applied with classical methods to compare their parameter estimation. Mupane biochar performed better than Mushuma, Pseudo-Second-Order model described both materials better with lower AICc values of 37.76 and 38.03 than other kinetic models respectively, indicating a chemisorption mechanism. Bayesian approach remarkably revealed slightly higher qt estimations of 40.712 and 41.639 mmol/g than conventional statistics with 40.01 and 40.29 mmol/g for Mushuma and Mupane biochar. Elovich model subsequently fit the data, henceforth demonstrating a heterogenous surface property with chemisorption phenomena. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy exhibited C (81.93 mol% and 86.91 mol %) and O (16.12 mol% and 11.49 mol%) for Mushuma and Mupane respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Material performances were insignificant however, Mupane marginally outperformed Mushuma bark. However, further examination is required in determining the surface area, adsorption isotherms, and functional groups available. This African tree-bark biochar promised to be good adsorbents of wastewater contaminants and their kinetic mechanisms can be a benchmark to suggest their applications as potential candidates for environmental-ecosystem-protection and water re-use strategy, especially in rural and urban areas.
Human capital in urban management
O. Kolodiziev; V. Shcherbak; M. Krupka; V.r Kovalenko; T. Kolodizieva; V. Yatsenko
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In a context of instability caused by various crises, including military crises, the higher education system is at great risk. Practice-oriented (dual) education is one of the most effective ways to address this problem. The innovation of this study is that for the first time ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In a context of instability caused by various crises, including military crises, the higher education system is at great risk. Practice-oriented (dual) education is one of the most effective ways to address this problem. The innovation of this study is that for the first time a theoretical and practical model for involving all stakeholders in this process has been created and tested. The aim of the article is to substantiate a socially responsible dual education system in an unstable environment.METHODS: In terms of objective, this is an applied and quantitative study. The study population is estimated at 13 universities, 10 companies, 50 students between November 2021 and November 2022. The sample size is estimated using the Cochrane formula. A standard 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data, where groups of questions corresponded to 4 hypotheses. All data were investigated by factor and cluster analysis using STATISTICA software (version 10.0).FINDINGS: All four hypotheses were confirmed. Before the war, the first and second hypotheses were prioritized. According to them, the process approach of social responsibility of dual education allows designing and launching a system of social responsibility of dual education and creating a talent pool at the employing enterprise. After the outbreak of hostilities, the priorities changed. The third and fourth hypotheses allow, through the organization of supportive (enabling) processes, to ensure the effective functioning of the system. As a result, the majority of stakeholders (31%) consider it necessary to modernize the mentoring system and provide graduates with relevant professional skills, while methodological and career guidance came in second and third (16% and 13% respectively).CONCLUSION: Using the theoretical and practical model of formation and implementation of dual education in the unstable conditions of Ukraine will help to solve the problems of the country out of crisis, post-war recovery of higher education system, to bring the requirements of production with the possibilities of training specialists in universities and can be applied in other countries in a similar situation.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
Z. Sadreazam Nouri; J. Nouri; F. Habib; M. Rafieian
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban river valleys are so important with regard to their benefits and functions, including air temperate, microclimate creating, landscape, fresh water supplement. Urban development over considering environmental issues, population density, constructions, solid waste or effluent ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban river valleys are so important with regard to their benefits and functions, including air temperate, microclimate creating, landscape, fresh water supplement. Urban development over considering environmental issues, population density, constructions, solid waste or effluent discharging, especially in quantitative and qualitative river boundaries and land taking of their beds, are significant reasons to decline cities functions and ecosystems degradation. So, natural ecosystems should be restored and a thorough strategic planning is necessary for their conservations. METHODS: With regards to managerial aspects involving ecological, spatial, economic, socio-cultural, and managerial- executive dimensions integrated management model has been recommended for Farahzad River Valley in Tehran city as a case study via Urban River Survey and Geographic Information System. Finally, effective and efficient strategically management plan was suggested by implementing SWOT, QSPM and Analytical Hierarchy Process.RESULTS: Amongst 12 identified strategies regulation settings, “correlation between green space and the surrounding park”, and “preventing the increase of residential” and “the expansion of recreation” are prioritized as most significant strategies, scores have been calculated 5.616, 5.589, and 5.375 on QSPM matrix or 0.256, 0.192, and 0.133 by AHP method, respectively.CONCLUSION: in overall, systemically, multi dimensional and holistic decision of river valleys environmental management is a magnificent example that provides essential tools to urban planners. Environmental and ecological approaches of the model are counted as a main key of succession to sustainable development achievement and its advantage to other past studies.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
M. Amirabadi Farahani; M.M. Raeesi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since the mosque is one of the most important manifestations of Islamic civilization, it is important to examine its spatial structures. The present study aims to identify the main constituent structures of the spaces in mosques and to investigate how they have changed over ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Since the mosque is one of the most important manifestations of Islamic civilization, it is important to examine its spatial structures. The present study aims to identify the main constituent structures of the spaces in mosques and to investigate how they have changed over time, from the early rise of Islam to the contemporary era.METHODS: It is interpretive-historical research carried out through a case study. The required data are collected using library study and observations. In the present study, Aleppo is selected as the case study due to its significance in Islamic civilization and the originality of the works in it, which have led to the inscription of Aleppo city on the UNESCO World Heritage List.FINDINGS: The research findings are classified into 5 classes including four historical periods of Umayyad, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman, and the contemporary era, based on the similarities of patterns. The results indicate the changes in the structures of mosques from functional (especially devotional) combinations of open, roofed, and closed spaces to merely closed space and the changes in the center of the structure from the courtyard (open space) to the domed Shabistan (closed space).CONCLUSION: The pattern of the worship space has changed from columnar Shabistan to domed Shabistan. Shabistan and minarets are the most stable spaces in the spatial structure of mosques from the Ottoman period to the present. In the contemporary period, roofed and open spaces have transition and service functions, respectively, and open spaces are most unstable in the spatial structure of mosques.
Human capital in urban management
U. Udin
Abstract
Leadership plays a crucial role in promoting organizational productivity and sustainability. There are several styles of leadership have been proposed and investigated, as well as their various impacts on different organizations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the leadership styles in Indonesian ...
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Leadership plays a crucial role in promoting organizational productivity and sustainability. There are several styles of leadership have been proposed and investigated, as well as their various impacts on different organizations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the leadership styles in Indonesian settings and their associated outcomes through a bibliometric review. This study employs a qualitative approach. The entire data collecting and screening procedure in the Scopus database provided the foundation for the present study. A total of 84 eligible papers from 2000 to 2023 are explored, and the scientific landscapes are further visualized using the VOSviewer. The results showed evidence that network visualization consists of 5 clusters: red, green, blue, yellow, and purple cluster. The first red cluster includes business strategy, innovation, organizational commitment, and organizational culture. Employee performance, job satisfaction, work environment, and work motivation are represented by the second cluster, which is identified to be green in color. In addition, the third blue cluster covers knowledge management, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. Creativity and employee engagement are all part of the fourth yellow cluster. Finally, democratic leadership is included in the fifth purple cluster. The findings concluded that leadership styles (i.e., transformational, transactional and democratic leadership) positively contribute to the associated outcomes (i.e., employee performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, employee engagement, business strategy, and organizational innovation and creativity). In addition, mainly related to associated outcomes, the transformational leadership style is a more dominant influence than transactional and democratic in Indonesian settings. By demonstrating as role models, transformational leaders establish strong emotional connections with their employees to feel a sense of belonging, leading to increased dedication to go the extra mile.
Urban management and public health
M. Samadi-Foroushani; S.S. Mirasmaeeli; A. Nasiri; Z. Molamohammadi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Crises of high uncertainty and complexity provoke discussion about new requirements of crisis management systems, which is of utmost importance in developing a cooperative environment and providing effective responses. This study aims to analyze the cooperative system of Tehran ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Crises of high uncertainty and complexity provoke discussion about new requirements of crisis management systems, which is of utmost importance in developing a cooperative environment and providing effective responses. This study aims to analyze the cooperative system of Tehran Municipality departments involved in crisis management of the COVID-19 pandemic, who are called actors afterward, and thereby presents the lessons learned through this pandemic.METHODS: The Social network analysis has been applied in this research to analyze the collaboration system. Accordingly, the crisis management actions taken by Tehran Municipality is first explored and, 38 actors and 11 areas of knowledge are identified. The two-dimensional matrix of actors-actions and the cooperative system of the actors are then analyzed based on the indicators of degree and betweenness centrality in UCINET and NetDraw software to investigate the position of the actors' tacit knowledge power in the cooperative network.FINDINGS: The actors’ cooperative system generally has high density and coherence; however, it seems that the position of some actors must be strengthened within the structure of the crisis management in Tehran Municipality. The results of degree centrality index identified 7 actors with higher degree centrality (20% of total actors), and 7 actors with lower degree centrality (20% of total actors). Moreover, the betweenness centrality of the network of actors is analyzed to find the highest and lowest betweenness power in the cooperative network. Afterward, a series of recommendations are proposed based on a designed systematic intervention. Moreover, a cooperative system of pandemic crisis management would be developed based on the key actors’ experiences and the lessons learned from failures. CONCLUSION: Existing knowledge presents a valuable prospect for policy-makers in urban crisis management to not only establish an organizational cooperative system but also capitalize on the insights gained and contemplate pragmatic collective measures to enhance urban resilience in the face of pandemic crises.
Human capital in urban management
H. Danaeefard; H.R. Boustani
Abstract
The purpose of the present research was to investigate the relationships between justice perceptions, employee's misbehavior and cynicism to organization because very few studies have looked at the role of justice and cynicism in the prediction of employee's misbehavior in public organizations. According ...
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The purpose of the present research was to investigate the relationships between justice perceptions, employee's misbehavior and cynicism to organization because very few studies have looked at the role of justice and cynicism in the prediction of employee's misbehavior in public organizations. According to the purpose of study, the present research is developmental research. Also according to way of data collection (research project), the present study are descriptive research. In classification based on the type of research, this study is correlational research. In the current research, the population under analysis consists of a public organization. Participants were 420 employees and all of them were administrative employee. The results of the present research revealed that justice perceptions will be negatively associated with employee's misbehavior; negatively predicted employee's cynicism and finally the relationship between organizational justice and misbehavior will be mediated by employee's cynicism. The present results both support previous research and extend our perception in relation with the mechanisms through which justice influences on employee's misbehavior.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
S. Vahdati; S. Vahdati
Abstract
As green human resource management is known as a way of promotion of sustainable employee practices with the help of interface of every employee, there has always been a question in mind why in some societies green human resource management practices cannot be implemented effectively. The purpose of ...
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As green human resource management is known as a way of promotion of sustainable employee practices with the help of interface of every employee, there has always been a question in mind why in some societies green human resource management practices cannot be implemented effectively. The purpose of this paper is to find factors affecting green human resource management practices as barriers to help managers identify the root and be able to surmount the obstacles. As the result showed two groups of factors were defined; 1- Internal factors including personality and upbringing, knowledge of individuals, organizational culture, and 2- External factors including digital divide and education and training. Then the attention is drawn to the significance of these factors to see which one can have the most and the least effect. Therefore to rank the value of these factors the Friedman test was used. The result showed that among all these factors personality and upbringing have the highest effect and digital divide has the lowest effect on green human resource management practices. It is believed that by emphasizing and paying more attention to these factors the implementation of green human resource management can be improved more effectively and employees will be more willing to show green behavior towards the environment or the use of resources.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
R. Alishahi; A.R. Sadeghi; M. Sholeh
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sound is one of the most important tools for recognizing urban spaces. Zandieh area of Shiraz as one of the historic context shaped during the ages hase been chosen in order to obtain a proper response to the individual's perception of urban historic spaces soundscape. The ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sound is one of the most important tools for recognizing urban spaces. Zandieh area of Shiraz as one of the historic context shaped during the ages hase been chosen in order to obtain a proper response to the individual's perception of urban historic spaces soundscape. The main object of this manuscript achieves a sufficient way in order to organize urban soundscape by utilizing assessments and perception data perceived by users. METHODS: The narrative interview method (a sample group of 129 users who were active in space for more than 30 minutes) and behavior observation which are subsets of the sound walking technique have been used; Also, the data which were collected in the previous stage, based on the components of the Kano model, were categorized into three categories of basic, performance and attractiveness. FINDING: With regard to the findings and assessments in the case study, it can be inferred that 69% of the urban space's users perceive noises such as underpass fans' noise more than any others; Consequently, this has led to the lack of acceptance by space users; Also, it was cleared by interviewing listeners in urban space that 59% of the interviewees have preferred natural Sounds to human and 76% preferred tranquility at the urban environment While only 11% of the users preferred the development of a vibrant space. CONCLUSION: Base on that strategies such as planting vegetation in order to prevent the street noise, allocating water bodies in order to have water sound with proper shading and a Desirable view of historical spaces to increase the sense of richness have been presented. Also, in order to achieve an efficient method to improve the soundscapes of urban environments, basic strategies, performance strategies and at last strategies for increasing the attractiveness of urban environments' soundscape should be implemented.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
S. Dadashi; M. Ghajar Sepanlou; S.Kh. Mirnia
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of municipal waste compost and manure on soil chemical and physical properties quality and crop production in Sari city (north of Iran). In this study, the effect of compost and manure (cow and sheep) on the quality of soil organic material with experimental ...
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This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of municipal waste compost and manure on soil chemical and physical properties quality and crop production in Sari city (north of Iran). In this study, the effect of compost and manure (cow and sheep) on the quality of soil organic material with experimental measurements was investigated. An experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 15 treatments and measurements with3 replicated. They have applied annually for 3 years to fifteen different plots. The soil of the study area was predominantly silty clay with temperate and humid climates. The following parameters were determined:1) Soil chemical properties comprising pH, 2) electrical conductivity and soil organic matter, 3) physical properties including 4) bulk density,5) void ratio, and6) plant yield were investigated. The electrical conductivity and pH. Also, showed considerable changes. As well as, results showed that utilization of municipal waste compost and manure caused significant differences in organic matter, bulk density, void ratio, and yield at 1% significance level compared with the control treatment. Finally, it can be concluded that organic matter has pronounced effects on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and the use of organic fertilizers will definitely improve soil quality and productivity.
A. Abedi; M. Jafari
Abstract
As the customers are the main reason of the formation and survival of the organization, not only understanding their obvious needs, but also forecasting, determining and guiding their hidden needs, design and implementing plans of offering services for meeting these needs for attracting customers are ...
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As the customers are the main reason of the formation and survival of the organization, not only understanding their obvious needs, but also forecasting, determining and guiding their hidden needs, design and implementing plans of offering services for meeting these needs for attracting customers are among cornerstone of any activity in the organization. In this research, one compares the performance of e-commerce organizations, including three firms, namely Dijikala, Bamilo and Iranian regarding the implementation of Customer Relationship Management system using multiple criteria decision making approach. Along with this, hybrid fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making approach, including fuzzy network analysis has been used for examining the priority of each one of the dimensions and indexes of the proposed model and fuzzy TOPSIS technic for examining discussed options priority. The statistical population of this paper includes 12 experts, including directors and managements and assistances of three e-commerce firms. The results obtained from the study show that customer output group has the highest weight among other variables. Similarly, among evaluated indexes, the customer loyalty dimension has the highest weight in the implementation of Customer Relationship Management. The results of TOPSIS approach also show that among the studied firms, Dijikala has the best performance in implementing Customer Relationship Management.
Human capital in urban management
V. Shcherbak; L. Ganushchak-Yefimenko; O. Nifatova; V. Yatsenko
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor markets are extensive. One of the few labor sectors where demand has exceeded supply as a result of the impact of the pandemic is the intellectual labor market. It is explained by two factors. First, intellectual work is the engine ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor markets are extensive. One of the few labor sectors where demand has exceeded supply as a result of the impact of the pandemic is the intellectual labor market. It is explained by two factors. First, intellectual work is the engine for scientific and technological progress, which helps to overcome the crisis. And, secondly, in most cases, such employees can work at home.METHODS: The "loosened rock" method, factor analysis were used to determine the factors influencing supply and demand in the labor market before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. STATISTICA software (version 13.0) was used to conduct all the analyses.FINDINGS: The results showed that the demand on the labor market is affected by 3 factors: the number of implemented scientific-innovative developments (dispersion 65.93%), the volume of their financing (dispersion 12.19%), and the level of their legal protection (dispersion 11.13%). Supply depends as well on three factors: the potential volume of scientific developments in Ukraine (the dispersion of 48.61%), the number of employees engaged in intellectual labor (the dispersion of 24.79%), and the level of qualitative supply of executors of scientific-innovative developments (the dispersion of 14.23%). The monitoring of supply and demand in the market of intellectual labor showed that there was an excess of supply over demand (by 13%) before the pandemic COVID-19, and there was an excess of demand (by 20%) after the pandemic COVID-19.CONCLUSION: These results can provide employers with important information to optimize the organization and planning of intellectual work, which will help to resolve the conflict between the possible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and scientific and technological progress, may be applicable in Ukraine and other countries.
Human capital in urban management
M. Tajpour; S.M. Razavi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Team performance is one of the ways to deal with successive changes from the point of view of experts. Therefore, continuous changes in the work environment and daily work activities require sharing ideas and the need for continuous learning and entrepreneurship. Neglecting ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Team performance is one of the ways to deal with successive changes from the point of view of experts. Therefore, continuous changes in the work environment and daily work activities require sharing ideas and the need for continuous learning and entrepreneurship. Neglecting entrepreneurship has a negative effect on companies and by neglecting entrepreneurship, it is impossible to operate effectively in a dynamic environment. Therefore, in today's competitive world, companies will lose their competitiveness. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of team performance on the internationalization of digital startups through mediating role of entrepreneurship.METHODS: In terms of the purpose, it is applied and quantitative research. The research population is estimated to be 375 employees of 101 Iranian international digital startups in the field of technology and city services, which accounted for 10% of exports between 2021 and 2022. The sample size is estimated through Cochran's formula of 190 people. To collect data, a standard 5- point Likert scale questionnaire with 22 items was used. Finally, the data were analyzed by using Smart PLS 3 software.FINDINGS: The results showed that emotional commitment, creating an environment of innovation, and knowledge sharing through mediating role of entrepreneurship have a positive and significant effect on the internationalization of digital startups. The results of the research indicate positive relationships among Emotional Commitment (2.671) and with entrepreneurship mediating (2.927), Innovative environment (2.478) and with entrepreneurship mediating (2.697), and Knowledge sharing (2.707) and with entrepreneurship mediating (3.333) concerning the internationalization of digital startups. Therefore, these hypotheses were confirmed.CONCLUSION: The team performance of employees plays an important role in the survival and success of companies in the international sector. The knowledge that companies gain from other companies, especially during internationalization, can escalate their competitiveness in the global market. The performance of the team as the primary factor of learning and innovation facilitates trust among the company's employees.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
A. Arabiun; M. Tajpour; M.R. Zahedi
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The digital age has led to significant changes in all aspects of human life, including the way businesses operate. It is expected that the digitalization process of this type of business will accelerate in the coming years, therefore the results of this research can have a ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The digital age has led to significant changes in all aspects of human life, including the way businesses operate. It is expected that the digitalization process of this type of business will accelerate in the coming years, therefore the results of this research can have a great impact on increasing their productivity and economic growth. In this context, the current study aims to investigate the impact of digital leadership on the performance of businesses, with a particular focus on the mediating role of organizational entrepreneurship.METHODS: This research is applied in terms of research purpose and descriptive-survey method. The statistical population of this study consists of 601 employees and managers working in the printing and publishing industry in Tehran province. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula, and a total of 235 individuals were selected using available sampling techniques. Data was collected using standard questionnaires, and SmartPLS4 software and structural equation modeling were utilized to analyze the data. This approach allows for the examination of the complex relationships between digital leadership, organizational entrepreneurship, and business performance in the publishing industry.FINDINGS: This research examines the fit of a model at three levels of measurement: structural, general, and combined reliability. The R2 (equal path squared) values for organizational entrepreneurship and the performance of printing and publishing businesses are 0.739 and 0.653, respectively, indicating a strong level of fit for the structural model. The t-statistic was used to check the assumed relationships between the variables, with seven sub-hypotheses used to measure the main hypothesis. The t-coefficients relevant to the seven existing relationships have been confirmed, supporting the main hypothesis.CONCLUSION: Businesses that adopt digital leadership strategies are more likely to develop new digital facilities and make significant changes in their strategy-making processes and organizational culture. These findings emphasize the importance of digital leadership in the publishing industry and suggest that businesses that embrace digital leadership strategies are more likely to succeed in the digital age. The insights gained from this study can be used to develop effective digital leadership strategies to help publishing businesses thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Sustainable urban infrastructure
A. Edrisi; M. Askari
Abstract
Most cities around the world are in danger of disasters. Among disasters, the earthquake is the most dangerous and ruining one. Iran has been located in the Alpine-Himalayas seismic belt, and because of the significant frequency of severe earthquakes happening all over the country compare to other countries ...
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Most cities around the world are in danger of disasters. Among disasters, the earthquake is the most dangerous and ruining one. Iran has been located in the Alpine-Himalayas seismic belt, and because of the significant frequency of severe earthquakes happening all over the country compare to other countries and the state of the unsecured residential and non-residential buildings in most of the areas, attention to the post-disaster phase is vital. This study aims to locate shelters in some districts and allocate at-risk people of all districts to these shelters. Also, another purpose of this study is the reduction of the allocated budget by the government and reduction of traveled distance by people considering the possibility of link failure due to the earthquake. Allocated budget by the government for shelter construction includes the fixed and marginal cost. Mixed Integer Linear Programming has been used for modeling the suggested method. This method has been applied to the Tehran network, and the Genetic Algorithm has been used for solving the proposed method. The results showed that the leading share of the imposed costs arose from the shelter construction budget. Furthermore, the probability of choosing a district for constructing a shelter has a direct relationship with the at-risk population and the cost of shelter construction in that district. Seven districts have chosen to build shelters with about 400 thousand people capacity. District 16 chosen for constructing the biggest shelter that should serve to up to 123 thousand people and District 5 chosen to construct the smallest shelter that should serve to up to 16 thousand people.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
A. Lorestani; Z. Yaghoubpour; R. Shirzadian
Abstract
The process of spatial distribution of urban services in order to provide equitable access to opportunities and reduced regional disparities, and earning the highest citizen satisfaction are among the main challenges facing urban management. This requires knowledge of the current status of spatial distribution ...
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The process of spatial distribution of urban services in order to provide equitable access to opportunities and reduced regional disparities, and earning the highest citizen satisfaction are among the main challenges facing urban management. This requires knowledge of the current status of spatial distribution of public services in the city, followed by optimal resource allocation under varying circumstances. This analytical-comparative study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of urban public services, and rank different districts of Tehran in terms of benefiting from public services. To achieve this goal, quantitative models of planning, including factor analysis, composite Human Development Index, taxonomical model and standardization method were used. For the final ranking of districts of Tehran, the sum of numerical value of each district was calculated in four ways. Based on this method, districts 1, 3, 22, 12 and 6 were ranked first to fifth, and districts 13, 10, 8, 17 and 14 were ranked last, respectively. Using cluster analysis model, different districts of Tehran metropolis were clustered on the basis of numerical value of districts in the models used. Based on above-mentioned results, districts 1, 3, 12, 22, 6 and 21, with a final score of 66 and above, included in the first cluster and identified as over-developed districts; and districts 14, 10, 8 and 17, with a final score of 13 or less, included in the fifth cluster and identified as disadvantaged districts.
Information and communications technology in Urban Management
S. Pishgahi; P. Jafary
Abstract
A multiplex is a kind of urban cultural facilities which not only has several different rooms for showing films, but also provides other services such as a wide range of food and drink stores and free/easy available parking. Multiplexes have significant cultural, economic and social characteristics. ...
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A multiplex is a kind of urban cultural facilities which not only has several different rooms for showing films, but also provides other services such as a wide range of food and drink stores and free/easy available parking. Multiplexes have significant cultural, economic and social characteristics. Given the importance and advantages of multiplexes, several multiplex buildings have been built in Tehran in the last decade. However, many experts doubt that a thorough study has been done on locating them. While, precise locating is associated with more profit, better service and higher social and cultural effects. Therefore, this study reviews different spatial, economic and social criteria (as the most effective criteria on locating urban facilities) so to prioritize 22 districts of Tehran for construction of multiplex buildings. In order to achieve this goal, an index system including 10 various indices was developed. Then, a spatial decision support system was designed and implemented based on two multi criteria decision making models including stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP). Computation, map production, weighting and combination of different indices and ultimately achieving final output was provided by this system. According to the application of Fuzzy AHP and SWARA models on the indices, it was determined that accessibility and income indices have the most effect on prioritization. The final results of this study indicate that Districts 2, 7 and 11 have the highest priority, and districts 18 and 17 have the least priority for construction of multiplex buildings.
Human capital in urban management
M. Mirzapour; M. Baoosh
Abstract
Today, organizations are witnessing a destructive phenomenon called enterprise silence. The refusal of employees to provide their ideas and about organizational issues, ultimately leads to organizational degration and recession. This research intends to identify the factors that affect silence in organizations ...
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Today, organizations are witnessing a destructive phenomenon called enterprise silence. The refusal of employees to provide their ideas and about organizational issues, ultimately leads to organizational degration and recession. This research intends to identify the factors that affect silence in organizations in order to come up with the best solutions to resolve this problem. This is an applied research which is performed by using field method through distributing 81 questionnaire at the Office of Welfare, Co-operation and Social Services of Tehran Municipality - Iran. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated 0.78 using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Wilcoxon and Spearman correlation tests. The results reviled that at the significant level of 0.05, there is a meaningful difference among the organizational silence dimensions and defensive silence with the hypothesized mean. There is no significant difference in submissive and kindred silence. Respectively, there is a correlation with values of 0.634 and 0.356 between managerial and individual factors with defensive silence. Management, organizational and social factors have been effective in silent subjugation and there is solidarity between the social, organizational and individual factors in altruistic silence. Findings show that there is a considerable defensive silence in the population under investigation and management factors have the greatest impact on its occurrence in the organization.
C. Belford; D. Huang; E. Ceesay; Y.N. Ahmed; R.H. Jonga
Abstract
West Africa is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This paper analyzed the impacts of climate change on economic growth in Anglophone West Africa with similar background, during the periods 1969-2016. Five growth model equations have been developed to incorporate climate change variables into ...
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West Africa is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This paper analyzed the impacts of climate change on economic growth in Anglophone West Africa with similar background, during the periods 1969-2016. Five growth model equations have been developed to incorporate climate change variables into the model. Panel data estimations such as the fixed effect model, random effect model and Hausman test were used. The results generated show that four equations required the use of the fixed effect, the agriculture equation model required the use of the random effect model. In the fixed effect models, the results show that the growth of human capital has a negative (-0.08 and -0.23) and significant (0.09* and 0.023*) impact on the growth rate of the services and manufacturing sectors. In Anglophone West African countries, the growth rate of the agriculture sector and temperature are statistically significant (0.008 ** and 0.089*) and have a negative impact (-2.04 and -17.7) on the growth rate of GDP. In the random effect model for agriculture, the growth rate of rainfall has the highest impact on the growth of agriculture in Anglophone West Africa than the impact of temperature on the region. Lack of sufficient rainfall reduces the growth of the agriculture sector. In relative terms, change in rainfall pattern is more harmful to agriculture in comparison to the change in temperature in this region. The consequences of climate change in the region are sluggish economic performance and growth, underdevelopment, poverty, and human misery.
Urban architecture, design, development and planning
F. Heidari; M. Sattarzad Fathi
Abstract
The rich identity, originality and validity of the “Ancient Iranian Urbanism and Architecture”, always have been stimulating the urban designers and planners to have research about their valuable qualities and historical principles. Unlike the past, today’s Iranian cities have inefficient ...
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The rich identity, originality and validity of the “Ancient Iranian Urbanism and Architecture”, always have been stimulating the urban designers and planners to have research about their valuable qualities and historical principles. Unlike the past, today’s Iranian cities have inefficient urban qualities; because they are inspired by the western urban designs, without paying attention to their contents and contexts, which have destroyed the originality and identity of them. So in this research, to achieve more efficient urban design solutions, is tried to revive the concepts and principles of the ancient Iranian urbanism. Also, according to globalization and urban commonalities, the main attempt is to find the overlaps and common qualitative norms between the western contemporary urban design approaches and the ancient Iranian urbanism principles. Due to this, by utilizing the inductive, comparative and descriptive methods, is tried to have research in theoretical resources to suggest some comprehensive principles, in order to reach an appropriate concept for the implementation of urban design projects in Iran, which may revive the original Iranian contextualism. This research will create a linkage between innovations of the western urbanism approaches and values of the ancient Iranian urbanism principles to have a prospective and more accurate understanding of the Iranian urban developments.
Urban ecology and related environmental concerns
I.T. Horsfall; I. Okosa; T. Adumbu; T.H. Ekiyor
Abstract
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Industrial effluent contamination of water resources has emerged as a major challenge in developing and densely populated countries like Nigeria where river systems are the primary means for disposal of waste, especially the effluents from surrounding industries. ...
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Industrial effluent contamination of water resources has emerged as a major challenge in developing and densely populated countries like Nigeria where river systems are the primary means for disposal of waste, especially the effluents from surrounding industries. This study seeks to determine the extent of surface water pollution from industrial effluent discharge. METHODS: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied on the surface water quality data to identify the pollution sources and their contribution toward water quality variation. Water samples were collected from 4 sampling locations along the Onne-Okirika river. FINDING: The characteristics of the river showed a mean concentration of biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD = 19.73 mg/l), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD = 54.53 mg/l), Ammonia (NH3 = 21.00 mg/l), Dissolved Oxygen (DO = 5.78 mg/l) and temperature (28.40ᵒC) which varied significantly among sampling locations. Site 1, 2, and 3 showed a high level of NH3 and Chemical Oxygen Demand while site 4 (the control) has slightly high salinity when compared. The extent of pollution could be classified as; site 1 (High Pollution), site 2 (Moderate Pollution), and site 3 (Low Pollution). CONCLUSION: Sources of pollution include effluents from industrial plants such as fertilizer plants and oil refineries due to the high level of NH3. While the higher Chemical Oxygen Demand level is an indication of a greater amount of biodegradable organic material, which reduced the amount of Dissolved Oxygen. Additionally, a reduction in Dissolved Oxygen level can lead to an anaerobic condition, which is insidious to aquatic life forms. Therefore, the state environmental regulatory agency should ensure compliance monitoring of the industry’s activities.
