IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
Year:2016 | Volume:10 | Issue:40|Papers Count:8

Policy evaluation has important functions in public policy and governance processes. However, Iranian researchers have paid less attention to this critical subject of study and as a result, the field has been relatively suffered from this inattention. This paper, attempts to answer this fundamental question: What are the criteria for assessing the desirability of an evaluation model and among the most popular models, which are more favorable?. In order to answer this question, we reviewed the eighteen prevalent evaluation models and placed them for examination by public policy experts. In this research sixteen academic and administrative experts specializing in policy evaluation, participated in a Delphi panel. Then, we used TOPSIS technique to analyze the experts opinions. Findings suggest that within the Iranian context, regardless of subject requirements, the Utilization-focused model and the Accountability evaluation model have the highest and lowest score respectively.

In today’s highly competitive markets, brand loyalty is a central element of marketing strategies and tactics. The sources of loyalty and the processes through which it is established is becoming central concern of marketers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of brand controlled and uncontrolled communications on loyalty of mobile telecommunications service providers’ customers and also to test empirically whether this relationship is mediated by brand-user imagery and brand credibility. Data were collected through a sample survey from 544 of Irancell and Hamrahe-Aval subscribers in Yazd province. Structural equation modeling and path analysis were used to test the research model. Findings indicate that uncontrolled brand communications including WOM and brand publicity have significant effect on customer loyalty directly and through the mediation role of brand-user imagery and brand credibility indirectly. The results also show that advertisement as a major tool for controlled brand communication, affects customer’s loyalty indirectly through brand-user imagery and brand credibility.

Regarding the ever- changing and complex environment of media industry, strategic thinking is a crucial capability for creating and sustaining competitive advantage in this industry. Given, the fact that media managers have to make strategic decisions in their unpredictable and dynamic environments, therefore, as a major capability for achieving organizational goals, agreement between managers job characteristics and their personality traits is a vital requirement to their functions. The question of this study is: What is the pattern of relationships between managers personality traits and their strategic thinking skills. In this research, we used Pisapia's questionnaire (2011) and big five factors personality model, to study a sample of 193 journal managers of Tehran media industry. Our findings revealed that there is a strong relationship between personality traits of Tehran’s media managers and their strategic thinking skills.

Identifying and measuring customer loyalty are key to the survival and profitability of organizations. Given this fact, we hypothesized that identification of factors affecting consumer retention and presenting tailored solutions, might contribute to customer loyalty and the success of automotive companies. By reviewing the relative literature, we found that; perceived service value, perceived service quality, mindful imagery, self-image, and lifestyle are key factors affecting customer loyalty. Data was gathered through a sample survey from 400 referred customers to Bahman Group after-sales services. The results show that external behavior variables, such as mindful imagery and perceived service quality, will affect customer loyalty through customer’s perceived value. Based on the results, recommendations are offered to increase customer loyalty.

The emergence of electronic commerce (EC) in today world has changed the way of doing business for all stakeholders. In fact, in modern world, the advent of electronic commerce (EC) has had an enduring effects on business. Given the increasing importance of EC in the business environment, this research was aimed to answer this question: What are the EC benefits for both producers and suppliers. To achieve this objective, the author used a content analysis method by reviewing the EC literature titled in organization and management journals. The application of frequency approach showed that the EC has twelve benefits for producer / supplier. Then a questionnaire was distributed among all thirty five staff of a computer service firm. The finding show that eight out of twelve benefits that are: "competitive advantage", “access to a vast market”, ”access to day and night marketing”, “lessening red tape”, ” reducing spent time”, ” reducing cost”, ” lessening unnecessary trips” and ” direct interaction with customer” are most advantages respectively.

Dissemination of the Internet and the emergence of innovative ideas in IT, demands increasing support from relevant organizations to promote new ideas. Virtual incubators centers are growth centers that eliminate spacial and temporal constraints that exist in physical growth centers. They facilitate commercialization trend of innovative organizations. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the services affordable by a virtual incubator growth center in Iran. By reviewing literature and exploratory interviews, we identified sixteen affordable services in a virtual growth center. Then the acceptability and importance of these services were examined by Fifty-one internet business experts who participated in assessing these services through binominal test. In order to prioritize the rank of services, Friedman test was performed. The result of the study indicates that providing the identified services could meet the demands of potential customers. In addition, the measurement of service priority can help decision makers for creating virtual centers in Iran.