Year:2013 | Volume:8 | Issue:23|Papers Count:10

One of the drawbacks of the EFQM model is its weakness in leading the organizations to improve their efficiencies. In this paper the project management standards and their literatures are contrastingly discussed and employed in order to define a good compound method to satisfy maximum coverage of EFQM model conditions and leading organizations to have better performance.

Knowledge sharing introduced as one of the major activities of knowledge management. Therefore, the successful implementation of knowledge management requires attention to these activities. Identifying the effective factors on employee's knowledge sharing behavior and trying to supply them facilitate employee's knowledge sharing behavior. Several works introduced factors influencing on knowledge sharing including culture, organizational structure, motivations and technology. With respect to role of motivation as an important factor in knowledge sharing behaviors and the absence of a comprehensive motivation model in this regard, the Purpose of this study is to develop a model that measures the different influence motivational factors on employees Knowledge sharing behavior. The method, which has been used in this research, is descriptive and based on correlation that has been done using survey method. The statistical sample formed of 325 employees working in defense industries in Tehran. The research data has been collected by questionnaire. Introduced model evaluated using of structural equation modeling (SEM) and Lisrel 8.8 software. The confirmed model showed that intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and intention to methods of knowledge sharing were effective in knowledge sharing behavior. The findings showed simultaneous supply of motivational factors and knowledge sharing methods interesting for employees facilitates employee's knowledge sharing behavior.

The purpose of this study is the impact analysis "total quality management and organizational learning" on "innovation performance" employees in Iran Drug Co. The statistical population is included 210 employees from Iran Drug Co. 136 people were selected based on random class as a sample size by using the Morgan statistical tables for a period of 6 months in 2012. For data collection, Total Quality Management Questionnaire of Coyle-Shapiro (2002), organizational learning Questionnaire of Rhodes et al (2008) and innovation performance questionnaire of Prajogo and Sohal (2003) were used. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a number of university professors. The confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity and the results show that the load factor of all items was top of the 0.05  which was showing a reliable measure. Their reliability was obtained with Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the questionnaires were respectivly 0.91, 0.87 0.89. the data were analyzed by using Linear and Stepwise Regressions and by SPSS software. Results showed that there is significant relationship between TQM and organizational learning, between organizational learning and innovation performance and between TQM and innovation performance. Also, Results showed that organizational learning has moderating role between TQM and innovation performance. So, it reduces the effects of total quality management on innovation performance.

Very high acceleration changes in public needs and the necessity of a hand, rapid changes in products, services and processes has created the conditions where innovation has been called the most important factor in corporate competitiveness. The findings show that all the variables affecting innovation, leadership, appropriate organizational structure, key people, training and Carmen, all-out conflict with innovation, team building, creative atmosphere, external focus, extensive communication and organizational learning positive and significant relationship with innovation in the organization is required. The research results indicate that the variable key people are more important among the variables.

The current paper aimed at utilizing the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework in evaluating the Customs Department in West Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces of Iran. The BSC evaluates organization in terms of financial performance, customer satisfaction, internal process, and growth and organization learning. Financial performance was measured by examining revenues, expenditures, and ratio of customs revenues to total local revenues for the period (2007-2011). Regarding the customer perspective, a random sample of (384) customers of clearance customs was selected. The customers were asked to fill out a survey that measured their level of satisfaction about the Customs Department in regards to providing services and procedures. In addition, a random sample consisted of (280) of the employees of Customs Department in these provinces was chosen to fill out the survey regarding their assessment of the internal process and growth and organization learning perspectives of the BSC. The findings reported that the financial performance of Customs Department was negative for the whole study period (2007-2011) in terms of the amount of Rials collected, revenues minus expenditures, and customs revenues as a share of total local revenues. Clearance customs customers reported a suitable satisfaction level toward the customs services and procedures. Analysis showed that customs employees had a suitable level of satisfaction toward both internal process and growth and organization learning of the BSC’s dimensions. The analysis revealed that West Azerbaijan province was better than Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces in all perspectives of BSC.

This research aims to identify and rank the effective factors on entrepreneurs’ success and their effects on development of industrial sector. Although many researches have so far been performed on entrepreneurship success, none is based on identification of vital factors and the rate of their effect on a network of factors. Considering the high significance of industry of a country in its development, this research proceeds to investigate and rank the indicators of entrepreneurship success in development of industries in Semnan Province. Thus, after studying the research history and applying Delphi method, 13 main indicators of entrepreneurship success in industrial sector were identified. Then, a sample consisted of 100 company in 6 active industrial towns of Semnan Province was determined and in order to investigate the mutual effects of indicators on each other and the effects of each indicator on the networks of indicators, some questionnaires were distributed among the senior managers and recollected afterward. Then, the data was analyzed applying DEMATEL technique which is based on Graph theory. Through this technique, the effective indicators of entrepreneurship were divided into two effective and effectible groups. Afterward, applying Analytic Network Process (ANP), the weights related to each indicator were determined and finally, the final ranking of indicators was performed through VIKOR method. The results of final ranking indicate that “Innovation, creation and branding ideas” is the most important factor among the set of factors. Besides, “being practical” was introduced as the least important factor among the set of entrepreneurship success factors in development of industrial sector.

One of the most important decisions that must be made in production systems is determining the product mix. That means which and how much of the product should be made from it in order to increase the final output of the system. Often, in previously existing algorithms, all problem parameters are assumed to be certain and decision-making used to be carried out. The situation studied in this paper is that all the production parameters are in the form of triangular fuzzy numbers. Those production parameters include weekly demand, selling price, cost of raw materials, processing time of products and the available capacity of resources. In the proposed algorithm, considering the multi-bottleneck, with the help of fuzzy Vikor, the prioritization of production is calculated. Finally in order to explain the aforementioned method, a numerical example has been discussed.

Applying any kind of manufacturing strategy, on the one hand, needs to identify and monitor the current state of the system at the internal and external levels. On the other hand, it needs to provide strategies for improving the system. In this paper, a three-step manufacturing strategic model introduced by using Miltenburg model and focusing on five manufacturing strategic goals (production system, manufacturing outputs, manufacturing leverage, production capabilities and competitive analysis). First, the production system determined based on four indicators of production’s volume and variety, kind of plant layout and material flow. Then, six manufacturing levers (human resources, organizational control and structure, sourcing, production planning and control, process technology and facilities) determined and capabilities of each one evaluated.  Next, manufacturing outputs (delivery, cost, quality, performance) have been prioritized using the analytic hierarchy process technique to identify characteristics of the favorable production system. Furthermore, competitive analysis applied to verify the position of the company and its competitors in the market. In the final step, considering the results of previous steps, improvement strategies have been formulated so that the production system will change to favorable system. If the current system needs basic changes, the improvement process will be operational by focusing on improving the manufacturing levers. In order to display the capabilities of the proposed model, a mineral water company was selected as a case study. The results showed that the company's production system is Equipment-paced line flow production system (EPL( and the company's strategic output (calculated by AHP) is the cost. Achieving manufacturing strategy, objectives of organization and competitive analysis were conducted. Results showed that the current manufacturing system must change from ELP to continuous flow manufacturing system. Furthermore, adjusting the manufacturing levers is necessary-particularly human resources- to implement the new proposed system, effectively.

Although linear programming is used widely in the world, its inefficiency in dealing with difficult problems is concerned. With the advancement in science and dealing with various problems, it tends to have problems in mass production in a short time. Heuristic and meta-heuristic techniques are the latest achievements of nonlinear programming for solving similar problem. One area that requires programming applications in mass production is NP-scheduling problems. This paper aims at modeling and comparing the two methods of Linear Programming and Ant Colony System Algorithm in flexible flow shop scheduling problem according to the number of jobs and machines. This study is based on comparing the index of time processing, the number of constraints, optimality, and the memory size of the random numbers. Using Quasi-experimental research method, software testing tools are C-sharp and Lingo for the ant colony algorithm and linear programming respectively. The results show that linear programming model has higher performance when machines and jobs are in low numbers; however, with the rise of the machines and jobs, Ant Colony System algorithm has proven high efficiency.

Today, the employees’ participation has been considered as one of the most marvelous procedures for developing human sources toward developing and flourishing organization. The aim of this research was to investigate and offer solutions to enhance employees’ participation for comprehensive development of Isfahan Zobahan Company by considering eight factors including: increase employee’s participation, include suggestion system, determine quality circles, direct self-directed team, increase team work, apply works councils, employee’s ownership, industrial freedom and collective bargaining. The research method was a descriptive survey and the statistical population consisted of the whole supervisors and experts of Isfahan Zobahan Company from which 327 were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data and information which were gathered by using questionnaire containing 45 close ended questions made by the researcher has been conducted. The reliability of the questionnaire proved to be Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, Spirman-Brown and Guttman has been calculated as 0.93, 0.76 and 0.76 respectively and, check the validity of the questionnaire superficial content, and structures method have been applied. The data analysis has been done in the two levels of descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage and standard deviation) and inferential (One-variable t-test and Fridman) statistics. The results have shown that solutions to increase employee participation by using of Suggestion System, Quality Circles, Self Directed Team, Team Work, Works Councils, Employee Ownership, Industrial Freedom and Collective Bargaining has been above the average level. Among the suggested solutions the highest average with 4.13 was related to employee ownership and the lowest average with 3.73 related to Self Directed Team. The rating average for solutions to enhance employees’ participation for comprehensive development of Isfahan Zobahan Company was conducted Based on Fridman test. Ownership with 5.68 and quality circles with 3.68 have devoted the highest and lowest rates to themselves, respectively. The results obtained among the set of rates for solutions to increase employee participation at the level of P<0.01 has been meaningful and the amount of Chi-square test has been equal to 118.706.