Journal of Improvement management
Year:2012 | Volume:6 | Issue:2 (16)|Papers Count:6

This research was administered with the aim of investigating the relationship between despotic leadership and unethical behaviors. From statistical population of an industrial company in Isfahan city, 254 people were selected by using simple random sampling. Research instruments were included despotic leadership questionnaire with 6 items, organizational anomie questionnaire with 8 items, job alienation questionnaire with 8 items, perceived normative conflict questionnaire with 5 items, and unethical behaviors questionnaire with 5 items. Data were analyzed using Structure Equation Modeling (SEM). Structural equation modeling revealed that firstly despotic leadership reinforces the organizational anomie, job alienation, and perceived normative conflict, then organizational anomie reinforces job alienation and perceived normative conflict, and finally perceived normative conflict reinforces the unethical behaviors. The results of mediation analysis revealed that the organizational anomie, job alienation, and perceived normative conflict are mediator variables in the relationship between despotic leadership and unethical behaviors.

Up to now, workforce health and wellbeing have not been recognized as one of the key constituents of the human capital. In an era when workforces are widely acknowledged as being highly valuable assets, and therefore in large part worth retaining within the organization by virtue of their contribution to the value creation and delivery process, a healthy workforce would seem to be a doubly important asset to cultivate. This paper presents and discusses the findings of an analytical questionnaire survey of a public library employees regarding some of the issues associated with recognizing workforce health and wellbeing as an organizational asset, the site of a continuing, costly sickness absence problem. Data were collected using psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ) and general health questionnaire (GHQ) reaffirming the validity and reliability and were analyzed using structural equation modeling at confidence level of 0.95. The results indicate that about 32 percent of the variance in the general health variable is predictable through psychological capital model indicating interaction of human capital constituents with each other and the necessity of paying Attention to the workforce health as a component of human capital.

Job satisfaction as one of the important variables being studied in organization treatment, is a subject to which the managers of the organizations pay special attention in a way that it is considered as the final goal for the managers in organization behavior issues. Considering the organization culture variant as a crucial and effective factor on job satisfaction, the general purpose of the current research is to study the relation between organization culture and job satisfaction of the employees in Iran's National Company of Distribution of Petroleum Products in the district of Mazandaran Province. A statistical society of 420 of this company was considered in order to respond to the problem of existence and intensity of the relation between the two variants being studied. Accordingly, along with a comprehensive review of the subjective literature relating to the organization culture and job satisfaction, 235 cases as statistical samples were selected among the above mentioned statistical society. Then, in the form of field and library research, necessary data and information were collected by using the questionnaire and SPSS software and Lisrel software were also used in order to perform the related statistical tests to study the affectivity between the organization culture and job satisfaction of the employees in the National Company of Distribution of Petroleum Products. The result of the research shows that the totality of the affectivity of organization culture factors on the job satisfaction of the personnel of National Company of Distribution of Petroleum Products in Mazandaran Province is admitted based on the structural equations, and the variables of Organization Identity and Relation Model have been the most effective factors on the personnel satisfaction. On the other hand compromise or conflict and manager support [or protections] were the least effective factors.

In the last few years, supply chain management has become more important, because of the globalization of business. Factors such as short product life cycle, new technologies and product development have led to increase complexity in supply chain. By increasing complexity, level of uncertainty and risk in the chain goes up. Hence supply chain risk management has become a major issue in the organization.One of the risks existing in the supply chain is risk of suppliers. In this study, Supply Chain Risk from this perspective will be investigated. For this purpose, factors affecting on the risks incurred by the supplier on Alloy Steel industry were evaluated and ranked using VIKOR technique. After ranking these factors, in order to identify factors that need to be improved and those that the organization must perform necessary deeds about them, importance-performance analysis is used. Using this technique, the most important risk factors that need to be improved are identified and more appropriate strategies are offered.

Performance evaluation is a critical issue in organizational and Academic Researches. Thus, it is necessary to propose a model to determine current performance status and try to reach performance ideal level. In this study, to increase accuracy of assessing Science and Technology Park High Tech Companies` performance and identify the inefficiency and efficiency DMU’s, we used a model that combines Data Envelopment Analysis and Goal Programming. Performance of High Tech Companies is measured based on this perspective. The results of the GPDEA-BCC model was compared with the BCC model and showed that Number of efficient DMU’s are reduced from 23 to 4 when GPDEA-BCC model is used. The results showed the higher ability of this model compare to the basic models in separation the High Tech Companies units. Finally, using a sensitivity analysis identified the effective input and output in performance of each Science and Technology Park High Tech Companies.

Sharif’ and Pitt’s models are based on two different definitions of technology: tools and using tools. Sharif defines technology as a set of enabling tools such as “techno ware”, “human ware”, “info ware” and “organs ware”. On the other hand, Pitt defines technology as “humanity at work”. Furthermore, Pitt uses his definition to suggest a specific model of technology which includes three distinguishable components: “first-order transformation”, “second-order transformation” and the “assessment feedback mechanism”. This paper critically reviews both of these models. After explaining them, we criticize Sharif’s model in the light of Pitt’s model and show that Pitt’s model provides a better understanding of technology- related facts. For example, we describe how Pitt’s model can be developed to explain concepts such as technology control, soft aspects of technology, technology transfer and technological dynamism, while Sharif’s model fails to do so. Next, we criticize Pitt’s model. We argue that knowledge improvement in his model is controversial; Pitt’s thoughts are not compatible with native knowledge and thus native technology. In addition, we are questioning the capacity of Pitt’s model in describing technological phenomena. This model superficially analyzes the complexities of the assessment of technology consequents. Finally, we provide a list of minimal items which should be considered in any model of technology. Addressing these items is a task for all technology theorists.