MAJLIS & RAHBORD
Year:2021 | Volume:28 | Issue:106|Papers Count:12

The participation of people in legislative processes takes place via different methods. In the last two decades, Information and Communication Technology has vastly progressed and provided a greater capacity to support the participation of citizens in democratic processes. This technology is employed in various ways in different countries. Digital tools can transform parliaments, and so new media platforms and more transparent data help parliaments to communicate better with their citizens. The present study is a comparative study and the research environment included legislative meetings in a number of selected countries, such as Finland, Turkey and Iran. These were then compared and carefully analyzed based on the criteria of the legal systems of America, England, Malaysia, Brazil, France, Germany and South Africa, and the efficiencies of these countries and the successes in their legislation. These countries were selected by carrying out targeted searches. Based on the findings, in all the countries studied, parliaments had legislative power in various forms and benefited from traditional or electronic participation of their citizens. As a result, the information collected varied. In Iran, there is a great deal of potential for people to participate in legislation and parliamentarians can easily interact with the relevant stakeholders. These circumstances provide a suitable platform for professional and expert participation in the field of legislation.

Holding elections in order to elect decision-makers at different national and regional levels has become the only method in which to realize national sovereignty and democracy. It is also fundamental in being able to manage a society's macro affairs and in controlling the conflicts andDisparities of its different classes. Legally and technically, the crucial issue of “ electoral redistricting” , which means dividing a country’ s territory and population into different constituencies in order to balance the number of representatives and population of the country, is an important and necessary prerequisite for achieving the aforementioned goal. In this descriptive-analytical study, which was based on documentary and library data, the authors answer the following question: “ What are the fundamentals, criteria and legal principles governing electoral redistricting and how do they influence the Iranian legal system? ” By looking at the various aspects of this issue, one can identify, the religious and customary principles of a proper redistricting is based on the reliability of people’ s votes and holding a fair and free election. It must be noted, a fair and free election observes criteria such as equal population, appropriate boundaries and geographical size and takes common-interest communities into consideration. In addition, a fair and free election must abide by a number of legal principles such as, the independence and impartiality of the decision-making authority in charge of electoral redistricting, equality of the credit and value attributed to citizens’ votes, equal representation, non-discrimination, transparency of the redistricting process and effective participation. The above criteria and strategies have been stipulated in important documents within the Iranian electoral and voting system and if the Iranian government were to pursue these goals and aim to achieve them in a much shorter time span, problems such as gerrymandering can to some extent be eradicated.

The need to pay attention to the livability of metropolises in recent decades has found its place in the scientific literature of the country and many efforts have been made in this field of research in the form of dissertations, research papers and conferences. Taking these texts into consideration, this study has been carried with the aim to design the model of factors affecting the livability of Iranian metropolises and this was done by employing a mixed method. In terms of practical targeting, the qualitative method was used, and in terms of the nature of information, the analysis method was employed. The method of data collection in the field of documentary research was based on the research method, and so this study is an analytical-descriptive study. The statistical population of the study was all the internal research conducted during the years of 2014-2019 on the scale of livability in the metropolises of the country. These were recorded either in the country's database (Magiran) or the scientific information database of Jahad University (SID). Using the targeted sampling method, 26 related studies were selected and studied. Based on the findings, the extracted conceptual model consists of 5 categories (economic, social, physical, environmental and urban management), 13 concepts and 44 codes (indicators). Also, among the 13 concepts studied, the concepts of employment and income (17), access to facilities and infrastructure (16), pollution (16), and fair and able housing (14) have the highest frequency and repetition. Therefore, this shows the importance of these concepts, and it is necessary that the managers and decision makers of urban areas prioritize them and always include them in the framework of any urban planning, programs or policies.

Water shortages have turned into one of the most important issues in the Middle East and in particular for the Islamic Republic of Iran. The yearly water use in Iranian homes is twice the world average. It is for this reason that it is necessary to try and reform the usage pattern of Iranian households. Various studies have shown, the most significant reasons for excessive water usage is the public’ s lack of education regarding correct water usage. Thus, the matter of water shortages must be assessed within the frameworks of societal systems and solutions, which encourage public participation, must be offered. These systems are referred to as Water Governance. In order to provide a suitable framework for correct water usage, the public’ s knowledge in this regard and their participation must be increased and their outlook on water usage must also be altered. A suitable tool, which can be used to bring about public awareness and a change of attitude towards water usage, is to create a social market for it. The main aspect of social marketing is the voluntary alteration of societal norms. Social marketing uses the principles and methods of commercial marketing to create communication and a transfer of ideals aimed to affect the behavior of certain targeted people. Therefore, this study has taken into account the necessity of reforming Water Governance, and has analyzed the role of social marketing in changing the attitudes towards water usage and the voluntary participation of people in this initiative. A qualitative method was employed, previous studies were analyzed, and library sources were used. This study found, using new forms of technology to reduce water usage, placing penalties and rewards, making advertisements and informing the public, law reforms and policy changes, the role of families and schools, religious teachings and public organizations, the expansion of virtual societal campaigns, education and awareness, the participation of governmental and societal organizations, and public determination, are all issues that must be addressed within the framework of social marketing.

Innovations in the developing economies of developing countries such as Iran, are increasingly important as they seek to find solutions to complex challenges, gain competitive advantages in key industries and technologies, and create better living standards for citizens. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the levels of innovation seen in the selected countries in the 1404 document and the effect of innovation on urban performance. The data used in the research is derived from the 2017 Global Innovation Index (GII) and the 2017 Global Cities Report (GCR). The statistical population of the study was the UAE, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait and all their capital cities. In this regard, the Prometheus model and Pearson Correlation Analysis were employed. The results of the study showed that the UAE and Turkey have the best innovation performance among other countries. Also, the levels of Iranian innovation in institutional components, human capital and research, infrastructure, market, business complexity, knowledge and technology, and creative output compared to the selected countries, were respectively, very low, moderate, very low, moderate, low, medium, and low. The results also showed, there is a significant correlation between the rankings of countries and the rankings of cities within them, which had a score of 0. 907. This was such that, Istanbul, the capital city of Turkey, and Dubai, the capital city of UAE, were respectively ranked 26th and 28th among other capital cities, and were found to be among the world's top cities. After these results were obtained, suggestions were offered in this paper.

In its 20-year vision, the Islamic Republic of Iran aims to progress in areas of development and create a constructive relationship with the world. As time has passed, sport has emerged as a new global actor in diplomacy. Therefore, for the present study we have collected data by employing the qualitative approach and carrying out semi-structured and non-structured interviews with experts in the fields of Strategic Sports Management, International Relations, and Sociology. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was obtained (n = 39) and were analyzed using the Qualitative Content Analysis Method. The findings of this study suggest that in order to make progress in the field of sport diplomacy, Iran faces three types of strategic challenges, these are: 1. intellectual, 2. behavioral, and 3. structural. Moreover, it needs to focus on macro strategies for branding and accreditation, interaction with the world, and empowerment capacities.

Capacity-building policies have been proposed in order to promote further flexibility, improve the performance of the organization's programs, and to meet the needs and expectations of the forever-changing population. The main purpose of this study is to identify higher education capacities and so the Thematic Analysis Method was employed to analyze the content. Fourteen key experts and academic chairpersons, who have managerial and research experience in this field, formed the research sample. Qualitative data was obtained by focusing on words, the close inspection, accuracy, description and interpretation of texts, and detailed interviews. Data analysis was performed by analogy, using the Thematic Analysis Method, and according to existing theories. In order to evaluate the adequacy of the thematic analysis, its theoretical validity was tested by receiving the opinions of experts and using them as a specialized committee, and using the Kappa Cohen coefficient. By reviewing and approving the members participating in the accreditation process and estimating the coefficient to be 0. 768, it can be said that the research findings have the required credibility and can be trusted. According to the findings of this study, the twelve main factors which outline the capacity of higher education to meet society's expectations in individual, organizational and environmental areas are factors such as, knowledge, skills, competence, strategy, structure, system and process, culture, resources and infrastructure, judicial-political environment, socio-cultural environment, industry, and stakeholders. These factors are plotted by a network of themes.

The governing laws on insurance relations in Iran are based on the 1316 Insurance Bill. In order to overcome the problems and ambiguities within this law, in 2005 the Iranian government presented a bill, labeled the ‘ Trade Insurance Bill’ , to the Iranian parliament; this was to be taken as a replacement for the Insurance Bill. However this bill does not address consumer insurance and there seems to be no difference between trade insurance and consumer insurance within the bill. Thus insurers offering consumer insurance are not required to undertake the same obligations as the insurers of non-consumer insurance. As a result, they are not equally protected by sanctions. This matter is unacceptable in the current legal society and is not in sync with financial and insurance policies around the world. In this study, the Adaptive Study Method is employed to illustrate the necessity of distinguishing between consumer insurance and non-consumer insurance. In consumer insurance, clauses, which differ from permitted disclosure clauses in non-consumer insurance policies and which offer suitable legal sanctions, must be put in place. This study offers several suggestions to help reform the Trade Consumer Bill.

This article is an analytical exploratory study which applies the institutional method to propose a model for the improvement of public sector compensation in Iran. For this purpose, exploratory studies were looked at first and the theoretical basis was analyzed through archival data analysis. In the second step, eight countries were compared and the general principles of compensation were extracted employing a comparative analysis model. In the third step, the most important deficiencies of public sector compensation in Iran were explained using the Theme Analysis Method. It is a cross-sectional research in terms of time and is defined within an interpretational paradigm. The study data sources include interviews, document reviews, historic references, papers and other media. The required data was collected via conducting interviews (initially non-structured and then semi-structured) and reading written documents. The statistical population of this research includes governmental institutions, laws and regulations, which govern the compensation system in the Iranian public sector. The scope of this research was government agencies in Iran. The analytical model suggested in this article, which consists of a combination of the Job Ranking and Job Classification Method, has taken into account the requirements of executive agencies. Inherent features of the proposed model include determining the minimum livelihood for all employees, the hiring cost of employees, top-level executives and dignitaries, setting pay caps for all different payroll groups and regulating laws that act as standards to be upheld. The proposed model provides policy solutions which strengthen and control contextual factors. These are policies such as, the enhancement of transparency mechanisms, and the control and supervision of public sector payments and managerial and legal structures.

The weaknesses of legal remedies has at times provided the conditions for some firms to increase the price of a product by exploiting their economic position, dominating the market and by causing a false inflation in the market of a certain commodity. This is done to achieve unjustified and unfair profits and can be interpreted as price manipulation in the commodity market. Although the crime of price manipulation in the stock market is found under the criminal label "Security Market Manipulation", there is no clear definition provided and it is largely misunderstood. In this descriptive-analytical study, the feasibility of price manipulation in different markets is evaluated by assessing the key indicators of price change in a commodity. Excessive price manipulation can lead to market imbalances and the profits from the rise in prices are obtained in an unconventional and unfair method. In addition, according to paragraph 9 of Chapter 44 of Article 44 of the Constitution, this occurs when, firstly, the trader has a dominant economic position; and secondly, the disputed price of a certain commodity varies a great deal with the average cost of production or with its relative proportional profit.

The expansion of arbitration rules and the increase in number of claims in insurance disputes have magnified the need for the acceptance of arbitration in this area more than ever. Although different prohibitions and limitations exist, the acceptance of the general principle of arbitrability reinforces the mindset where arbitration is allowed in insurance claims. Despite this, the legislator has not explicitly mentioned arbitration in the law on "compulsory third party liability insurance for motor vehicle accidents", and this silence and the existence of certain rules, has led to doubts about the acceptance of arbitration in such claims. Reservations regarding the issues that may arise in public order due to arbitration, the failure to mention arbitration in the provisions of the Compulsory Insurance Law, and the vagueness of some of the provisions of the law have led to the ambiguity of the arbitrability of insurance claims. Nevertheless, these doubts can be resolved if a clear distinction between civil liability and criminal liability insurance coverage is placed. Once this happens, there is no obstacle stopping the acceptance of arbitration. In this study, the descriptive and analytical method was employed. Furthermore, the legal limitations and prohibitions in referring insurance claims to arbitration, and the advantages and disadvantages of accepting arbitration, have been analyzed.

Decision-making has always been of interest to scholars because decision-making mirrors the skills and capabilities of a manager, hence the purpose of the present study is to examine the decision-making frameworks female political elites are forced to adhere to in order to enter their field of work. This research was conducted throughout ten parliamentary sessions. The statistical sample of this study was 20 women from ten seats in the Islamic Consultative Assembly. The methodology was based on the quantitative and qualitative content analysis techniques and the semi-structured interview techniques when collecting data. The data analysis was carried out in Excel in the form of different models and graphs and used the Visio software. The findings indicate that the decision-making framework for women delegates is largely based on the party's proposal, which is rationally and culturally based on a planned, advisory, at-risk sub-framework. Most elites do not have a specific pre-representation framework. The most important encouraging framework for women is the influence of their spouses. The motivational framework for women and their goal is mainly to carry out their duties within the confines of law and dealing well with allies and enemies. The role of the family (father, brother and husband) is the most important institutional framework, which largely influences women entering the political arena. Psychological factors are the most important causal framework for decision making. In general, the most important factors influencing the decision-making framework of female political elites is the representation of the power of men through the media, foreshadowing structural and cultural factors, preferences and interests, and personal and psychological experiences. This study identifies 8 main categories, 42 first subcategories, 83 second subcategories, and 439 semantic expressions, which are analyzed thematically.