Iranian Journal of Trade Studies
Year:2012 | Volume:16 | Issue:61|Papers Count:10

Advertising and Sales promotion have significant impact on raising customer awareness. Despite the importance of these tools in increasing sales, it is not easy to evaluate their effect on sales. One of the problems confronted by the marketing managers is the determination of a clear relationship between the effectiveness of advertising and sales promotion on profitability. In this article, considering the relationship between these tools and brand equity, we have attempted to determine the relationship between effectiveness of these two factors and profitability. Next a System Dynamics model for representing the effects of marketing communication tools on company profitability is offered. Finally, using the data from a corporation and the numeric values related to each of the elements in the model, an attempt has been made to determine a number representing the magnitude of the effect of advertising and sales promotion on the corporation's revenue and profitability and to draw the respective curves related to the effects of these two factors.

To get competitive privileges in the modern world, the supply chain management is a key and strategic factor. The results of using this policy are: better service to customers, income increase, and expense reduction. For improving the performance, the organizations manage their required activities through recognizing the criteria and evaluating the performance. These criteria are creating a suitable viewpoint about the business status by specific performance indices, goals and strategies. In this article, after being acquainted with theoretical bases of performance measurment in the supply chain, a suitable methodology is presented to give a performance measurement system for the whole chain. A comprehensive classification of performance criteria for evaluating the whole components of the chain, the representation of a suitable method of decision making (AHP) for prioritizing the criteria, and the determination of the importance degree and the influence of them in performance of the whole chain, are the main characteristics of this writing. Finally, we proceed to study the results by using a case study in the field of food industry, through fazzy analytic hierarchy process, and indigenizing the criteria for the mentioned industry.

The world manufacturing sectors are facing massive challenges to survive in today's global and volatile marketplace. In an attempt to overcome these challenges, companies adopt newer management systems to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action. The balanced scorecard (BSC) is one of approaches that have very importance for small to Medium-sized enterprises (SME). Although many studies have been done about BSC, but the subject of design and presentation of a structured methodology to overcome its incompatible has not been done. With regard to these subjects, this paper represents a new approach of the BSC in connection with the organizational strategies to performance indexes. Then this approach is based on the fuzzy TOPSIS for thetategy evaluation and performance improvement in Iranian steel industries. The result shows that multi-attribute decision making (MADM) tecniques, such as fuzzy TOPSIS, can be applied successfully by a structured methodology in order to design the BSC. Moreover, the proposed model with basic guidelines from a feedback system, nearly all of the definition indices had positive effects on the organizational performance in all aspects.

The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between the trade intensity and business cycle synchronization among ECO Members in 1993-2007 periods. For this purpose “The central country model with centrality of Iran” has been used. In order to investigate the asymmetry of the structure of production (ASP) between ECO members the specialization index has been applied. The results indicate that the bilateral trade intensity and the industrial asymmetries index ignorable impact on the business cycle synchronization among ECO Members.In order to investigate the effect of income and geographical distance among ECO Members a gravity model were used. The results reveal that the per capita income had a positive and significant impact on the bilateral trade intensity, while geographical distance had a negative effect.

In recent years, the detrimental effects of bureaucratic corruption gained attention from development economists. Corruption, which was previously ignored and mentioned only with caution, has taken a center stage. Nonetheless, corruption is not a new phenomenon. It is as old as government itself. The current literature on corruption highlights its harmful effects on growth. This paper first investigates corruption roots in some factors such as rules, regulations, concessions, tax, and government expenditure in investment projects, wage level in public section, judicial system, and natural resources. Then, economic growth models of classics; neoclassic, Keynesian and institutionalist are reviewed to identify most important factors on economic growth. In fact, we identified physical, human, and social capital in growth models and focused our attention on indices of social capital including corruption and openness. By these concepts, our simultaneous equations system has been formulated on 106 countries from different levels of development in year 2008. In this system, the openness and government size have been considered as effective factors on economic corruption. We also investigated corruption effects on investment and growth. Our results show that openness and government size have positive effects on corruption reduction, which means, whatever the government size is smaller and economy is more open, the economic corruption is smaller. Finally, we found converse relationship between economic growth rate and corruption. In fact, the reduction of corruption will encourage economic growth.

Deepening economic integration with Islamic countries and developing technology have been emphasized as two important plans by the “Sanade Cheshm Andaze 20 Saleye Iran I.R.”. In this paper, we examine the consistency of these two aims. Indeed, we want to know if these two plans go in the same direction, or they should be followed independently. Based on recent theoretical and econometric developments, we use an empirical gravity equation to estimate the Iranian bilateral export and import potentials with ISWA countries. The results show that Iran does not share great trade potentials with those countries in high-tech. industry. The total export potential of the country is about 43 million US-dollars, contrary to 100 million US-dollars for its import potential. In addition, these potentials are unequally distributed among the Iranian ISWA partners. In short, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates are recognized as the most suitable trade partners for Iran in the group.

With increasing competition in today’s markets, the vital point for companies is to maintain their market shares. Therefore, marketers try to vitalize the companies’ brand, in order to maintain their positions in the market. Whereas, creation of a new brand is very costly and time consuming and its chance of success is limited, nowadays, more than ever, marketers are trying to achieve their goals through brand extension strategy. This research is conducted to evaluate acceptance of brand extension through Logit model. So, the reactions of consumers toward Samand’s brand extension were evaluated. In this descriptive survey, data has been collected by questionnaire. Research findings indicate, among others, that with hypothesis of Logistic function and Logit model, the probability of success of brand extension of Samand is 99.7%. Furthermore, the factors of purchase involvement with 90%, the factors of product involvement with 69%, and quality with 69.8% influenced acceptance of brand extension.

In the contract of sale, each party should perform his obligation in delivery of conforming goods and payment of price. Otherwise, he should compensate the loss suffered by the other party. Where the failure to perform the obligations is due to the act or omission of the other party, according to article 80 of UN Convention on International Sale of Goods, the promissor will be exempt from liability. In Iranian law, although there is no express regulation concerning this matter, but under the Rule of Eghdam (Fault against himself), aticle 240 of Civil Code, article 386 of Commercial Code and article 114 of Maritime Law it can be said that the promissor is exempt from liability.