scholarly journals The Role of Export Clusters in Export Performance of SMEs: The Case of Iranian Energy Industry

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Sarah Sedigheh Ebadzadeh Semnani ◽  
Hossein Dadfar ◽  
Staffan Brege

<div><strong>Purpose:</strong> This study was carried out with the aim of exploring the effects of export clusters formation on export performance of SMEs in Iranian energy industry.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Methodology/Approach:</strong> The study was undertaken through having three case studies, each on a different export cluster currently active within Iranian energy industry. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with both managers and members of each export cluster as well as study of their archival documents. </div><div> </div><div><strong>Findings:</strong> The results confirmed that all three export clusters managed to successfully identify their members’ needs and undertook certain measures within their own authority and control, to mitigate these risks. Moreover, the secondary data showed positive growth rate of export level after the establishment of these export clusters. Interestingly, the strong suits of all three export clusters were mainly related to communication and relationship aspects. These three factors were: ability to create Informal Network within members, Public Relations and Training/Consultation. </div><div> </div><div><strong>Research Limitation/implication:</strong> This study was limited to the export clusters in Iranian energy industry, and on a cross-sectional time horizon basis. It therefore cannot be generalized to all industries and we might witness certain changes in findings if the study is undertaken at different point in time. However, the study shed light on certain important aspects such as nature of relationships within the members of each cluster, the role of trust management and social power as well as the need to place more focus on SMEs in export clusters.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Originality/Value of paper:</strong> Even though there are recently many studies on the concept of export clusters and their positive impacts on the growth in export of various countries throughout the world; but so far, there had been no similar study undertaken with a focus on Iran and not enough empirical evidence had previously been provided on export clusters performance in a developing country.</div>

2020 ◽  
pp. 089033442097998
Author(s):  
Cheryl Langford ◽  
Marcella Gowan ◽  
Monica Haj

Background Students returning to school who are breastfeeding face unique challenges. There is limited literature on breastfeeding university students. Several researchers have studied breastfeeding employees in the workplace. Institutions of higher education closely mimic the employment environment. Breastfeeding college students who express their milk while at school share similar challenges to employed mothers. A baccalaureate nursing program is rigorous and little is known about the challenges facing breastfeeding student nurses returning to classes. Research aim To explore the breastfeeding experience of baccalaureate nursing students. Methods Our study was a cross-sectional descriptive qualitative design. Purposive sampling was used to enroll participants ( N = 12). In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the data both manually and using Dedoose QDA software. Results An overarching theme of pervasive conflict between the role of the breastfeeding mother and the role of the student nurse surfaced. Three interrelated organizing themes also emerged; challenging, vulnerability, and resilience. Time constraints, self-care versus role demands, and structural accommodations contributed to the challenges. Only one participant indicated a knowledge of her breastfeeding rights. All of the participants expressed gratitude for faculty and community support, regardless of conflicts. Conclusion Breastfeeding participants were both vulnerable and resilient. Faculty may improve experiences through providing specific areas of support. A breastfeeding support policy outlining student rights and faculty responsibilities is needed to educate, guide, and enforce protections. Health care providers may enhance breastfeeding students’ experiences through anticipatory guidance, education, and continued support.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Pileggi ◽  
Valentina Mascaro ◽  
Aida Bianco ◽  
Maria Pavia

The use of nonprescription medicines (NPDs) for children illnesses without a doctor’s suggestion can lead to unnecessary medication use and is not free of risks. The aim of our study was to examine attitudes and practice of parents towards NPDs use for their children. We also investigated the conditions that may predict NPDs use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on parents of children attending Community Based Pediatrician (CBP) consultation and data were collected through structured interviews. Positive attitude on NPDs use was reported by 71.4% of parents, and 61.5% of them had administered NPDs in the previous 6 months. Antipyretic drugs were the most frequently used medication class without the supervision of the CBP. A positive attitude towards NPDs was significantly more frequent in parents who did not use the CBP as the sole source of information about drugs. The study demonstrated a widespread use of NPDs in children in our context, supported by a substantial positive attitude towards their safety. However, considering potential harms related to some NPDs and the finding that most parents rely on CBP advice, role of CBP on appropriate use of NPDs by parents should be emphasized.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
Cindy Monica ◽  
Aminah. S ◽  
Siti Dalilla

Background: Infection is one of the top ten diseases in Indonesia, so that antibiotic therapy is quite high. The increasing use of antibiotics may lead to an increase in the use of irrational antibiotics. Drug Related Problems (DRPs) are events that are not expected from the patient's experience or are suspected to be due to drug therapy so that they have the potential to interfere with the desired healing success. Objective: This study aims to determine the number of occurrences of DRPs which include dosage inaccuracy, namely under and over dose, indication without drug, drug without indication, potential interactions and inaccuracy of drug selection in inpatient pneumonia treatment for children at the Deli Serdang Regional public hospital. In 2019 Method: This study is retrospective in which data is obtained through secondary data in the form of patient medical records for the period January-December 2019 with a cross-sectional study design. The data collection technique was in the form of total sampling, obtained 50 samples that fit the inclusion criteria. Results: Drung Related Problems (DRPs) research that occurred in the under-dose category of drugs (4.0%), and excessive drug doses (2.0%) and no DRPs (94.0%). This shows that the role of pharmacists is important in monitoring patient drug therapy to minimize the occurrence of DRPs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
Dipendra Karki ◽  
Sushmita Upreti ◽  
Udbodh Bhandari ◽  
Sharad Rajbhandari ◽  
Niranjan Devkota ◽  
...  

Small business enterprises are widely recognized as a driving force of economic growth and development in any nation. Empirical evidence has shown that they contribute to job creation, help to alleviate poverty, and increase a nation’s level of productivity. In the exponential increase of small businesses, the role of the financial sector is crucial. This paper aims to identify the role of formal financial support in small business employment generation in Bouddhanath, Kathmandu. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 285 business owners. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect their responses. Primary and secondary data was employed to analyze user status. Data analysis was performed with the help of descriptive analysis and a financial support index. The results showed that financial support plays a critical role in the enhancement of the small business sector, allowing businesses to create employment opportunities which further helps to maintain the Nepalese economy. The major challenges to the growth of small businesses in Nepal lie in securing initial funding and overreliance on credit. In addition, the ability to afford quality staff has an equally strong effect on the success of small businesses. Business growth clearly depends on the role of the formal financial sector to achieve the desired outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Taranindya Zulhi Amalia

Abstrak: Guru PAUD memiliki beragam peran seperti guru pada umumnya.  Namun pembedanya tampak pada peran guru PAUD yang bertugas mengembangkan beragam kemampuan dasar anak untuk menggali potensi anak sejak dini.  Kemampuan dasar bahasa asing pada usia ini dimulai dari pengenalan bahasa Inggris secara mendasar yakni melalui kosakata sederhana. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk: 1) mengetahui pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar dan 2) peran guru anak usia dini dalam pengenalan bahasa Inggris RA/PAUD. Dengan menggunakan jenis penelitian lapangan serta pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif peneliti menentukan Sumber data primer nya adalah kepala RA/PAUD, sie kurikulum, serta wali peserta didik. Sedangkan sumber data sekunder adalah referensi yang relevan dengan pengenalan bahasa Inggris, peran guru, dan PAUD. Kemudian Data diperoleh melalui teknik observasi partisipatif wawancara semi terstruktur dan dokumentasi uji keabsahan data menggunakan uji credibility, transferability dan confirmability melalui reduction, display data dan conclusion drawing.Hasil yang diperoleh adalah pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar di RA/PAUD dilakukan setiap hari menyatu dengan pembelajaran tema-tema dan sub tema dalam muatan kurikulumnya berbentuk kosakata harian dan sapaan peran guru anak usia dini dalam pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar sangat bervariasi. Guru memiliki multi peran dalam satu waktu. Peran-peran tersebut adalah sebagai educator, mediator, observer, facilitator, motivator, administrator, dan composer. KataKunci: peran guru PAUD, pengenalan bahasa Inggris, PAUD     Abstract: Early Childhood Education (PAUD) teachers have various roles like teachers in general. But the difference is seen in their roles tasked with developing a variety of children's basic abilities to explore children's potential from an early age. The basic ability of foreign languages ​​at this age starts from the basic introduction of English through simple vocabulary. The purpose of this study is to: 1) determine the introduction of basic English and 2) the roles of early childhood teachers in the introduction of English in this level. By using the type of field research and the qualitative descriptive approach, the researcher determines that the primary data source is the head of the RA, curriculum courses, and guardians of students. While secondary data sources are relevant references to the introduction of English, the role of teachers, and PAUD. Then the data obtained through participatory observation techniques semi-structured interviews and documentation of data validity test using the test of credibility, transferability and confirmability through reduction, display data and conclusion drawing.The results obtained are the introduction of basic English in RA done every day together with the learning of themes and sub themes in the curriculum content in the form of daily vocabulary and the greeting of the role of early childhood teachers in the introduction of basic English varies greatly. The teacher has multiple roles at one time. These roles are as educator, mediator, observer, facilitator, motivator, administrator, and composer.   Keywords: the role of PAUD teachers, introduction to English, early childhood education


IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-543
Author(s):  
Chiara Cantù ◽  
Sepe Giorgia ◽  
Alessandra Tzannis

Purpose Differently from previous works that focused on the entrepreneur and on his ability to manage social relationships, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of business relationships in the different stages of the life cycle of a start-up. Design/methodology/approach Since the paper aims to explore startups’ evolutionary phenomenon, it adopts a qualitative abductive methodology, presenting an in-depth study of two innovative Italian start-ups. The research is based on two steps. In the first one, the authors collected secondary data from start-ups’ reports and documents, financial indicators (when available) and processed them to understand their background. In the second one, the authors conducted ten semi-structured interviews, including face-to-face interviews, phone interviews and video conferences. Findings The paper presents a relationship-based life cycle model composed of four different stages, depending on the number and role of relationships developed. Indeed, since the beginning, start-ups adopt a relational approach and their evolution involves the shift from the focus on the entrepreneur to the centrality of a network approach based on interconnected relationships. The entering into a new stage of life cycle depends on relationships, mainly based on connected actors and resources shared and combined. Even if a key role is assumed by technology, the main resource is identified in the knowledge concerning the customer/user’s needs that require marketing competencies, human resources, relational capabilities. Thus, the shift from one stage to the next in the start-up’s life cycle is possible thanks to a parallel shift from a focus on the activities to a focus on those strategic and heterogeneous actors that ensure activities. Originality/value In a traditional perspective, the start-up’s life cycle depends on activities, financial resources and revenues, as stated by previous life cycle models. In a different perspective, as depicted in our analysis, the evolution of a start-up depends on the portfolio of their business relationships. The role of business relationships is hence to facilitate the interconnections within specialized key actors, which allow start-ups to access strategic resources. These resources are essential in order to develop the activities that characterize the specific stage of the life cycle.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geetanjali Panda ◽  
Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay ◽  
Komal Khandelwal

This article discusses the concept, benefits, application, impact and role of artificial intelligence (AI) in public relations (PR) industry. It examines the application of AI-based systems and their role as strategic disruption in the PR industry. This article is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews of 31 PR professionals and is grounded in the insights from the review of relevant research papers, articles, and case studies. It highlights the developments in research and practice related to AI application in the PR industry. AI-powered systems can scan social media and are smart, intelligent and experts in handling queries. These AI-enabled systems can post responses on social media in real time for the client and manage the crisis. With AI, PR professionals can save time spent on mundane activities like creating media lists, scheduling meetings and sending follow-up emails. Mass personalization and customization using AI are improving the effectiveness of PR activities. It is too early to say whether AI will act as strategic disruption in the PR industry. Based on the insights and discussion in this article, the PR professionals and researchers can make decisions on whether to invest in AI tools and solutions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suharto . ◽  
Sri Nurhayati ◽  
Ahmad Wahyu Hidayat ◽  
Anggi Fitri ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal Fasa ◽  
...  

This study explored the role of a Community Learning Center (CLC) in fostering the community’s social entrepreneurship character and motivation in facing the economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was an empirical examination of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship. The descriptive method was used; the data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 5 CLC managers and from secondary data. The results showed that the CLC designs programs, such as holding training to instil an entrepreneurial mindset and improve community skills. The CLC also provides personal assistance in starting a social entrepreneurship business through coaching and providing venture capital. Furthermore, the CLC provides free public classes on tackling the problems of modern social entrepreneurship. It carries out programs specifically designed to motivate people to face challenges and expand social entrepreneurship businesses. We identified the role of the CLC as a forum for socialization and for providing mentoring classes with successful speakers in the field of entrepreneurship as an effort to foster the character and motivation of the community to start social entrepreneurship. Keywords: Role of Community Learning Center, Social Entrepreneurship Character and Motivation, nonformal education


2021 ◽  
Vol VI (IV) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Rubab Musarrat ◽  
Muniba Fatima Zahra ◽  
Amna Ashraf

This study targets to investigate the impact of Inter-Services of Public Relations (ISPR) production, broadcasted during the war against terrorism, on Pakistani youth. It is hypothesized that ISPR productions have helped in inflating the motivation level of Pakistani youth, thus helping in promoting the nationalism and positive image of Pakistan. Furthermore, the role of ISPR productions in motivating youth to join Pakistan's Army is also explored. A cross-sectional survey research design was used. The sample of this study was comprised of youth aged between 18 to 24 years, selected through the non-probability purposive sample. The measures comprised of a self-constructed indigenous questionnaire assessing the impact of ISPR productions during a military operation in image building, promotion of nationalism and motivation to join the army. The data analyzed through SPSS Version 22.00 yielded insightful findings. The finding revealed that watching ISPR productions helped in instilling a fervent attitude of Pakistani youth towards nationalism and the Pakistani military. There had been a clearer inclination of youth to aspire for joining the military for upholding the nationalism beliefs, and this finding appears promising, keeping in mind the relative declining opinion that has been observed in youth from the past decade pertaining to nationalism and military operations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Marina G. Biniari

PurposeThis study unpacks how organizational members construct a collective entrepreneurial identity within an organization and attempt to instill entrepreneurial features in the organization's existing identity.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on the cases of two venturing units, perceived as entrepreneurial groups within their respective parent companies. Semi-structured interviews and secondary data were collected and analyzed inductively and abductively.FindingsThe data revealed that organizational members co-constructed a “corporate entrepreneur” role identity to form a collective shared belief and communities of practice around what it meant to act as an entrepreneurial group within their local corporate context and how it differentiated them from others. Members also clustered around the emergent collective entrepreneurial identity through sensegiving efforts to instill entrepreneurial features in the organization's identity, despite the tensions this caused.Originality/valuePrevious studies in corporate entrepreneurship have theorized on the top-down dynamics instilling entrepreneurial features in an organization's identity, but have neglected the role of bottom-up dynamics. This study reveals two bottom-up dynamics that involve organizational members' agentic role in co-constructing and clustering around a collective entrepreneurial identity. This study contributes to the middle-management literature, uncovering champions' identity work in constructing a “corporate entrepreneur” role identity, with implications for followers' engagement in constructing a collective entrepreneurial identity. This study also contributes to the organizational identity literature, showing how tensions around the entrepreneurial group's distinctiveness may hinder the process of instilling entrepreneurial features in an organization's identity.


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