The Role of ICT in Tourism Industry on Economic Growth: Case study Iran

This paper investigated the ICT effect on tourism industry in Iran economic growth over 1350-1390 period using co-integration and error correction methodology. As economic growth and ICT implication on society variables used in empirical analysis was integrated of one, employed Granger causality test. This study examines how the ICT and Internet gradually change the tourism industry structure in Iran; how important such changes are, and to where such changes will lead Iran’s tourism industry. So far, little research has been done to explore the ICT and Internet adoption status in the other country tourism industry and the impact of ICT on the structure of the industry. Iranian tourism makes an important and increasing contribution to economic growth and it represents one of the best opportunities to create income and employment for our country. In his paper, we illustrates how such trends apply to the tourism industry and describes the way ICT can support or enable such strategies. Then we analyses the role of ICT in tourism industry on Iran economic growth by introducing a framework to classify and analyze related organisations around three dimensions, distinguishing what happens (1) at the boundary of the firms, (2) in their relations with their customers and suppliers and (3) on the markets they reach. The results show that in the short-run, the Granger causality runs from e-tourism to economic growth In Iran. However, in the long run there is bi-directional Granger causality relationship for this country. In other words, if unidirectional causality runs from tourism to income, increasing in investment in e-tourism industry could lead to an increase in economic growth. Keywords: E-Tourism, Economic Growth, Iran, Cointegration

Consideration the effect of E-Banking on Bank Profitability; Case Study Selected Asian Countries

E-Banking is one of the gifts to human beings by computer technology. Use of computers have automated banking process and thus has given birth to e-Banking. E-Banking is a fast spreading service that allows customers to use computer to access account-specific information and possibly conduct transactions from a remote location - such as at home or at the workplace. ATM cards, credit cards ,debit cards, smart cards ,all these have eased human life up to such an extent that today life without these seems to be hard, full of misery. The increased adoption and penetration of Internet has recently redefined the playground for retail banks. The retail banks are now offering their services majorly through their internet branches. However, the effect of internet banking on bank performance mainly on the bank profitability has remained an unstudied issue. Our analysis covers fourth banks that have adopted online banking in Asian selected countries between 1990 and 2010. The empirical results support of a short-run cointegration relationship after allowing for the heterogeneous country effect. The long-run relationship is estimated using a full-modified OLS. By using bank specific and macroeconomic control variables, we investigate the impact of internet banking on the return on assets (ROA) and equity (ROE). Our results show that internet banking starts contributing to banks’ ROE with a time lag of three years confirming have a negative impact is observed for one year lagged. Keywords: E-Banking, Profitability, Panel Model

Stakeholder attributes and approaches in natural disaster risk management in the built environment: the case of flood risk management in transport infrastructure

The increasing number of natural disasters has demonstrated the importance of natural disaster risk management. There is little consensus regarding the role of stakeholder attributes in reducing flood damage and explaining stakeholder approaches. Local Councils are important stakeholders in flood risk management in transport infrastructure. Hence, the characteristics of floods, Local Councils’ stakeholder attributes, and the exposure and vulnerability of the socio-economic and transport infrastructure were contextualised to examine flood damage and Local Councils’ proactive and reactive approaches. This study examines three dominant Local Councils’ stakeholder attributes of power, legitimacy and urgency by focusing on flood damage and Local Councils’ proactive and reactive approaches. Data was collected from historical archive databases and a structured questionnaire survey involving Local Councils in New South Wales, Australia that covered the time period from 1992 to 2012. This data was analysed using multi-attribute decision-making and structural equation modelling with partial least square estimation approaches. The results show that the exposure and vulnerability of Australian states and territories to flood damage depend on both socio-economic and built environment conditions. The greater the flood characteristics such as frequency, severity and type, the greater the flood damage. The exposure and vulnerability of socio-economic and transport infrastructure of a Local Council have mediating effects on the direct relationship between their stakeholder attributes and flood damage. Proactive and reactive approaches by Local Councils are highly affected by stakeholder attributes. The developed stakeholder disaster response index shows that Local Councils have practised more reactive approaches than proactive approaches. Policy makers might use the stakeholder disaster response index through continuous assessment of proactive and reactive approaches to achieve a high level of flood risk management

E-government performance and Economic Growth in OPEC Countries: A cointegrated panel analysis

This paper uses empirical evidence to examine the causality relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth in OPEC countries by using annually data (1980-2011), this paper utilizes the panel cointegration and panel based error correction approach models, framework.   Also, this paper uses empirical evidence to examine the adoption of e-Government services in these countries. The superiority of our article is in applying FMOLS estimation method for heterogeneous panels, has stable and consistent coefficients and is also a dynamic model. Moreover, with regard to previous studies, our paper includes more countries which increase the reliability of the results. The results show that in the short-run, the Granger causality runs from economic growth to e-government performance in these countries. However, in the long run there is bi-directional Granger causality relationship for these country. Keywords: OPEC Countries, ICT industry, e-Government, economic growth, Panel cointegration; Causality

Stakeholder attributes and approaches in natural disaster risk management in the built environment: the case of flood risk management in transport infrastructure

The increasing number of natural disasters has demonstrated the importance of natural disaster risk management. There is little consensus regarding the role of stakeholder attributes in reducing flood damage and explaining stakeholder approaches. Local Councils are important stakeholders in flood risk management in transport infrastructure. Hence, the characteristics of floods, Local Councils’ stakeholder attributes, and the exposure and vulnerability of the socio-economic and transport infrastructure were contextualised to examine flood damage and Local Councils’ proactive and reactive approaches. This study examines three dominant Local Councils’ stakeholder attributes of power, legitimacy and urgency by focusing on flood damage and Local Councils’ proactive and reactive approaches. Data was collected from historical archive databases and a structured questionnaire survey involving Local Councils in New South Wales, Australia that covered the time period from 1992 to 2012. This data was analysed using multi-attribute decision-making and structural equation modelling with partial least square estimation approaches. The results show that the exposure and vulnerability of Australian states and territories to flood damage depend on both socio-economic and built environment conditions. The greater the flood characteristics such as frequency, severity and type, the greater the flood damage. The exposure and vulnerability of socio-economic and transport infrastructure of a Local Council have mediating effects on the direct relationship between their stakeholder attributes and flood damage. Proactive and reactive approaches by Local Councils are highly affected by stakeholder attributes. The developed stakeholder disaster response index shows that Local Councils have practised more reactive approaches than proactive approaches. Policy makers might use the stakeholder disaster response index through continuous assessment of proactive and reactive approaches to achieve a high level of flood risk management

A Review of the Impact of E-health on Economic Growth in developed countries and developing countries

E-health is one of the most important assets a human being has. It permits us to fully develop our capacities. If this asset erodes or it is not developed completely, it can cause physical and emotional weakening, causing obstacles in the lives of people. E-health is relatively a new term in e-healthcare and has no clear definition to date. In this paper, we define e-health as consisting of all Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools and services in e-health care. This use of ICT in e-health care offers great potential in terms of benefits that range from improvements in quality and better access of all citizens to care to avoidance of unnecessary cost to the public purse. The results show that the e-health services determinant was of greater significance than the rest of the determinants, it is interesting to see that the environment determinant is rejected in most of the specifications compared with lifestyles. In addition, it is seen that lifestyles, which have an impact on e-health status, have a higher impact on economic growth. Key words: E-health, Economic Growth, environment, GLS Model

Consideration the Relationship between ICT and Ehealth

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are potentially powerful instruments to strengthen health systems, with innovations ranging from electronic health records to transmission of clinical data. Information and communication technologies have already become inseparable part of healthcare sector activities. In the paper we present existing solutions of ehealth and ambient assisted living systems developed by researchers of the Faculty of management and economics University in allame Tabatabae. We also touch the issue of interoperability that is crucial for correct interconnection of medical and other devices and information systems. We propose a high level functional architecture of a system that can satisfy the requirements of interoperability. Keywords:  information technology; communication technology; eHealth; mHealth; interoperability; healthcare

Developing drug delivery systems based on alginate and brushite

Developing drug delivery systems based on alginate and brushit

Childe Harold's Journey to the East and "Authenticity"

This essay deals with the notion of orientalist discourse in Lord Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. Concentrating on the dialectical attitudes towards the "Orient" in Byron's poem the writers try to show, through a contrapuntal textual analysis, how signs emerge of a somewhat stereotypical and often monolithic Orient. It is argued that the work's claim on the authenticity of the representations of the East is a subtle textual strategy. This seems to be true despite the existence of seemingly more favourable views towards "Orientals", especially in the footnotes, compared to Turkish Tales. Central to the study is the idea that similar discursive practices also seem to influence most of Byron's critics, which include contemporary scholars who have conducted numerous forms of textual analysis through differing theoretical approaches