Human factors and their influence on the Irish online hospitality consumer process

The purpose of this chapter was to examine how consumers use the Internet to purchase Irish hospitality products specifically trips, holidays or breaks and to monitor how these purchases are influenced by human factors. The aim was to examine the process sequentially in order to attempt to model or structure this behaviour. Irish consumers attitudes were to be contrasted with international consumer research starting with their acceptance or rejection of the Internet medium and online factors such as price, trust and loyalty. The purchase decisions were then to be examined to determine the effects of human factors on the purchase method and subsequently the Irish hospitality stakeholders. Quantitative research was gathered from two main groups, offline consumers and their acceptance and adoption of the Internet medium and online consumers who were observed for their online human factors of their online search and decisions. The research found that Irish hospitality consumers’ online behaviour is consistent with international developed nations’ norms. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Flow Theory consumers were found to be very competent and comfortable with the Internet medium. Price, trust and loyalty were determining factors in the method in which the consumer decided to purchase the Irish hospitality product. The navigational pathway chosen using these human factors in turn determined whether the consumer booked directly with the Irish hospitality industry stakeholder or booked using an international intermediary resulting in revenue being lost to the Irish hospitality industry

Explaining the model of comprehensive waste management in urban and rural areas and intermediate spaces (Case study: Khorasan Razavi province)

One of the main topics of sustainable development is environmental issues. Waste management is one of the most important environmental programs in the world. Today, statesmen have come to the conclusion that in order to achieve an ideal and sustainable society, it is necessary to pay attention to waste management. This study was conducted to identify the current status of waste management in Khorasan Razavi province and provide an optimal management model. This is a descriptive-analytical study. The sample population includes all cities and villages of Khorasan Razavi province. The sample size in cities with waste management organization was in full and in other cities and districts using random sampling method using Cochran's formula. The results were classified and analyzed using SPSS, Excel and GIS software. Data collection tools were library resources, field resources including interviews with experts, managers and professors of technology. Preparation and completion of questionnaires from urban and rural areas is the preparation of checklists and field visits. Based on the SWOT model strategy and internal and external environment analysis, the most important strength is the reduction of entrepreneurship in the implementation of waste management activities and the lack of a comprehensive plan for waste management is the most important weakness. In assessing the external environment, the existence of industries and markets for the consumption of recycled materials in the province and the region is the most important opportunity and the existence of economic crises in urban and rural communities and industrial areas in the region is the most important threat. The results of the study indicate the need to improve the framework and infrastructure of waste management in the province and the development of laws and detailed monitoring systems to implement the findings and scientific and practical experiences of other countries to achieve economic, social and environmental goals

Call interview for early detection and appropriate treatment to decrease COVID-19 pandemic burden

One of the most important concerns during the covid-19 pandemic is an imbalance in health services. Considering significant mortality among hospital staff and the general population, a great apprehension was raised in society. Consequently, many patients with symptoms were rushed to hospitals. In this regard, to keeping clinics away from overcrowding, call interview with patients plays a crucial role in not only patients screening but also treatment approach. &nbsp

Studying the factors affecting urban dispersion in mashhad metropolis

In recent decades, urban population in the world, especially in southern countries, hasexceeded rural population that has brought about urban land expansion followed bydispersion phenomenon, the result of which has created problems in environmental,economic, social, and physical aspects including increased air pollution, potentialdeterioration within the city, and destruction of farms and open spaces. The aim of thisstudy is to investigate the roots of dispersion in Mashhad metropolis in order to identifysolutions to control this problem. The tools used in this research were GIS software formapping, quantitative methods of Holdren Model, urban primacy index, and area topopulation growth rate for review and analysis, and at first by examining area topopulation growth rate, Mashhad- developmental process map, Holdren model, andgross population-density dispersion model of this city was shown.Then the roots of dispersion including market failure (checking the price of land), technology, natural population-growth process, and migration were analyzed. To study the dispersion in Mashhad metropolis, Holdren model was used, according to which only 34% of dispersion is population growth, and 66% of urban growth is related to horizontal growth. This is indicative of the dispersion in Mashhad metropolis, and the most important reasons are low price of housing in the suburb, ignoring social costs arising from it, increasing percentage of car ownership, gradual population growth inMashhad due to political priority, and the concentration of facilities in it that are thereason of increase in immigration to this metropolis. To deal with this phenomenondispersion, it is proposed that patterns of sustainable development such as  transportbased development and compact city are used.Key words: urban dispersion, technology, roots of Mashhad dispersion, the price ofland, immigratio

Automated mechanism design for B2B e-commerce models

Business-to-business electronic marketplaces (B2B e-Marketplaces) have been in the limelight since 1999 with the commercialisation of the Internet and subsequent “dot.com” boom [1]. Literature is indicative of the growth of the B2B sectors in all industries, and B2B e-Marketplace is one of the sectors that have witnessed a rapid increase. Consequently, the importance of developing the B2B e-Commerce Model for improved value chain in B2B exchanges is extremely important for SMEs to expose to the world marketplace. There are three research objectives (ROs) in this study; first (RO1) to critical review the concepts of the B2B e-Marketplace including their technologies, operations, business relationships and functionalities; second (RO2) to design an automated mechanism of B2B e-Marketplace for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs); and third (RO3) to propose a conceptual B2B e-Commerce model for SMEs. The proposed model is constructed by the analytical findings obtained from the contemporary B2B e-Marketplace literature

Teacher Evaluation in EFL Context: Development and Validation of a Teacher Evaluation Questionnaire

Teacher Evaluation (TE) is a critical and controversial process in the teaching profession and formal education system. Effective TE requires both sound policy implementation and efficient processes, affecting the efficiency of the education system. To present a framework for research and highlight the constructs of TE, this study developed and validated a teacher evaluation questionnaire. To this end, seven TE components were identified after undertaking a comprehensive review of the literature and conducting interviews with domain experts on TE. Then a draft version of the TE questionnaire, consisting of 105 items, was pilot tested with 330 teacher evaluators, who were working for various English language institutes in Iran. The results, using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), led to a 90-item questionnaire with strong estimates of reliability and validity. The results also demonstrated that the questionnaire consisted of a six-factor structure of perception, method, system, content, purpose, and outcome of TE. The subsequent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the data from another 360 Iranian teacher evaluators, selected through convenience sampling, indicated that the six-factor structure of the questionnaire was statistically supported, meaning that the questionnaire’s detected constructs were not the result of random variance in the participants’ responses. The results of the study have presented a framework for research and highlighted the principles of teacher evaluation