Entrepreneurship
M.S. movahedifar; M. Taghvaee Yazdi; Mohammad Salehi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, the creation of shared value between institutions, organizations and businesses is one of the important factors of economic growth and business development and improving stakeholder relations. Therefore, this study aimed to design and validate a tool to measure shared ...
Read More
Background and Objectives: Today, the creation of shared value between institutions, organizations and businesses is one of the important factors of economic growth and business development and improving stakeholder relations. Therefore, this study aimed to design and validate a tool to measure shared value creation in technology businesses with a practical purpose. The main goal of the researcher in the present study was to answer this question: what are the dimensions of the common value creation evaluation tool for technology businesses? The study further attempted to design and validate psychometrics co-value creation tools for technology businesses.Methods: The research adopted a mixed method (grounded theory). Qualitative statistical population consisted of CEOs and board members in the field of information technology and technology businesses and new technology-based businesses. Through purposeful sampling method in accordance with the law of saturation of opinions, 14 people were selected. Statistical community in the qantitative part included more than 2773 companies active in the information technology industry, which are available on the website (www.ictkey.ir) and, consequently, the same number of top and senior managers; Also, due to lack of accurate transparency of information about the statistical community and considering the sample size formula without a statistical population in terms of proportion of 408 first, second and third tier managers working in the field of technology businesses, especially in the field of IT&ICT and new areas of technology, the public and private institutions or companies in Tehran were included by simple random sampling. The primary tool was extensive study of theoretical foundations, previous research, related articles and interviews with experts, which eventually led to the design of the initial questionnaire. Then, face validity and quantitative and qualitative content were examined and its reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha method and combined reliability with a value above 0.7. Finally, the confirmatory factor analysis of the mentioned tool was confirmed using SPSS21 and Samartpls3 software.Findings: Findings indicate that in formal and quantitative validity content, the effects score of items less than 1.5 and content validity ratio less than 0.62 and content validity index less than 0.79 were removed, which included categories such as internal and external stakeholders, mental integrity and agreements, social psychology, resources and benefits, foresight & futurism, win-win cultural feature, analysis, initiation and pioneering. The results of confirmatory factor analysis test showed that the dimensions of shared value creation include 12 dimensions describing: interactive processes, technology performance/ functionality, customer focus, sustainable value, co-creation requirements, value creation, culture, decision making, economics, value learning, Policies and rules and regulations, opportunities and indicators include 28 components such as needs assessment/needs building, participation and production of shared value, satisfaction and indexable, operation of smart tools/tools, paradigm/technological view, customer, service-based, Based on continuous processes, and model and strategy, social and legal areas, infrastructure, information acquisition and sharing, policy/governance, value generation and absorption, stimulus, benefit sharing, cultural variable, online and up-to-date proposing system, financial, optimal consumption, investors, defining and applying the concept of value, university and higher education, fostering creative manpower, protecting intellectual property, government support policies, motivating and brainstorming individuals, creation opportunities.Conclusion: In evaluating the validity of the structure, the factor load value of all items, appropriate values above 0.4, the reliability of both criteria (Cronbach's alpha, combined reliability), all dimensions above 0.7, the mean extracted variance and all dimensions greater than 0.5 were obtained and approved. Finally, the findings of this study indicated that the designed tool included 12 dimensions and 28 components that had appropriate and strong credibility and reliability and can be used to assess the joint co-creation of value in technological businesses for business excellence and development and creating a new business and economic environment.
Electronic learning- virtual
Kh. Aliabadi; A. Delavar; M.R Nili; M. Iziy
Abstract
Background and Objective: The educational system, each decade, faces special audience as learners. These students have special educational characteristics, needs, interests, and preferences that significantly improve the policies, quantity, and quality of the educational system services. The emergence ...
Read More
Background and Objective: The educational system, each decade, faces special audience as learners. These students have special educational characteristics, needs, interests, and preferences that significantly improve the policies, quantity, and quality of the educational system services. The emergence of a generational phenomenon in academic discourses are addressed with themes such as "students of this period of time" and issues such as the differences between the students of the current period of time and the past with respect to motivation, scientific perseverance, academic interests, and academic ethics. The subject of the differences between the learners of one period and another is referred to as the generation gap. Generational issues are one of the most important themes in the field of education, especially higher education. In the early years of the 21st century, some theories about the new generation entering universities were proposed stating that these learners have certain characteristics due to their birth and growth in the age of technology. Labels such as Digital Natives, Millennial, Network Generation, and Digital Learner have been set. The present study aims to validate the Digital Native Characteristics Scale (DNAS). Methods: Regarding to the issue of validity consideration in electronic versions of the instruments; therefore, electronic and printed versions of this scale validated by descriptive-survey method. The population included 7320 undergraduate students of Birjand University who were studying in the academic year 2017-2018. The number of samples in the present study was 374 students who selected from 10 faculties of Birjand University based on the table of sample size of Krejcie and Morgan and using cluster sampling method. The sampling method was such that one class was randomly selected in each faculty, and about 50% of the class population randomly completed the Digital Natives Measurement Scale electronically and the other 50% in print. Findings: The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that both electronic and printed versions had satisfactory validity and reliability. The scale revealed 4 features for digital natives, including: (1) grow up with technology; (2) reliance on the graphic in communication; (3) multitasking; and (4) instant feedback. The electronic version and printed version explained 65.71% and 62.43% of the variance respectively. The total reliability was obtained by Cronbach alpha for the electronic and printed version were α = 0.89 and α = 0.91 respectively. All four identified components in both print and electronic versions had optimum reliability. Conclusion: Comparing the psychometric characteristics of the two electronic and printed formats in the present study did not show a significant difference between these versions. According to the research findings that have confirmed the construct validity and reliability of this scale, this instrument can be used in future research for the purpose of measuring the characteristics of digital natives in Iranian culture and at the academic community. However, pre-university courses it require more research. Also, this instrument can be used for educational design and teaching purposes by educational designers and can be used to adapt the training to the characteristics of this generation. Despite the optimal validity and reliability of the scale in this research, it is recommended that new instruments be designed and validated in future research considering the findings of the present study and using generational theories in Iran.
Teacher Education
E.A. Salimi; M.M. Safarzadeh
Abstract
Background and Objective:Globalization and moving towards an interconnected international community has been facilitated through major changes in the field of technology such as the advancement of digital communications and the continuous transfer of large volumes of data around the world and the advances ...
Read More
Background and Objective:Globalization and moving towards an interconnected international community has been facilitated through major changes in the field of technology such as the advancement of digital communications and the continuous transfer of large volumes of data around the world and the advances in the transportation industry for easy and fast transportation of passengers and goods. This globalization has created a level of interaction between people of different nationalities, cultures and ethnicities that is not comparable to the past. Although successful communication in the past has been one of the most important features of an effective social interaction, in recent years, this fruitful communication has become a vital feature. The present study, using a one-of-a-kind questionnaire, investigated Iranian English language teachers’ attitudes toward the phenomenon of language education glocalization for the first time. Methods: The participants of the study had different academic, age, teaching experience, and gender backgrounds. The study was conducted in two phases in the first of which a validated questionnaire was designed and developed. In the second phase, the questionnaire was employed to collect the information regarding the preferential attitudes of the teachers and descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Findings: The results of the questionnaire data analysis revealed that the teachers believe that there is no more only American or British English. There are, however, also varieties of English which have their own independent growth and special features according to the needs of their users. Furthermore, they think that the glocal needs of the users must be met in the process of English language education glocalization. Likewise, the teachers are for the idea that language education should not only be at the service of reflecting the native speaker English variety and culture, but it should serve all cultures to play their equal role in intercultural communication. Conclusion: Helping teachers to find their real role in their profession, the findings of the study increases the perception of language education glocalization leading to a more appropriate education program planning. The results of these studies can inform educators of teachers about their individual abilities and help to design and implement educational programs as well as possible. Access to teachers' attitudes and abilities can also help policymakers and syllabus designers develop and implement instructional materials to better perform their tasks.