Performance of mines can be affected by different factors such as safety and economic factors. This study aims to analyze the influence of safety and economic factors on mines’ performance. To this purpose, a framework is proposed based on a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Ro-bust Data Envelopment Analysis (RDEA) and common weight Robust Data Envelopment Anal-ysis (CWRDEA) to determine the factors affecting on performance of mines. In this study, for the first time, integrated economic and safety factors are considered for evaluation of mines per-formance. To analyze safety and economic factors, this research gathers real data from a mine with 56 sites in south of Iran. Based on different DEA models, different sites become the best site among other sites, but RDEA is much closer to real situation than basic DEA and CWRDEA is the most efficient approach in real situation.

An effective safety management requires attention to human factors as well as system compo-nents which make risky or safe situations at technical components. This study evaluates and ana-lyze ergonomic behaviors in order to select the best work shift group in an Iranian process in-dustry, in 2010.The methodology was based on the Ergonomic Behavior Sampling (EBS), and TOPSIS method. After specifying the unergonomic behaviors and with reference to the results of a pilot study, a sample of 1755 was determined, with a sampling accuracy of 5% and confi-dence level of 95%. However, in order to gain more confidence, 2631 observations were collect-ed. The results indicate that 43.6% of workers’ behaviors were unergonomic. The most frequent unergonomic behavior was amusing of legs while load lifting with 83.01% of total unergonomic behaviors observations. Using TOPSIS method, the most effective shift group and the least at-tractive alternatives for intervention were selected in this company. Findings declare high number of unergonomic behaviors. Catastrophic consequences of accidents in petrochemical industry ne-cessitate attention to workers’ ergonomic behaviors in the workplace and promotion of them.

This study examined the relationship between ICT and Accounting system of SMEs in Nigeria. The study adopted the survey research design, which involves the collection of data from the Accounting department of SMEs in Nigeria. Primary data was employed and copies of ques-tionnaire were administered to respondents for the purpose of this study. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient at a significant level of 1%. Findings revealed a significant relationship between ICT knowledge (Microsoft tools) and accounting system of SMEs in Nigeria also, the study further reviewed significant re-lationship between ICT adoption (accounting packages) and Accounting system of SMEs in Ni-geria. The study therefore recommended that Management of SMEs must periodically send em-ployees on training in the use of ICT.

In this article, a manpower allocation and cell loading problem is studied, where demand is sto-chastic. The inter-cell and intra-cell movements are considered and attention is focused on as-signing operators with different skill levels to operations, because cell performance in addition to load cell is dependent on manpower. The purpose of this article is manpower allocation in cellu-lar manufacturing with consideration to learning and training policies. The manpower skill levels are determined in order to enhance production rate. The main contribution of this approach is the scenarios of training and learning in addition to the combination of training and learning being simulated. By using these three scenarios, the skill level of workers increase which reduces the processing time. In this regard cell layout is static where processing times and customer demand follow a normal distribution. As one of the significant costs of industrial unit is related to pro-duction cost, this study has attempted to reduce these costs by increasing the skill level of opera-tor which causes to reduce the processing time. Scenarios are evaluated by using a simulation method that finally attained results indicate this simulation provides better manpower assign-ments.

Engaging customer is the burning issue for companies especially the service sector, either online or offline. Minimizing the customer disengagement is the same like reducing dissatisfaction or churn. Customer disengagement may be caused by many factors, ad skepticism is one of them; ad skepticism has two main antecedents personality variable and consumption/influencing varia-bles. This research explores the relationship of ad skepticism with customer disengagement through personality variables which are cynicism, reactance and self-esteem. The unit of analysis is the telecom and banking industry of Pakistan which is foreseeing an era of virtual currency and both are customer oriented industries. Only offline disengagement is researched and data is collected from the Business centers of telecom and banking branches dealing with virtual curren-cy in Pakistan. Hypothetical model is given after digging the relevant literature; model is tested through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Eight hypotheses were purposed from the connections of model, all hypotheses are accepted except the cynicism posi-tive effect on social ad skepticism. This can be due to commonality of social and charity in Paki-stani society, Muslims consider charity as a pious act and they do not think for cynic behavior in charity or social related works. The results manifest that customers in telecom industry are hav-ing ad skepticism and that is becoming the cause of their disengagement. Further, social ad skep-ticism has more impact on the customer disengagement than the general ad skepticism. While the reactance has more effect on general ad skepticism than other antecedents and cynicism has the lowest impact on social ad skepticism than other antecedents.

In a Pay What You Want (PWYW) setting companies empower their customers to fix the prices buyers voluntarily pay for a delivered product or service. The seller agrees to any price (includ-ing zero) customers are paying. For about ten years researchers empirically investigate customer reactions to and economic outcomes of this pricing method. The present paper distinguishes PWYW from other voluntary payment mechanisms and reviews 72 English- or German-speaking PWYW publications, which appeared between January 2006 and September 2016 and contain 97 independent empirical data sets. Prior PWYW research is structured with the help of a conceptual framework which incorporates payment procedure design, buyer, seller, focal sales object and market context characteristics as factors potentially influencing customer perceptions of the PWYW scheme and their behavioral reactions to PWYW offers. The review discusses both consistent key findings as well as contradictory results and derives recommendations for future empirical PWYW research efforts.

This study aims to investigate the technology acceptance and purchase intention for Third Generation (3G) technology in Pakistan’s telecom sector. In such respect, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been used to find the effects of the independent variables (Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Value, Perceived Enjoyment, Personal Innovativeness and Price) on dependent variable (purchase intention). The study population consisted of smartphone users among Millennials in district Haripur-a region in transition towards urbanization. 200 respondents provided the useable data. The results of the study show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived value, perceived enjoyment, personal innovativeness, and price have a significant and positive relationship with purchase intention which validates the growing acceptance of advanced technologies in such regions.

Mobile computing represents a need of this decade. Mobile computing is possible with a tablet device, for which there is no clear-cut definition. It is partly because mobile computation field is still an emerging field. Tablet industry is still in its infancy stage and therefore, standards have yet to be defined. Given the limitations, however, a tablet device can be defined as a computing device smaller and slower than a laptop, however larger, and faster than a palm type device. In this research work, factors affecting adoption behavior for tablet device among computer users have been studied. An integral part of the study was to compare effect of the income level on adoption behavior. In this regard, two samples of private and public university students were studied. A modified technology acceptance model (TAM) has been used. Two variables were added to TAM model based on Pakistan’s demographics. A questionnaire was used to collect data. 1000 questionnaires were distributed from which we received 972; twenty two questionnaires were having major missing values so they were separated from analysis. Twenty five respondents were found outliers during data screening; by this sample used in this study is 925. Results were analyzed using linear regression which showed only perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness affected attitude to adopt tablet device. These results were found to be consistent for both private and public universities. Facilitation conditions and price perception play an insignificant role. The results confirmed perceived usefulness and ease of use are the only important factors affecting adoption behavior for tablet device.

By advances in information technology and considering the fast pace of innovation in targeted technologies, blended learning with the aim of satisfying the needs of blended learning is composed of online learning and face-to-face learning. The aim of the present paper is to study the impact of blended learning on the relevant factors through a mixed method. The study is considered fundamental in terms of research methodology. The present paper is carried out on students of West Tehran Payame Noor University, Iran through a questionnaire. According to the results, it is concluded from the perspective of students that although blended learning is formed of several factors such as face-to-face learning and virtual learning, this type of learning has significant impact on its constituent elements as well as on relevant factors related to this type of learning. Finally, the effectiveness of blended learning, virtual and face-to-face learning in accordance on their factors were determined and assessed which ultimately led to conclusions and recommendations to advance research objectives.

The role of leaders toward the development of entrepreneurship has been fully acknowledged. However, Leaders’ characteristics such as strategic improvisation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were mainly examined in the private sector. Hence, it is imperative to extend empirical studies to public sector organizations. The present study, therefore, proposed and validated a model linking leaders’ strategic improvisation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy to corporate entrepreneurship in Nigerian higher education institutions (HEIs). Using a structured questionnaire, 220 responses were generated from large HEIs in Kano State, Nigeria. The data of the study was analysed using SmartPLS 3.0 to ascertain both measurement and structural model validity of the model. The results showed that both leaders’ strategic improvisation and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were significantly related to corporate entrepreneurship in HEIs. Implication and limitation of the study; and suggestions for future study are also provided.