Iranian Perspective Research Articles

Arbitrability and Mediability of Disputes: The Iranian Perspective

Arbitrability and Mediability of Disputes: The Iranian Perspective

Seeing Black America in Iran

Abstract From the 1960s onwards, many Iranians closely followed Black American protests during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements in the United States. This period proved pivotal for Iranian understandings of race, where intellectuals, revolutionaries, and those in media would use US-centric histories of enslavement, racism, and Black Americans to erase nineteenth-century histories of enslavement and racism in Iran, tacitly displacing the existence of Black Iranians across the national landscape. Black American Muslims, particularly Malcolm X, emerged as the ideal form of Blackness. After the 1979 revolution, non-Black Iranians and the Iranian government would continue this focus on US-based racism through an official narrative that repeatedly defined racism as a US-only problem, ultimately cementing the erasures around histories of enslavement and Black Iranians that began with abolition in 1929. Through an analysis of speeches, memoirs, poetry, newspaper articles, photography, and other illustrated media, this article weaves together vignettes to demonstrate how the pervasiveness of racial hierarchies fashioned around US histories came to shift an Iranian vocabulary and conceptualization of race. This article traces the changes in racial discourse during the 1960s and 1970s, the 1979 revolution, and the Iran-Iraq War from an Iranian perspective.

Optimal Buyer Credit Arrangements for Chinese Procured Dam-building Projects: An Iranian Perspective

Dam-building projects in Iran procured under buyer credit arrangements from foreign providers experience high rates of construction stoppages. An understanding of the financial and technical issues that give rise to problems is needed. This study provides an analysis of internal and external factors impacting Iran's bank-to-bank buyer credit-based dams procurement process. By way of TOWS matrix, optimal strategies in such procurement arrangements are identified. Data supporting the matrix are extracted through focus groups comprised of industry experts. Findings facilitating a better dams procurement process include: 1) formulation of an execution structure comprising comprehensive control, management, and implementation; 2) utilization of an omnibus buyer credit dispute review board involving financial, legal and technical representation; and 3) comprehensive stakeholder participation. Strategies identified are applicable at addressing ongoing challenges regarding off-shore dam project procurement, both from the viewpoint of host country and international provider.

The Concept of Social Health From an Iranian Perspective: A Qualitative Exploration

ObjectiveAs one of the health aspects, social health is less well-known than physical and mental aspects. In order to better understand this aspect and considering the importance of social context in its conceptualizing, the present study was performed aiming at explaining the social health and identification of its various aspects in the perspective of Iranian adults.MethodologyThe present study was conducted in 2021 with a qualitative approach and with the participation of Iranian adults and social health professionals. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 36 participants who were selected by purposive sampling. The obtained data were analyzed using qualitative (conventional) content analysis and Granheim and Lundman method in the MAXQDA-2020. Guba and Lincoln criteria were observed to evaluate the quality of research results.ResultsUsing data analysis, 3 main categories and 17 subcategories were obtained, including: (1) Conceptual scope of social health (social health as social capital, social health as mental health, social health as moral health), (2) Characteristics of social health (biologic, continual, acquired, evolutionary, relative), and (3) Social health dimensions (openness to interactions, social adaptability, social dutifulness, social self-esteem, mutual trust, communicational capability, social optimism, enjoying social support, public-oriented personality).ConclusionSince social health has a conceptual scope, it is important to try to strengthen and reproduce the dimensions of social health and at the same time use planning, policymaking and appropriate interventions to improve and to promote the dimensions of social health.

Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Axis Inhibition Improves Outcome of Diabetic Patients with Chronic Hypertension and COVID-19: An Iranian Perspective.

Safe use of drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in COVID diabetic patients needs comprehensive studies. This study addressed this issue from the Iranian perspective. Admitted COVID-19 patients were divided into four groups in this historical cohort study. Group 1 included 740 non-diabetic, non-hypertensive patients. Group 2 included 132 non-hypertensive diabetic patients. Group 3 included 154 non-diabetic hypertensive patients. Group 4 included 183 diabetic patients who were under ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and length of hospitalization were compared between the groups. After considering associated factors such as age, gender, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic kidney disease (CKD), history of surgery, and corticosteroid use, diabetic patients (group 2) were associated with increased mortality (CI 95%, OR 1.93 [1.11-3.33]). Presence of diabetes (group 2) and hypertension were associated with an increased need for ICU admission (CI 95%, OR 1.69 [1.04-2.76]; CI 95%, OR 1.71 [1.08-2.71], respectively). Group 4 patients although having a similar rate of ICU admission with group 2 and 3 patients, had significantly better ICU survival. The current study suggests that ACE inhibitors and ARBs are associated with decreased mortality, ICU admission, and better ICU survival in the diabetic subgroup of hypertensive patients.

Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone axis inhibition improves outcome of diabetic patients with chronic hypertension and COVID-19: An Iranian perspective

Background: Safe use of drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in COVID diabetic patients needs comprehensive studies. This study addressed this issue from the Iranian perspective.Materials and Methods: Admitted COVID-19 patients were divided into four groups in this historical cohort study. Group 1 included 740 non-diabetic, non-hypertensive patients. Group 2 included 132 non-hypertensive diabetic patients. Group 3 included 154 non-diabetic hypertensive patients. Group 4 included 183 diabetic patients who were under ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and length of hospitalization were compared between the groups.Results: After considering associated factors such as age, gender, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic kidney disease (CKD), history of surgery, and corticosteroid use, diabetic patients (group 2) were associated with increased mortality (CI 95%, OR 1.93 [1.11–3.33]). Presence of diabetes (group 2) and hypertension were associated with an increased need for ICU admission (CI 95%, OR 1.69 [1.04–2.76]; CI 95%, OR 1.71 [1.08–2.71], respectively). Group 4 patients although having a similar rate of ICU admission with group 2 and 3 patients, had significantly better ICU survival.Conclusions: The current study suggests that ACE inhibitors and ARBs are associated with decreased mortality, ICU admission, and better ICU survival in the diabetic subgroup of hypertensive patients.

Iranian Perspective for a Nuclear Free Zone in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities

Iran has remained a controversial topic for many decades among the international actors as well as some regional actors of the Middle East. The nuclear program of Iran has been the center of U.S. attention, and thus Iran underwent various sanctions. It was not until 2015 that the doors to U.S. cooperation opened for Iran, only to be closed two years later in 2017 by U.S. President Donald Trump.This bolted all prospects of Iranian intentions for negotiating a similar deal for Israel to have a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East. Despite being subjected to various allegations and sanctions, Iran continues in its efforts to make the Middle East a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. This initiative will open doors for various opportunities for the regional as well as the periphery states.

Economic Evaluation for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Iran: Surgical Treatment or Dutasteride.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common chronic disease that is age-dependent. There are two main types of interventional treatment, transurethral resection of prostate as a gold standard (TURP) and open prostatectomy (OP); also, there are two pharmacological groups for managing BPH: alpha-blockers and 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs). In this economic evaluation study, one 5-ARIs, dutasteride and two main surgical treatments are compared as alternatives for treating moderate BPH in Iran. A cost-utility study with an Iranian health provider perspective was conducted. Markov model in a cohort of 1000 patients with BPH with annual cycle length and ten years’ time horizon was developed by using MS EXCEL 2013. The effectiveness measure was an improvement in the IPSS score and transformed to the utility. The transition probabilities, utilities and adverse events were extracted from published clinical trials. The direct medical costs were measured in the 2017 US Dollar. One way sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis were conducted.For treating moderate BPH, seventy-year-old men, in the base case scenario, the utility of pharmacotherapy is 18 QALY less than surgery, and the cost of pharmacotherapy is 136,301.1 $ less than surgery. ICER for pharmacotherapy was 7,572.3 $ compared to surgery. In the sensitivity analysis, the model is not sensitive to most variables but the unit cost of dutasteride. Based on scenario analysis conducted for different age groups, pharmacotherapy with dutasteride is preferred to surgery in patients over 60 years of age in Iran. However, for younger adult men between 40-60 years old, surgery is a cost-effective alternative.

Taxonomies of money laundering: an Iranian perspective

PurposeThis study aims to identify the sources of laundered money in Iran and the destinations to which it is transferred, independently verified by auditors. Based on such data, the study aims to develop a simple model of endogenous and exogenous factors facilitating money laundering in developing countries, which can inform domestic and international legislative and regulatory responses.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were sent to Iranian certified public accountants who worked for auditing firms in 2019 and who have encountered suspected money laundering during their work with clients.FindingsThe government and public officials are the primary sources of money laundering activity in Iran. The main destinations of laundered funds are investments abroad, gold, foreign currencies, real estate and purchases of luxury goods. Domestic legislation, while bearing similarities with that found in other jurisdictions such as the UK and the USA, is flawed in several ways, including an inability to determine beneficial ownership of funds and weak enforcement.Originality/valueBecause of international sanctions and the prevailing political situation, it is difficult to obtain data for money laundering and other financial crimes in Iran. The data obtained is of importance to international bodies in understanding the nature of money laundering in Iran, and how to negotiate in the future to address mutual concerns. Given the country’s perceived high association with money laundering, the data obtained is of value in identifying the specific characteristics of the problem.

Explaining farmers’ response to climate change-induced water stress through cognitive theory of stress: an Iranian perspective

This study investigates the underlying causes of farmers’ adaptation responses in the face of the negative impacts of climate change on water resources in Iran. We applied the theory of cognitive stress to examine and clarify how farmers respond to climate change-induced water stress as an environmental stressor, using a multistage, clustered, random sampling method of farmers (n = 250) in a survey conducted in southwestern Iran. Our analyses revealed that both demand appraisal and self-efficacy are significant predictors of problem-focused coping, which, in turn, influenced farmers’ adaptation responses. The theory accounted for 31% of the variance in farmers’ problem-focused coping behavior, which, in turn, accounts for around 39% of the variance in adaptation responses. We anticipate that the findings will result in recommendations for policymakers and advisors to extension organizations and that it will ultimately be used to inform strategies to encourage effective adaptation responses to water scarcity among Iranian farmers.

Social Robotics, Education, and Religion in the Islamic World: An Iranian Perspective.

The social impact of robotics applied to domains such as education, religion, nursing, and therapy across the world depends on the level of technology as well as the culture in which it is used. By studying how robots are used in Iran, a technologically-savvy country with a long history and a rich culture, we explore their possible impact on interrelated areas of religious and ethical features in education in an Islamic society. To accomplish this task, a preliminary exploratory study was conducted using two social robots as teaching assistants in Islamic religion classes for 42 elementary students. More than 90% of the participants in the study absolutely preferred the robot-assisted religion class over one taught by a human. Building on the results from the students' viewpoints and exam scores, the acceptability and potential of using social robots in the education of Islamic religious concepts in Iran are further discussed in this paper.

Criminalisation of terrorism financing in Iranian law

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to demonstrate that to what extent the Iranian criminalisation of terrorism financing meets the international standards of counter-terrorism financing regime, particularly the Financing Convention and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendations, and what is the main impediment for Iran to integrate at the international level to combat terrorism financing. Also, it tries to rate the Iranian criminalisation of terrorism financing in accordance with the FATF technical compliance rating.Design/methodology/approachThis subject is analysed from an Iranian perspective by undertaking fieldwork through collecting documents in Iran and using the official documents, statements and laws, particularly the Iranian Law of Combating Financing of Terrorism (2018) from both Persian and English sources.FindingsIran’s terrorism financing offence is not completely in line with international counter-terrorism financing regime because of an exemption for the struggle of individuals, nations and national liberation movements with the aim of countering domination, foreign occupation, colonisation and racism. The Iranian support for national liberation movements is derived from the Constitutional Law that requires Iran supports the struggles of the oppressed for their rights against the oppressors anywhere in the world. As a result, the FATF Recommendation 5 (criminalisation of terrorism financing) would be rated partially compliant.Originality/valueNo article exists specifically on this research field. To the author’s knowledge, this paper, for the first time, examines the Iranian criminalisation of terrorism financing. It rates the criminalisation (Recommendation 5) based on the FATF technical compliance rating because no mutual evaluation has been conducted to date. The paper is useful for academicians, law enforcement, policymakers, legislators and researchers.

Ethical challenges of novice nurses in clinical practice: Iranian perspective.

The aim of this study was to identify the ethical challenges of novice nurses in the first year of clinical practice. Novice nurses experience a lot of ethical complications in the clinical workplace, especially in the first year of clinical practice. These ethical challenges are scarcely studied. Current research was a descriptive qualitative study conducted on twelve novice nurses in educational hospitals affiliated to Arak University of Medical Sciences (from August to December 2018)in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Data were analysed using content analysis. A total of 12 nurses participated, the majority of whom were female (8; 66.6%), and their average age was 23.6years. Findings of this study revealed four main themes: patient: the forgotten part, exposure to inequalities, inattention to professional ethics and facing a state of quandary. Several sub-themes also appeared in this study. These findings can reveal a clear picture of the ethical challenges of novice nurses in Iran. They can be used as a guidance for managers, authorities and nursing stakeholders in order to protect and support these nurses. Further research on each concept is suggested. These findings can be used to inform nursing education, research, management and clinical practice. Meanwhile, the results of this study may be used to formulate a strategy for training nursing managers in order to protect and support the next generation of nurses.

An Iranian Perspective on Iran–US Relations: Idealists Versus Materialists

Over the past four decades, the relationship between Iran and the US has been marked by conflicts, ranging from hostage-taking and sanctions to military confrontation. The present research aims at explaining the dispute by referring to the mindsets of the two countries’ leaders and exploring their epistemological origins. The main question this article seeks to answer is: what are the roots of disputes in US–Iran relationship in the post-Revolutionary era? The hypothesis is that the US governments’ materialistic and Iranian leadership’s idealist, ideational and identity-oriented approaches have led to diverging perceptions on different issues at stake. This has precluded a common understanding between the leaderships of the two countries.

How to utilize tacit knowledge in health organizations: An Iranian perspective.

Background: Studies show that 90% of an organization’s knowledge is embedded and synthesized in its employees’ minds. Thus, when employees leave the organization or their positions change, their valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences are lost, however, if used properly, tacit knowledge can be a source of innovation and competitive advantage in an organization. This study aimed at exploring the methods for sharing and utilizing tacit knowledge in health organizations. Methods: In this study, qualitative approach was adopted to explore ways of utilizing tacit knowledge in health organizations. Tacit knowledge experts, who had published at least one relevant article, conducted 17 individual and 2 group interviews. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants. Methods for sharing and utilizing tacit knowledge were explored by holding in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The results were summarized into 5 categories and 18 themes. The categories included ‘identification of different dimensions of organizational knowledge’, ‘prerequisites of tacit knowledge utilization’, ‘defining the process of tacit knowledge utilization’, ‘converting tacit to explicit knowledge’, and ‘converting tacit to tacit knowledge’. Participants believed that the process of converting tacit to explicit knowledge was a cyclical process that included the understanding the existing situation and detecting knowledge entry points, identifying knowledge items and harvesting them, assessment, codification, and standardization, entry into knowledge repository, and updating. Conclusion: Our results revealed that health organizations need the prerequisites of tacit knowledge sharing to acquire the capacity to utilize this kind of knowledge. Because the themes extracted in this study are rarely used in health organizations, the results will be helpful in guiding the development of knowledge utilization strategies and planning in these organizations.

Functions of the dative: An Iranian perspective

AbstractIn this paper, we give an account of dative functions in a number of Iranian languages from a typological perspective. To analyze the functionality of dative markers in the selected languages, we follow a semantic map approach and take Haspelmath’s map of dative functions as a typological grid to examine our data. We collected our data from descriptive grammars and, for Ossetic and Wakhi, from interviews. The data show that five additional connections should be added to the semantic map of dative functions; these connections are confirmed by data from at least three languages within the Iranian language family. The main semantic property for the dative in Iranian languages is indirect affectedness. Moreover, in some languages spatial functions of the dative are also attested. The distribution of dative functions is mainly explained by the preservation of the oblique case and the areal distribution. In addition, in some languages, a grammaticalization cycle is observed, as a result of which purportedly beneficiary markers are transforming into dative markers.

Women's sexual and reproductive health care needs assessment: an Iranian perspective.

Reproductive health problems are a leading cause of women's ill health and mortality worldwide. There is a need to investigate sexual and reproductive health care needs in different societies and cultural contexts. Despite the success in health care promotion in the Iranian health care system, women still need to receive sexual health care and appropriate HIV/AIDS services. However, studies on the sexual and reproductive health care needs of Iranian women are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the sexual and reproductive health care needs of women referred to health care centres in an urban area of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We carried out a cross-sectional study in 2013 on 514 women living in an urban area in the north of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Taking into consideration ethical principles, data were collected using the Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Needs Assessment Questionnaire. The findings showed a greater need for the provision of care by practitioners in the sexual history and activities domain (73%) compared with other domains. Also, the woman's age and the location where she sought treatment and care for sexually transmitted infections were predictors of sexual activities needs. Owing to the high prevalence of women's referral to health care centres seeking treatment of sexual disorders, there is a need for the provision of sexual counseling centres and services promoting women's reproductive health care.

Exilic-Diasporic Life Writing and Human Rights: A Diasporic Iranian Perspective

Exilic-Diasporic Life Writing and Human Rights: A Diasporic Iranian Perspective

An investigation into the factors influencing the outsourcing decision of e-banking services

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis toward understanding the critical factors in affecting information technology outsourcing (ITO) decision in the context of e-banking services in Iran. Within the recent decades, outsourcing IT processes and services as a strategic decision has been widely adopted throughout industries. In this regard, scholars have investigated a wide range of factors influencing ITO decision in various contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis research examines a conceptual model that shows impacts of different attributes including technological, organizational and environmental on the Iranian banks’ ITO decision. To validate the research hypotheses, the partial least squares (PLS) technique for data analysis, is utilized.FindingsThe results of this study derived from the theoretical discussion of hypotheses illustrated that 9 of 11 assumed factors (i.e. perceived tangible benefits, perceived intangible benefits, perceived risks, perceived information security/privacy, complete contract establishment capability, making strong trustworthy relationship capability, uncertainty in business requirements, external pressure and market maturity) influence ITO decision in the target industry. The findings also confirmed that the size of the bank and competitors’ absorptive capacity did not exert any influence on their service outsourcing decision.Research limitations/implicationsThe sampling was confined to experts in the banking industry. Also, the results of this study reflect Iranian perspective. Consequently, generalization based on this sample would be interpreted cautiously and a limitation of the context should be kept in mind.Originality/valueInsights into policymaking for suitable drivers to outsource e-banking services in the context of a less developed country are the main outcomes of the current research.

The effects of heritage image on destination branding: an Iranian perspective

ABSTRACTAs brands are extremely influential in marketing, destinations should work to develop strong and recognizable brands for tourism to succeed in differentiating their competitive advantages over other destinations. The main purpose of this study is to identify the constituent elements of the overall image of the brand of Iran’s main heritage destinations by utilizing heritage, general, and unique images, and it proposes a model for branding Iran’s heritage destinations. The study population included 750 tourists and was conducted from August to the end of September 2013 in three Iranian historic cities. Results indicate that the heritage image and the unique image have a relationship with the general image of the destination, and that general image itself has a relationship with overall destination brand. The results also revealed that the overall destination image and brand are linked to tourists’ perceptions of the quality of the destination, and the quality itself has a relationship with tourists’ loyalty to the destination.