Humanoid robots deployed in industrial environments are required to perform load-carrying transportation tasks that tightly couple locomotion and manipulation. However, achieving stable and robust locomotion under varying payloads and upper-body motions is challenging due to dynamic coupling and partial observability. This paper presents a load-aware locomotion framework for industrial humanoids based on a decoupled yet coordinated loco-manipulation architecture. Lower-body locomotion is controlled via a reinforcement learning policy producing residual joint actions on kinematically derived nominal configurations. A kinematics-based locomotion reference with a height-conditioned joint-space offset guides learning, while a history-based state estimator infers base linear velocity and height and encodes residual load- and manipulation-induced disturbances in a compact latent representation. The framework is trained entirely in simulation and deployed on a full-size humanoid robot without fine-tuning. Simulation and real-world experiments demonstrate faster training, accurate height tracking, and stable loco-manipulation. Project page: https://lequn-f.github.io/LALO/
Purpose: Today, with the increase in procrastination and loafing behaviors, behavioral commitment in government organizations is a serious challenge for human resource managers. In this regard, researchers consider inspirational leadership as a factor that can lead to strengthening employees' tendencies towards behavioral engagement in addition to reducing undesirable organizational behaviors. The purpose of the study was to develop a structural model of influential factors in behavioral engagement in the public sector.
Methodology: This study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive in nature. We administered structured questionnaires to collect data. The statistical population of the study included 47 provincial units of executive agencies located in Alborz province. Through the simple random sampling method, at least 470 employees of these agencies participated in the survey. Cronbach's alpha test was used to measure reliability and the Lavshe criterion was used to measure validity. Structural equation testing in Smart PLS software was used to analyze the hypotheses.
Findings: Results show that all the relationships among the constructs are significant and statistically confirmed. Specifically, the relationships between inspirational leadership and behavioral engagement and public service motivation are strongly significant. This effect is observed both directly and indirectly through mediating variables such as public service motivation and learnability. In addition, perceived supportive culture and learnability have a positive and significant effect on behavioral engagement. Inspirational leadership, supportive culture, learnability, and public service motivation are the most important factors affecting employees' behavioral engagement, respectively.
Originality: The use of two theories of member-leader exchange and social exchange in examining the relationship between inspirational leadership and behavioral engagement can be considered as the value and originality of the research, which was considered in this study.
Recommendations: It is suggested that government organizations facilitate employee participation in decision-making processes, develop strategies to promote inspirational leadership style in their management, and develop professional culture and ethics among employees to increase commitment to the public interest.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in industry is accelerating the shift from traditional automation to intelligent systems with perception and cognition. Vision language-action (VLA) models have been a key paradigm in AI to unify perception, reasoning, and control. Has the performance of the VLA models met the industrial requirements? In this paper, from the perspective of industrial deployment, we compare the performance of existing state-of-the-art VLA models in industrial scenarios and analyze the limitations of VLA models for real-world industrial deployment from the perspectives of data collection and model architecture. The results show that the VLA models retain their ability to perform simple grasping tasks even in industrial settings after fine-tuning. However, there is much room for performance improvement in complex industrial environments, diverse object categories, and high precision placing tasks. Our findings provide practical insight into the adaptability of VLA models for industrial use and highlight the need for task-specific enhancements to improve their robustness, generalization, and precision.
Reza Khodabandeh, Abbas Monavarian, Abbas Nargesian
Purpose: The purpose of this article was to present a preventive network governance model to meet tax evasion as a case study in Tax Affairs Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Methodology: The statistical sample, consisting of thirty managers of the State Tax Affairs Organization, was selected through targeted and accessible method. Applying the Multiple Grounded Theory approach, the researchers designed a network governance model, containing 341 concepts summarized in 79 primary open codes which finally led to 12 dimensions.
Findings: The results of the research show that the identified dimensions fall into six groups: 1. The core category including the private sector governance network and civil institutions, 2. social contexts including economic and cultural issues, 3. results and outcomes including participative, structured and sound tax system, 4. support platforms including judicial issues, laws and regulations, 5. internal conditions including human capital and organizational-administrative issues, 6. external conditions including international, structural and organizing issues.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Purpose: The purpose of this article was to develop a framework for the institutionalization of credit rating agencies in Iran, considering the institutional components and the socio-economic conditions of the country.
Methodology: The research method was qualitative-analytical based on interpretative paradigm and Grounded Theory strategy. A combination of desk research and interviews was used to collect data; besides, judgmental and snowball methods were applied to select the statistical sample. Using open, axial, and selective coding, data were summarized in the categories of causal, contextual, intervening, interactive, strategic, and outcomes, all of which formed the main model of the research.
Findings: Based on the research data, the most important components of institutionalization depend, firstly on institution-oriented culture which includes independence and objectivity, professionalism, and close supervision, and secondly, on gaining legitimacy which includes trust-building, expertise, stability, and continuity. Conflict of interests is one of the most noticeable challenges for institutionalization, the solution of which should be sought in close supervision and self-monitoring approach of rating agencies.
Originality: By integrating institutional and organizational theories, a model has been presented for the institutionalization of credit rating agencies, which can affect the efficiency and effectiveness of these agencies as well as capital markets
Implications: It is suggested that the supervisory bodies not only set high-level standards in the field of professional conduct and the instances of conflict of interests, but also encourage the culture of self-monitoring in credit rating agencies.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Scientific Machine Learning is transforming traditional engineering industries by enhancing the efficiency of existing technologies and accelerating innovation, particularly in modeling chemical reactions. Despite recent advancements, the issue of solving stiff chemically reacting problems within computational fluid dynamics remains a significant issue. In this study we propose a novel approach utilizing a multi-layer-perceptron mixer architecture (MLP-Mixer) to model the time-series of stiff chemical kinetics. We evaluate this method using the ROBER system, a benchmark model in chemical kinetics, to compare its performance with traditional numerical techniques. This study provides insight into the industrial utility of the recently developed MLP-Mixer architecture to model chemical kinetics and provides motivation for such neural architecture to be used as a base for time-series foundation models.
This chapter explores the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on digital democracy, focusing on four main areas: citizenship, participation, representation, and the public sphere. It traces the evolution from electronic to virtual and network democracy, underscoring how each stage has broadened democratic engagement through technology. Focusing on digital citizenship, the chapter examines how AI can improve online engagement and promote ethical behaviour while posing privacy risks and fostering identity stereotyping. Regarding political participation, it highlights AI's dual role in mobilising civic actions and spreading misinformation. Regarding representation, AI's involvement in electoral processes can enhance voter registration, e-voting, and the efficiency of result tabulation but raises concerns regarding privacy and public trust. Also, AI's predictive capabilities shift the dynamics of political competition, posing ethical questions about manipulation and the legitimacy of democracy. Finally, the chapter examines how integrating AI and digital technologies can facilitate democratic political advocacy and personalised communication. However, this also comes with higher risks of misinformation and targeted propaganda.
Sebastián Rojas-Innocenti, Enrique Baeyens, Alejandro Martín-Crespo
et al.
The growing share of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources in power systems is increasing the need for short term operational flexibility, particularly from large industrial electricity consumers. This study proposes a practical, two stage optimization framework to unlock this flexibility in cement manufacturing and support participation in electricity balancing markets. In Stage 1, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model minimizes electricity procurement costs by optimally scheduling the raw milling subsystem. In Stage 2, a flexibility assessment model evaluates profitable deviations, targeting participation in Spain manual Frequency Restoration Reserve (mFRR) market. A real world case study in a Spanish cement plant (including PV and battery storage) shows that flexibility services can yield monthly revenues of up to 800 EUR and paybacks as short as six years. This framework offers a replicable pathway for industrial flexibility in energy intensive sectors.
The traditional five-day workweek faces mounting challenges, prompting exploration of alternative models like the four-day workweek. This research explores the transformative potential of scalability principles derived from cloud computing and IT in redefining workforce management for a four-day workweek. The study employs a Multivocal Literacy Research methodology, combining grey literature and systematic review approaches. Through a comprehensive review of related work, the challenges, and benefits of transitioning to a four-day workweek are explored. Pilot programs, clear communication, and agility are identified as critical success factors. The synthesis of scalability principles in workforce management serves as a powerful framework for a smooth transition towards a four-day workweek. By prioritizing adaptability, dynamic resource allocation, and data-driven insights, organizations can unlock the full potential of a compressed work schedule. This research contributes valuable insights for organizations seeking to thrive in the evolving landscape of modern work structures and prioritizing employee well-being.
Purpose Opinions drafted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and reports and studies by the European Parliament and 2014 and 2018 Resolutions on employee financial participation (EFP) emphasised the growing importance of EFP, particularly with respect to small and medium-sized enterprises. Against this background, the commission included the promotion of employee share ownership in its Action Plan to reform European company law and corporate governance and embarked on the 2013/14 Pilot Project. Based on the most recent data on the scope and impact of various EFP schemes in EU companies and the legal and regulatory changes in individual Member States, the aim of this article is to provide an overview of policymaking and the main trends of the dynamics of EFP over the last three decades.Design/methodology/approach We give an overview (1) of the analysis of the most recent rounds of different large-scale cross-country surveys (2015 European Working Conditions Survey, 2021 CRANET [Cranfield Network on International Human Resource Management], 2019 European Company Survey [ECS]) and (2) of the EU policy documents and legislative acts over the last three decades. We provide a tabular overview of the status quo in all 29 countries under consideration as of January 2024 to provide the reader with an Alta vista summary view of all forms of EFP practised.Findings The European Commission’s interest in EFP has grown substantially since the publication of the first PEPPER Report in 1991 and the Council Recommendation on EFP of 27 July 1992. Since then, the European Union has not only extended from 12 Members States to currently 27 but has also faced many complex and urgent challenges. Financial and other crises have endangered prosperity and cohesion on the continent and both, the financial crisis of 2008/09, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic 2020/21 have left their marks on “Social Europe”.Originality/value The European Commission’s interest in EFP has grown substantially since the publication of the first PEPPER (Promotion of Employee Participation in Profits and Enterprise Results) Report in 1991 and the Council Recommendation on EFP on 27 July 1992. Since then, the European Union has not only extended from 12 Members States to currently 27 but has also faced many complex and urgent challenges. Financial and other crises have endangered prosperity and cohesion on the continent and both, the financial crisis of 2008/09, and the COVID-19 pandemic 2020/21 have left their marks on “Social Europe”.
India is the largest democracy in the world and has recently surpassed China to be the highest-populated country, with an estimated 1.425 billion (approximately 18% of the world population). Moreover, India's elderly population is projected to increase to 138 million by 2035. Indian economy is already reeling under the pressure of exorbitant pension liabilities of the government for existing pensioners. As such, India has introduced a National Pension System (NPS), which is a Defined Contribution Scheme for employees joining government service on or after 1st January 2004, bidding adieu to the age-old, tried and tested Old Pension System (OPS) which is a Direct Benefit Scheme, in vogue in India since the British Raj. This is an epoch-making move by the government as it seeks to inculcate Disciplined Saving among the people while significantly reducing the government burden by reducing the Pension Liabilities of the Central and State Governments. This paper aims to analyse various features and intricacies of the NPS and address the claims of various stakeholders like the Central Government, State Government, Employees, Pensioners, etc. In light of the above, and taking cognisance of the fact that many states such as Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, etc, have exited the NPS scheme and have sought back their share of NPS employee and employer contribution, this study is relevant to address the current economic and fiscal issues of India to propel towards the ambitious goal of becoming a $ 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025. Keywords: Old Pension Scheme (OPS), National Pension System (NPS), Direct Benefit Scheme, Defined Contribution Scheme, Pension Liabilities.
Graph data management is instrumental for several use cases such as recommendation, root cause analysis, financial fraud detection, and enterprise knowledge representation. Efficiently supporting these use cases yields a number of unique requirements, including the need for a concise query language and graph-aware query optimization techniques. The goal of the Linked Data Benchmark Council (LDBC) is to design a set of standard benchmarks that capture representative categories of graph data management problems, making the performance of systems comparable and facilitating competition among vendors. LDBC also conducts research on graph schemas and graph query languages. This paper introduces the LDBC organization and its work over the last decade.
vahid makizadeh, Fatemeh Sharaei, maryam nekooeezade
Background & Purpose: Due to the epidemic of Corona virus and creating challenges in the world, organizations have also changed, and accepting remote-working is one of the most important challenges facing employees. The purpose of this study is to investigate the lived experience of employees during the existence of this pervasive disease.
Methodology: This study is qualitative research with an exploratory goal adopting a phenomenological approach. The study population included employees affected by the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic and its consequences such as social distancing, who were required to do most of their work through remote-working. 47 members of the study population were interviewed using purposive sampling.
Findings: The research results were classified into three main themes and ten sub-themes. The main themes of the research are individual factors, family factors, and organizational factors. The individual-level includes physical and mental injuries, psychological and social changes, and learning and personal development. The family level also contains opportunities to improve family relationships, family challenges, and financial resilience. Remote-working infrastructure, job perceptions, remote-working management, and attitude/needs new work were also addressed to the organizational level.
Conclusion: Due to the emergence of corona epidemics, the study of its consequences in the field of remote-working is also in the early stages of development; however, the extracted factors affect the activities of employees, and it is necessary to pay attention to them to promote the activities of employees.
Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Purpose: This research intended to investigate the moderating factors in the successful implementation of the procurement policy in Iran’s state-owned banks.
Methodology: The research method was applied in terms of purpose and regarding data collection method, it was quantitative. The statistical population included all managers and experts in charge of procurement departments of eight state-owned banks using the country's public procurement policies. The sample size was composed of 151 subjects. The researcher-made questionnaires were distributed among the participants after checking validity and reliability; meanwhile, stratified random sampling technique was applied to select the sample.
Findings: Path analysis shows that proper structure, effective management, professional competence of employees, quality of laws and regulations have a positive and significant effect on the successful implementation of the procurement policy. In addition, results show that electronic procurement, political turmoil and economic instability, social relations, external organizational supervision, and the intensity of competition moderate the relationships between independent and
dependent variables according to the research model.
Originality: A large number of studies have been conducted on the success of policy implementation, but none presented a comprehensive framework in this regard. The findings of the current research have identified the factors influencing the successful implementation of the procurement policy in the public sector of Iran, which lacks theoretical precedent in the literature.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Fereshteh Bahrami, Adel Azar, Davood Andalib Ardakani
et al.
Purpose: The returning of a patient to a health facility to get new services plays a significant role in creating brand identity which is a major factor of success for such an organization. On this basis, this study intends to evaluate the performance of state hospitals applying network data envelopment analysis.
Methodology: Regarding the purpose, this article was applied and used descriptive-survey method. Data were gathered through assessing the organizational documentation as well as the viewpoints of experts and managers who were active in health areas. Data analysis was operated by using two-phased envelopment analysis and input-based network. Then, efficient and non-efficient hospitals were identified and eventually, data sensibility was analyzed considering the results of data envelopment analysis.
Findings: The results of input-based network data envelopment analysis show that none of the hospitals were efficient in phase 1 but in phase 2, merely 2 out of 13 hospitals were efficient. Additionally, in processes 1, 2, 3 and 4, only 2, 5, 1 and 4 hospitals were efficient respectively. Therefore, only 30% of the hospitals under study are efficient in phase 2. After examining the efficiency in the first and second phases and that of the network, the hospitals are ranked in a descending order (from the most to the least efficient).
Originality: Many theoretical and experimental researches have so far been conducted in order to reach a mathematical model of performance evaluation for hospitals. However, none has ever dealt with the social responsibility component of these health facilities. In this respect, the present research has not only introduced a model for performance evaluation and development of social responsibility, but also implemented the model in Yazd public hospitals as an example.
Economic growth, development, planning, Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Background & Purpose: Background & Purpose: Evaluating the performance of employees is one the Air Defense Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, there is ample evidence of inefficiency in the existing performance evaluation system. A shortcoming that needs to be addressed through a comprehensive understanding of the harms and shortcomings of the existing system Therefore, in this research, we seek to identify the damage of the air defense force's performance evaluation system as the main goal of the research.
Methodology: The present research is mixed in terms of the type of research and applied in terms of purpose. In the first stage, using semi-structured interviews with managers and officials in the field of human resource management and staff performance evaluation of one of the four forces of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the harms of the staff performance evaluation system have been identified. In the second stage, the validity and fit of the model were examined using a questionnaire and statistical tests. In the qualitative section, after collecting information, the theme analysis method was used to analyze the interviews. In the quantitative part, the data have been analyzed using structural equation tests and SPSS and smart PLS software. The reliability of the questionnaire was also confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.81.
Findings: 342 primary codes extracted from semi-structured interviews were classified into 23 organizing themes and 3 overarching themes. The results of statistical tests confirm that measurement, structural and general models are necessary.
Conclusion: The results of the research, while reducing the existing theoretical gap, provide a comprehensive understanding of the disadvantages and shortcomings of the performance evaluation system of the Air Defense Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran Also, the research finding can be used as a basis for modifying or redesigning the performance evaluation system.
Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
voluntary turnover of employees. Voluntary turnover makes numerous direct and indirect costs for the organizations. Thus, the organizations are always looking for approaches to retain their employees. Job embeddedness is one of the innovative approaches to prevent employees from voluntary turnover. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to present an employees' job embeddedness model.
Methodology: The present study employed a mixed sequential exploratory design. The research strategy was data theory of the foundation and its participants include Iranian senior managers and deputy human resources in insurance industry. Through targeted sampling and observance of theoretical saturation, 13 individuals were interviewed. The main data collection tools in the qualitative section were semi-structured interviews, and in the quantitative section, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to validate the conceptual model. The inter-coder reliability method was employed to assess the reliability of the interviews, and the seven-step procedure was used to assess the validity.
Findings: The conceptual model was determined in the form of a paradigm model. Causal factors include individual, occupational, organizational, and community factors; Dimensions of the main phenomenon consist of cohesion, proportion, and sacrifice; Intervention conditions contain type of organization, individualist-collectivist culture, and gender; Underlying conditions include facilitators and limiting factors; Mechanisms consist of external links, internal links, maintaining human dignity, human resource management measures, empowerment, and participation programs; And finally, the consequences encompass the consequences of individual level, organizational level, and macro level (community). Besides, the results of model validation carried out through structural equation modeling revealed that, according to the experts' opinions, the conceptual model has sufficient validity.
Conclusion: Using this model as well as observing the considerations governing it at each stage, aid organizations, especially insurance companies, to prevent the voluntary departure of their staff and keep them in the organization. This provides a new platform for future research on employee retention in the organization and attention to the community context in this area.
Employee participation in management. Employee ownership. Industrial democracy. Works councils
Public key authentication (PKA) has been deployed in various services to provide stronger authentication to users. In PKA, a user manages private keys on her devices called authenticators, and services bind the corresponding public keys to her account. To protect private keys, a user uses authenticators which never export private keys outside. On the other hand, a user regularly uses multiple authenticators like PCs and smartphones. She replaces some of her authenticators according to their lifecycle, such as purchasing new devices and losing devices. It is a burden for a user to register, update and revoke public keys in many services every time she registers new accounts with services and replaces some of her authenticators. To ease the burden, we propose a mechanism where users and services manage public keys based on the owner of authenticators and users can access services with PKA using any of their authenticators. We introduce a key pair called an Ownership Verification Key (OVK), which consists of the private key (OVSK) and the corresponding public key (OVPK). All authenticators owned by a user derive the same OVSK from the pre-shared secret called the seed. Services verify the ownership of the authenticators using the corresponding OVPK to determine whether binding the requested public key to her account. To protect user privacy while maintaining convenience, authenticators generate a different OVK for each service from the seed independently. We demonstrate the feasibility through the Proof of Concept implementation, show that our proposed mechanism achieves some security goals, and discuss how the mechanism mitigates threats not completely handled.