Search results

MAPNA Operation and Maintenance Company was established in 2003 to provide long-term services in the energy sector in Iran. This company delivered comprehensive solutions including operation and maintenance, overhaul and repair, commissioning, performance test and training in the fields of power and oil and gas. By 2021, the company had provided long-term operation and maintenance services in more than thirty power plants in Iran and had implemented more than 200 projects worth more than 300 million USD. MAPNA Operation and Maintenance Company believed that a sustainable and responsible management could be achieved through integrated management of the economic, social and environmental impacts of the business. This approach became more apparent when the company provided services countrywide, and they interacted with a wide range of stakeholders. In this context, efforts were made to create common values for both the organization and society. Some of the company’s long-term projects were in less developed areas of the country. One of the social issues in those regions was creating jobs for jobless people and preparing them to work in order to have a better life. The company policy in providing manpower for such projects was to employ indigenous manpower, training them and creating sustainable jobs for them. After hiring local workforce, the company provided professional and general training programs to improve their skills and knowledge. Also, the company was committed to prepare a healthy and safe work environment for employees to learn and comply with ethical and social norms and develop a sustainable environmental attitude by increasing the efficiency of using natural resources and controlling environmental pollution. Work-life balance programs were implemented to ensure a productive presence in the workplace and to maintain a healthy and meaningful family relationship for employees. This case aims to elaborate more on the challenges of the sustainable activities of the long-term projects that MAPNA Operation and Maintenance planned and implemented in terms of its corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship specifically in less developed areas.

The objective of this chapter is to establish the positioning on Booking.com of hotels located in the cities of Tehran, Kashan, Abyaneh, Isfahan, Yazd, Persepolis, and Shiraz, the main tourism destinations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The methodology is quantitative, consisting of the development of a “Spyder” that allows content to be identified and timely information to be extracted from the web. The data obtained allow to establish the average rating by the evaluation categories stated by the platform, while contributing to determining the strengths and weaknesses that the establishments present. These relevant data can thus contribute to the improvement of the services and the destination in general.

Recent political and socioeconomic events are providing Iran with the opportunity to become a high-profile destination. The question arises as to which strategic objectives can lead Iran to this end. Qualitative and quantitative improvements of hotel supply and the modernization of air transport should be the key objectives within this process. But the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, as well as the maintenance of authenticity, must remain the core principle. This chapter focuses on the role of cultural heritage management policies and what their tourism development implies for the host population, which will be the beneficiary of sustainable and responsible tourism development.

Iranian history, with roots in the oldest civilizations in western Asia, has provided significant heritage, both tangible and intangible, allowing the country to be considered as a major cultural tourism destination for both nationals and foreigners. The focus on Iranian history and heritage aims to confirm the country’s potential for attracting international tourists, while a negative image prevails abroad of a radical theocratic regime with a hostile internal political environment, alongside the instable geopolitical situation of the region. However, the changing political situation, now more secure and safe, allows an attempt to remove these prejudices, which may be achieved through the promotion of heritage and cultural tourism.

Iran, home to 22 World Heritage Sites in 2017, is blessed with an abundance of breathtaking scenery and a multitude of historic environments for tourists to enjoy. This exploratory chapter investigates tourists’ perceptions about the nature of heritage tourism in Iran, using the five most important cultural attractions as a starting point. A total of 25 photos and 60 reviews constitute the sample. The data were content-analyzed using a deductive and inductive procedure. The results show the relevance of sensory perceptions as a way of creating a bond with cultural heritage that should be considered in the future when defining a brand for Iran as a destination.

Environment Management, Solid Waste Management.

This case is suitable to be used in advanced undergraduate and MBA/MSc level.

This case revolves around the challenges pertaining to waste management in Iran. Poor waste management practices can result in soil contamination, water pollution, and air pollution, can cause respiratory problem, and can create permanent adverse health effect. Thus, a solid waste management system is needed for safeguarding the public health, safety, and welfare. However, it seems not an easy task for the developing countries, and Iran is not an exception to this. Recycling has three particular steps: collection and processing, manufacturing, and purchasing new products which made from recycled materials which require heavy investment. Lack of investment in the Iranian recycling sector has made this issue more complicated and lagging behind. This case highlights the challenges faced by the Iranian Municipality in this regard.

The learning objectives are as follows:

• to expose students to an actual situation where they will be aware of the necessity to care for the environment and reduce and reuse the products that they are utilizing in their every days’ life;

• to highlight the need of a municipal waste management system to make route optimization for waste collection and transport system, storage, recycling plan, compost and incineration facility, proper site for landfill, etc.; and

• to emphasize the required support from all stake holders in managing waste.

to expose students to an actual situation where they will be aware of the necessity to care for the environment and reduce and reuse the products that they are utilizing in their every days’ life;

to highlight the need of a municipal waste management system to make route optimization for waste collection and transport system, storage, recycling plan, compost and incineration facility, proper site for landfill, etc.; and

to emphasize the required support from all stake holders in managing waste.

This chapter discusses about tourism in Iran, an old civilization and a theocratic country where Islam is a dominant force. The majority of the people in Iran are Shia Muslims. References are made to conditions in Iran, its tourism industry, and the role of Islam in tourism and society. It is followed by discussion of Shia pilgrimage features. The findings show that while tourism has great potential in Iran, which is renowned for its diversity of attractions, tourism development is, however, constrained by several factors that limit the industry's contribution to economic growth.

This chapter examines destination risk perceptions of domestic pilgrims in Mashhad, Iran. Self-reported questionnaires were distributed to visitors of Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad through a time-based systematic random sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Results indicate that perceived risk was associated negatively with the quality of past visits, nonvictimization experience, and destination loyalty. Having past visit experiences did not moderate the strength of the model’s structural links except for the perceived risk to loyalty. The findings provide insights into distinct risk perceptions that can be leveraged by destination planners to tailor business strategies to meet quality expectations.