https://qjo.ssor.ir/ Social Security Journal en daily 1 Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246175.html Purpose: Minimum wage determination is one of the most important policy instruments for protecting labor and reducing poverty. However, significant differences in living costs, inflation rates, production structures, and labor market conditions across regions challenge the effectiveness of a uniform national minimum wage system. The main objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of regionalized and enterprise-scale-based minimum wage determination and to develop alternative scenarios for setting minimum wages in accordance with regional and sectoral economic conditions.Method: The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and utilizes household expenditure data, regional accounts, inflation rates, poverty-line estimates, and labor market information over the past decade.Findings: The findings indicate that the minimum wage determined under Article 41 of the Iranian Labor Law has not been sufficient to cover the absolute poverty line in any province. In 2019, the minimum earnings of workers covered only about 67 percent of the average poverty line. The results further reveal substantial interprovincial disparities in living costs, household expenditure patterns, inflation rates, and the share of labor compensation in production costs. Consequently, a uniform minimum wage cannot equitably achieve the intended welfare objectives across all regions. The study also shows that relying solely on inflation and subsistence basket indicators is inadequate for minimum wage determination. Instead, the use of the absolute poverty line and the application of differentiated weights to the relevant indicators can provide a more appropriate basis for wage-setting policies.Conclusion: Accordingly, while remaining within the framework of Article 41 of the Labor Law, the study proposes alternative scenarios for determining minimum wages that take regional and sectoral differences into account. Such an approach can contribute to greater wage equity, poverty reduction, and improved efficiency in the minimum wage determination system. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246176.html Purpose: This research aims to identify the structural roots of wage distortions at the end of the service period and to propose a sustainable reform model. Drawing on international experiences (France, Germany, Sweden, and Turkey), the study seeks to provide an alternative framework to enhance actuarial balance and insurance equity.Method: This qualitative study employs a descriptive-analytical approach. Data were gathered through library research, analysis of judicial precedents, and official reports (up to 2024). The analysis was conducted using “qualitative content analysis” and “cross-comparative analysis” based on the Most Different Systems Design (MDSD) strategy.Findings: The results indicate that the two-year basis for pension calculation, by distorting the incentive structure, has led to “moral hazard” and artificial wage increases. This structural flaw, by disrupting the proportionality between contributions and benefits, has intensified the imbalance between the fund’s resources and expenditures. Comparative findings confirm the necessity of transitioning toward long-term averaging and implementing smart oversight to restore equilibrium to the pension system.Conclusion: This study proposes a multidimensional reform package based on parametric, institutional, and technological reforms. Unlike purely parametric reforms, it emphasizes the integration of changes in the benefit calculation period with institutional and technology-driven reforms. Replacing the current model with a contribution-based framework (such as a point system or notional accounts) would not only strengthen intergenerational sustainability but also ensure distributive equity within Iran’s social security system. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246177.html Purpose: Wage-reporting fraud is a major challenge in social insurance systems. With the growing volume of data and the expansion of online premium‑submission systems, detecting such fraud through traditional methods has become increasingly difficult. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of unsupervised machine learning algorithms in identifying anomalies associated with wage-reporting fraud and to propose an automated approach for strengthening supervisory processes within the Social Security Organization.Method: This applied research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach. Three unsupervised machine learning algorithms—Isolation Forest, Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), and One-Class Support Vector Machine (One-Class SVM)—were employed to detect anomalous wage records potentially indicative of fraud. The dataset consisted of 26,258 monthly wage records from 470 insured individuals covering the period from 2019 to 2023. Analyses focused on identifying abnormal patterns at both individual and cross-individual levels, and the performance of the algorithms was evaluated based on their detection logic and consistency with actual data behavior.Findings: Isolation Forest demonstrated the most accurate and stable performance, identifying anomalies with a more reasonable and interpretable distribution compared with the other methods. DBSCAN exhibited excessive exclusion of observations in sparse data environments, while One-Class SVM showed high sensitivity accompanied by a higher rate of false alarms.Conclusion: Unsupervised machine learning techniques provide an effective means for the automated detection of suspicious wage-reporting behaviors. The findings suggest that Isolation Forest can serve as a scalable and reliable solution for mitigating fraud risks in social insurance systems. It is recommended that this algorithm be utilized as the core component of an intelligent early-warning system within supervisory and monitoring frameworks. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246178.html Purpose: In the era of digital transformation and increasing environmental complexity,social insurance organizations are compelled to establish digital governance mechanisms and strengthen organizational capabilities to enhance performance. This study aimed to examine the impact of digital governance on organizational performance, considering the mediating roles of organizational agility and employees’ digital literacy at the headquarters of the Social Security Organization.Method: This applied study employed a descriptive–correlational research design based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of 1,200 employees working at the headquarters of the Social Security Organization. Based on the Krejcie and Morgan sample size table, a sample of 291 participants was selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through a standardized questionnaire and analyzed using SmartPLS software. Construct validity was assessed through convergent and discriminant validity measures, while reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability indices.Findings: The results indicated that digital governance has a positive and significant effect on organizational performance. Furthermore, organizational agility and employees’ digital literacy were found to play significant mediating roles in the relationship between digital governance and organizational performance.The findings suggest that digital governance improves organizational performance by enhancing flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptive capacity, as well as by strengthening employees’ digital competencies.Conclusion: The systematic implementation of digital governance, coupled with investments in improving employees’ digital literacy and strengthening organizational agility, can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Social Security Organization. These findings provide a valuable basis for policymaking and strategic planning in support of digital transformation initiatives within social insurance organizations. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246179.html Purpose: Along with the increasing complexity and acquisition costs of medical equipment, the complexity and costs associated with their maintenance have also risen substantially over recent decades. At the same time, the capacity for managing and maintaining medical equipment in developing countries has remained relatively limited. Therefore, the existence of a well-planned and effectively managed medical equipment management program is essential. This study aimed to develop a standardized checklist for evaluating medical equipment management in hospitals affiliated with the Social Security Organization.Method: This applied methodological study was conducted in two phases: checklist development and validity assessment. In the first phase, relevant literature and existing standards were reviewed through searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and SID databases. An initial checklist was developed based on the extracted evidence. In the second phase, face and content validity were evaluated by a panel of 10 experts in medical equipment management and healthcare administration. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) were calculated for all items.Findings: The initial checklist consisted of 78 items. Following content validity assessment, six items were removed due to inadequate CVR values. The final checklist included 72 items organized into 7 dimensions and 19 subscales. CVR values ranged from 0.80 to 1.00 for retained items, while I-CVI values ranged from 0.90 to 1.00, indicating satisfactory content validity.Conclusion: The developed checklist demonstrated acceptable face and content validity and can be used as a practical tool for evaluating and improving medical equipment management processes in hospitals affiliated with the Social Security Organization. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_246180.html Purpose: Economic justice is one of the fundamental pillars of development and a core principle of Islamic economics. Despite its importance, few studies have developed a comprehensive measure capable of simultaneously capturing the multiple dimensions of economic justice from an Islamic perspective. Therefore, this study aims to develop and measure a composite Islamic Economic Justice Index for the provinces of Iran during the period 2006–2018.Method: This applied research adopts a composite-index design approach. Based on the theoretical foundations of Islamic economics and previous studies, an Islamic Economic Justice Index was constructed using five dimensions: intragenerational justice, intergenerational justice, equitable distribution of production factors, technical efficiency, and allocative efficiency. After normalizing and harmonizing the indicators, a composite index ranging from 0 to 1 was calculated, where lower values indicate a higher level of economic justice.Findings: The results show that approximately 70% of the province-year observations had index values below 0.5, indicating a relatively favorable level of Islamic economic justice in most provinces. The most equitable situation was observed in Kurdistan Province in 2008, with an index value of approximately 0.186, whereas the least equitable situation was recorded in East Azerbaijan Province in the same year, with a value of approximately 0.796. Furthermore, provincial trends did not exhibit a consistent upward or downward pattern; however, the national average index followed a downward trajectory, indicating an overall improvement in Islamic economic justice during the study period.Conclusion: The proposed index provides a comprehensive framework for assessing economic justice from an Islamic perspective. The findings suggest a gradual improvement in the level of Islamic economic justice in Iran over the study period. The index can serve as a useful tool for policymakers to monitor regional disparities and design policies aimed at promoting economic justice across provinces. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_213804.html Despite the recovery of the global economy, the unemployment rate is still high. In this regard, countries have implemented various policies aimed at creating employment for young people. One of these policies has been early retirement plans to free up job opportunities for young people; Because they believe that with the presence of the elderly in the workplace, job opportunities for young people will decrease. On the other hand, countries have faced the challenge of aging due to low fertility rates and high life expectancy, which necessitates paying attention to maintaining and creating jobs for this age group. As a result, early retirement schemes were gradually phased out, and social security laws became less generous. Since the choice of different policies can have different costs for the country, it is necessary to select and implement the best policies in accordance with the existing conditions. This article tries to make a comparative study of the policies adopted in different countries and their results as well as empirical studies in this field. The results showed that in most of the surveyed countries, early retirement has led to a decrease in the employment rate of young people and the elderly. They have experienced, and some research suggests, a negative relationship or no clear link between youth unemployment and older employment. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_213806.html The main sources of social security in Iran are based on receiving insurance premiums and employment in the informal sector reduces the number of insurers, so, informal employment causes the loss of income sources of the Social Security Organization. Given the importance of the issue of lost financial resources for the Social Security Organization, in the present study, it has been tried to calculate the amount of informal employment in economic sectors during the years 2013 to 2019, estimate and analyze the lost financial resources due to informal employment. For this purpose, using households' expenditure and income micro data in the mentioned period, and utilization of social insurance indicators and legal minimum wage, informal employment was measured in terms of regions and economic sectors and its structure was analyzed. Then using the descriptive method and applying the concept of upgradeable informal employment, the amount of lost resources in major economic sectors and related sectors was calculated provincially and nationally. First, the results indicate that the share of informal employment to total employment has increased in the years under study. Also, among the 4 major economic sectors, the agricultural sector has the highest number of informal workers. Second, the lost financial resources due to informal employment have decreased during this period. In addition, among the four major economic sectors, the industries and mines section has the most lost social security resources. https://qjo.ssor.ir/article_213807.html Purpose: Health expenditures have a significant impact on the social and economic life of human societies and include an important share of the household basket. In recent years, the economic shocks that occurred in the country led to a change in household consumption patterns, especially in the area of health expenditures. Therefore, considering the importance of this sector in the development and economic growth of the country, it is necessary to examine the effects of these shocks on this sector. Therefore, the present study tries to investigate the effects of shocks of macroeconomic variables on household health expenditures in different provinces.Method: The Bayesian Panel VAR model in Matlab software will be used to estimate data during the period 2001-2019 for all provinces of Iran.Findings: The results showed that inflation shock, government spending shock, oil revenue shock and exchange rate shock have a positive and significant effect on household health expenditures in all provinces. Finally, the results of analysis of variance show that after 20 periods, except for the variable effect, the maximum and minimum impact of shocks on health expenditures for most provinces were inflation and exchange rates, respectively. Conclusion: considering the positive impact of shocks on increasing household health expenditures and also the high importance of this variable in economic growth and development, it is necessary for the government and planners to have appropriate policies and programs to reduce the effects of these shocks and supporting vulnerable households, especially in recent years when these fluctuations have intensified.