Information systems
Niloufar Yazdi Esmaeili; Zahra Nadalipour
Abstract
Today, customer orientation is one of the most important marketing indicators in the tourism system. On the other hand, one of the most up-to-date and efficient programs or strategies for attracting, retaining and satisfying customers is managing electronic communication with the customer. In this regards, ...
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Today, customer orientation is one of the most important marketing indicators in the tourism system. On the other hand, one of the most up-to-date and efficient programs or strategies for attracting, retaining and satisfying customers is managing electronic communication with the customer. In this regards, understanding the role of electronic customer relationship management in facilitating destination selection from the perspective of managers and senior marketing experts of active travel and tourism agencies in Tehran, is the main purpose of this study. Regarding the tourism system, ignoring the ECRM can be considered as one of the main weaknesses of tourism in Iran, especially in tourism and travel agencies. The present study has been conducted through qualitative method with the aim of providing a model explaining the role of ECRM in facilitating destination selection. Therefore, grounded theory method and a non-probabilistic purposive sampling was used in to determine sample of study. In current study, use of grounded theory method tools such as data fragmentation, open coding and axial coding led to the identification of six main categories of causal conditions, subject-oriented, contextual or environmental conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences. Causal conditions affecting decision-making and facilitating the choice of tourist destination include six psychological components (emotional and personality), ECRM, financial and economic, advertising, security and environmental, each of which has several sub-categories and concepts.Introduction:With the beginning of the 21st century and at the same time with the improvement of the living standards and livelihood of people all over the world, as well as rapid increase in the proportion of tourism expenses in the consumption basket of leisure time of families and the development of information technology, traditional tourism is more and more connected with the Internet and new technologies (Linking Lane, 2020). This combination of tourism and new communication technologies led to the emergence of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM), which in simple words is the practical use of Internet-based technologies including email, website, chat rooms, forums and other e-channels for achieving the goals of customer relationship management is done in a more efficient way using IT. Interacting, maintaining and creating customer loyalty is one of the basic steps of managing electronic communication with customers, which includes all the processes of marketing, sales and customer service in a psychological way (Mirf Kharaldini, Hatami Nasab and Talei Far, 2009).Today, organizations are widely looking for ways to interact and communicate effectively with customers in order to influence them. Internet technology enables organizations to attract new customers, track their online behavior and performance, and personalize communications, products, services, and prices (Zamani Babgehari et al., 2023). ECRM was first proposed in 1999 in the seminar of the Tourism Association of Customer Relationship Management in England (Ivanuska, 2008). This new technology grew and expanded at such a speed that only after two decades of its emergence, many conquered the touristic countries of the world. Now, the question is, to what extent has the development of ECRM technology spread to Iran's tourism industry, and the owners of tourist service offices active in Tehran use this technology to facilitate the choice of tourists' destinations? Also, what role does it play in facilitating the destination selection process by tourists? In order to answer the questions raised, the method of grounded theory has been used. Materials and Methods:This research was designed and conducted based on the methodology of grounded theory regarding its theoretical foundations, research method, data collection method, data analysis, and data validation. The population and statistical sample in this survey are made up of 10 managers and experts of travel service offices active in Tehran. According to the steps of the research strategy, the researchers referred to relevant experts to collect information to obtain first-hand data. Therefore, the sample of research in the database method is directed under the influence of each case (specialized semi-structured interviews or referred texts). In this way, the analysis of each interview will be the guide for the next interview. Sampling process continued until the theoretical adequacy was achieved, and for this reason, a total of 10 specialized semi-structured interviews were conducted considering the above criteria. The interviews were conducted and recorded between 30 and 60 minutes, so that by reviewing the conversations several times, a more accurate analysis and examination of the views of the participants could be done. Findings:The main question revolves around the issue of "What role does the management of electronic communication with customers in active travel service offices in Tehran play in facilitating the process of choosing a destination for tourists?" Obtaining the answer to this question required the implementation of the central coding stage of the grounded theory method in order to establish a network between all discovered categories. Based on this, the categories extracted in the previous step (total of 6 categories) were cast in the form of core coding classes and arranged around the core category of "travel destination selection" as described in Figure 1.Discussion and Results:The primary goal of the current research was to investigate the role of ECRM in facilitating the process of destination selection by tourists. The achievement of conducting this research for the researcher and based on the interviews that were conducted was the understanding that not only the ECRM as a successful marketing technique, but also its components, in Iran, for offices Travel services - even with a long history of activity - are not very well known, but in practice, the managers of these offices prefer to attract and retain tourists using the same traditional methods such as telephone communication, verbal communication and face-to-face interactions. This study can have useful results for managers and planners in the related agencies. Nowadays, Managers will face challenges in the way of implementing programs related to ECRM. Communicating remotely and offline and impersonally through the Internet is a challenge to attract and gain trust. Trust can be basically an important obstacle in the way of implementing ECRM. In addition, the increased risk of data manipulation or loss of information can be another factor that slows down the management of ECRM. The lack of face-to-face contact play a big challenge in the implementation of ECRM. In addition, in an effort to quickly implement the ECRM, a large number of companies start implementing it before formulating a strategy, but many of them are dissatisfied with this system. The prolongation of the implementation process can be a sign of weakness in the establishment of ECRM. On the other hand, since the current research has examined and analyzed the issue from the point of view of managers and experts, it is suggested that in future researches, the demand side- the tourists' point of view-should also be in the center of attention for more precise dimensions of the subject to be determined.
Ommolbanin Rezakhani; Zahra Nadalipour; Mina Hosseini
Abstract
Anti-competitive practices in the tourism market can be examined from two perspectives of marketing and competition law. Despite the importance of the issue, little attention has been paid to it, and only a few relevant studies have been conducted in Iran. The present study examines the anti-competitive ...
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Anti-competitive practices in the tourism market can be examined from two perspectives of marketing and competition law. Despite the importance of the issue, little attention has been paid to it, and only a few relevant studies have been conducted in Iran. The present study examines the anti-competitive practices in the travel and tourism services market in Iran and particularly among Tehran's travel agencies. To conduct this research, a semi-structured interview method, one of the important qualitative research tools, has been used. The statistical population of the research includes managers and experts in the field of tourism services and experts in the field of competition and competition law. By using the interpretive analysis method, the content of interviews has been reviewed and analyzed. According to the objectives of the research and coding process, the components were extracted and explained. The results indicate that there are instances of unilateral and multilateral anti-competitive practices in the market under study. The intensity of these procedures varies depending on being a retailer or wholesaler. Finally, several recommendations have been made. IntroductionIn the past, for various reasons, including increased demand for supply and limited competition in various fields, the demands and needs of customers were not paid much attention, and people were forced to choose and receive the goods and services they need with any quality. However, today, due to the increased number of suppliers and customers and the formation of competition of production and service organizations to survive and increase profitability and market share, it is forced to provide more diverse goods and services. In this regard, competition was formed among suppliers to provide better quality goods or services. Researchers believe that high quality and customer satisfaction levels lead to customer loyalty; this is especially true in the service industry (Hossain and Leo, 2009). Large tour operators and travel agencies are among the main players of the travel distribution system. Large tour operators can take away the tourism market from their neighbors by forcing them to sign exclusive agreements. Thus, smaller agencies face serious barriers to entering the market and do not have the power to establish a new agency and are forced to exit the market (Papatheodoro, 2003). For shaping fair competition in the tourism industry, regulatory tools are needed, and competition law can take the market situation out of Monopoly by creating conditions for fair competition. The Competition Law sub-section deals with anti-competitive practices, including unilateral and collective agreements (vertical and horizontal agreements) and disruptive mergers, each of which is an example of behavior that causes. They disrupt market competition. Competition to improve service quality is generally recognized as a key strategic issue for organizations operating in the service sector. Organizations that achieve a higher level of service quality will have higher levels of customer satisfaction as a prelude to achieving a sustainable competitive advantage (Guo et al., 2008). Today, Iran's tourism industry, like other industries, needs competition to increase quality and efficiency. Therefore, the main question of the present study is to what extent the issue of competition has been formed healthily and fairly among the existing tourism businesses? And if there are anti-competitive forces and procedures in the tourism market? The present study seeks to know what these procedures are. Materials and MethodsThe present study is descriptive. The statistical population consists of both managers and experts in travel agencies and professors in the relevant field. All interviewees have had either university education or experiences in the field of travel and tourism services. By using two judgment and snowball sampling methods, 14 people were selected as a sample. The criterion for selecting this number of samples was to achieve saturation. The average interview time was one hour. In this study, due to the impossibility of gathering experts simultaneously in a joint meeting, the interview method was chosen. Interviews were recorded, written, and coded. Semi-structured interviews were used, and the data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Discussion and ResultsBased on the research findings and according to the content analysis map that was extracted and discussed, the results can be mentioned as follows:Given the "use of dominant position," which is one of the unilateral anti-competitive procedures, factors such as technology, and the emergence of startups and the elimination of intermediaries have changed the face of competition among activists in the travel and tourism services in Tehran. On the other hand, managerial problems and the entry of the public sector as a strong competitor for private sector activists are mentioned as a challenge by activists in this field. From the perspective of the anti-competitive practice of "price distortion," the nature of being seasonal is one of the reasons mentioned, which has led to the formation of unconventional discounts and unregulated auctions in this sector. On the other hand, Monopoly is one example of "price disruption" among the agencies under study, both in terms of service nature and aggressive pricing. Another challenging issue for activists is their concern about rent, which significantly impacts competitive mechanisms in this market in terms of both communication and power. On the other hand, due to the anti-competitive practice of "disrupting the transaction, " the interviewees listed factors such as lack of supervision, customer type and Monopoly, and believe that circumventing the rules shows weakness and inefficiency of existing laws, has fueled anti-competitive instances. Customers, depending on the type of relationship they have with the organization (permanent and loyal or temporary, with different social and economic classes and their level of awareness of services), also have a significant impact on decision-making that can enrich antitrust procedures. On the other hand, the influence of charterers is also an issue that should not be overlooked. Another important factor in unilateral anti-competitive practices is the way of governing in this field are as follows, all challenges directly or indirectly address the quality of governance: illegal activities, the inefficiency of standards, lack of support from brokers, lack of experts among relevant authorities, lack of a well-codified plan, and the lack of continuous oversight. On vertical collective antitrust practices, issues, as follows, have been mentioned: such as "environmental factors" in the form of the seasonal nature of industry and sanctions; "monopoly" due to the specialized nature of the routes that in some cases have made Monopoly inevitable; "chartering collusion" with airlines so that others are unable to compete with them and it has become impossible to control ticket prices on some charters (which may eventually lead to the loss of passengers' rights); "wholesale cooperation with individuals "; and "comparative and competitive advantages," which have led to the distinction, specialization, and type of Monopoly. Here, management and governance are of great importance, as examples such as economic rents, lack of standards and managerial inefficiency, the formation of anti-competitive examples, and collusion among monopolists.Regarding horizontal collective anti-competitive practices, for reasons such as agencies' unwillingness to cooperate in groups, low power, large numbers, and the entry of the public sector and support for monopolies, it is impossible to form collusion among retail agencies. However, among wholesalers, there is a potential for Monopoly, which their influence and power can exemplify in setting prices, eliminating retailers, and aligning with the policies of other wholesalers. And limited and constant supply capacity of some products and services has paved the way for Monopoly as much as possible. ConclusionsToday, due to changes in the travel and tourism services market, including reducing problems and barriers to entry and the emergence of new entrants to this market, we are witnessing a relatively significant competition among businesses providing travel and tourism services. Also, the presence of e-agencies in cyberspace with irrational discounts and sometimes tour operators' direct sales has increased the pressures of competition for travel and tourism agencies and has led to bankruptcy. In addition, technology has made tourists more inclined to travel independently and with personal planning, which will affect the performance and profitability of agencies. On the other hand, competition in the tourism industry has a dynamic meaning, which has led to some anti-competitive practices. But business owners and sometimes customers are not aware of these anti-competitive practices. They do not know that this issue can be investigated within the legal framework and can be followed up. Examining the practical procedure of the Competition Council , the cases raised since the establishment of the Competition Council in this institution also show that travel agencies have not yet complained about the violation of market competition. It is noteworthy that the Competition Council, in its report on various markets, has not yet examined the possibility of anti-competitive practices in the tourism market. However, despite the lack of practice, the present study results indicate that there are competitive concerns about the tourism market. The majority of the interviewees mentioned the existence of an anti-competitive approach acknowledged "in many cases this also affects supply and demand." As a result, in analyzing the results of this research, it should be said that not only there is a dominant position, but there are also signs of abuse of a dominant position in this market. On the other hand, unlike the European legislature, the view of the Iranian legislature does not limit unilateral anti-competitive practices to dominant economic enterprises. However, in the tourism market, based on the data of the present study, it can be seen that the implementation of unilateral anti-competitive procedures by firms with a dominant position does not lead to the reaction of the competition regulator. There is evidence in this study that aggressive pricing, restricting resale, transaction discrimination, and misleading statements are alarm bells that the Competition Council should take seriously.
