Maryam Varmaghani; Azim Zarei; Davood Feiz; Morteza Maleki MinbashRazgah
Abstract
In today's competitive environment the use of intelligence in various aspects of business, including branding, allows organizations to achieve a high competitive position. The purpose of this research was to present the brand intelligence model in tourism start-ups and test the validity of the model. ...
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In today's competitive environment the use of intelligence in various aspects of business, including branding, allows organizations to achieve a high competitive position. The purpose of this research was to present the brand intelligence model in tourism start-ups and test the validity of the model. This research was exploratory mixed research. The grounded theory approach was used in the qualitative part. Six university professors and 18 tourism startup brand managers were interviewed through snowball sampling. The statistical population included managers and employees of tourism start-ups in the quantitative part. Finally, 384 questionnaires were collected using a convenience sampling method. A questionnaire based on the Likert scale was used to collect data and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the research data. According to the results, structural factors, management factors, internal content factors and external content factors as causal conditions can influence the intelligence of the tourism brand. Also, economic, socio-cultural, and political awareness as contextual factors and cultural factors, human resources, financial resources, and technological resources as intervening factors have a significant impact on brand intelligence strategies. These strategies include major change, partial change, and no change in the brand. Finally, brand intelligence strategies also have a significant impact on brand intelligence consequences. The results of this research have significantly helped to make the brand management process of organizations intelligent and provide a useful research tool for future studies.IntroductionIn order to get the best results from their brands, organizations should audit their brand capabilities, evaluate external issues affecting their brand, and then create a brand plan that defines the brand's actual goals and the strategy to achieve them. Researchers have developed a new method to analyze brand importance, called the Brand Intelligence Brand Semantic Score program. They have introduced brand intelligence as a method for brand analysis and brand positioning evaluation. However, according to the searches, a model for brand intelligence has yet to be provided. A strong brand is essential for tourism start-ups; it simplifies customers' decisions and creates a competitive advantage. The start-up brand is a very influential incentive in the consumer's purchasing decision when choosing a destination. Therefore, tourism start-ups should strengthen branding concepts and create a positive image in the minds of current and future tourists. To achieve this, brands must continuously manage, enhance and evaluate brand equity and other essential brand metrics. This is possible through "brand intelligence." However, according to the surveys, there needs to be more literature on brand management and intelligence in tourism start-ups, especially in Iran. Therefore, to fill the research gaps, researchers intend to provide a comprehensive model for brand intelligence and identify and test the factors related to brand intelligence with a mixed approach.MethodologyThis research is of mixed exploratory type. The grounded theory approach has been used in the qualitative part, and in the quantitative part, structural equation modeling has been used. In the first stage, a model for brand intelligence was designed, and in the second stage, the validity of the presented model was tested. In the qualitative part, six university professors and 18 marketing and brand managers of tourism start-ups were interviewed using snowball sampling. The statistical population in the quantitative part includes managers and employees of tourism start-ups. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula of 384 people. A simple cluster sampling method was used for sampling. A questionnaire based on a Likert scale was used to collect data, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.Discussion and ResultsQualitative data analysis showed that structural factors (existing organizational structure, flexibility of organizational structure, vital role of brand manager in organizational decisions), managerial factors (support and skill of top manager, resistance to change, manager's understanding of the benefits of brand intelligence, up-to-date view of top manager), internal content factors (understanding data and information, understanding the brand and understanding the product), and external content factors (understanding the market, competitors, and tourists) are causal factors that directly affect brand intelligence. Fundamental brand changes (brand name change, brand slogan change, brand promise change, brand identity change), minor brand changes (changing some brand elements, changing some brand management measures, continuing to move toward brand identity), and no change of brand (continuing to move towards brand identity, strengthening brand position by overseeing brand actions and tracking the factors affecting brand) were identified as brand intelligence strategies, According to the results, brand intelligence can have consequences for the brand and, consequently, the whole organization. The consequences of brand intelligence for the brand are brand agility, brand health, brand equity, brand performance, and brand position. Organizational consequences of brand intelligence include organizational agility, organizational performance, satisfaction/loyalty, and sustainable and temporary competitive advantage. In this research, cultural, human, financial, and technological resources are intervening factors. Economic, sociocultural, and political awareness were also identified as contextual factors. According to quantitative findings, structural, managerial, and content factors (causal conditions) can influence brand intelligence. The findings confirmed the effect of brand intelligence, contextual factors, and intervening factors on strategies and the effect of these strategies on the consequences of brand intelligence.ConclusionIn response to new-age brand management trends, this study aims to increase our understanding of brand intelligence and provide a valid model for brand intelligence of tourism start-ups. The findings of this study pave the way to creating an intelligent brand because in this model, using the grounded theory method, all aspects of making a brand intelligence have been considered and confirmed using SEM. Now, marketing and brand researchers have a comprehensive model of brand intelligence from an organizational point of view, which significantly helps to make the brand management process of intelligence and provides a valuable research tool for future studies. Brand Intelligence is the future of brand management, arming companies with an ongoing diagnostic tool to track and evaluate their brand performance more accurately. In this way, brand managers can first consider a standard for the essential criteria of the brand, monitor the criteria continuously, and make new decisions to take corrective measures if each criterion deviates from its standard value. Intelligence in various aspects of business, including branding, allows organizations to achieve a competitive position in today's turbulent environment
Hossein Livani; Ali Farhadi Mahalli; Alireza Matoufi
Abstract
Medical tourism is one of the branches of the tourism industry that has flourished in recent decades and has played a significant role in generating income and employment in countries. the present study was conducted to identify key requirements affecting the implementation of medical tourism policies ...
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Medical tourism is one of the branches of the tourism industry that has flourished in recent decades and has played a significant role in generating income and employment in countries. the present study was conducted to identify key requirements affecting the implementation of medical tourism policies in Golestan province. This qualitative research was conducted using grounded theory method. Participants included 13 people with at least 5 years of relevant work experience and expertise in the field of medical tourism who were included in the study through purposive sampling with snowball technique and were interviewed in depth. Frequent refinement of primary codes led to the formation of open codes and then core codes such as management system, public transport infrastructure, general regulations, and so on. Selected codes were also organized under the headings of organizational architecture, capacity building and service quality, etc
Manijeh Haghighinasab; Azam Mir Soleimani; Payvand MirzaeianKhamseh
Abstract
Introduction
In the modern world, a brand is a robust tool for differentiation, which is an important marketing strategy (Beritelli & Laesser, 2018). Statistics show that Iran has not yet been able to acquire a fair share of national income despite having great potential. In the Development Vision ...
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Introduction
In the modern world, a brand is a robust tool for differentiation, which is an important marketing strategy (Beritelli & Laesser, 2018). Statistics show that Iran has not yet been able to acquire a fair share of national income despite having great potential. In the Development Vision Document, Iran is ranked 89th in the world and 12th among the regional countries and is still far from its tourism goals (Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Reports, 2019). Thus, concerning the economic, social, and cultural conditions of Iran and its tourism potentialities, it is necessary to address the topic in order to enhance social employment, raise currency circulation, develop transportation, help with the realization of the development vision goals, and attract domestic and foreign investors. It can also pave the way for increasing international interactions and exchanges, helping Iran to become more influential in branding of other products and services—regarding the brand effect of the producer city—and to attain sustainable development. Therefore, the main question of the current research is as follows: What is the model of brand promotion for Fars Province as a tourist destination?
Materials and Methods
The methodology of the current research generally follows the onion model. The primary purpose of this study was to design and validate a model of brand promotion for Fars Province as a tourist destination. The research is characterized by the philosophical foundation of pragmatism, fundamental–applied orientation, and exploratory sequential mixed methods design. Concerning the qualitative aspect, the study used theoretical sampling, in-depth interviews, and the grounded theory approach. Concerning the quantitative aspect, the research employed the stratified random sampling method as well as the structural equations modeling using LISREL 8.8. Software. Based on the grounded theory approach, the in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 practitioners of the tourism industry. The collected data was then analyzed through the MAXQDA Software. Having identified 222 initial concepts under six main categories and 113 subcategories, the study went on to design the final paradigm model. In the quantitative phase of the study, 359 questionnaires extracted from the paradigm model were administered among the practitioners in order to validate the model. The results were tested by the structural equation modeling method using LISREL 8.8. Software.
Results and Discussion
Branding is recognized as a strategic approach to using tourism potentialities and promoting a tourist destination so that it can bring about the advantage of sustainable development. Using a mixed methods approach, this article intended to design and validate a brand promotion model for Fars Province as a tourist destination. Having confirmed the first hypothesis, the results showed the brand promotion for Fars Province is influenced by the causal factors, including the tourism potentialities in the province, the need for creating a sustainable competitive advantage for the province, and efforts made for enhancing the economic growth. The second hypothesis confirmed that the contextual factors (i.e., the available resources and facilities, social and cultural conditions, institutional and administrative security, and structures) have an impact on the formulation of an inclusive strategic tourism plan by the tourism practitioners. To explain the third hypothesis and draw conclusions, the study revealed that the brand promotion for Fars province, including awareness of the tourist destination brand and brand equity of Fars Province, significantly affects the strategy adopted by the tourism practitioners in formulating an inclusive strategic tourism plan. Hence, tourism administrators should focus on macro tourism policies and the potentialities and resources of Fars Province in order to determine the relevant tourism goals and select the target tourism market at the provincial level. The confirmation of the fourth hypothesis shows that the intervening factors (regional, global, political, economic, and infrastructural conditions, as well as managerial weaknesses) positively affect the adoption of strategies which promote tourist destination brands. Finally, the fifth hypothesis illuminates that any strategy for formulating an inclusive strategic tourism plan positively affects the consequences of its application (i.e., sustainable development). Thus, in addition to policymakers, the issue requires the consideration of tourism practitioners in the private sector, such as travel agencies, hoteliers, and educational centers. The activities and steps which can be influential in applying the inclusive strategic tourism plan are the alignment of tourism practitioners’ activities in the private sector with the national inclusive and strategic plan, identification of the target market and presentation of services commensurate with this market, and active participation in the local society to motivate and empower its residents.
Reza Mousavi; Maryam Omidi Najaf Abadi; Mehdi Mirdamadi; Seyed Jamal Farajollah Hosseini
Abstract
According to the importance of sustainability in tourism activities, the aim of this study was to achieve a model for the development of sustainable sports tourism with the approach of rural sports and local-native games in Mazandaran province.This study is a qualitative research that has been done using ...
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According to the importance of sustainability in tourism activities, the aim of this study was to achieve a model for the development of sustainable sports tourism with the approach of rural sports and local-native games in Mazandaran province.This study is a qualitative research that has been done using the grounded theory .Data analysis was performed during three stages of coding and led to the emergence of 354 open codes, 66 concepts in the form of 11 main categories.The results showed that the existence of sports tourism attractions, as a causal condition has led to the need to develop sustainable sports tourism with the approach of rural sports and local-native games.If policies,management and planning and marketing strategies are implemented in the appropriate context of the infrastructure and whit regard to religious and social participation and financial and supportive considerations,it can lead to the emergence of sustainable livelihood consequences for local communities.
Mohammadali Shahhoseini; Mohsen Nazari; Mohamad saleh Torkestani; Fatemeh Ghorbani
Abstract
Abstract The corporate social responsibility approach and the tourism industry are directly related to the community and the environment and are somehow intertwined and highly interrelated. This research aimed to present a conceptual model of corporate social responsibility in Iran’s tourism. A ...
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Abstract The corporate social responsibility approach and the tourism industry are directly related to the community and the environment and are somehow intertwined and highly interrelated. This research aimed to present a conceptual model of corporate social responsibility in Iran’s tourism. A qualitative research approach has been used for conducting this research. This research’s statistical population has consisted of all tourism experts in 2018. The sample consists of 21 of them selected using purposive judgmental and snowball sampling methods; sampling was continued until theoretical saturation. The research tool was semi-structured interviews whose trustworthiness was assessed using the review method when coding and approval of research colleagues. The coding of the data was done manually, and according to the main purpose of the research, a paradigm model was constructed using the Grounded Theory approach. According to the results, the phenomenon of corporate social responsibility in the field of tourism includes various dimensions of "intra-company," "environmental," "economical," "social," "cultural," and "legal." The results also showed that "gaining social acceptance," "forming new concepts and knowledgeable and responsible tourists," "compensating for the negative effects of tourism," and "economic profitability" are the causal conditions affecting the implementation of this responsibility. Besides, intervening conditions and contexts affecting corporate social responsibility implementation strategies in the field of tourism in Iran were identified, which lead to "sustainable tourism development," "corporate competitive advantage," and "business sustainability."
Zeinab Bahraini; Nader Naderi
Abstract
This research is attempting to adopt a non-teleological approach to the entrepreneurship process in the coastal tourism area of Bushehr province. The present study is theoretical and applied in terms of its objective. The research method is descriptive in terms of data collection method. Also, the present ...
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This research is attempting to adopt a non-teleological approach to the entrepreneurship process in the coastal tourism area of Bushehr province. The present study is theoretical and applied in terms of its objective. The research method is descriptive in terms of data collection method. Also, the present research is a qualitative research whose strategy is based on grounded theory. Considering experts of coastal tourism as the statistical population of the study, 9 people are selected as research experts using the purposeful sampling method. Then, the data are collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed in three stages of open, pivotal and selective data coding.In the prescriptive process model of this research, the main phenomenon is the recognition and exploitation of the proper opportunity that is due to the characteristics and background of the entrepreneur
Solaleh Shahvazian; Firoozeh Hashemi Gheinani
Abstract
Corona virus outbreak has disrupted the industry and trade cycle. This study purpose is to investigate human resource management challenges during Corona crisis, and to provide a solution in hotel industry. Research method is based on inductive approach theory in qualitative way. The statistical population ...
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Corona virus outbreak has disrupted the industry and trade cycle. This study purpose is to investigate human resource management challenges during Corona crisis, and to provide a solution in hotel industry. Research method is based on inductive approach theory in qualitative way. The statistical population was hotel industry experts selected as sample. Interview data were analyzed using MAXQDA software. Reliability and validity were assessed using Lincoln and Guba technique. Findings show that the cause conditions of this study at highly damaging nature of Covid-19 pandemic are economic problems, weakness in establishing communication skills and perceptual skills of human resource management. Main phenomenon has emerged in economic, political, social and cultural challenges. Structural factors, financial and credit indicators identified as intervenes. Research result shows that human resource managers can achieve their goals using strategies like training human resources, identifying financing methods, reducing costs and obtaining government support.
Ali Pourang; Seyed Morteza Ghayour Baghbani; Morteza Rojoui; Omid Behboodi
Abstract
Religious travels play a significant role in tourism, and the optimal connection between spirituality and commercialization of the brand of religious tourism destinations should be guided by a comprehensive analysis of the stakeholders’ interests. The purpose of the study is to investigate the ...
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Religious travels play a significant role in tourism, and the optimal connection between spirituality and commercialization of the brand of religious tourism destinations should be guided by a comprehensive analysis of the stakeholders’ interests. The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between spirituality and commercialization of religious tourism brand in Mashhad, using the qualitative approach and grounded theory. Data collection was based on theoretical foundations, the study of upstream documents, and conducted deep, open, semi-structured interviews with experts that were selected purposefully. To analyze the data, a continuous comparison method has been used during three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The results showed that 153 concepts in the interaction of spirituality and the brand commercialization exist in 5 contextual categories, 5 casual categories, 3 intervention categories, 3 strategic categories, 10 consequence categories and 3 categories of (inconsistency of national macro-measures with the interests of urban stakeholders, intra-organizational and inter-organizational conflict and partial optimization) as barriers to the implementation of strategies.
Saeed Shafia; Mirali Seyyed Naghavi
Abstract
In branding projects, the lack of a suitable domestic model for branding causing inefficiency. The aim of this research is to provide a model based on the human activities of the tourism sector of Iran. This fundamental research is of a qualitative type, which was done using grounded theory; so, the ...
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In branding projects, the lack of a suitable domestic model for branding causing inefficiency. The aim of this research is to provide a model based on the human activities of the tourism sector of Iran. This fundamental research is of a qualitative type, which was done using grounded theory; so, the research data were collected using the library studies and interviews with 20 managers familiar with this concept. Findings show that institutionalization of a brand in human resources is the main phenomenon of internal branding and communication, educational, knowledge management and human resources management play the role of causal factors. Also, leadership-facilitation and motivational-management categories have a strategic role in this model. The innovation of this research is the presentation of a model derived from the background data of the Iranian community. Until now no other model was proposed for the tourism and services sector of Iran. This study showed that the internalization and alignment of employees with the brand not only results in desirable employee outcomes, but also leads to financial rewards, stakeholder interests, and desirable spiritual outcomes. Therefore, domestic branding is an inward measure for the development of all sectors of tourism.
Manizheh Bahrainizadeh; Babak Busheri Sangizad
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the loyalty of tourists to the Bushehr province by using grounded theory. Another goal is to provide a conceptual framework based on the identified factors and then is evaluating the conceptual model.This project is done by using qualitative methods ...
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The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the loyalty of tourists to the Bushehr province by using grounded theory. Another goal is to provide a conceptual framework based on the identified factors and then is evaluating the conceptual model.This project is done by using qualitative methods based on grounded theory by using semi-structured interviews of experts in the field of Bushehr, factors affecting tourism destination loyalty was determined according to climatic and cultural conditions. The initial sample size is 16 persons of tourism experts who were identified during the study period. The data coding was performed using the NVIVO8 software. The results showed that tourist destination loyalty by using 3 items , Perceived value with 5 items, quality of service with 5 items, hosttig by using 3 items, knowledge with 11 items and restrictions by 21 items were operated
Amir Tayyebi; Kamran Zekavat
Abstract
Recognizing and interpreting the urban spaces as a tourist destination is the main objective of this study, so it can provide a way to modify or repair this mental image by identifying the environmental features involved. This research is one of the first research in this area (urban tourism) that places ...
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Recognizing and interpreting the urban spaces as a tourist destination is the main objective of this study, so it can provide a way to modify or repair this mental image by identifying the environmental features involved. This research is one of the first research in this area (urban tourism) that places urban space as the subject and destination of domestic tourists. This is interpretive research and has used Grounded Theory. Participants of the study included 30 domestic tourists visiting Isfahan urban spaces. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview method. Then they were analyzed based on the structural analysis of the Grounded Theory and according to open, axial and selective coding. The central issue is the mental image of domestic tourists from the urban spaces of Isfahan which is presented in two dimensions of cognitive and emotional with regard to the causative, contextual, and interventionist conditions, strategies, and consequences, the final model was presented.
Naser Aminian; Mir Ali Seyed Naghavi
Abstract
Considering the importance of the presence and participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of tourism development programs, the use of an optimal and integrated management model can allow us to integrate policies in line with development plans, utilize the conditions for the presence of all ...
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Considering the importance of the presence and participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of tourism development programs, the use of an optimal and integrated management model can allow us to integrate policies in line with development plans, utilize the conditions for the presence of all social, and material capital of the practitioner of this industry with strengthening the participatory platforms of the private sector.
Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the indicators and design a desirable governance model in the tourism industry of Iran. This is a qualitative, applied-development research based on the grounded theory. The statistical population includes university professors of tourism management, organization managers, parliamentarians, and tourism industry activists. The statistical sample consists of 26 people who have been selected using judgmental and snowball sampling. Semi-structured deep interviews with preset questions have been done by comparing data in open, axial, and selective coding to the theoretical saturation stage and separation of main and sub-categories. For data analysis, Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory (1998) have been used.
The results show three indicators of integrated management, security and attitudes toward the target market are emerging indicators from the desired pattern of tourism good governance research. This template is a new strategy in modifying existing management practices, and the consequence of this is sustainable development and employment in the tourism industry. In the end, there are suggestions for the promotion of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization to the Ministry of Tourism, integrated management of the organization's policies along with the participation of all sectors of the government, private affairs and associations in Iran.
gholamreza kazemian; elham azadi
Abstract
This article is about the capability of urban tourism development in central district of Tehran with the urban management approach, dealing with a primary question about evaluation of urban tourism development capabilities of city-central districts and secondary questions about traits and capabilities ...
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This article is about the capability of urban tourism development in central district of Tehran with the urban management approach, dealing with a primary question about evaluation of urban tourism development capabilities of city-central districts and secondary questions about traits and capabilities of central district of Tehran. This research is a qualitative study, using “grounded theory” method as a tool for gathering and analysis of the data. Data has been collected through deep interviews and field observations. Our sample study is comprised of 31 urban actives that were selected by means of aimed sampling in four groups: state section, private section, public section, and citizens. Results drawn from the paradigm model show that urban tourism in central district of Tehran has not been developed enough to fulfill its capabilities. The Solution proposed is changing the economic central district to cultural central district. In this paper the present position of central district of Tehran and its probable ideal position have been shown in a three-dimensional model; and a pattern composed of both culture-based and economics-based tourism development has been recognized as a suitable pattern for actualizing tourism development potentials in central district of Tehran.
