New Approaches in Management and Marketing

Abstract The present study provides a model to identify factors affecting consumer behavior demand for organic products in Iran using a data-based approach, which is in the exploratory research category based on the purpose. The research population includes professionals and experts active in the field of organic products in industry and academia. The sampling method was purposeful and continued until the theoretical saturation stage, in which 14 people were selected. In the technical aspect, the data-based method of the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin is also used. In the present study, using MaxQuda 2024 software to analyze the data obtained from the interviews; 13 causal factors, 3 central components, 14 strategies, 26 underlying factors, 21 intervening factors, and 12 consequences were found from the 89 initial concepts extracted in open coding. The variables of consumer awareness, acute diseases, health-oriented lifestyle and household purchasing power were identified as the most important causal factors. Exploitation of cyberspace and social networks, education, holding exhibitions, festivals and information were introduced as the most practical strategies. Government support, supervisory and inspection organizations, exploitation of approvals and certificates, policies, laws and collective and cultural values ​​were identified as the most effective underlying factors. Consumer trust, macroeconomic situation and product price, inhibitory intervening factors as well as taste, flavor and quality of propelling intervening factors were identified. Mental and physical health of the community, improvement of the generation and prosperity of organic business were the main outcomes predicted.
Introduction
In modern marketing, with the approach of providing products in line with the needs and desires of customers and simultaneously considering the health and welfare of the community, it is necessary to take action to examine, analyze and recognize the needs of consumers along with considering ways to maintain the health of the community (Khalaji et al., 2022). The goal of the marketing system is not simply to maximize consumption, provide more choice for the consumer, or provide customer satisfaction; but rather to enhance the quality of life to the highest possible level; and quality of life does not only mean the quantity and quality of goods and services, but also the quality of the environment (Chegini Asli & Saleh Ardestani, 2016). Therefore, it should be considered that healthy and pollution-free products guarantee meeting needs while maintaining human and environmental health and hygiene, and considering that the organic industry has the highest level of environmental and human health maintenance (meysamizade et al., 2023),
Organic agriculture means growing agricultural products and raising livestock without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms or products, and is often considered a healthier and safer option than conventional products (Pouralijan et al., 2021). Organic food refers to natural foods free of any artificial chemicals, that is, foods that are generally known to be beneficial for individual health, the environment, and society as a whole (Roseira et al., 2022). Organic agriculture can act as an important factor in local development and has an impact on improving the economic conditions of farmers, cultivating social capital and strengthening their connection to the market (Andruszkiewicz & Wierzejski, 2024). In the last decade, environmental and social concerns have increased and consumers have become interested in food products with environmental, health and social characteristics, in other words, sustainable food products (Aqhasafari et al, 2020).
Determining consumer motivations for purchasing organic products and prioritizing these factors can provide a clear and complete picture to planners and policymakers in this sector so that, with a comprehensive understanding of the level of promotion of the structures affecting it, they can have a complete plan to implement the necessary support policies and fully respond to the needs of producers and consumers, so that ultimately the process of producing organic products can be expanded and enter the consumer market through appropriate marketing channels (Hezar Khani et al., 2023). Paying attention to the needs and demands of consumers is the first step to developing the organic products market because understanding consumer behavior and examining the factors affecting it plays a very important role in the success of any economic system (Karbasi & Sheibani, 2022). Attempts to conduct an extensive study are faced with a lack of articles. Understanding the characteristics and behavior of the target market and being aware of the issues that affect business are essential for effective marketing of organic food items (Raksha Shenoy et al., 2024). Therefore, the researcher intends to answer the question: What are the factors affecting the demand for organic products in Iran?
Theoretical Basis
Organic Product Buyer Behavior
Organic product buyer behavior is a set of decisions and reactions of consumers in selecting, purchasing, and using products that are in line with the principles of health, hygiene, and the environment. This behavior is influenced by individual, social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors and reflects consumers' willingness to purchase products that ensure personal and community health and support sustainable and environmentally friendly production (Safari et al., 2022).
Marketing Mix in Organic Product Buyer Behavior
Marketing mix is ​​a set of organizational tools and actions that companies use to influence consumer decisions and behavior, including product, price, distribution, and advertising. In the context of organic products, the appropriate use of these tools plays an important role in gaining trust, increasing awareness, and strengthening consumer purchasing motivation. Product features, quality, packaging, and health and environmental certification labels are among the factors that influence buyer behavior and make consumers feel confident about the authenticity and value of the product (Hezar Khani et al., 2023).
Andruszkiewicz et al. (2024) conducted a study called “Comparative Analysis of Consumer Behavior of the Younger Generation in Poland and Germany with the Aim of Assessing Consumer Behavior of This Generation in the Context of Organic Food Market Trends”. The results showed that the Covid pandemic and the Ukrainian war have increased social uncertainty and inflation, which has reduced consumers’ purchasing power.
Kamboj et al. (2023) conducted a study called “Motivations for Intention to Buy Organic Food”. This study was conducted on 294 Indian consumers using a questionnaire method. The findings showed that functional value, quality, social norms, consumer innovation, and green trust have the greatest impact on purchase intention.
Research Method
The present study is applicable in terms of purpose, and qualitative in nature, with an exploratory approach, conducted to identify the factors affecting the demand for organic products in Iran. The theoretical framework of the study was formed based on the principles of consumer behavior and theories related to sustainable consumption, and in order to discover the underlying theory, the data-based theory approach with the systematic model of Strauss & Corbin (1998) was used. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used with 15 academic experts, experts in the agricultural and environmental sectors, as well as activists in the organic products business, including producers, distributors, and consumers. Participants were selected using purposive sampling and observing the principle of theoretical saturation.
The interview protocol was developed based on the research objectives and theoretical background review. In the first stage, a list of 6 open-ended questions was designed that covered various aspects related to the demand for organic products. To increase content validity, the questions were provided to three experts in the field of agricultural marketing and consumption management, and necessary amendments were made after receiving feedback.
The interviews were conducted in person and in some cases online, and each session lasted between 45 and 60 minutes. While adhering to the framework of the questions, it was possible to ask supplementary questions based on the participants' responses to deepen and enrich the data. Before the start of each interview, the objectives of the research were explained to the participants and their informed consent was obtained.
The collected data were analyzed through three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. Review by the participants was used to validate the data, and triangulation of sources and the use of expert opinions were used to ensure reliability.
Research Findings
The present study showed that the behavior of buyers of organic products in Iran is influenced by a set of individual, economic, cultural and environmental factors. Education, information, smart marketing and access to diverse products are the most important strategies affecting consumer willingness. Also, demographic factors, moral values ​​and laws and regulations act as a basis or barrier to the acceptance of these products.
Discussion and Conclusion
Data analysis showed that the behavior of buyers of organic products in Iran is influenced by a set of economic, cognitive, individual and personality and belief factors. In the economic dimension, household purchasing power was identified as a determining component. This finding shows that even if the consumer has a positive attitude or sufficient awareness about the benefits of organic products, financial constraints can prevent purchase. This result is consistent with the results of Safari et al. (2022) and Hasanzehi & Dadres Mokhtari (2021) and confirms the importance of the economic dimension in consumer purchasing behavior.
In the cognitive dimension, consumer awareness and knowledge related to the benefits of organic products had the greatest impact. The findings show that effective information and education increase purchase motivation; this result is consistent with the studies of Kamboj et al. (2023) and Roseira et al. (2022). Also, personal health concerns and beliefs related to a health-oriented lifestyle, similar to the study of Ayaviri-Nina et al. (2022), play an important role in choosing healthy products and show that consumers in Iran also pay special attention to their own and family's health.
Personality and belief factors were also effective. In particular, the influence of family and reference groups was identified as one of the most important components, indicating that social norms and recommendations from reference groups can shape purchasing behavior. This finding is consistent with the results of Roseira et al. (2022) and emphasizes that consumer purchasing behavior is not only influenced by individual factors, but also social and cultural networks play a key role.
Strategies related to education and marketing, such as education through educational centers, the use of cyberspace and social networks, holding exhibitions, and informing through official media, acted as reinforcing factors and helped reduce consumer resistance. This is consistent with the findings of Hezar Khani et al. (2023) and indicates that education and marketing can strengthen consumer motivation and acceptance.
The underlying factors included demographic characteristics (age, gender, family structure), collective and cultural values, health and treatment conditions, and sales and distribution infrastructures. These factors, similar to the findings of Hasanzehi & Dadres Mokhtari (2021) and Safari et al. (2022), show the role of the environment and social context in shaping purchasing behavior. In particular, collective and cultural values ​​indicate the importance of social and cultural contexts in consumer decision-making. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract The present study sought to investigate the role of entrepreneurial marketing in the development of the tourism industry. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, quantitative in terms of its implementation method, and descriptive-correlational in terms of its nature and method. A standard questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect research data. The content validity of the tool was confirmed by specialists and experts, and Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were used to measure the reliability of the tool. By distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the tool was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all variables should be greater than 0.5. SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the data. The results of structural equation modeling with SmartPL software showed that entrepreneurial marketing of health tourism is influenced by human factors, innovation, and government support, and has a significant impact on economic and social strategies and outcomes. Implementing innovative strategies improves the tourist experience and develops cooperation between healthcare and tourism centers. This study shows the importance of innovative management and the use of new technologies for the sustainable development of health tourism. In addition, the overall model fitting results showed that the obtained model had appropriate validity, reliability, and credibility.
Introduction
The tourism industry is one of the most important economic and cultural resources of countries and plays a key role in sustainable development, job creation, and increasing foreign exchange earnings (Rajabi et al., 2024). Tourism can contribute to economic and social growth by creating direct and indirect job opportunities, strengthening infrastructure, and developing less-developed areas (Lovafan et al., 2022). In Iran, despite its natural, historical, and cultural diversity, there are potential capacities for tourism development, the use of which requires careful planning and targeted policymaking (qiu et al., 2021).
Health tourism, as one of the booming and growing branches of tourism, has gained special importance. The combination of medical services with natural and cultural attractions has made Iran one of the potential health tourism destinations in the region. In addition to generating income, this type of tourism improves the quality of medical services, creates jobs, and promotes balanced development of different regions, and provides new economic opportunities for the private and public sectors (Tash & Amiri Sardari, 2023).
Entrepreneurial marketing, as a new approach to marketing management, is a combination of entrepreneurial thinking and traditional marketing principles. This approach emphasizes creativity, innovation, risk-taking, and opportunism and helps organizations remain competitive in dynamic markets. In the tourism industry, entrepreneurial marketing provides the opportunity to provide differentiated services and products, attract tourists, and create new experiences (Salami et al., 2023). Entrepreneurial marketing, relying on innovation, creativity, and the use of new market opportunities, can play a key role in the development of the health tourism industry (Mansoori et al., 2024). By focusing on accurately understanding the needs of the target market and utilizing new advertising and digital techniques, this type of marketing can help identify and introduce unique health services in health tourism destinations. In addition, entrepreneurial marketing leads to the formation of a coordinated and integrated ecosystem to attract health tourists by encouraging cooperation between different sectors such as medical centers, travel agencies, and governments. Also, by using innovative approaches, entrepreneurial marketing can help identify new markets and develop unique strategies to attract target audiences globally (Darwazeh, Clarke & Wilson, 2021). In countries like Iran, which have good medical infrastructure in many areas such as dentistry, cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, and traditional medicine, health tourism can be considered a valuable economic opportunity to attract foreign exchange earnings and create employment. However, to exploit these opportunities, there is a need for precise and entrepreneurial marketing strategies that are specifically dedicated to this industry (Jabari Nezhad esfahlan, Divsalar & Hoseini Ghoncheh, 2022). Currently, despite the high therapeutic capacities, the marketing of the health tourism industry in Iran is still in its infancy, and many private medical centers and hospitals have not been able to effectively use this potential. This is especially noticeable compared to competing countries that use advanced marketing strategies to attract health tourists. Another challenge is the lack of accurate knowledge of the characteristics of the target market in the health tourism industry. This market, unlike traditional tourism markets, pays special attention to the specific needs of individuals and health services tailored to those needs. Therefore, designing a marketing model that can accurately identify the needs and preferences of the target market is of particular importance (Tash & Amiri Sardari, 2023). Therefore, the main question of the present research is: what is the role of entrepreneurial marketing in the development of the tourism industry?
Theoretical foundations
Health tourism
Health tourism is a set of activities in which people travel to a destination other than their place of residence to improve their physical and mental health, receive medical, rehabilitation, prevention or health care services. This type of tourism is a combination of medical, care and recreational services and, due to its overlap with other tourism sectors such as nature tourism, cultural and accommodation, has extensive economic and social potential (Shafiei & et al, 2021).
Research background
Khakzadian (2025) studied “Explanation of local and cultural characteristics of Mazandaran province on the formation and continuation of hybrid entrepreneurship”. The qualitative and phenomenological research approach was chosen using the Claise method. The results show that the combination of cultural, geographical and climatic characteristics of the region, as well as the role of local networks and support structures, provides a suitable platform for the formation and continuation of hybrid entrepreneurship in Mazandaran.
Yahyazadeh et al. (2023) studied “Presenting a tourism industry development model with an emphasis on the role of media management with a mixed approach”, in this study a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) was used. The results showed that advertising, service quality, policy-making, participation of local people, tourism culture, appropriate exploitation of the environment, income generation in the tourism destination and infrastructure facilities were identified as the main components that affect the tourism industry.
Research methodology
This research is applicable in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The population of the present study includes all hospital visitors (including patients and their companions). Given the unlimited size of the population, the sample size was determined to be 384 people and four cities including Shiraz, Rasht, Tehran, and Isfahan were selected. The researcher was assigned to Milad and Pars hospitals in Tehran, Namaz and Dr. Shariati hospitals in Shiraz, Fayyaz Bakhsh, Imam Khomeini hospitals in Isfahan, and Ghaem (A.J.) and Golsar hospitals in Rasht. An equal number of 48 questionnaires were distributed to each hospital. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research instrument are reported in Table 2. To examine the validity of the instrument, content validity (expert opinion) was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, by distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the instrument was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all research variables must be greater than 0.5. In order to test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used in the context of smart pls2 statistical software.
Research findings
The findings showed that human factors and skills, innovation in services, infrastructure and government support play an important role in the formation of entrepreneurial marketing in health tourism, and this phenomenon has a significant impact on development strategies and economic, social and cultural consequences of the industry. Also, strategies based on entrepreneurial marketing improve customer experience, attract investment and strengthen cooperation between medical centers and tourism. These results are in line with previous domestic and international research and emphasize the importance of innovative management and the use of new technologies in the development of health tourism.
Discussion and Conclusion
The research findings showed that a set of human and specialized factors play the greatest role in the formation of entrepreneurial marketing in health tourism. The expertise and experience of doctors, the communication skills of employees, the quality of customer-oriented services, and innovation in providing medical services strengthen the understanding and trust of health tourists and provide a suitable platform for entrepreneurial marketing. These results are in line with the studies of Shafei et al. (2021), who emphasized that human resource capabilities and service quality are the most important factors in attracting health tourists in Iran. Also, the studies of Kaewman et al. (2018) show that innovation and expertise are the determining factors for tourists. Therefore, it can be concluded that human factors and innovation are the basis for the development of entrepreneurial marketing in the health tourism industry and their importance has been confirmed globally.
The results show that entrepreneurial marketing, as the main phenomenon of the research, is the main driver of the success of health tourism attraction strategies. The use of creativity, digital technologies, social networks and distinctive branding increases the attractiveness of health services and differentiates the destination in the competitive health tourism market. These findings are consistent with the research of Daraie et al. (2023) which shows that innovative and digital marketing increases the effectiveness of health tourism programs. Also, the studies of Mansoori et al. (2024) emphasize that the application of new technologies and entrepreneurial marketing increases competitiveness and international market development. As a result, entrepreneurial marketing plays a key role in creating value, developing the market and attracting health tourists and can create a sustainable competitive advantage for medical destinations. The findings showed that cultural and social factors play an important intervening role in the implementation of entrepreneurial marketing strategies. The attitude of the host community, the level of public awareness towards health tourism and the level of acceptance of new treatment methods can facilitate or limit the implementation of marketing programs. The study of Hosseini et al in Iran also emphasizes that a positive attitude and community awareness are prerequisites for the success of health tourism. Studies by Kaewman et al. (2018) show that cultural differences and social acceptance are determining factors for the success of health tourism destinations. Therefore, it can be concluded that without cultural support and community awareness, marketing strategies, even if innovative, will not achieve the desired results.
The results showed that the existence of appropriate physical and medical infrastructure, standard accommodation facilities, appropriate transportation and financial support and government policy play a fundamental role in the success of entrepreneurial marketing. Studies by Wang et al. (2023) have also shown that infrastructure and government support are the most important requirements for the development of health tourism. Kaewman et al. (2018) also shows that smart government policymaking and the development of standard infrastructure directly attract health tourists and increase industry productivity.
Therefore, the conclusion is that marketing strategies cannot be effective without adequate infrastructure and strengthening environmental conditions is the basis for the development of this industry.
The results show that the implementation of entrepreneurial marketing strategies has wide-ranging consequences at the economic, social and cultural levels. The use of creativity, innovative service design and correct branding, in addition to increasing tourist attraction, creates jobs, boosts related businesses and improves the quality of health services. Robina-Ramírez et al. (2022) studies have also emphasized the role of these strategies in economic development and improving the quality of services. Kaewman et al. (2018) studies also show that innovative marketing increases cultural interaction, sustainable development and improve of the quality of health services in health tourism destinations. Therefore, entrepreneurial marketing strategies act as a bridge between therapeutic capacities and international markets and play a key role in the sustainable growth of the industry. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.