Journal of New Approaches in Management and Marketing

Abstract Abstract The present study sought to provide a model of persuasion in social media messages in promoting green products. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, quantitative in terms of implementation, and descriptive-correlational in terms of 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 trust-building, audience interaction, narrative, and visual design all play an effective role in strengthening the audience's environmental attitude and behavior and supporting green products. Also, technical infrastructure and new technologies facilitate the path of persuasion and acceptance of a sustainable lifestyle. Introduction Today's world is constantly changing; changes that are mainly the result of scientific advances and emerging technologies and have a wide impact on the individual and social lives of humans. Communication and information technologies have grown significantly in recent years (Jafari et al., 2017). Since the 1970s, with the beginning of the communication and information technology revolution, tools such as satellites, the Internet, and mobile phones have entered the field, changing the level of expectations, norms, and social interactions (Bastani et al., 2017). At the same time, social networks have provided an efficient and low-cost space for communication and interaction, which has become more effective than other media due to the possibility of access at any time and active participation of users (Mahmoud et al., 2020). Today, citizens are able to receive and analyze information at the lowest cost and at the highest speed, and this can create appropriate or sometimes distorted perceptions (Lin et al., 2020; Hamidi Zadeh, 2019). Social networks have become large databases that increase the rapid circulation of information and decision-making power in various fields, including marketing. By producing attractive content, these media play an effective role in attracting and persuading audiences (Kim et al., 2016) and, as a low-cost platform, they provide the opportunity to reflect persuasive messages and influence customer beliefs, attitudes, and behavior (Labbafi et al., 2016). Since networks host diverse groups with different interests, the reflection of persuasive messages can promote the acceptance and support of green products. Marketing on social networks not only strengthens customer attitudes and satisfaction, but also affects their purchase intention and repeat purchase (Ghaforian Shagerdi et al., 2016). The development of green products through these messages can increase collective perceptions and social responsibility in environmental protection (Matthes et al., 2014). Attention to the environmental impacts of products has also become an important criterion in purchasing decisions, so that price is not the only determining factor (Joshi et al., 2015). The global and Iranian situation shows an increase in environmental pollution and waste, highlighting the necessity of developing green products (Du et al., 2020). Given the importance of environmental protection, this study seeks to investigate the role of persuasive messages on social networks in promoting support for green products, and its main goal is to explain the conceptual model of persuasion and its impact on the development of green products. In a situation where the global market is sensitive to customers' environmental demands and considerations, companies are forced to formulate their marketing strategy based on customer attitudes and perceptions and social expectations (Limk & Louizao, 2014). Creating customer-friendly values ​​and a coherent identity between the company, customers, and society are key principles for business survival and growth (Talari et al., 2018). The development of green products can increase social awareness and pave the way for positive behavioral changes in consumers (Wu et al., 2020). Despite previous research that has emphasized the importance of social awareness and persuasion in supporting green products (Ogbeibu et al., 2020), there is still a lack of research about the topic. Theoretical foundations Persuasion As a multidimensional process in human communication, persuasion deals with changing the audience's attitudes, emotions, and behavior, and its success requires understanding the audience's cognitive, emotional, and cultural backgrounds so that the message has the greatest impact (Lin et al., 2020). Trust-building and brand credibility Brand credibility and trust are key components of marketing and brand communications that shape consumers' attitudes and behaviors. Brand trust includes assurance of the truthfulness of promises and social responsibility, and brand credibility refers to the audience's perception of the brand's reliability (Kim et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2024). Research has shown that reputable brands can increase green behaviors and customer satisfaction, and strengthen individual motivations for sustainable consumption (Ogbeibu et al., 2020; Hu et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2020). Persuasive and interactive tactics Interactive tactics invite the audience to actively participate and respond and include personalized content, Q&A, surveys, and creating a discussion space (Mahmoud et al., 2020). These tactics increase the level of attention, learning, and trust in the brand and, in green marketing, allow for better understanding of environmental messages (Lin et al., 2020; Ogbeibu et al., 2020). Environmental behavior and lifestyle Environmental behavior and lifestyle include purchasing green products, reducing energy consumption, waste management, and participating in environmental activities (Joshi & Rahman, 2015; Du et al., 2020). Positive attitudes towards the environment and external factors such as brand trust, social responsibility and social media messages can strengthen individual motivations to adopt a sustainable lifestyle (Huang et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2020; Ogbeibu et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2020). Hu et al. (2024) investigated "The role of social media marketing on green product repurchase intention". The research method is descriptive correlational and the sample is 438 people. The results showed that social media marketing activities significantly increase green values, environmental concerns and brand image and positively affect brand involvement. Also, brand involvement mediated the relationship between green values, environmental concerns, brand image and repurchase intention. Huang et al. (2024) studied the "Effect of Green Marketing on Repurchase Intention and Positive Word of Mouth of Residential Platform Users". The research method is descriptive correlational and the sample size is 488 people. The results showed that consumers' perception of green marketing increased consumer trust and identification with the platform, and as a result, it affected repurchase intention and positive word of mouth. Consumer trust also mediated the relationship between green marketing and repurchase intention and positive word of mouth. Research Methodology This research is applicable in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population includes active users of social networks and experts in the field of green product marketing who play a practical role in the process of persuasion and acceptance of messages. Given that there is no information on the exact number of the statistical population; therefore, the population is considered indefinite and according to the Cochran formula sampling method for the indefinite population, the sample size is 384 people. The statistical sample of the research will be selected randomly and by simple sampling method. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research tool are reported in Table 1. To examine the validity of the tool, content validity (expert opinion) was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, 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 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 present study showed that building trust and brand credibility, along with the use of interactive tactics and emotional narratives, plays a fundamental role in improving the environmental behaviors and attitudes of the audience. Modern messaging infrastructures and technologies and visual design in harmony with green values ​​strengthen the persuasive power of messages and increase the acceptance of a sustainable lifestyle. The findings confirm the importance of integrating trust, interaction, narrative, visual design, and technology in developing green marketing and promoting brand social responsibility, and show that these factors can strengthen individual and collective motivations for sustainable consumption. Discussion and Conclusion The research findings showed that trust-building and brand credibility play a central role in shaping audiences’ environmental attitudes and behaviors, such that audiences who consider the brand to be credible and trustworthy are more likely to consume green, reduce energy consumption, and participate in environmental activities (Huang et al., 2024; Meysamizad et al., 2023). Also, persuasive and interactive tactics in messaging, along with narratives and emotional messages, increase active audience participation and pave the way for improving green messaging infrastructure and channels (Antoun et al., 2023; Khalaji et al., 2022). Other findings of the present study showed that persuasive strategies based on narrative and emotion, by enhancing interactive tactics, engage audiences more and increase their level of interaction with messages and the brand. This is consistent with the research of Antoun et al. (2023) and Meysamizad et al. (2023) who have confirmed the role of storytelling and emotional messages in increasing digital impact and participation. Also, the infrastructure and technical platforms of green messaging are of considerable importance in creating environmental behaviors of audiences and strengthening their understanding of the brand's social responsibility. This finding is consistent with the research of Khalaji et al. (2022) and Hu et al. (2024) and shows that digital tools and channels can strengthen individual motivations for green consumption and adoption of a sustainable lifestyle. Visual design aligned with green values ​​and the use of digital platform technologies and algorithms also enhance the persuasive power of messages and improve audience acceptance and commitment to sustainable consumption (Hu et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2024).

Abstract 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.

Abstract Abstract The aim of this study is to present a model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (RA), selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Data analysis was performed through coding using the content analysis method and using NVIVO version 11 software. The research findings showed that the extracted concepts related to the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee include 94 themes, 30 basic themes, and 10 organizing themes (drawing a vision supporting social entrepreneurship, improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization, utilizing economic activity, creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture, service-oriented human resources, social responsibility of the relief committee, creating sustainable value in the organization, creating organizational interactions, promoting social justice and reducing poverty, and improving the organization's entrepreneurial performance). Introduction Today, a new topic that has been considered in the field of entrepreneurship, along with organizational entrepreneurship, is social entrepreneurship. This type of entrepreneurship expresses the benefit of a social institution with an image of discipline, innovation, and social dependence and is rooted in human interactions and human social relations (Gelard et al., 2022). Social entrepreneurship is recognized as the most important tool for addressing social challenges and whenever the market and the public sector cannot cope with these challenges, social entrepreneurship emerges as an agent of change and a social organization as an organizational entity that considers the separatist sector as a customer, while being guided by the philosophy of harmonizing social and economic value (Choi et al., 2024). Entrepreneurship is a process that involves recognizing, evaluating and exploiting opportunities to introduce new products, access new markets or raw materials by organizing efforts that did not exist before (Simeone et al., 2018). Social entrepreneurship is proposed as an innovative approach to addressing social needs with an emphasis on problem solving and social innovations that eliminate traditional boundaries between the private, public and non-governmental sectors. Defining social entrepreneurship and its conceptual boundaries is not an easy task; because the concept is inherently complex and the literature in this field is very new. The term, used in both the general and academic literature, covers a wide range of activities and innovations (Seifi et al., 2024). According to the latest estimates, there were approximately ten million NGOs in the world in 2015. There are also about fourteen thousand NGOs in Iran. Of the total number of NGOs in the country, 5,409 operate under the title of People’s Charity Centers with the license of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. These centers consist of a number of local benefactors and trustees managed voluntarily and in a completely popular manner with a board of directors structure and usually in the manner of traditional charities. However, if we define social entrepreneurship as an effective, innovative, sustainable and voluntary response of individuals or social institutions to one or more social needs, then undoubtedly the charity centers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, which are often providing social services in old and traditional ways, are still a long way from reaching the stage of social entrepreneurship. For this reason, one of the solutions to promote social entrepreneurship in the charity centers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is to develop and present a desirable model of social entrepreneurship to transform the management methods of these centers. Therefore, in this research, we seek to answer the question: what is the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee organization? Theoretical Framework Social Entrepreneurship "Social entrepreneurship is the activities and processes committed to discovering, defining, and exploiting opportunities to enhance social values, which are carried out through new actions and the management of existing organizations in an innovative manner" (Shahvand et al., 2022). Bazoukar & Bagheri (2025) examined the presentation of the Islamic jurisprudence support model of social and economic entrepreneurship. The findings were extracted based on the research approach of 6 aspects, 26 components, and 76 codes. Managers and entrepreneurs should adopt and implement effective principles and strategies to achieve positive outcomes. The results showed that the rights support model of social and economic entrepreneurship was presented in the form of 26 components. Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025) examined the presentation of a social entrepreneurship model in the development of rural tourism in the tourism target villages of Gilan province. The results showed that traditional tourism entrepreneurship follows a capitalist approach, is highly profit-oriented, and ignores the social aspects of doing business, which may in turn cause further harm to already disadvantaged communities. Social entrepreneurship in tourism, referred to here as tourism social entrepreneurship, is positioned as a market-oriented approach to addressing various social problems through tourism entrepreneurship.  Research Methodology The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Research Findings Data analysis was carried out through coding using the content analysis method and using NVIVO version 11 software. The research findings showed that the extracted concepts related to the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee included 94 themes, 30 basic themes, and 10 organizing themes (drawing a vision supporting social entrepreneurship, improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization, utilizing economic activity, creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture, service-oriented human resources, social responsibility of the relief committee, creating sustainable value in the organization, creating organizational interactions, promoting social justice and reducing poverty, and improving the organization's entrepreneurial performance). Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of presenting a model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The results of this study are consistent with the studies of Bazoukar & Bagheri (2025), Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025), Blanco-Jiménez et al. (2024), Abhari & Hashempour (2024), Viswanath et al. (2024), Azizi & Mohammadi (2024), Chichevaliev et al. (2023), Cortes & Lee (2022), Nourpour et al. (2023), and Gelard et al. (2022). Abhari & Hashempour (2024) showed that there is a direct and significant relationship between social entrepreneurship and its various dimensions and components based on the multidimensional model of social entrepreneurship with environmental components that affect this concept; accordingly, the environmental component corresponding to the "risk-taking" element of "innovative behavior"; the concept of "creative and innovative spaces" and the pillar of "power of wisdom"; the concept of "coherence and integrity" and the pillar of "entrepreneurial virtue"; the concept of "moral values"; and finally the pillar of "identifying social opportunities" which is one of the pillars of social entrepreneurship is the concept of "common norms". According to the results of the research, the following suggestions were made: Participation in social projects Cooperation with non-profit organizations and charities to improve social conditions. Creating awareness campaigns and launching educational campaigns to make people aware of social and environmental issues.

Abstract Abstract The aim of this study is to present and analyze the customer retention model in electronic banking in order to identify the dimensions that affect customer experience and reduce churn. The present study is a mixed type and its qualitative part was designed based on content analysis. The statistical population of the qualitative part included 15 university professors, senior managers, and marketing experts in the field of banking, selected purposefully. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the coding and theme extraction process was carried out by two independent researchers. The validity and reliability of the codes were confirmed by cross-checking and Cohen's Kappa index. Qualitative data analysis led to the extraction of 404 initial codes, 66 primary themes, 20 basic themes, and four organizing themes. The identified dimensions include "service quality integrity" with subthemes of access quality, technical performance, compatibility, responsiveness, and service diversity; "strategic marketing communications" with subthemes of digital feedback, hidden marketing, communication trust building, digital experience simplification, and emotional-perceptual journey; “Digital interaction experience” included software trust, human touch in technology, clarity of application paths, emotional reflection and the ability to transfer insight to others; and “anticipatory innovation” included future vision architecture, predictive banking, digital care and security embedded in innovation. The findings show that combining these dimensions with marketing strategies can improve the operational efficiency of banks and simultaneously reduce customer churn. Therefore, utilizing this customer retention model can play a key role in improving e-banking performance and increasing customer satisfaction, loyalty and effective engagement. Introduction Due to rapid advances in e-commerce, gaining competitive advantage in the banking sector through maintaining customer relationships has received much attention. Customer retention has become a very challenging issue for managers and organizations (Chowdhury et al., 2024). Customer retention means keeping customers who cooperate with an e-banking service provider for a certain period. From this perspective, organizations consider customer retention as a marketing strategy in which customers are identified as those who return to the same provider within a certain period of time (Rezaei Dizgah, 2023). This approach helps organizations strengthen their relationships with customers and increase their loyalty (Celestin et al., 2024). Research shows that bank customers always have different bank accounts and use different banking services, which may be due to poor service quality, past bank failures, customer distrust of the bank, and high risk perception (Negassa et al., 2023). In addition, despite rapid advances in the quality of Internet banking services, there are still 1.4 billion people in the world without a bank account (Ghani et al., 2022). Despite the rapid adoption of e-banking, most banks still face long queues at their branches. Low customer response rates, poor service quality, poor technology infrastructure, lack of trust, high risk perception, technology mismatch, limited access to online services, online customer frustrations, negative attitudes, low skill levels, customer fears, and lack of financial resources are factors that make customer retention difficult (Sattarii et al., 2022). With increasing competition in e-banking, customer retention has become a difficult task for Qarz-ol-Hasaneh Mehr Bank of Iran, which must pay special attention to retaining its customers. If the bank fails to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty, it will face the risk of losing customers and reducing market share. Also, the inability to retain customers has led to reduced revenues, increased costs of attracting new customers, and damage to brand reputation. Also, in the digital age, customers can easily use the services of competing banks because their customers may quickly move to other options. This not only leads to a decrease in banks' income, but can also harm financial instability and reduce the bank's ability to attract capital. Therefore, the main question of the present research is: what is the customer retention pattern in electronic banking?  Theoretical Basis Customer Retention Customers in a market purchase goods or services through their purchasing culture and ability to choose and make decisions. This process is complete when the individual decides to purchase and implements it (Cavita et al., 2022). In the early 1990s, numerous studies focused on the concept of customer retention and its benefits for organizations providing products or services. Customer retention is directly related to the long-term profitability of a bank. Also, another reason why customer retention is important is the possibility of turning these people into business partners in business development. This type of relationship goes beyond a purely commercial interaction and leads to deeper and more profitable collaborations in which activities are carried out in a more coordinated manner (Celestin et al., 2024). Quality of e-services Quality of e-services is a key concept in digital environments that refers to the efficiency, reliability, and satisfaction of customer interactions with information technology-based services. In the e-banking environment, quality of service is not only related to the technical performance of systems and easy access, but also includes the overall customer experience in the process of using services, responsiveness, security, and trust in the system (Yeik et al., 2022). Strategic marketing communications Strategic marketing communications are one of the key dimensions of customer retention in e-banking, which plays an important role in shaping the customer experience and promoting their loyalty. This type of communication goes beyond simple information and traditional advertising and focuses on designing messages and interactions in a way that simultaneously enhances brand value and customer experience. In this study, strategic marketing communications were identified as consisting of five subthemes: “digital feedback”, “hidden marketing”, “communication trust building”, “simplifying the digital experience” and “emotional-cognitive journey” (ahang et al., 2024). Selstian et al. (2024) examined “How businesses create personalized experiences to increase customer retention: The role of technology and human interactions in customer satisfaction”, using a mixed approach including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews; the results showed that implementing effective CEM strategies resulted in a 25% increase in customer retention and a 30% increase in customer satisfaction. Zarinjoy Alvar et al. (2024) studied “Investigating the Effect of Variety of Electronic Retail Delivery Service Options on Customer Retention”, using a questionnaire and analyzing data through structural equations in SPSS and PLS software, they concluded that variety in delivery options has a positive and significant effect on customer retention. The findings showed that the more diverse the delivery options, the greater the customer satisfaction and willingness to repeat purchases. Research Methodology From the perspective of the objective, this study is classified as applicable research. The research method was designed and implemented qualitatively and based on the interpretive paradigm with inductive logic, and given the exploratory nature of the problem; a qualitative research design with an exploratory approach was used. In this study, a sample of 16 people including senior managers, marketing and middle managers of Qarz-ol-Hasaneh Mehr Bank of Iran, as well as professors and experts with work experience related to electronic banking and with research books, articles, or lectures were selected. The sampling method in the qualitative section was non-random and purposeful; in such a way that individuals with specific characteristics in terms of scientific and experimental backgrounds and communication skills necessary to participate and influence the research were selected. The criteria for selecting experts included relevant education in the fields of business administration, business, marketing and banking. In addition, for university professors, publishing at least one book, scientific-research article or lecture in the field of customer retention was considered a criterion; and for managers and experts, at least 10 years of work and management experience in the organization was considered a selection criterion. The interviews continued until reaching the theoretical saturation point; meaning that after the thirteenth interview, no new codes were identified; and for greater certainty, two supplementary interviews were also conducted in which no new codes were discovered. The qualitative data analysis process was carried out using the content analysis method and based on the six-step model of Braun & Clarke (2006). MAXQDA version 12 software was used to organize, manage, and facilitate data processing. Findings An examination of the extracted themes shows that the customer retention pattern in digital banking is the result of a deep connection between service quality, marketing communications, digital interactive experience, and predictive innovation. The thematic analysis process showed that customers do not pay attention to just one aspect of performance when encountering digital banking services, but rather experience a set of functional, emotional, and perceptual perceptions simultaneously. This multidimensional set was formed in the shape of basic themes and gradually integrated into organizing themes and finally into the overarching theme of “customer retention pattern.”  Discussion and Conclusion The present study aimed to analyze the content of the customer retention model in electronic banking, especially in Qarz-ol-Hasaneh Mehr Bank of Iran. The research findings show that customer retention in the digital environment is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by service quality, marketing communications, digital interactive experience, and proactive innovation. These overarching themes were described through a set of organizing themes and basic themes, each of which plays a fundamental role in developing and strengthening sustainable relationships with customers. Electronic service quality, as one of the fundamental foundations of customer retention, includes accessibility quality, technical performance quality, compatibility quality, responsiveness quality, and service variety quality. The findings showed that customers tend to continue their relationship with the bank when digital systems are reliable, fast, and responsive, and provide a variety of options for conducting transactions (Zarinjoy Alvar et al., 2024). The second organizing theme is strategic marketing communications, which includes digital feedback, hidden marketing, communication trust building, digital experience simplification, and emotional-perceptual journey design. Findings show that smart use of digital feedback and targeted marketing strategies strengthens customer relationships, increases trust, and increases the likelihood of repeat purchases (Sugiato et al., 2024; Kavita et al., 2024). Digital interaction experience, as the third overarching theme, includes software trust building, human touch in technology, clarity of application paths, emotional reflection, and the ability to convey perspective to others. Findings show that customers expect a human and meaningful experience from digital interactions in addition to quality of service (Selstian et al., 2024). Predictive innovation includes future-oriented architecture, predictive banking, digital care, and security built into innovation. The findings showed that banks that are able to anticipate customer needs and provide innovative and secure solutions are successful in retaining their customers in a competitive environment (Ghani et al., 2022; Saruklai et al., 2024).

Abstract Abstract The aim of this research is to design an innovation powerhouse model in knowledge-based companies with a data-based approach. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method, based on the data-based method. The statistical population of the research includes 18 empirical and academic experts. The sample size was determined by purposive sampling and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. The data-based method and Maxqda 2020 software were used to analyze the data. The main components were summarized in the form of causal, contextual, intervening factors, effective dimensions, strategies, and consequences. It showed that the innovation powerhouse model has consequences such as creating an ecosystem and culture of innovation, a comprehensive document of cooperation, effectiveness and efficiency, expertise and competence. The innovation powerhouse model has covered the most important challenges of companies, including defining a special payment system to motivate elites, defining a transparent financial system with universities and industries for continuous cooperation, and creating a special legal system and evaluation of knowledge companies. Introduction Innovation is a fundamental factor in creating competition that leads to organizational growth and future success and is like a growth engine that allows companies to enjoy better efficiency in the global economy. Therefore, companies must create new products and processes and use advanced technology in order to be able to take a step forward towards their sustainability and durability (Senoubar et al., 2011). Efficiency and performance improvement and achieving sustainability in order to be sustainable, make a profit and meet the needs of society are the fundamental missions of companies, and this is the basis for quantitative and qualitative expansion in every country. In this context, Wang stated that technical progress often leads to temporary monopolies that create excess profits, but the development of innovation capabilities affects the performance of companies, including profitability, market share, customer satisfaction and company sustainability. Failure to maintain innovation also leads to failure, so companies should try to convert innovation capabilities into innovation performance (Adnanhasoon Alkhafaji et al., 2023); On the other hand, the world's move towards a knowledge-based economy has led many countries to develop knowledge-based companies. These types of companies allow advanced countries to maintain their competitiveness against growing economies where human and production costs are lower (Mohammadkazemi et al,, 2021). Today, the survival of knowledge-based companies depends on continuous innovation in their products and processes so that they can respond to signs of environmental change, including changing customer needs (Shakeri et al., 2022). However, knowledge-based companies, given that they are new companies and usually use the structure of national and government support, usually resist innovation after the cessation of this support due to the failure to institutionalize innovation in the body of their organizational activities and after a short period of time, especially in Iran, they fail in national and international competition. On the other hand, the only advantage of these companies is their innovation in the knowledge base, which requires a structure and model to be formed in the body of these companies that will institutionalize innovation in their organizational culture; otherwise their contribution will be nothing but failure (Khyatyan et al., 2015). According to the definition of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a knowledge-based economy is an economy that is directly based on the production, distribution, and consumption of knowledge and information (Raei & Dahmardeh, 2021). This study was conducted with the general objective of presenting the innovation powerhouse model (a case study of knowledge-based companies). In order to achieve this goal, the following specific objectives were also achieved: Identifying the effective factors, including causal, contextual, and interfering factors affecting the innovation powerhouse model; Identifying the strategies effective on the model, and finally presenting the consequences of presenting the innovation powerhouse model according to the experts' opinions. Therefore, the main research question: What is the innovation powerhouse model in knowledge-based companies with a data-based approach? Theoretical framework Innovation Innovation is an important factor that can pave the way for expanding markets, benefiting from new opportunities, and obtaining more profits. Innovation has increasingly become one of the main and key factors for the long-term success of organizations in competitive markets. Innovation plays an important role in creating value and maintaining competitive advantage (Rezvani & Toghraee, 2011). Abun (2023) examined how innovative leadership of managers, as well as innovative knowledge and skills of employees, affect their innovative work behavior. The results showed that innovative leadership of managers, innovative knowledge, innovative skills, and innovative work behavior of employees were all rated high and the correlation between them among employees was significant, contributing to the discourse on innovative work behavior. In summary, all the previous sources reviewed indicate a one-dimensional view of knowledge-based companies and a comprehensive, structural, and comprehensive view for promoting and sustaining innovation in knowledge-based companies was not seen, which is the need to provide a comprehensive model for sustaining knowledge-based businesses. Ahmadi (2022) in a study aimed at identifying factors affecting innovation culture, concluded that there is a positive and significant effect between the variables of support mechanism, leadership, technology, organizational change and transformation, and strategy with innovation culture, and all organizations need new ideas and novel and fresh ideas to survive in order to lead to innovative practices, and this requires the creation and promotion of an innovative culture in the organization, and in previous sources, there has been sporadic emphasis on the appropriate structure of innovation to strengthen the organization or knowledge-based companies. Research Methodology The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method, based on the data-based method. The statistical population of the study consists of 18 experimental and academic experts. The sample size was conducted using a purposive sampling method, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. A semi-structured interview was used to collect information. Research findings Data-based method and Maxqda 2020 software were used to analyze the data. The main components were summarized in the form of causal, contextual, intervening factors, effective dimensions, strategies, and consequences. It showed that the innovation powerhouse model has consequences including creating an ecosystem and culture of innovation, a comprehensive document of cooperation, effectiveness and efficiency, expertise, and competence. The innovation powerhouse model has covered the most important shortcomings of companies, including defining a special payment system to motivate elites, defining a transparent financial system with universities and industries for continuous cooperation, and creating a special legal system and evaluation of knowledge companies.  Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing an innovation powerhouse model in knowledge-based companies with a data-based approach. The results of this study are in line with the research of Mohaisen et al. (2025), Mahmoudi et al. (2025), Abun (2023), Ahmadi (2022), Shereefa (2022), Khademi Kolahlou & Sahebkar Khorasani (2022), Akhtari et al. (2021), Rezazadeh (2021), Abolfathi et al. (2021), Udayanganie (2021), Baporikar (2018), and Mansuri et al. (2017). Khademi Kolahlou & Sahebkar Khorasani (2022) consider that Compensation and motivation; Training, development and creating a learning environment; Team building and participation; Performance appraisal management; Retention and promotion of knowledge workers; Identification, recruitment and recruitment are the most important functions of human resource managers of knowledge-based and innovative companies, along with recruitment and individual development, promotion and the payment system of the innovation powerhouse model. Considering the results of the research, the following suggestion is made: *Given that Iran is facing the phenomenon of sanctions in exports and raw material supply, and in the present model, the interviewees have generally talked about the development of knowledge-based companies, and the internal structure of the company has been discussed with regard to internal and managerial capabilities, it is suggested that the innovation powerhouse be examined quantitatively based on the impact of the sanctions variable in knowledge-based companies.

Abstract Abstract The aim of this research is to test the digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies. The present research is applicable in terms of its purpose, and descriptive-survey in terms of its nature and method. The statistical population of the present research includes 289 managers and experts of the dairy industries of Mazandaran province. The Cochran formula was used to determine the sample size and 165 people were selected as samples using stratified random sampling. The collection tool in the present research includes a researcher-made questionnaire. SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the findings. According to the results, the main themes include digital marketing content, digital marketing tools, digital advertising, digital sales development, and digital customer relationship management. Among them, the theme of a strong presence in the digital space is of first importance, and the theme of analyzing and understanding international markets is of second importance, the theme of using innovative international digital marketing models is of third importance, the theme of creating a global brand is of fourth priority and importance, the theme of complying with international laws and standards is of fifth importance, and finally, the theme of cooperating with international business partners is of sixth importance. Also, the adaptation and adaptation of the obtained digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies in Mazandaran province has been assessed as appropriate. Introduction The extensive growth of technology and the increase in people's access to the Internet have paved the way for the transition to digital marketing. Evidence indicates that digital marketing has gradually replaced conventional marketing, meaning that its effects on customers' lives have become more important. This is a reality that current businesses must accept and embrace digital marketing (Rahmani et al., 2023). Industries and companies use digital marketing not only to carry out marketing activities within their borders and geographical areas, but digital marketing is also considered a suitable model for cross-border activities and exports (Zahoor & Lew, 2023). In recent years, the dairy industry has faced a reduction in the scope of export markets and sinusoidal exports for various reasons, which requires a solution to completely overcome such conditions. The potential capabilities of the country's dairy companies, as well as the existence of potential and diverse markets for exporting dairy products in the Middle East, Asia and Eurasia, provide the conditions for reclaiming past markets and even expanding markets along with improving and increasing continuous and sustainable exports (Dadashi Jokandan et al., 2022). Now, producers and customers have become more aware of the transparency, health and environmental impacts of product production and service provision activities. Changes in customer and market demands have forced producers to abandon short-term gains and consider long-term development of dairy production, distribution, and sales using digital marketing. It seems that companies active in the dairy industry are also forced to use digital marketing (Ikramov et al., 2021). The dairy industry is important in the economy of Mazandaran province and its importance is expected to increase in the next few years. Therefore, dairy industry marketing, which takes into account all current technology-based tools and facilities, is very important for growth in international and domestic markets. Despite valuable efforts to develop exports in the dairy sector for easy and correct management, no practical model has been presented so far for developing dairy product exports in this province. Therefore, the main question of the present study is: how to test the digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies? Theoretical Framework Digital Marketing Digital marketing means achieving marketing goals using the methods and tools of the digital technology world. In this method, all possible capacities and channels available in the digital world are used to deliver information to the customer or consumer. The use of digital tools (to introduce a product, attract customers, build a brand, and sell) is called digital marketing. In other words, the business owner introduces his product to customers through digital marketing tools and tries to increase sales (Diss & Henberry, 2020). Internationalization of Small and Medium-sized Businesses A small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) is a business with fewer than a certain number of employees. This limit varies in different countries and economies, but in many societies, including the European Union, it is considered 250 people. Small and medium-sized enterprises have an important place in the literature on organization and management. When talking about such companies, they mostly refer to companies that were formed based on entrepreneurship. Various types of spin-offs, startups, science and technology park companies, knowledge-based companies, and companies operating in industrial parks fall into this category (Amini & Fatahi, 2018). Beigloo et al. (2025) studied the provision of an appropriate digital marketing model for Iranian small and medium-sized industries. The research findings indicate 6 dimensions (including: marketing strategy, digital content marketing, appropriate digital tools, customer engagement, visitor conversion, interaction with target customers), 18 components and 54 indicators that determine the digital marketing model in Iranian small and medium-sized industries. The research results show that the dimensions, components and indicators extracted from the meta-synthesis method (research model) were approved by the target community. Also, in the ranking of digital marketing dimensions for small and medium-sized industries, among the 6 dimensions; “Reaching the target customer and interacting with them” and “Customer engagement” are in first place and “Visitor conversion”, “Digital content marketing”, “appropriate digital tools” are in second place and finally “Marketing strategy” is in third place. Zarei & Mohammad Khani (2024) stated in a study entitled A Model for Improving Digital Marketing Capabilities with Emphasis on Digital Marketing Usage Indicators in Industrial Companies that the convergence of information, media, and communication technologies has changed consumer behavior in terms of searching, obtaining, processing, and responding to company information or services. And the model for improving marketing capabilities has been designed with an emphasis on digital marketing usage indicators in industrial companies. Research Methodology The purpose of the present study is to test the digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-survey in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of the present study includes 289 managers and experts in the dairy industries of Mazandaran province. The Cochran formula was used to determine the sample size, and 165 people were selected as samples using stratified random sampling. The collection tool in the present study includes a researcher-made questionnaire. Research findings SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the findings. According to the results, the main themes include digital marketing content, digital marketing tools, digital advertising, digital sales development, and digital customer relationship management. Among them, the theme of a strong presence in the digital space is of first importance, and the theme of analyzing and understanding international markets is of second importance, the theme of using innovative international digital marketing models is of third importance, the theme of creating a global brand is of fourth priority and importance, the theme of complying with international laws and standards is of fifth importance, and finally, the theme of cooperating with international business partners is of sixth importance. Also, the consistency and fit of the obtained digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies in Mazandaran province has been assessed as appropriate. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of testing the digital marketing model for the internationalization of small and medium-sized dairy companies. The results of this research are somewhat similar to the results of Beigloo et al. (2025), Zarei & Mohammad khani (2024), Dalili et al. (2024), Moradi ziba et al. (2023), Jahandideh & Bahramzadeh (2023), Rahmani et al. (2023), Javid et al. (2023), Raja (2023), Jadhav et al. (2023), Thaha et al. (2021), Quirós-Gómez & Arce-Gutiérrez (2020), Pakparvar et al. (2020), Jadhav et al. (2023), Khaerani et al. (2023), Klapkiv et al. (2023), Borhani et al. (2023), Bulegoda & Fernando (2023), Asgarnezhad (2023), and Nouri et al. (2020). Jadhav et al. (2023) stated the various benefits received by SMEs due to digital marketing in different capacities that can help organizations to improve their productivity. The mind map presents the idea of ​​the impact of SMEs on their various functions in rural as well as urban areas. According to the results of the study, the following suggestions were made: Creation of target market database: Creation of a comprehensive database for information related to the needs, preferences and behavior of customers in target markets. Precise targeting of digital advertising: Use market information to create targeted advertising campaigns on social networks and search engines.

Abstract Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and analyzing the challenges, strategies, and goals of customer relationship management in Golgohar Mining and Industrial Company. A systematic review of scientific sources, a review of organizational documents, and interviews with experts were used to identify challenges and obstacles to customer relationship. Then, the experts' views and scientific content analysis were used again, to extract strategies to remove obstacles. In the next step, in addition to the experts' opinions and literature review, the company's strategy map based on the balanced scorecard approach was used to determine the goals of customer relationship management. The statistical population consisted of 15 sales and marketing experts; and the data was analyzed using thematic analysis approach. MaxQuda software was used to organize, code, and qualitatively analyze the data. The findings showed that 18 challenges in customer relationship were identified and a corresponding strategy was formulated for each. Also, 11 key goals for the development of customer relationship management were extracted. The results of the study provide practical guidance for managers of Golgohar and similar organizations to better understand the barriers, design effective strategies, and focus on strategic goals, and develop and implement more efficient plans for the development and implementation of customer relationship management.
Introduction
Statistics show that businesses that use effective customer relationship management strategies have significant improvements in customer satisfaction and loyalty, profitability, and operational efficiency (Singh & Rana, 2023). Customer relationship management is a process for attracting, retaining, and increasing customer lifetime value and is a combination of technology and organizational culture to improve the customer experience (Li et al., 2024). The advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics has enabled organizations to better analyze customer behavior and personalize services (Chen et al., 2024). The importance of customer relationship management has increased in recent decades, and businesses are forced to use it to maintain a competitive advantage (Irawan & Sukiyono, 2021). In this regard, the present study is conducted within the framework of operational planning for the development of a customer relationship management strategy and according to the Golgohar 2031 strategy map so that the organization can increase customer satisfaction and sustainable profitability through customer-oriented marketing solutions. Therefore, the main research question is: What are the challenges, strategies to overcome them, and development goals of customer relationship management in Golgohar Mining and Industrial Company?
Theoretical foundations:
Customer relationship management is a set of strategies, processes, and technologies that are used to create, maintain, and strengthen long-term relationships with target customers. These relationships are based on collecting data from customer interactions, analyzing them, and personalizing responses across multiple channels to increase customer and organizational satisfaction, loyalty, and economic value (Nilashi et al., 2023; Taherdoost, 2023). In other words, it is a set of actions that a business takes to identify, validate, acquire, develop, maintain, and increase customer profitability and loyalty by providing the right products and services, at the right time, to the right customers, through the right communication channel, at the right cost (Mir Jalali et al., 2025).
Research Background
Hanaysha, J. R. & Al-Shaikh (2022) in a study titled Investigating the Effect of Customer Relationship Management Dimensions on Employee-Based Brand Equity in the Saudi Internet Taxi Industry, data collected from 164 employees were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. The results showed that customer relationship management generally has a positive effect on employee-based brand equity, and in particular, knowledge management and customer orientation play the most important role.
Al-Gasawneh et al. (2021) in a study on the impact of customer relationship management dimensions on marketing performance with the mediating role of service quality (Servoqual model), by distributing a Likert questionnaire among 212 hotel managers in Jordan and analyzing structural equations, it was determined that four key dimensions of customer relationship management (focus on key customers, company, knowledge management, and technology) enhance the successful implementation of customer relationship management in hotels. Also, the mediating role of service quality was confirmed. 
Research Methodology
This qualitative and exploratory research was conducted with the aim of identifying challenges and obstacles to customer relationship management, providing strategies to overcome them, and determining development goals in Golgohar Mining and Industrial Company. The statistical population consisted of 15 experts in the field of sales and marketing, selected purposefully. Data were collected through a systematic literature review, reviewing internal documents and documentation, and conducting semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a content analysis approach; thus, after initial coding, themes were extracted, reviewed, integrated, and finalized. The research process was carried out in five steps, including designing a framework, collecting data, analyzing the content, identifying challenges, strategies, and development goals, and finally consolidating the results through triangulation and expert review.
Research Findings
In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts in the field of sales and customer relations, and by using thematic analysis, 50 conceptual codes were extracted, and finally 18 sub-themes and 6 main themes related to the challenges and obstacles of customer relationship management were identified. A mixed-methods approach was used to extract strategies and solutions to overcome these obstacles. Also, group meetings were held with experts and the data was reviewed in several stages, based on which 52 conceptual codes and 18 localized and applicable solutions were identified. Next, the process of identifying the development goals of customer relationship management was carried out using three complementary sources, including Golgohar's strategy map based on the balanced scorecard, a systematic review of Scopus database resources (2016-2025), and the company's internal documents. The results of this review showed that three scientific articles were related to development goals in the mining industry and provided a basis for aligning the company's goals with international studies. Finally, 11 development goals were selected from 53 conceptual codes by screening experts. All content analysis and data processing of experts were conducted through interviews and using MaxQuda software.
Discussion and Conclusion
Customer relationship management is a strategic approach to improving experience, satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. This study aimed to identify challenges, provide strategies and solutions to overcome obstacles, and determine development goals in Golgohar Mining and Industrial Company. The study method was based on content analysis and a combination of three complementary data sources: analysis of the strategy map based on the balanced scorecard, systematic review Scopus sources and collection of expert opinions and internal documents. The results showed that there are 18 key challenges in the field of customer relationship management, which include a range of topics from human resources to customer service and experience. To overcome these challenges, 18 operational solutions were proposed, including specialized training, the establishment of integrated customer relationship management systems, the creation of a management dashboard, and the design of loyalty incentives, etc. Also, by combining scientific and local evidence, 11 development goals for customer relationship management for the future of the company were determined. Comparison with previous studies showed that the findings on skill challenges, weak information infrastructure, and the importance of digital technologies are in line with the literature. The main difference of this research is the focus on the mining and steel industry and the presentation of a three-level local model of "challenge-strategy-goals". In the end, a set of practical suggestions for training, the establishment of integrated systems, strengthening customer loyalty, and implementation management were presented. 

Abstract Abstract
The aim of this research is to design a model of fear of missing festival shopping opportunities with a grounded theorizing approach. This research is fundamental and exploratory in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The research participants include ten people, including marketing and sales consultants as well as professors in the fields of commerce, marketing, and e-commerce; and the theoretical sampling method is used. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview. The grounded theory method was used for analysis. The results showed that the frequency of codings is 922, which is obtained for 160 open codes. The results showed that the concepts of positive customer perception of the brand, deceptive advertising, customer experience, customer emotional intelligence, lack of understanding of personal needs and desires and economic disorders were selected as causal conditions; brand community, brand uniqueness, brand love, buyer confusion, buyer anxiety disorders, customer thirst for shopping, brand responsibility, brand respect for the customer and attachment to the product brand as central phenomena; market rumor management, smart and responsible shopping and strengthening the buyer's financial knowledge and awareness as strategies; digital age and immersion in technology as background conditions, perceived benefit of shopping, buyer personality traits, demographic factors, marketing campaigns and frenzied shopping behavior as intervening conditions; and finally negative brand advertising, negative internal feelings, customer anxiety, customer distrust, interaction-communication problems, customer resentment, customer loss, customer benefit and positive emotions were selected as outcome factors.
Introduction
Many brands use a marketing strategy to increase sales and expand market share of their products by creating a state of fear of missing out and a feeling of deprivation from pleasurable shopping activities in customers. Hence, through social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, they intensify the fear of missing out by displaying ideal customer experiences and time-limited shopping (Hussain et al., 2023). Therefore, understanding the fear of missing out is crucial to reduce anxiety, vulnerability, and uncontrollable behavior of consumers that arise from the desire to conform to trends (Japutra et al., 2025). Various theories can explain the fear of missing out, but social comparison theory is particularly suitable for explaining the relationship between fear of missing out and brand attachment, as fear of missing out often stems from a sense of perceived inadequacy through social comparison (Hussain et al., 2023).
Existing research suggests that when fear of loss is combined with brand attachment and loyalty, it can lead to various desirable outcomes (Roberts & David, 2020). Given the interactions and connections that fear of loss originates, fear of loss can strengthen people’s social connections and encourage them to seek out more information and social inclusion (Harrison & Mead, 2024). In fact, consumers who experience fear of loss are usually very loyal to the brand and actively interact with brands, often trying to educate others about the positive benefits of the brand by following, sharing, and commenting on social media platforms (Japutra et al., 2025). This increased engagement, visibility, and interest in brands can lead to brand attachment. On the other hand, this phenomenon can also pose risks for consumers, as in extreme cases, fear of missing out can have the potential to increase consumer debt. An American study supports this, showing that almost half of millennials incur debt to keep up with their peers, mainly due to the fear of missing out on unique experiences or feeling left out (Ward, 2019). Accordingly, the present study seeks to answer the following question: How to design a grounded theory model of fear of missing out on festival shopping opportunities? 
Theoretical framework
Fear of missing out
Fear of missing out is essentially a common type of anxiety and is a subset of anxiety disorder and can be defined as a fear of regret that arises from individuals’ general anxiety about missing out on social interactions, new experiences, or other positive events (Wan et al., 2025).
Lu & Sinha (2024) conducted a study titled “How Social Media Use and Fear of Loss Affect Consumption.” This study aimed to investigate the impact of social media use on minimalist consumption and how fear of loss affects this impact. The results show that excessive use of social media makes consumers susceptible to fear of loss, leading to impulsive purchases and careless product purchases. However, when campaigners promote minimalism as a social media movement, they can activate fear of loss and encourage consumers to engage in activities related to solitude.
Song et al. (2024) conducted a study titled “Fear of Loss of Financial Gain: The Relationship between Fear of Loss and Speculative Trading.” Fear of loss in short-term financial gains through speculative trading has been highlighted as a driving force behind financial behaviors. The results of binomial regression and model analyses showed that fear of financial loss is associated with participation in stock market and cryptocurrency trading. Fear of financial loss was also associated with the scope of stock market trading. The results indicate that fear of loss may be a prominent risk factor among young adults.
Research Methodology
This research is fundamental and exploratory in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The research participants include ten research participants including marketing and sales consultants as well as professors of business, marketing, and e-commerce, and the theoretical sampling method is used. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview.
Research findings
The grounded data method was used for analysis. The results showed that the frequency of codings is 922, which is obtained for 160 open codes. The results showed that the concepts of positive customer perception of the brand, deceptive advertising, customer experience, customer emotional intelligence, lack of understanding of personal needs and desires and economic disorders were selected as causal conditions, brand community, brand uniqueness, brand love, buyer confusion, buyer anxiety disorders, customer thirst for shopping, brand responsibility, brand respect for the customer and attachment to the product brand as central phenomena, market rumor management, smart and responsible shopping and strengthening the buyer's financial knowledge and awareness as strategies, digital age and immersion in technology as background conditions, perceived benefit of shopping, buyer personality traits, demographic factors, marketing campaigns and frenzied shopping behavior as intervening conditions and finally negative brand advertising, negative internal feelings, customer anxiety, customer distrust, interaction-communication problems, customer resentment, customer loss, customer benefit and positive emotions were selected as outcome factors.
Conclusion
The present study aimed to design a model of fear of missing out on festival shopping opportunities using a grounded theory approach. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Shim et al. (2024); Irwansyah et al. (2024); Okoro et al. (2024); Mialkovska et al. (2024); Rojíková et al. (2023); Jang & Hsieh (2021); Boccoli et al. (2024); Correia at al. (2024); Rodrigues et al. (2023); Armutcu et al. (2023); Pang & Quan (2024); Brailovskaia & Margraf (2024); Wuersch et al. (2024); Irwansyah et al. (2024); Ai et al. (2024); Lacarcel & Huete (2023); Armutcu et al. (2023); Molina-Collado et al. (2022); Wei & Yu (2024); Zhu et al. (2024); and Tao et al. (2024).
According to the results of the study, the following suggestions were made:
Customers should be aware of unrealistic advertisements by sellers and make purchases in accordance with their prioritized needs and desires.
Customers should conduct specific investigations regarding the shortage of the desired product by fully examining the conditions of the products they need in the market, considering the time series of a few years ago and the past few months, in order to control their shopping anxiety. They also, should manage their shopping behavior by prioritizing monthly and weekly shopping needs. 

Abstract Abstract
The aim of this research is to identify the factors affecting the energy market ecosystem (Case Study of the Iranian Electricity Market). The research method is applicable-exploratory in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method, based on the data-based method. The statistical population of the research includes 22 market management experts, as well as energy industry activists. The sample size was carried out using the purposive sampling method and the snowball method, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. The data-based method and Maxqda software were used to analyze the data. According to the findings, the concepts in the subcategories include: causal conditions (power grid instability, non-integrated governance); background conditions (energy exchange, power plant capacity money (generation) and technology, modularity, shared production and trust, cooperative stability); Intervening conditions (governance organizations/policymakers, production and consumption core, production cycle completers); strategies (decentralization, orchestration, energy pricing, new development investments, diversified financing, foreign energy trade and win-win self-regulation); and consequences (network, ecosystem attractiveness, multi-dimensionality of low-cost and network interactions and multiple satisfaction (governance, business, social) and development synergies and increased regional power).
Introduction
Today, ecosystems are developing and becoming widespread as a new method of value creation with an approach to creating shared and focal value resulting from the performance and cooperation of different institutions (Ghods et al., 2023). Most businesses have paid attention to ecosystems in their macro strategy in two ways: creating their own business ecosystem or connecting to existing ecosystems. In the organizational literature, the term ecosystem was first used in business by James Moore in 1993. He described an ecosystem as “a complex network of interconnected businesses that depend on and feed off each other to deliver value to their customers, end users, and key stakeholders. This concept reflects the emergence of business environments that are characterized by co-evolution and complexity, which is in contrast to the traditional hierarchical organizational forms that have dominated markets and industries for many years. Recently, there have been efforts to systematize the understanding of ecosystems (Jacobides et al., 2018). Jacobides & Lianos (2021) consider ecosystems as communities of cooperating companies that collectively produce a good, service, or solution and co-evolve their products under a common vision that requires the creation of a specific structure of relationships and alignment to create value.” Mitleton-Kelly (2003) consideres that an ecosystem consists of organizations and companies that both affect and are affected by it. Due to the breadth of the meaning, multiple interpretations of this concept have been made according to the need and type of its function and application. Platform ecosystems are one of the definitions of the ecosystem in the literature (the definition intended for this study). In this ecosystem, a company uses a platform to utilize the capabilities of other companies as a complement to create a specific value. In this case, the ecosystem is a model and method of organization (Jacobides et al., 2018).
Electricity, as a key infrastructure, plays a prominent role in economic growth and development. Sustainable electricity supply is a prerequisite for growth (KHosravani et al., 2023). This research aims to identify the dimensions and provide a framework for the B2B platform ecosystem in the electricity market, providing a tool for organizations in this industry to become aware of creating or joining an ecosystem. The results of this research can help increase the literature in this field, as well as fill existing gaps and provide practical solutions in this field. Therefore, the main research question: What are the factors affecting the energy market ecosystem?
Theoretical Framework
Ecosystem
The concept of ecosystem emerged from biological sciences and generally means “an interactive system created between living organisms and the environment in which they live” (Jucevičius & Grumadaitė, 2014). In fact, an ecosystem is considered an environment in which different factors exist and interact with each other (Abdi et al., 2023).
Ghavidast Kouhpayeh et al. (2024) examined the role of blockchain technology in creating trust in customers in the marketing ecosystem. The results of the present study showed that trust resulting from transparency arising from blockchain technology is able to have significant effects on various financial and non-financial outcomes for businesses that use this technology in their marketing ecosystem.
Mir et al. (2024) examined the design of an entrepreneurial ecosystem model in a university with a knowledge-based approach. The results in the qualitative section showed that 67 initial codes, 11 basic themes and 5 constructive themes in the main clusters of infrastructure and support (2 themes), technology and knowledge integration (2 themes), education and culture (3 themes), policy and planning (2 themes) and integrated management (2 themes) were identified and the relationships between them were drawn and presented in the form of a paradigm model. The results of the quantitative section showed that 5 indicators and 11 components with factor loading, average variance extracted and high convergent validity (0.4), Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability (0.7), and high t-significance coefficients (1.96) were confirmed, and the model has a strong fit. 
Research Methodology
The research method is applicable-exploratory in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method, based on the data-based method. The statistical population of the research includes 22 market management experts and energy industry activists. The sample size was determined using purposive sampling and snowball method, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information.
Research Findings
The data-driven method and Maxqda software were used to analyze the data. According to the findings, the concepts in the subcategories include: causal conditions (power grid instability, non-integrated governance); contextual conditions (energy exchange, power plant capacity money (generation) and technology, modularity, shared production and trust, participatory stability); intervening conditions (governance organizations/policymakers, production and consumption core, production cycle completers); Strategies (decentralization, orchestration, energy pricing, new development investments, diversified financing, foreign energy trade, and win-win self-regulation) and consequences (network attractiveness, ecosystem attractiveness, multi-dimensionality of low-cost and network interactions, and multiple satisfaction (sovereignty, business, social), and synergistic development flows and increased regional power).
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the factors affecting the energy market ecosystem (case study of the Iranian electricity market). The results of this study are in line with the research of Ghavidast Kouhpayeh et al. (2024), Mir et al. (2024), Suuronen et al. (2023), Bonina & Eaton (2023), Wecht et al. (2021), Gawer (2021), Hadad et al. (2021), Hein Andreas et al. (2020), and Aulkemeier et al. (2019). Suuronen et al. (2023) introduced digital business ecosystems as networks of shared value creation and the importance of digitalization in how organizations collaborate and compete in the current era, and identified the opportunities and challenges that these ecosystems create by providing a systematic review of the prerequisites, challenges, and benefits of DBEs.
According to the research results, the following suggestions were made:
Creating ecosystems as new organizational types and alternatives to traditional organizations and management methods requires a change in the thinking, outlook, and performance of influential managers. Based on the research findings, creating ecosystems basically requires creating new paradigms such as decentralization, transferring activities to the private sector, non-interference in buying and selling processes, and eliminating rent and monopoly. At first glance, this seems to be very difficult and complicated, but it is one of the requirements of B2B platform ecosystems and plays an important role in its fundamental formation. The independence of actors must be accepted and the role of guidance should be performed by the government and the government instead of control and policymaking instead of mediation.
Providing new capital attraction platforms as a factor for the continued health of the energy ecosystem should be considered. Investment facilities, the challenge of exchange rate and its fluctuations and its allocation, lack of incentive for private sector investment due to lack of profitability, return on investment, contractual attractiveness, high investment costs of power plants and facilitating laws including the Electricity Industry Barrier Removal Law, new and attractive investment models and attraction of foreign capital are among the important factors on investment in an electricity energy ecosystem that should be given special attention. Governance and the government will play the most important role in this category. 

Abstract Abstract
The aim of this research is to identify and prioritize entrepreneurship opportunities in women’s sports in Iran. The present research was conducted with a mixed approach and in two parts: qualitative and quantitative. In the qualitative part, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 experts in the field of women’s sports entrepreneurship and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. In this part, 65 basic themes and 8 organizing themes were identified. In the quantitative part, to validate the qualitative results, a 65-question questionnaire was designed based on the basic themes, each question representing a basic theme. Based on the database of the Ministry of Sports and Youth’s Employment and Entrepreneurship Working Group, the number of people in the statistical population that included women’s sports business activists in Tehran province was identified as about 500 people, and based on the Cochran formula, the required sample size was estimated at 218 people. Finally, 238 questionnaires were collected and the data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. MAXQDA software was used for the qualitative analysis and Smart-PLS software was used for the quantitative analysis. The results showed that the identified entrepreneurial opportunities fall into eight main categories, including technology-based opportunities, opportunities related to aging, marketing and advertising, education, sports services, nutrition and health, sports venues and events, and sports equipment and apparel production. In addition to filling the existing theoretical gap, these findings can form the basis for policymaking, investment, and women's empowerment programs in the sports economy. It is suggested that policymakers should facilitate the realization of these opportunities by utilizing new technologies, developing specialized training, and creating supportive infrastructure.
Introduction
In recent decades, sports have gone beyond a mere recreational activity and have become a dynamic, multi-billion dollar industry that has extensive economic, social, and cultural impacts. According to the Global Sports Market Report (2025), the global sports economy is estimated to be worth more than $478 billion and is expected to exceed $500 billion by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, women’s sports, as an emerging segment of the global sports economy with a growth rate of more than 50 percent in attracting financial support, have attracted increasing attention from policymakers and investors. However, in Iran, women’s economic participation in sports is still limited and accounts for a small share of GDP (about 0.7 percent). Along with cultural and institutional challenges, lack of infrastructure and lack of use of new technologies have prevented the potential entrepreneurial capacities in women’s sports from fully flourishing. In such circumstances, identifying real and operational opportunities can guide policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to develop the women’s sports economy.
Previous research has mainly focused on environmental barriers or threats to women's entrepreneurship in sports and has less systematically analyzed opportunities. Also, a significant portion of existing studies lack a coherent theoretical framework or mixed methodology for simultaneously analyzing qualitative and quantitative dimensions. Accordingly, this research attempts to address the gap in the theoretical literature and reveal the hidden dimensions and capacities of women's entrepreneurship development in sports. The central question of the research is: what are the opportunities for women's entrepreneurship in Iranian sports and in which structures and analytical frameworks can these opportunities be classified? 
Theoretical Framework
Sports entrepreneurship is an interdisciplinary branch that integrates the concepts of management, innovation, and market in the context of the sports industry. According to Ratten (2024), sports entrepreneurship is a platform for identifying market gaps and creating economic and social value through sports. In the meantime, “women’s sports entrepreneurship” is considered one of the growing dimensions of this field, which is formed based on a combination of innovation, technology and social goals. This type of sports entrepreneurship refers to activities through which women identify and commercialize economic, cultural and social opportunities in the field of sports (Costa & Miragaia, 2022).
In summary, the research background, it can be said that women’s sports entrepreneurship in Iran and the world has gradually transformed from a marginal issue to a strategic area over the past two decades. In Iran, early studies focused more on identifying general opportunities in the sports industry, but over time, the gender perspective and attention to women’s specific opportunities have been strengthened. Although obstacles such as cultural attitudes, lack of infrastructure and weak media hinder the growth of women’s entrepreneurship, the increase in social demand for women’s sports, the expansion of sports education and the growing need for educational services, coaching, tourism and sports management have created valuable grounds for entrepreneurship. Other researches have identified emerging opportunities for women in digital technologies, social media, personal branding, education, sports leadership, and health-focused markets. The COVID-19 crisis, despite its limitations, has helped to expand the use of technology, online education, and new business models in women's sports.
Research Methodology
The present study is of applicable type and was conducted using a mixed method. In the qualitative part, the statistical population included experts and activists with managerial or entrepreneurial experience in women's sports, selected using purposive and snowball sampling methods. By conducting interviews with ten experts and achieving theoretical saturation, data were collected and analyzed using Brown and Clark's six-step thematic analysis method. The result of this stage was the identification of 65 basic themes and 8 organizing themes. In the quantitative part, to validate the qualitative findings, a 65-question questionnaire was designed and distributed among 238 business activists in women's sports in Tehran province. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and SmartPLS software. The reliability of the constructs was examined with Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR) and was obtained in all cases above 0.7. Also, the **Average Variance Extracted (AVE) index was higher than 0.5, indicating the desirable convergent and divergent validity of the model. 
Findings
The results of the qualitative section showed that entrepreneurial opportunities in Iranian women's sports can be classified into eight main categories:
1- Technology-based opportunities: including sports applications, online training platforms, virtual reality, wearable gadgets, and smart club management systems. Technology was identified as the most important driver of innovation in women's sports entrepreneurship.
2- Aging-related opportunities: given the increasing trend of the country's elderly population; designing sports, nutrition, and rehabilitation services specifically for elderly women was raised as one of the promising areas. This section is a combination of health, prevention, and social welfare.
3- Sports marketing and advertising opportunities: including personal branding, digital marketing, sponsorship, and social media. Interviewees emphasized the importance of female athletes’ digital presence and converting fame into economic capital.
4- Educational opportunities: the broadest category of opportunities includes the establishment of sports academies, training of female coaches and managers, specialized mother-child courses, and training in management and marketing skills. Education was recognized as the foundation of sustainable development in women’s sports.
5- Sports service opportunities: including talent acquisition, insurance, sports psychology, branding consulting, and support services for athletes. This category of opportunities is related to strengthening the quality of services and creating sustainable jobs.
6- Nutrition and health opportunities: including sports catering, natural supplements, nutritional consulting, and health-oriented cafes for female athletes. This area has economic and social potential due to the growth of a culture of health and conscious nutrition among women.
7- Opportunities related to sports venues and events: such as the design and construction of women-specific venues, sports camps, Muslim women’s festivals, and sports tourism. This category of opportunities is important in connection with the tourism and health industries.
8- Opportunities for the production of sports equipment and clothing: including the production of clothing, accessories, sports equipment and devices tailored to women's characteristics. The lack of products with appropriate and cultural design has turned this area into a virgin market for entrepreneurship.
The results of the quantitative section confirmed that all eight categories have a significant factor load and above 0.5 and, overall, form a valid and coherent structure. The average of the highest factor load was related to technology opportunities (0.74) and sports services (0.742), which indicate the importance of the role of technology and specialized services in the development of women's entrepreneurship. 
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings of the present study show that the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Iranian women's sports has a networked and multifaceted nature, in which technology, education and health are the three main pillars. Technology provides a platform for creating innovation and direct access to the market; education ensures human resource empowerment and the development of specialized skills; and health strengthens the social and cultural bonds of women's entrepreneurship. Compared to previous studies, this study, for the first time, systematically extracts opportunities using a mixed method and goes beyond the conceptual identification stage. For example, while previous studies focused solely on tourism or sports marketing, this study also includes lesser-known dimensions such as aging and sports nutrition into the theoretical framework.
From a theoretical perspective, this study presents an indigenous model of entrepreneurial opportunities in women's sports that is based on the interaction of the three components of "knowledge-technology-culture". This model indicates that the development of the women's sports economy is not possible with financial capital alone, but also requires the creation of knowledge and technological infrastructure and the modification of cultural attitudes towards women's economic participation.
From a practical perspective, the findings can be useful for government institutions, universities, and investors. First, the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Deputy Minister of Women and Family Affairs can use the research results to design support programs, facilitate licensing, and establish women’s sports innovation centers. Second, universities and educational institutions can fill the existing knowledge gap by developing skills and sports entrepreneurship courses for women. Third, private sector investors can focus on areas such as sports technologies, healthy nutrition, and clothing production, given the global trend of women’s sports growth and increasing demand in the domestic market. 

Abstract Abstract The aim of the present study was to design a model for the evolution of digital entrepreneurship ecosystems. The research method was qualitative and based on grounded theory. The research field included digital management and entrepreneurship experts in 2024, selected through purposive sampling and snowball technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants until theoretical saturation and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's three-stage coding method using MAXQDA software. The interviews were transcribed and 283 open codes and 16 axial codes were extracted. The findings showed that digital entrepreneurship, as a central phenomenon, based on digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, creates value through innovation and agility. Causal factors (organizational factors, technological infrastructure, and human factor), contextual (legal, socio-cultural frameworks), and intervention factors (economic-market, security) dynamically interact to shape this phenomenon. The pivotal relationships include the impact of causal factors on resource creation, the role of contextual factors in sustainability, moderation by intervention factors, and facilitation of development by strategies. The consequences include economic growth, job creation, financial transparency, improved quality of life, and digital justice. It is suggested that the government improve digital infrastructure, develop supportive laws, expand digital education, create venture capital funds, and strengthen public acceptance of digital entrepreneurship through culture building. Introduction Digital entrepreneurship has become one of the most powerful engines of economic development, innovation, and job creation in the contemporary world (Kraus et al., 2020; Nambisan & Baron, 2021). In Iran, despite a young and educated workforce (over 60% of the population is under 35 years of age), high smartphone penetration (over 90%), and over 75 million internet users (Arabgari et al., 2024), the digital entrepreneurship ecosystem is still in its infancy and faces numerous structural, legal, cultural, and economic barriers. Previous studies in Iran have mainly examined separate aspects of this phenomenon, such as legal barriers (Azizi et al., 2018), infrastructure bottlenecks (Jahangiri & Hosseini, 2022), financing constraints (Didehkhani et al., 2020), or cultural resistance (Rastgar et al., 2019). To date, no comprehensive indigenous model has been presented that simultaneously integrates causal conditions, contextual and intervening factors, strategies, and outcomes within the specific institutional framework of Iran—especially under international sanctions and domestic policy fluctuations. Global models (Sussan & Acs, 2017; Isenberg, 2016), designed in open and stable economies, cannot be directly transferred to a context where cryptocurrencies are a means of circumventing sanctions and national security considerations dominate digital policymaking. The present study, with a qualitative approach and utilizing the systematic data-driven theory methodology of Strauss and Corbin (Strauss & Corbin, 1998), seeks to fill this theoretical and practical gap by designing a transformative model of the digital entrepreneurship ecosystem in Iran. This research is important in designing a transformation model of digital entrepreneurship ecosystems in Iran for several reasons. First, these ecosystems can contribute to economic growth and job creation, especially under sanctions conditions where the Iranian economy is facing serious challenges (Bloom et al., 2020). Second, digital entrepreneurship improves the quality of products and services by promoting innovation and increasing competitiveness (Martinez, 2022). Third, given Iran’s unique characteristics, such as young human resources and natural resources, a local model can help better exploit these potentials (Jahangiri & Hosseini, 2022). In addition, the lack of a comprehensive model in the domestic literature highlights the need for this research (Didehkhani et al., 2020). The main research question is: What are the components of the evolution model of digital entrepreneurship ecosystems in Iran? The sub-questions are: What are the components, causal, intervening, contextual factors, strategies, and consequences of designing digital entrepreneurship ecosystems in Iran? Theoretical Framework Digital entrepreneurship has rapidly become one of the transformative forces for economic growth, innovation, job creation, and social inclusion in the 21st century (Elia et al., 2020; Ferreira et al., 2024). Unlike traditional entrepreneurship, this type of entrepreneurship fundamentally changes the mechanisms of value creation, delivery, and absorption by leveraging digital technologies, platforms, and data-driven models (Cavallo et al., 2021). In advanced countries, digital entrepreneurship ecosystems are the backbone of sustainable development and competitiveness (Du et al., 2019). However, in Iran, despite its enormous potential, this ecosystem is fragmented and underdeveloped. Iranian digital startups face a unique combination of internal and external barriers: chronic infrastructure shortages (unstable high-speed internet and frequent filtering), severe international sanctions that limit access to global payment gateways, cloud services, and venture capital (Didehkhani et al., 2020), macroeconomic instability, institutional volatility, brain drain, and cultural lag in public trust in online transactions (Jahangiri & Hosseini, 2022). This research gap necessitated the need for data-driven and context-sensitive research to design a transformative model tailored to Iran’s specific institutional environment (Golara et al., 2025; Khaghanizadeh et al., 2025).  Research Methodology This study used a qualitative design using Strauss & Corbin’s (1998) systematic data-driven theory methodology. The study was conducted between March and September 2024. The research population included experts and those with experience in the Iranian digital entrepreneurship ecosystem: founders of successful and unsuccessful startups, platform CEOs, angel investors, and university professors specializing in entrepreneurship and information technology, and senior consultants. Sampling was initially purposive and then continued with a snowball method until theoretical saturation was reached at the fifteenth interview (a sample size consistent with qualitative grounded theory studies in the field of entrepreneurship; Golara et al., 2025; Arabgari et al., 2024). Data were collected through 60- to 90-minute in-depth semi-structured interviews (in person or online with encrypted platforms). Simultaneous analysis with data collection was performed with MAXQDA 2022 software and three-stage coding (open, axial, and selective) was performed, resulting in the extraction of 283 open codes and 16 axial codes. Research validity was ensured by Lincoln & Guba (1985) criteria: validity through extended interaction, member review, and triangulation; transferability through thick descriptions; reliability and confirmability through a full audit trail, peer review, and reflective note-taking. Research findings The central phenomenon of the “digital entrepreneurship” model was defined as the creation and scaling of technology-based, platform-driven, and data-driven businesses that create value through innovation, organizational agility, and diverse revenue models (in-app payments, digital advertising, sharing, gig economy, and blockchain transactions). Causal conditions include three main categories: organizational factors (management innovation, informal partnerships with foreign companies, a culture of agility, and strategic use of cryptocurrencies to circumvent sanctions), technological infrastructure (access to high-speed internet, artificial intelligence, big data, domestic cloud computing, and development of native APIs), and human factors (high skills of the younger generation, entrepreneurial motivation due to unemployment, but the severe challenge of brain drain). The broader context includes legal-political frameworks (fragmented government protections against heavy bureaucracy, filtering, and sudden changes in laws) and socio-cultural developments (increased digital consumption among Generation Z alongside traditional resistance to trusting online payments). Intervening factors also fall into two categories: economic-market dynamics (rapid growth of online markets, new revenue models, and the negative impact of inflation and devaluation of the rial) and credit-security concerns (cyber threats, weak e-trust mechanisms, and lack of a comprehensive data protection law). To accelerate development, five key strategies emerged: improving digital infrastructure, legal and structural reforms (reducing bureaucracy, intellectual property law, and digital free zones), culture and education (media campaigns and digital literacy education in schools), diversifying financing (stock market venture capital funds, crowdfunding, and low-interest loans), and systematically developing digital entrepreneurship competencies (training in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and agile management). The final outcomes emerged at two levels: economic outcomes (sustainable growth, widespread job creation, especially in freelancing and the gig economy, earning foreign exchange, reducing dependence on oil, and financial transparency through blockchain) and Social (improving the quality of life, expanding digital justice, developing online education, and forming an entrepreneurial culture in the younger generation. Discussion and Conclusion The presented transformational model is the first comprehensive and completely indigenous framework that is derived solely from the lived experiences of Iranian stakeholders and extends global theories to an institutional environment under sanctions (Elia et al., 2020; Ferreira et al., 2024). While organizational agility, technological infrastructure, and human capital are consistent with international findings (Kraus et al., 2020; Martinez, 2022), the distinctly Iranian elements such as “strategic use of cryptocurrencies as a survival tool,” “filtering as a permanent but creative obstacle to circumvention,” “brain drain as an existential threat,” and “the moderating role of geopolitical insecurity” show why general models (Sussan & Acs, 2017) are ineffective in Iran. This model is also consistent with recent domestic studies but goes beyond them because it integrates all dimensions into a dynamic paradigmatic structure (Golara et al., 2025; Arabgari et al., 2024; Khaghanizadeh et al., 2025). In practical terms, policymakers should prioritize the deployment of nationwide high-speed internet and 5G in the Seventh Development Plan, launch secure national payment gateways independent of SWIFT, enact a comprehensive law on data protection and intellectual property by the end of 1404, create specialized digital venture capital funds on the stock exchange, and implement a national digital literacy program from primary school to university. Universities should launch interdisciplinary courses in AI-entrepreneurship, blockchain, and digital marketing, and strengthen industry-university linkages through university accelerators. Entrepreneurs should focus on scalable business models with near-zero marginal costs, establish a startup alliance for Lobby and use informal networks to access global technologies. Despite the depth of the field, the qualitative nature, and the purposive sampling, statistical generalizability is limited. Future research should quantitatively validate the model by structural equation modeling on larger samples, conduct longitudinal comparisons with similar countries (Turkey, UAE, Russia), and examine the impact of new policies (such as possible sanctions relief or filtering changes). Finally, the proposed model provides policymakers, universities, investors, and entrepreneurs with an operational and localized roadmap to transform Iran’s demographic and digital potential into a regionally competitive ecosystem, thereby achieving sustainable economic diversification, sustainable youth employment, and social progress in the digital age. 

Abstract Abstract
The aim of the present study is to identify and analyze the strategies for creating and consequences of brand identification using the FCM method. The present study is applicable in terms of its purpose, and exploratory in terms of data collection. Also, this research is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) research based on the inductive deductive philosophy. The statistical population of the research is experts including university professors, food industry and restaurant managers in Lorestan and their customers, 29 of whom were selected using the purposive sampling method and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. The data collection tool in the qualitative part is an interview, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity and theoretical validity and the intra-coder and inter-coder reliability measurement method. Also, the data collection tool in the quantitative part is a questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity and test-retest reliability. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis method and MaxQDA software, and quantitative data were analyzed using fuzzy cognitive mapping method and Gaffey software. The results of this study indicate that focusing on nostalgia and memory-making with the centrality index (11/16) and creating an inspiring brand story with the centrality index (05/16) are the most important strategies for creating brand identity and forming a sustainable identity bond (4/17) and strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation with the centrality index (33/17) are the most important outcomes of brand identity.
Introduction
In today's dynamic and competitive markets, brands face numerous challenges in attracting, retaining, and interacting with customers. Increasing consumption options, rapid changes in consumer preferences and behaviors, and the influence of cultural, social, and psychological factors on purchasing decisions have forced organizations to seek innovative solutions to differentiate and strengthen their connections with their audiences (Seminari et al., 2022). Despite the increasing importance of the role of brand identification in forming emotional and lasting relationships between brands and consumers, there is still no comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of this phenomenon and its consequences, especially in sensitive and competitive industries such as the food industry. In a situation where multiple choices, increasing consumer awareness, and sensitivity to values ​​such as health, sustainability, and authenticity have made purchasing behavior more complex (DelVecchio et al., 2024), brands are forced to move beyond product functions and align with consumers' identities, values, and lifestyles in order to build trust, loyalty, and lasting preference (Van der Westhuizen, 2018). However, there is a significant gap in the domestic and foreign literature on specific and effective strategies for creating brand identity and its consequences in the food industry, while this industry needs to create trust, transparency, and emotional connection with consumers more than other areas (Li et al., 2022‌). This theoretical and applicable gap highlights the need for research that can provide a scientific and practical framework for identifying the factors affecting the creation of brand identity and explaining its effects on consumer behavior and attitudes. Therefore, the main question of this research is: What strategies lead to the creation of brand identity in the food industry and what consequences does this identity have for consumer behavior and brand performance?
Theoretical Framework
Brand Identity
Brand identity refers to a state in which a consumer sees himself aligned with the values, identity, and personality of a brand and considers it part of his personal or social identity. This phenomenon goes beyond simply purchasing a product or service and refers to the deep connection that a consumer establishes with a brand, such that the brand becomes a symbol of their beliefs, lifestyle, or even ideals (Van der Westhuizen, 2018). The importance of this concept in consumer behavior is that brand identification can lead to long-term loyalty, brand advocacy, and even influence others. When consumers identify with a brand, they feel a sense of belonging to that brand, and this feeling can strongly influence their purchasing decisions (Zafari & Nasimi, 2022). This emotional connection causes the consumer to continue to stick with their favorite brand even when faced with cheaper options or other competitors. From a psychological perspective, brand identification helps consumers to strengthen their identity or be accepted in certain social groups that are consistent with brand values. This is especially important in modern societies where consumption has become a part of individuals' social identity (Borjalilou & Emadinasab, 2025).
Abbasi Esfanjani & Basir (2025) conducted a study titled "Analytical Model of the Relationship between Brand Identification, Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility, and Digital Product Brand Preference". The findings and results showed that consumers' perception of digital product social responsibility has a significant effect on brand identification. Also, brand identification has a significant effect on brand preference for digital product products. Perception of social responsibility has a significant effect on brand preference for digital product products. Brand identification plays a mediating role in the effect of perception of corporate social responsibility on brand preference for digital product products.
Zafari & Nasimi (2022) conducted a study titled "The Effect of Brand Identity and Trustworthiness on Customer Attachment and Loyalty to Sports Brands". The results of the study show the effect of brand identity on brand attachment, product identity on product attachment, brand trustworthiness on brand attachment, product trustworthiness on product attachment, product attachment on brand attachment, brand attachment on brand loyalty, and product attachment on brand loyalty. The findings indicate that brand attachment and product attachment directly and positively affect brand loyalty.
Research Methodology
This research is exploratory in nature and is based on the inductive deductive paradigm.
Research Findings
The results of the qualitative section indicate the strategies for creating and consequences of brand identity in the food and restaurant industry. Accordingly, strategies for creating brand identity include creating an inspiring brand story, actively engaging with audiences on social media, creating personalized experiences, using relevant influencers, emphasizing social responsibility, focusing on a strong, coherent, and engaging visual identity, creating brand-centric rituals, characterizing the brand as an emotional narrator, creating interactive and playful content, and focusing on nostalgia and memory-making. Also, the consequences or downstream factors of brand identity in the food and restaurant industry are strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation, forming self-sustaining brand-centric communities, forming a sustainable identity bond, increasing the synergy rate in the brand ecosystem, creating a brand halo effect, reducing the churn rate in the customer life cycle, strengthening resilience against competitive disruptions, increasing perceived value beyond service, creating sustainable revenue streams, and enhancing brand symbolic capital. Also, the results of the quantitative part of the research include measuring the importance and prioritization of strategies for creating and consequences of brand identity in the food industry. Accordingly, the most important strategies for creating brand identity are focusing on nostalgia and memory, creating an inspiring brand story, and focusing on a strong, coherent, and attractive visual identity. Focusing on nostalgia and memory in brand identity creates a deep emotional connection with the audience. This approach strengthens brand loyalty by evoking positive emotions and shared memories. An inspiring brand story establishes a deep connection with the audience by creating a meaningful and emotional narrative. These stories strengthen customer identification and loyalty by conveying brand values ​​and identity. Also, a strong, coherent, and attractive visual identity strengthens brand recognition in the audience's mind by creating a distinctive and memorable image. This visual coherence deepens trust and emotional connection with the brand and increases identification. Also, the formation of a sustainable identity bond, strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation, and reducing the churn rate in the customer life cycle were identified as the most important consequences of brand identification. Brand identification plays a key role in the formation of a sustainable identity bond by creating an emotional and value connection between the consumer and the brand. This connection creates a long-term and meaningful relationship between the individual and the brand by strengthening the sense of belonging and loyalty. Brand identification strengthens identity differentiation by creating a deep emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. This differentiation creates a sustainable competitive advantage and increases customer loyalty. Brand identification also increases the sense of belonging of customers by creating a strong emotional bond. This deep connection reduces the churn rate in the customer life cycle and strengthens long-term loyalty. Overall, the research findings show that brand identification in the food industry in Iran is rooted in identity, emotional, and cultural experiences, rather than being influenced by advertising activities or direct interactions. 
Conclusion
According to the results of the present study and the reviewed research background, most of the findings are in line with previous research. Most studies have emphasized that brand identification as an identity-affective construct has a significant role in strengthening brand preference, customer loyalty, brand attachment, and repurchase intention. Studies of Abbasi Esfanjani & Basir (2025), Hoseini ravesh et al. (2024), Zafari & Nasimi (2022), and Rabiei Rudsari et al. (2019) all show that brand identification and its related factors (perceived social responsibility, brand trustworthiness, actual and ideal identification) have a direct impact on brand preference, brand attachment, and customer loyalty. Findings from international studies, including Kini et al. (2024), Li et al. (2022), and McManus et al. (2022) also reinforce this path, stating that self-concept, brand personality traits, and emotional-identity bonds influence brand loyalty and preference through the mediation of brand identification. This broad alignment shows that the mechanisms for forming identity bonds between customers and brands vary across cultures and industries, and supports the current study’s view of the importance of strategies such as brand narrative, nostalgia, personalized experience, and social responsibility. On the other hand, some of the research background also highlights points of distinction that can be considered as cases of misalignment or differences in emphasis. For example, research of Kini et al. (2024) shows that self-concept alone does not lead to loyalty and only operates through customer engagement and brand identification; this finding emphasizes that identity bonds require the presence of complementary behavioral mechanisms, while some domestic research (e.g. Rabiei Rudsari et al., 2019) places a more direct emphasis on the impact of actual and ideal self-identification on purchase intention.

Abstract Abstract The aim of the present study is to design and explain a strategic entrepreneurship model in the field of urban e-governance: a mixed approach. The present study is fundamental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and mixed (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the qualitative section includes 14 experts, entrepreneurs in the field of information technology and urban management, selected using the snowball method. The statistical population of the quantitative section includes 384 entrepreneurs in the field of information technology and urban management, selected using the convenience sampling method. Data collection in the qualitative section was carried out through semi-structured interviews and in the quantitative section through a questionnaire. The data analysis in the qualitative section was carried out using the grounded theory method, and in the quantitative section, PLS. The results of the research in the qualitative section show that 164 initial codes were placed in 22 categories. Also, the development of strategic entrepreneurship in e-governance requires simultaneous attention to the components of the three business, national, and international levels. The business and national level components act as a basis and facilitator for the international components. Specifically, the creation of hardware and software infrastructures at the national level and attention to macroeconomic stability strengthens the competitive advantage at the international level. The results obtained from the structural equation model show that the coefficient of all hypotheses is higher than 0.3. The t-statistic is also higher than 1.96. The significance level of the hypotheses is also lower than 0.50. Therefore, all relationships are confirmed. Introduction Access to the information needed for decision-making, further control and monitoring of the organization and processes, the possibility of analyzing conditions and analyzing in planning and simulating decisions can be significant effects of the presence of information technology in the organization (Stone et al., 2020). With increasing environmental uncertainty, rapid changes, and new global challenges, one of the effective solutions to adapt to continuous developments and to get ahead of competitors is to move towards strategic entrepreneurship, because the environment facing today's societies is constantly changing, and it is entrepreneurs who provide a model for coping with and adapting to these changing and dynamic conditions, and employees are also considered an important element in the work and entrepreneurship process (Khajuei Nasab Karani, 2018). Strategic entrepreneurship is a concept that integrates entrepreneurial actions and strategic management principles within organizations (Bashir & Vij, 2023). Along with the importance of strategic entrepreneurship, one cannot ignore the changes in the field of information and the introduction of electronic approaches into society. Of course, it should be considered that today, electronic governance is not only considered a threat, but also a strategic driver for businesses. However, it should be noted that in today's dynamic and competitive world, the benefits of this strategic driver in achieving organizational goals and increasing entrepreneurship can be used when organizations, instead of just using information technology, also pay due attention to the governance and improvement of information technology services and change their approach towards an optimal entrepreneurial process (Akhavan Agh Ghale & Eskanderpour, 2020). In general, e-governance in the modern era maximizes the value of information technology, because it affects management in the field of information and provides a stable and secure platform for various innovative approaches. As a result, it can be seen that e-governance helps maintain competitive advantage by improving the level of strategic entrepreneurship (Elazhary et al, 2022). Therefore, we are looking for an answer to the question: how is the strategic entrepreneurship model in the field of mixed-approach urban e-governance designed and explained? Theoretical Framework Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship involves creativity and innovation, risk-taking and planning; a process in which raw ideas are managed in a way that leads to economic consequences. Entrepreneurship is also a type of employment that, through a dynamic, energetic, passionate and enthusiastic process, presents, creates and implements new ideas and creative solutions (Abdelkarim, 2019). Strategic Entrepreneurship Strategic entrepreneurship is an application program for developing a new project within an organization that is based on exploiting new opportunities and creating economic value. Strategic entrepreneurship can be defined as a continuous organizational readiness to explore new competitive fields and identify capabilities to exploit them. The main contribution of the field of strategic entrepreneurship in organizations is to increase awareness and understanding of the role of entrepreneurship in mutual organizations, which aims to revitalize these organizations and their organizational performance. Strategic entrepreneurship can be identified through a set of characteristics, namely: exploiting existing knowledge as the basis for social and economic progress (Sajedi & Kazemi, 2024). E-Governance E-Governance is a way for governments to use information technology and other new technologies to facilitate individuals to access government information and services, improve their quality, and provide broad opportunities for participation in democratic processes and symbols (Soong et al, 2020). Chabak et al. (2025) studied the development of a model for e-government governance with an approach to facilitating and developing digital businesses in Iran. The findings showed that the dimensions of smart digital management and policymaking, technological infrastructure and interoperability, digital services and common business development platforms, human resource empowerment and innovative organizational culture, supportive legal and regulatory frameworks, stakeholder participation and interaction, and continuous evaluation and improvement have a significant impact on e-government governance with an approach to developing digital businesses. All model fit indices indicated a favorable fit of the conceptual model with the empirical data. The research results indicate the need to redefine the role of the government from a service provider to a facilitator and platform builder. To achieve efficient digital governance, it is essential to pay attention to smart policymaking, develop open and secure infrastructure, institutionalize an innovative culture, support laws, and structured stakeholder participation. This model can be a guide for policymakers to improve the digital ecosystem and facilitate the growth of technological businesses in the country. Shirani & Ayneh (2025) examined the future city, integrated urban governance, and presented an entrepreneurial city model in Iran. The findings have led to the presentation of a conceptual model of the future entrepreneurial city with five main components: 1) data-driven participatory governance; 2) technological and social infrastructure; 3) flexible policymaking; 4) innovative urban economy; and 5) human capital empowerment. The proposed model is designed based on Iran's indigenous capacities and institutional challenges and can be proposed as a policy-friendly model for empowering Iranian cities in the era of digital transformation and complex crises. Research Methodology The present study is fundamental-applicable in terms of purpose, and mixed (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of implementation method. The statistical population of the qualitative section includes 14 experts, entrepreneurs in the field of information technology and urban management, selected using the snowball method. The statistical population of the quantitative section includes 384 entrepreneurs in the field of information technology and urban management, selected using the convenience sampling method. Data collection in the qualitative section was carried out through semi-structured interviews and in the quantitative section through a questionnaire. Research findings The data analysis method was used in the qualitative section, and PLS in the quantitative section. The results of the research in the qualitative section show that 164 initial codes were placed in 22 categories. Also, the development of strategic entrepreneurship in e-governance requires simultaneous attention to the components of the three levels of business, national, and international. Business and national level components act as a grounding and facilitator for international components. Specifically, creating hardware and software infrastructure at the national level and paying attention to macroeconomic stability strengthens competitive advantage at the international level. The results obtained from the structural equation model show that the coefficient of all hypotheses is higher than 0.3. Also, the t-statistic is higher than 1.96. The significance level of the hypotheses is also lower than 0.50. Therefore, all relationships are confirmed. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing and explaining a model of strategic entrepreneurship in the field of urban e-governance using a mixed approach. The findings of this study are consistent with the research of Chabak et al. (2025), Shirani & Ayneh (2025), Parvin et al. (2024), Rajabpour et al. (2023), Xin et al. (2023), and Oana-Ramona et al. (2021). Parvin et al. (2024) showed that capacity building to establish the right to access information, increase regulation, discipline urban management mechanisms, strengthen internal platforms for networking and securing information in line with urban smartness can be implemented through the implementation of a good digital governance model. Considering the results obtained, the following suggestion is made: Policymakers and planners should consider many factors for the development of strategic entrepreneurship. Factors such as the creation of infrastructure and superstructures of companies and organizations are of great importance and provide a platform for the growth of entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is recommended to provide the necessary conditions in this regard.

Abstract 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.

Abstract Abstract This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the impact of business culture on the role of artificial intelligence in developing business strategies. 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. The statistical population of the study included all managers and employees of Shasta Company, which was 315 employees and managers by simple random sampling 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. Research findings show that business culture has an impact on AI. AI has an impact on business organizational model. AI has an impact on strategic marketing decision management. AI has an impact on strategic decision management. Introduction In the digital age, the business world requires shorter response times and greater attention to competitive landscapes that can change faster than ever. In this context, many companies are embracing new technologies with the aim of achieving high performance and competitive advantage (Mao, 2025). Among these technologies, AI has occupied a prominent position and has attracted the attention of the literature and business organizations. According to Davenport (2018), AI may be the technological force with the greatest potential for disruption in today’s evidence. Similarly, for Brynjolfsson & Mcafee (2017), AI is the most important general-purpose technology of our time, especially with regard to machine learning techniques. However, in the past decade, the huge amount of data in various formats, which is being generated faster than ever before, has required the development of new technologies, led to an acceleration of technological progress, which includes the increase in computational processing capacity and the development of new AI techniques (Amin et al., 2025). With these advances, companies such as Netflix, Google, Airbnb, Amazon and Uber can process large amounts of data with AI and use the results to expand their reach with new products, markets and services (Ajalli et al., 2023). Given the competitive business scenario with high data volume, scarce resources and the need for speedy decision-making, many organizations are motivated to adopt AI technologies (Dhaigude et al., 2025). Various leaders, aware that this process requires a review of business strategy, are also reformulating their strategic plans to include AI technologies (Yu et al., 2025). However, the literature shows that more research is necessary to understand the impacts of AI in planning and executing business strategies (Hajipour et al., 2023), as there is still little theoretical and empirical evidence on how to do it. However, there is a consensus on the need to create business value using AI technologies (Singh et al., 2025). Artificial intelligence plays a disruptive and destructive role in the balance of marketing and businesses world. Artificial intelligence can rebuild the foundation of businesses and, in this way, create new and rapid revenue streams and bring sustainable competitive advantage. If, according to the classical theorists of this field, we consider strategic management as the brains of the organization and the wisdom of business leaders in saving and guiding the organization throughout its life cycle, and on the other hand, we take a look at the intensity of the entry of artificial intelligence into various sciences, the need to pay attention to artificial intelligence and its advances in strategic management will become more and more obvious to us. Although the foundation of management is almost fixed; but looking at business through the lens of artificial intelligence requires fundamental revisions in the leadership method and the use of organizational management tools. Accordingly, the question arises: what effect does business culture have on the role of artificial intelligence in formulating business strategies?  Theoretical Literature The Role of Artificial Intelligence, Strategy Development, and Business Performance With its ability to process and analyze large amounts of data and simulate scenarios, Artificial Intelligence provides organizations with tools that make the strategy development process more accurate, faster, and based on real data. This capability of AI enables organizations to better evaluate decision-making options and design their strategies with more confidence. In turn, optimal and data-driven strategies enhance organizational performance because they improve resource allocation, decision-making, and action execution, and as a result, the organization will be able to achieve its goals more effectively (Bagheri et al., 2023). On the other hand, AI also directly impacts organizational performance; this technology improves the organization's ability to achieve goals and increase efficiency by reducing human errors, increasing productivity, and creating more value for customers and stakeholders (Dowlatabadi et al., 2025; Guler et al., 2024). Another important point is the role of organizational culture and business model, which act as reinforcing factors. Organizations that foster a culture of learning, innovation, and knowledge sharing can implement AI more effectively and, through it, increase the impact of AI on organizational strategy formulation and performance (Jorzik et al., 2024). Mao (2025) reviewed the “Supply Chain Optimization Strategy and Application Method of Business Management Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology”. First, the advantages of AI-based solutions in supply chain management, especially in demand forecasting, inventory management and warehouse process automation, were investigated; and a supply chain optimization model based on genetic algorithm was built. Experimental results show that AI technology and genetic algorithm can significantly reduce supply chain costs, improve logistics efficiency and increase service levels, and confirm the effectiveness of the model in practical applications. Labin (2024) reviewed “Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: A Review of Current and Future Trends”, using a systematic literature review method. The findings of the bibliographic analysis revealed six emerging clusters of AI in marketing research, namely psychosocial dynamics, AI-enhanced dynamic market strategies, AI for consumer services, AI for decision-making, AI for value conversion, and AI for ethical marketing. Research Methodology This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population of the research includes 420 managers and employees of Shasta Company, of whom 315 were selected as stratified random samples using the Cochran formula. A researcher-made questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale was used to collect data. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research instrument are reported in Table 1. To examine the validity of the instrument, content validity (expert opinion survey) 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 should 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 research findings show that business culture plays a key role in the acceptance and effectiveness of artificial intelligence, and organizations that promote a culture of learning, innovation, and knowledge sharing can use artificial intelligence capabilities more effectively. Also, artificial intelligence has a direct impact on the organizational model and strategic decision-making processes and provides the ability to convert big data into practical knowledge and effective decisions. In the field of marketing, artificial intelligence improves strategic decision-making and the design of targeted campaigns. Furthermore, the combination of organizational culture, business model, and AI creates an interactive cycle that enhances organizational performance and provides sustainable competitive advantage. Discussion and Conclusion One of the most important results of this study is that business culture has a direct impact on the effective use of AI. Organizations that promote a culture of continuous learning, innovation, cross-functional collaboration, and knowledge sharing can use AI capabilities more optimally. These findings are in line with studies by Davenport (2018) and Farah et al. (2023), who emphasize that cultural harmony and interaction between organizational units strengthen AI capabilities and shape its real value in the organization. This shows that the success of AI deployment is not limited to technological tools alone, but also depends greatly on the organizational environment and prevailing culture. Another finding shows that AI has a direct and significant impact on the organizational model and strategic decision-making processes. Organizations that integrate AI into their structure and processes are able to transform complex and big data into actionable knowledge and effective decisions. This increases the accuracy and speed of strategic decision-making and allows the organization to allocate its resources more effectively. These results are consistent with research by Karamipour (2023) and Dowlatabadi et al. (2025), which show that implementing AI can become a core competency of the organization and significantly improve organizational performance. Artificial intelligence also plays an important role in marketing decision-making and strategic market management. Using AI tools, organizations are able to analyze customer behavior, market trends, and competitive patterns and design their marketing strategies based on real and dynamic data. This capability allows them to respond quickly to environmental changes and perform better in dynamic markets. The findings of this study are consistent with the studies of Labin (2024) and Peltier et al. (2024), which show that AI optimizes marketing processes and helps create shared value in customer-organization interactions. The role of organizational culture and business model is as an enabling factor. Organizations that have an innovative culture and value knowledge sharing, learning, and collaboration can enhance the impact of AI on strategy formulation and performance. In other words, the success of AI-based strategies depends not only on the technology itself, but also requires organizational cultural and structural alignment. These findings are consistent with studies by Schein (2017) and Teece (2018) and show that alignment between technology, culture, and business model is essential for creating sustainable competitive advantage.