New Approaches in Management and Marketing

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the role of customer personality congruence with influencers on purchase intention, with an emphasis on the mediating role of customer value co-creation behaviors and trust, as well as the moderating role of parasocial relationships. Given the rapid growth of influencer marketing and its role in brand promotion on social media platforms, investigating these relationships is highly important. This study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of methodology. The statistical population included 384 followers of the Waloland Instagram page in Nishapur, and data were collected through an online 52-item questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. The validity of the instrument was confirmed through convergent validity (AVE) and discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker and HTMT), and its reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling and SmartPLS 4 software.
The findings indicated that personality congruence has a positive and significant effect on customer value co-creation behaviors, including customer participation behavior and customer citizenship behavior, as well as on customer trust. Furthermore, customer value co-creation behaviors have a positive effect on expected brand value and play a significant mediating role in the relationship between value co-creation and purchase intention. In addition, customer trust has a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, and parasocial relationships have a significant moderating role in the relationship between personality congruence and customer value co-creation behaviors.

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of brand reputation on brand advocacy among customers of non-Iranian luxury car brands, considering the mediating role of emotional attachment as well as the moderating role of customer experience and price perception. This research is applied in terms of purpose and quantitative-descriptive survey in terms of method. The statistical population consisted of 180 customers of non-Iranian luxury car brands in Yazd city, who responded to the questions of a questionnaire derived from reputable international studies using simple random probability sampling. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling with PLS software. The findings showed that brand reputation has a significant indirect effect on brand advocacy through increased emotional attachment, while the moderating role of brand experience and price perception was not confirmed. This finding indicates the predominance of emotional factors over economic and experiential factors in shaping brand advocacy among customers of non-Iranian luxury car brands.

Abstract The aim of the present study is to design an organizational maturity model for the implementation of generative artificial intelligence in organizational information systems. In terms of purpose, this research is applied, and in terms of method, it is descriptive-survey in nature. The statistical population consisted of managers, experts, and specialists in the fields of information technology and digital transformation in organizations located in Tehran. The sample size was determined to be 384 respondents using Cochran’s formula, and the data were collected through a standard questionnaire based on a Likert scale. To analyze the data and test the hypotheses, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SmartPLS software were employed. The findings revealed that the organizational maturity model comprises six main dimensions: information technology infrastructure maturity, data and knowledge management maturity, information systems process maturity, human resource maturity, AI governance and risk maturity, and generative AI-driven innovation maturity. All of these dimensions have a significant effect on the overall level of organizational maturity. Among them, data and knowledge management maturity, as well as information technology infrastructure maturity, had the greatest impact on the successful implementation of GenAI. The results indicate that the successful implementation of this technology requires a comprehensive, multidimensional, and coordinated approach.

Abstract The present study aims to evaluate the effect of service quality integration, strategic marketing communications, digital interactive experience, and future-oriented innovation on electronic banking performance. In terms of purpose, this research is applied, and in terms of method, it is a descriptive-survey study of a correlational nature. The statistical population of the study consisted of 440 employees of Mehr Iran Qard al-Hasan Bank in Tehran. Using Cochran’s formula, a sample of 205 participants was selected through simple random sampling. The data collection instrument was a researcher-developed questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS software.The results indicated that all four hypothesized predictor variables had a positive and significant effect on bank performance through customer retention. Among them, digital interactive experience showed the strongest effect, with a path coefficient of 0.73 and a t-statistic of 2.94. It was followed, respectively, by future-oriented innovation (path coefficient = 0.51, t = 2.49), strategic marketing communications (path coefficient = 0.36, t = 4.62), and service quality integration (path coefficient = 0.29, t = 4.91). The findings suggest that, in a hypercompetitive environment characterized by low bank-switching costs, customer retention is no longer a function of isolated actions; rather, it requires a comprehensive, experience-based, and future-oriented strategic architecture.

Abstract The present study aimed to examine sustainable supply chain management in rural cooperatives: a novel approach based on digital transformation. This research was applied in nature and conducted using a cross-sectional survey method. In terms of implementation, it employed a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) and was based on grounded theory. The statistical population of the study consisted of 16 managers and members of rural cooperatives in Lorestan Province. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. In the qualitative phase, data were analyzed using the fuzzy Delphi method, and in the quantitative phase, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), Excel, and MICMAC were used.The findings indicated that the use of digital technologies can increase transparency, reduce costs, and improve the level of supply chain sustainability. In addition, challenges such as the high cost of implementing digital technologies, insufficient familiarity of managers with digital tools, and resistance to change were identified as some of the barriers to the successful implementation of this approach in rural cooperatives. The results also showed that information technology infrastructure, government support for technology and digitalization, access to sustainable financial resources, and digital technological capabilities had the greatest indirect influence. Among all factors, reducing environmental impacts in the supply process and improving quality of life and employment in rural areas had the greatest level of dependence.

Abstract This study aimed to design a mentoring model for managers in Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Company. In terms of purpose, this research is applied-developmental and was conducted using an exploratory mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) approach. In the qualitative phase, the statistical population comprised 12 managers, experts, and human resource specialists from Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Company, selected through purposeful and snowball sampling methods. To validate the qualitative model, the Fuzzy Delphi method was employed with the participation of 10 experts, confirming high validity and expert consensus on the identified components. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of all 255 employees of the company; due to the limited population size, a census method was applied, resulting in 245 fully completed and analyzable questionnaires. Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire. For data analysis, thematic analysis and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were utilized. The qualitative findings yielded 87 initial codes and 13 sub-categories, which were organized into 4 main categories: “Mentoring Infrastructure and Planning,” “Mentor Roles and Interactions,” “Learning and Developmental Processes,” and “Outcomes and Value Creation.” The quantitative results revealed that the effectiveness of mentoring in public organizations depends on focusing on experiential learning, constructive mentor-mentee interaction, organizational support, and structured sessions. The final model can serve as an operational framework to enhance managerial competencies, facilitate tacit knowledge transfer, foster a learning culture, and improve decision-making processes in public sector organizations.

Abstract This study aimed to validate an impulse buying behavior model in the online luxury electronics market. In terms of purpose, the research is applied; methodologically, it adopts a quantitative approach and is survey-based in nature. The statistical population comprised consumers who purchase luxury electronic products from online platforms, of whom 384 respondents were selected via convenience sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire served as the data collection instrument. Content validity was confirmed through expert judgment, and reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4 software. The findings revealed that modern marketing strategies, perceived shopping value, technological stimuli, behavioral elements, product characteristics, consumer traits, external triggers, and store-related factors exert a positive and significant effect on impulse buying behavior. Goodness-of-fit indices demonstrated acceptable and favorable fit for the final model. Furthermore, the results indicate that stimulating impulse buying in the online luxury electronics market is, above all, driven by interactive and personalized technologies. These insights assist marketing managers in leveraging technological tools to effectively manage consumers’ immediate and emotional responses in online environments, thereby establishing a sustainable competitive advantage.

Abstract The objective of this study is to empirically test the Emotional Capital Model at Bank Saderat in Kerman province using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. In terms of purpose, this is an applied research study; in terms of methodology, it is quantitative and follows a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consists of 384 employees of Bank Saderat in Kerman province. Given the finite nature of the population, a census approach was employed, with all members selected via simple random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, with validity and reliability confirmed at 0.62 and 0.94, respectively. For data analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using SmartPLS 3 software.The findings indicate that the emotional capital of Bank Saderat employees in Kerman province is a coherent, multidimensional construct that can be effectively explained within the framework of an SEM model. The analysis confirms a favorable fit for the conceptual model and reveals significant relationships among the dimensions of emotional capital. Specifically, components such as emotional awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, emotional self-efficacy, and the quality of emotional relationships play a decisive role in explaining the emotional capital of the employees. Furthermore, the model exhibits a strong goodness-of-fit (0.50), and all factor loadings exceed 0.40, demonstrating the validity and suitability of the proposed model.

Abstract This study aimed to design an agile marketing model in digital banking with a focus on sustainable development. In terms of purpose, the research is applied-fundamental, and methodologically, it adopts a qualitative approach based on Grounded Theory. The participant population comprised 14 academic and executive experts in agile marketing and digital banking, selected through purposeful sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews served as the data collection instrument, and research reliability was confirmed through the test-retest agreement index. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory methodology. The findings were identified within the paradigmatic model across six main dimensions: causal conditions (financial capacity, digital marketing capabilities, digital resources), contextual conditions (cultural capabilities, banking governance), intervening conditions (regulatory, technological, organizational barriers, and risk management), strategies (dynamic capabilities comprising decision-making agility, dynamic adaptation, digital innovation, and service outsourcing), and outcomes (sustainable development across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, alongside competitive advantage). The results indicate that agile marketing in digital banking represents a systematic strategy that, by integrating technology, data-driven approaches, and organizational agility, not only fosters a sustainable competitive advantage but also provides a robust foundation for sustainable development in the banking sector by reducing carbon footprints, expanding financial inclusion, and promoting corporate social responsibility.

Abstract The aim of the present study is vertical coopetition: a novel strategy in supply chain relationships (a meta-synthesis of antecedents and consequences). In terms of implementation, this research is mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative). In the qualitative phase, using the meta-synthesis method and analyzing 32 selected articles from معتبر scientific databases (2000–2026), initial concepts were extracted and organized into sub-themes and main themes. In the quantitative phase, Shannon entropy technique was used to measure the density and conceptual dispersion of the themes. For data analysis, meta-synthesis was employed in the qualitative phase and Shannon entropy technique in the quantitative phase.The findings in the antecedents section led to the identification of five main themes: “relational capability” (with the highest conceptual density), “relational asymmetry,” “supply chain structural constraints,” “environmental and institutional pressures,” and “economic pressure” (with the lowest conceptual density). In the consequences section, eight main themes were also identified, ranked by conceptual density as follows: “relationship reconfiguration,” “competitive reconfiguration,” “firm performance reconfiguration,” “knowledge management and innovation reconfiguration,” “supply chain efficiency reconfiguration,” “value redistribution,” “resource and dependency reconfiguration,” and “risk redistribution.”The results show that vertical coopetition is a paradoxical and multidimensional phenomenon that emerges both through capability building and learning within relationships and in response to power asymmetry, supply chain structural constraints, and environmental pressures. Its consequences are also distributed across relational, competitive, performance-related, knowledge-based, value-based, and risk-related dimensions, and are highly contingent on context, power balance, and the quality of relational governance.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify the antecedents of positive organizational behavior within the General Directorate of Tax Affairs of Kerman Province. In terms of purpose, this research is applied-developmental, and regarding methodology, it is qualitative, conducted using the thematic analysis approach. The statistical population comprised 17 experts and managers from the General Directorate of Tax Affairs of Kerman Province, selected through purposive sampling based on the criteria of having at least 10 years of managerial experience in the tax administration and extensive expertise in this domain. Data collection tools consisted of two sections: a comprehensive review of the literature (desk research) and semi-structured interviews (fieldwork), which continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis (basic, organizing, and global themes) via MAXQDA 2020 software. The findings revealed that the antecedents of positive organizational behavior encompass four dimensions: individual factors, leadership and managerial factors, organizational factors, and environmental/extra-organizational factors. This finding highlights positive organizational behavior as a multi-level and systemic phenomenon in which employees’ psychological capacities, leadership quality, organizational attributes, and environmental conditions exert complementary influences on one another.

Abstract The aim of this study is to model and analyze the structural relationships among constructs influencing the authenticity evaluation of emerging brands using an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach. In terms of purpose, this research is applied, and in terms of nature, it is exploratory. The statistical population comprises branding and marketing experts, consisting of 15 participants in the interview stage and 10 experts in the structural modeling phase. Sampling was conducted purposively and via snowballing, continuing until theoretical saturation was achieved.The study was carried out in two distinct steps. In the first step, qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with academic experts and branding/marketing professionals. In the second step, the structural relationships among the constructs were analyzed based on expert judgments. The qualitative findings led to the identification of 12 key drivers which, alongside the constructs of “brand trust” and “brand authenticity,” formed the final 14-construct conceptual model. Subsequently, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was utilized to establish the hierarchical levels of the constructs, and MICMAC analysis was employed to determine their driving and dependence power.The results revealed that the constructs are positioned across three main levels: foundational drivers, brand trust as an intermediary construct, and brand authenticity as the final dependent construct. Furthermore, purchase intention can be explained as a behavioral outcome within this structural chain. Overall, the findings indicate that certain constructs act as drivers while others play a dependent role; therefore, the authenticity evaluation of emerging brands should be conducted based on the structural relationship among constructs rather than merely considering a list of isolated factors.

Abstract The aim of the present research is to design a performance management model based on think tank network participation. In terms of objective, this research is exploratory, and in terms of implementation, it is qualitative. The statistical population consists of 19 university professors, managers, and public administration experts, who were selected using purposive sampling. The research instrument is a semi-structured interview. For data analysis, the coding method and MAXQDA software were used. The findings revealed that 543 initial codes were extracted, which were classified into 122 indicators, 32 components, and ultimately 13 dimensions. The model of ‘Government Performance Management Based on Think Tank Network Participation’ encompasses five key dimensions: first, ‘identifying and formulating the organization’s issue system’; second, ‘designing and validating the organization’s performance indicators’; third, ‘monitoring and measuring the organization’s performance’; fourth, ‘analyzing performance and providing feedback to the organization’; and fifth, ‘improving organizational performance and organizational learning’. Overall, government performance management based on think tank network participation represents a systematic response to the inefficiencies of traditional and linear approaches to governmental performance evaluation. From problem identification to organizational learning, this approach delineates a ‘participatory-feedback’ cycle in which think tanks and elite networks are no longer mere external observers or critics, but rather strategic partners of the government in the path toward transparency, intelligent monitoring, and continuous improvement. While compensating for structural weaknesses in the existing evaluation system, this approach provides a platform for learning-based, accountable, and problem-oriented governance