https://www.jvcbm.ir/ Journal of value creating in Business Management en daily 1 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_220972.html Abstract This study aims to design an e-business strategic model based on effectiveness outcomes in line with value creation. This study is fundamental in terms of its objective, descriptive-analytical in terms of nature, and based on a qualitative approach to data-based theorizing in terms of its method. The tools used in this study were interviews and a statistical sample consisting of 15 academic experts and e-business managers. The sampling method in this study was theoretical, which continued from in-depth interviews with experts until theoretical saturation. In the analysis process; open, axial, and selective coding were used, and the content of related reports and interviews was analyzed using MAXQDA software, and 81 open codes (concepts) and 16 subcategories were obtained. The results of data analysis showed that causal conditions consists of 3 subcategories (Planning and evaluation, market needs assessment, and customers' online shopping experience), contextual conditions consists of 3 subcategories (technical requirements, electronic maturity, and e-commerce infrastructures), intervening conditions consists of 3 subcategories (specific characteristics of each business, government policies, and facilitators), pivotal conditions consists of 3 subcategories (characteristics of distribution of goods and services, characteristics of exchange of goods and services, and characteristics of communication between buyer and seller), strategies consists of 2 subcategories (economic strategies of business, and marketing and sales strategy), and the main category of consequences consists of 2 subcategories (effectiveness consequences for business, and effectiveness consequences for customers). Introduction Rapid developments in information and communication technology have transformed the business environment and provided unprecedented opportunities for the development of electronic businesses. These changes have enhanced value creation for organizations and customers by providing access to broader markets, improving processes, and providing innovative services. E-business goes beyond online buying and selling, and includes process integration, internal and external communications, and effective stakeholder engagement that is value-creating through transparency, efficiency, and strengthening relationships. Success in this area requires adapting to changes and designing strategic models that maximize effectiveness and anticipate customer needs. Value creation in e-business is achieved by improving customer experience, reducing costs, accessing global markets, and optimizing processes. Data analysis to understand customer behavior and provide personalized services creates competitive advantage. However, there are challenges such as intense competition, market changes, and gaining customer trust. Effectiveness, as a pillar of value creation, creates mutual value for the organization and customers by increasing revenue, reducing costs, and improving efficiency. Technologies such as artificial intelligence enhance this value by responding to needs more quickly. This research, with a qualitative data-driven approach, presents a strategic model that integrates causal, contextual, intervening conditions, strategies, and outcomes of effectiveness. Unlike previous studies that focused on technical or marketing aspects, this study fills the gap in the comprehensive analysis of value creation and answers the question: How can a strategic model for e-business be designed that ensures value creation for businesses and customers? Theoretical Framework Effectiveness and Value Creation of E-Business Effectiveness of e-business is multifaceted and affects different aspects of business operations. This effectiveness is achieved by reducing communication costs, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening relationships with customers and suppliers (Pustovit, 2023). E-commerce platforms create economic advantage and contribute to sustainable consumption by providing user-friendly and reliable services (Jalali, 2021). Optimal inventory and supply chain management reduces costs and increases the agility of the organization in the competition (Sharma, 2024). E-commerce facilitates information exchange and improves collaboration between buyers and suppliers (Moharana et al., 2017). In a dynamic business environment, continuous value creation for customers and companies is essential (Zhong & Chen, 2023). Digital marketing strategies, such as eye-tracking technology-based advertising, increase value at the market, company, and customer levels by enhancing brand awareness (Mirmotahari et al., 2025). Company value is measured through metrics such as customer lifetime value, customer referrals, and customer feedback (Singh et al., 2023). E-businesses, by accessing global markets, smooth competition for small and large companies and help business sustainability and growth by improving supply chains (Pustovit, 2023). Ethical marketing and strengthening brand identity on digital platforms increase customer loyalty and repurchase intention and create sustainable value (Rezaeian & Asgari, 2021). Effective e-business models lead to value creation by identifying customer needs and emphasizing innovation. These models improve customer experience and market share by strengthening brand equity (Rezaeian & Asgari, 2021). Optimizing processes and reducing costs through these models creates more value for customers and businesses (Sugiharo, 2024). Information technology enhances value creation by improving decision-making and process efficiency (Hosseini et al., 2020). Value co-creation between businesses and customers through digital platforms creates added value and contributes to business sustainability (Molaei et al., 2023). Research Method This fundamental research with a qualitative approach based on grounded theory is classified as a non-experimental study and examines e-business. The target population consisted of two groups of theoretical experts (university professors with relevant articles in the field of e-business) and industry experts (managers with at least 10 years of experience in this field). Theoretical sampling continued by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation achieved with 15 interviews. The grounded method was used to collect and analyze data. The data were analyzed with open, axial, and selective coding; and concepts were extracted, integrated, and categorized into larger categories to form a paradigmatic research model. Research Findings In this research, the coding of interview data was carried out with the grounded method in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. In open coding, interviews with 15 experts were analyzed, and 81 open codes and 16 subcategories were identified. In axial coding, the categories were linked with Strauss and Corbin's tool: causal conditions including planning, market needs assessment and shopping experience; contextual conditions including technical requirements, e-maturity and e-commerce infrastructure; intervening conditions including business characteristics, government policies and facilitators; focal category including distribution, exchange and buyer-seller relationship characteristics; strategies including economic and marketing strategies; and outcomes including effectiveness for business and customers. In selective coding, the categories were integrated and e-business indicators were presented based on effectiveness outcomes. Conclusion The present study, using a data-based approach and its analysis with MAXQDA software, presents a strategic model for the success of e-businesses based on the interaction of the following factors: Causal conditions; including planning, market needs assessment and online shopping experience, ensure success by optimizing resources, aligning with demand and strengthening loyalty (in line with Norouzi et al., 2023; Malihi & Hassanbeygi, 2024; Hosseini et al., 2020). Contextual conditions; such as technical requirements, electronic maturity and infrastructure, provide a platform for sustainable operations (in line with Norouzi et al., 2023; Kanishchenko & Kuznetsova, 2020; Hosseini et al., 2020). Intervening conditions including government policy, business characteristics and facilitators (trust building) drive development (consistent with Kanishchenko & Kuznetsova, 2020; Almasi et al., 2024; Molaei et al., 2023). The central category focuses on optimal distribution and effective buyer-seller communication, which reduces costs and strengthens trust (consistent with Nourbakhsh, 2021; Malihi & Hassanbeygi, 2024; Molaei et al., 2023). Strategies including economic and marketing strategies promote growth and sales (consistent with Sanayeie & Sobhani, 2018; Sugiharto, 2024; Nourbakhsh, 2021). The outcomes include business effectiveness (revenue, efficiency) and customer satisfaction (consistent with Nourbakhsh, 2021; Almasi et al., 2024; Malihi & Hassanbeygi, 2024). According to the research results, the following suggestions are made: Digital user experience with smart tools, strengthening technological infrastructure and e-maturity with artificial intelligence, synergy with government policies, development of data-driven digital marketing, innovation in smart distribution and logistics, strengthening customer communication channels and establishing performance monitoring systems. Integrated implementation of these solutions ensures value creation and efficiency (consistent with Norouzi et al., 2023; Malihi & Hassanbeygi, 2024). https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_233813.html Abstract The aim of this study is to identify the dimensions of customer misbehavior and its costs in the banking industry. The research method is applicable with a phenomenological approach in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 21 bank frontline employees in Tehran. The sample size was carried out with a purposive sampling method and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. Coding and content analysis method using Maxqda software were used to analyze the data. The research findings include four overarching themes and eleven organizing themes. The theme of customer misbehavior consists of two sub-themes of non-communicational misbehavior and communicational misbehavior, and the costs of misbehavior include three overarching themes: supervisor response, short-term response, and long-term response of employees. Short-term response consists of two sub-themes of physiological and behavioral response and emotional response; the supervisor's response consists of two themes: punitive response and supportive response towards employees; and long-term responses consist of five sub-themes: individual success analysis, personality analysis, emotional analysis, intention to leave the job, and job stress. The coding validation and research findings were supported by positive feedback from participants. Therefore, customer misbehavior imposes costs on banks and involves service employees in various harms and unproductive behaviors. Introduction Service companies predominantly adopt customer-oriented service philosophies. In the service industry based on these philosophies, the role of customer-contact employees who provide the main service has been emphasized; however, these employees are exposed to a variety of stresses arising from unpredictable situations (Hwang et al., 2021). While misbehavior does occur, insights based on employee management view employees as responsible for a set of misbehaviors aimed at disrupting transactional and organizational activities, while the organization and employees are the victims of such events. This focus is in stark contrast to customer-focused research that highlights deviant customer activities. Such studies show that customers routinely misbehave during transactions (Harris & Daunt, 2013). The service encounter is the point at which customers and employees interact, and these interactions can be positive or negative. The popular belief that “the customer is always right” is flawed because customers often engage in unfair behaviors that reveal the darker side of marketing. Service sectors such as restaurants, banks, airlines, theme parks, and hotels require frequent customer-employee interactions (Nawaz & Khan, 2024). Service management researchers and practitioners emphasize the importance of supporting employees who interact socially with customers. Although social support is vital for everyone in any organization, it is even more beneficial for customer-facing employees in the service industry, as they act as “front-line workers” and strive to meet both organizational and customer expectations simultaneously. Although a large number of studies related to social support have provided evidence of a negative effect, the function of social support in moderating these adverse effects remains controversial (Hwang et al., 2021). Consumer misconduct remains a vast area of ​​investigation and study. In other words, while it is widely accepted that consumer misconduct is a pervasive and potentially damaging phenomenon that can negatively impact the customer experience and that controlling such behavior is crucial, it is understudied and its aspects are still hidden. Given the simultaneous importance of external customers (service recipients) and internal customers (service provider human resources), it is essential for organizations and the adoption of an appropriate customer-centric strategy to identify the costs of customer misconduct in banks so that bank management can understand the consequences of customer misconduct and plan to control customer behavior and reduce its negative consequences on the organization's human resources. Therefore, the main research question is: What are the dimensions of customer misconduct and its costs in the banking industry? Theoretical Framework Customer Deviant Behaviors Inappropriate consumer behavior is often a dark and negative aspect such as theft, queue jumping, vandalism, frivolous complaints, fraudulent behavior, verbal and physical abuse of employees and other customers, and misuse of company resources. People who exhibit such behavior are called "G customers", problem customers, and ineffective customers, and the behavior they exhibit is called deviance (Xiao et al., 2022). Motives for Customer Misbehavior Previous research has shown that customers have different motivations for engaging in misconduct. Some individuals engage in vandalism and others engage in abuse, such as teenagers or young adults. Most of these deviant behaviors may be infrequent, but nearly all consumers engage in some form of deviant behavior, and thus consumer misconduct is often overlooked and severely underreported in crime statistics (Dootson et al., 2017). Employee Emotional Exhaustion Emotional exhaustion refers to “a feeling of emotional overextension and a depletion of one’s emotional resources.” The World Health Organization has included burnout as an occupational phenomenon in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. In this classification, burnout is considered a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. This syndrome is characterized by three dimensions: (1) a feeling of reduced energy or exhaustion, (2) an increase in mental distance from work, or a feeling of negativity or pessimism related to work, and (3) a decrease in professional performance (Gaspar et al., 2024). Bay & Arvand (2024) investigated the effect of customer mistreatment on the helping behaviors of sports club employees with the mediating role of job self-efficacy. It shows the negative effect of customer mistreatment on the job self-efficacy of employees. Also, customer mistreatment leads to a negative effect on the helping behaviors of employees. On the other hand, the indirect effect of job self-efficacy is significant in the relationship between customer mistreatment on the helping behaviors of employees. Zhao et al. (2024) in examining the effect of customer misbehavior on work-family conflict and employee withdrawal behaviors, indicates the effect of customer misbehavior on work-family conflict and withdrawal behaviors, which supports the mediating role of rumination and moderates peer support processes. Research Methodology The research method is applicable with a phenomenological approach in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the research includes 21 bank front-line employees in Tehran. The sample size was determined using purposive sampling and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. Research Findings Coding and thematic analysis method using Maxqda software were used to analyze the data. The research findings include four overarching themes and eleven organizing themes. The theme of customer mistreatment consists of two sub-themes of non-communicational mistreatment and communicational mistreatment, and the costs of mistreatment include three overarching themes: supervisor response, short-term response, and long-term employee response. Short-term response consists of two sub-themes of physiological and behavioral response, and emotional response; supervisor response consists of two themes of punitive response and supportive response toward employees, and long-term responses consist of five sub-themes: individual success analysis, personality analysis, emotional analysis, intention to leave, and job stress. The validation of coding and research findings was supported by positive feedback from participants. Therefore, customer mistreatment imposes costs on banks and involves service employees in various harms and unproductive behaviors. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a model of customer mistreatment and apology in the banking services industry. The results of this study are consistent with the research of Bay & Arvand (2024), Zhao et al. (2024), Nawaz & Khan (2023), Gillison et al. (2023), Jalili et al. (2023), Sharafi & Shahoseini (2023), Salari (2020), Xiao et al. (2022), Hwang et al. (2023), and Bhattacharjee & Purohit (2023). Gillison et al (2023) showed that the perceived frequency of customer violations, concerns about customer mistreatment, and concerns about enforcing rules with these customers increase employee burnout. Customer-induced burnout reduces organizational commitment and increases turnover intention. According to the results of this study, the following suggestion is made: Since perceived supervisor support can reduce employees' negative feelings caused by customer misbehavior, managers should understand and use the importance of supervisor support and take positive and effective measures to strengthen employees' perceived supervisor support. On the other hand, bank frontline employees are suggested to practice and focus on the ability to effectively cope and resolve the pressure caused by customer misbehavior and the negative emotional effects caused by it. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_246265.html Abstract The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and explaining the customer experience model and factors affecting the formation of loyalty in financial technology services in the leasing industry. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, qualitative in terms of method, and was conducted based on data-driven theory with a systematic approach of "Strauss and Corbin". The data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 18 experts and active customers of digital leasing platforms and analyzed by a three-stage process of open, axial and selective coding with MAXQDA18 software. The research findings led to the extraction of a paradigmatic model that shows that customer experience is influenced by "causal factors" such as the inefficiency of traditional processes, the need for speed and convenience, and advances in financial technology. In this model, “intervening factors” including the level of digital trust, information security, and quality of technical support; and “contextual factors” such as digital literacy and legal infrastructure, moderate the experience process. The identified strategies include user-centered design, process transparency, and personalization of financial services, which act as the main drivers to achieve the central phenomenon (perceived convenience and security). The consequences of this model are crystallized in two psychological and behavioral dimensions, which include increased loyalty, positive word-of-mouth advertising, improved financial well-being, and gaining competitive advantage for leasing organizations. The results of this research, while filling the theoretical gap in the field of FinTech, provide valuable implementation solutions for managers to design a pleasant and sustainable experience for customers in the digital ecosystem. Introduction In today’s modern world, digital technologies are recognized as one of the most important transformation factors in service industries. The leasing industry is no exception to this rule and has experienced significant changes in its service delivery with technological advances. These developments have created new opportunities to improve customer experience that require careful and scientific examination (Kronheim et al., 2024). The emergence of financial technologies has shifted the boundaries between banking, investment and leasing services and placed customers at the center of these changes. The leasing industry, as one of the vital pillars of financing in modern societies, is forced to embrace technological innovations to maintain survival and competitiveness in this new ecosystem (Hoyer et al., 2020). However, simply deploying technology is not enough; rather, the key to success in this field is a deep understanding and re-creation of the customer experience in the context of modern financial services. (Kronheim et al., 2024) Financial technologies, along with digital leasing, play a key role in facilitating access to financial services and increasing efficiency in this area. These technologies have not only accelerated traditional processes, but also created new and innovative experiences for customers. This doubles the need to pay attention to customers’ opinions and analyze their experiences (Alexander et al., 2024). Customer experience in digital financial services is a multidimensional and complex concept that is not limited to the technical quality of services, but also includes customer perceptions, emotions, trust, and interactions. Therefore, a deep understanding of customer experience in the field of fintech and digital leasing is essential for the success and sustainability of these services (Kronheim et al., 2024). Therefore, given the existing gap and the need to identify the indigenous and specialized components of this industry, the present study was designed to identify and present a comprehensive exploratory model. Using a qualitative approach and data-driven strategy, this study seeks to find out: what does the exploratory model of customer experience of financial technology services in the leasing industry look like? Theoretical foundations Customer experience Customer experience of digital services, as one of the main indicators of the success of organizations, has received more and more attention (Tolooee et al., 2024). This experience is influenced by various factors such as user interface quality, response speed, data security and service personalization. Therefore, identifying and analyzing these factors can help improve services. Since 1960, many concepts have been created about customer experience. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word experience means actual observation or practical familiarity with truth or events. (Kronheim et al., 2024). Financial technology and the leasing industry Due to its vital role in facilitating access to assets, the leasing industry needs to adapt to technological developments and customer needs. However, few studies have examined customer experience of digital leasing services. This highlights the need to design exploratory models to gain a deeper understanding of customer experience. The term fintech refers to companies that, in the existing financial services sector, offer and improve products, processes, or business models based on new technological opportunities with the aim of improving quality for customers who are more familiar with the digital world (Amir Hosseini et al., 2025). Aalami et al. (2026) investigated the factors affecting customer experience in the implementation of Generation 4.0 retail. The research findings showed that technological advancement and value creation have a significant impact on customer experience. Human and organizational factors also play an effective role in the implementation of Generation 4.0 retail. Customer experience, as a key variable, plays a prominent role in improving store performance and strengthening customer relationships. Arabi et al. (2025) investigated the identification of drivers affecting the future of investment in the Iranian Social Security Organization, emphasizing the role of technology. The results showed that 29 drivers were extracted through a literature review and structured interviews with social security experts. In the next step, these drivers were screened through the fuzzy Delphi method. The priority drivers were: drivers of the level of cooperation of the Social Security Organization with technology startups, the level of cooperation of the country's financial institutions and institutions with fintechs, and the development of regtechs. Research Method This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and a data-based theory strategy based on an interpretive paradigm. The required data were collected through 18 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with fintech experts and digital leasing customers selected by a purposeful and snowball method, and the collection process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis was conducted in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding, which ultimately led to the design of a paradigmatic model (including causal, contextual, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences). To ensure validity and reliability, participant verification techniques and supervision by expert colleagues were applied. Research Findings The research findings showed that the customer experience in digital leasing is shaped by traditional inefficiencies and the need for speed in services and is based on the central phenomenon of “perceived convenience and financial justice.” The results indicate that implementing strategies such as user-centered design and service personalization leads to strategic outcomes such as sustainable loyalty, positive word-of-mouth advertising, and competitive advantage of the organization. Also, variables such as information security and digital trust level as key factors play a vital role in moderating and strengthening this experience. Discussion and Conclusion The results of the study showed that complex bureaucracies, time-consuming paper processes, and lack of transparency in traditional models, as a negative driver, have pushed customers towards modern alternatives. This finding is in line with the view of Homburg et al. (2017) who believe that pain points in the customer journey are the first sparks of behavior change and search for a different experience. The findings indicate that in the era of the digital economy, "speed in validation" and "ease in registering a request" are the most decisive factors in the formation of the initial experience. This result is consistent with the research of Khanzadeh (2024). According to the extracted model, FinTech advancements (such as artificial intelligence in validation and smart contracts) have provided the necessary infrastructure to realize the 4.0 generation customer experience. This finding is consistent with the results of Aalami et al. (2026). Data analysis showed that training is a bridge between technological infrastructure and positive user perception. Since digital financial services may seem complicated to some users, providing educational guides fills the skill gap and strengthens digital trust. This result is consistent with the model of Pangarkar et al. (2022) in the field of social engagement; because effective training conveys a sense of organizational support to the customer and, by reducing ambiguity, lowers perceived risk, which ultimately leads to long-term customer commitment to the brand. The research findings show that technical infrastructure (including platform stability, server speed, and authentication database connectivity) are the main foundation of customer experience. If the digital infrastructure is weak, even the best marketing strategies will fail. This finding is consistent with research of Aalami et al. (2026). The results of the study indicate that the level of skill and knowledge of users in using smart devices strongly affects their perception of “ease of use”. Customers with higher digital literacy have a more enjoyable experience with FinTech platforms, while for users with less knowledge, this process can be anxiety-provoking. This result is consistent with the view of Bonik et al. (2023) that individual user characteristics moderate the impact of experience on loyalty. One of the key findings is that customer experience does not occur in a vacuum, but is strongly influenced by central bank rules, data security, and regulatory frameworks. The existence of transparent rules in the field of landtech and digital leasing provides customer peace of mind. This finding is consistent with the results of Arabi et al. (2025) in the role of regtechs and financial institutions in new investments. Finally, the research showed that the social acceptance and general culture of using offline financial services is the basis for the success of fintech models. The paradigm shift from visiting the branch in person to trusting all-digital processes is a cultural transformation. This result is consistent with the findings of Alexander et al. (2022). Research findings show that digital trust acts as a catalyst. In the leasing industry, which deals with high financial sums and long-term contracts, if trust is not built, even the best and fastest platforms cannot build loyalty. This finding is in line with the research of Ghasemi Naji et al. (2025). Research results indicate that information security is the "red line" of customer experience in fintech. Any ambiguity in how to store sensitive and creditable customer data can negate all previous positive experiences. This result is consistent with the findings of Arabi et al. (2025). Data analysis showed that technical support at critical moments (such as an error in the payment gateway or uploading documents) is the decisive moment for loyalty. High quality support can turn a negative experience into a positive and trust-building memory. This finding is in line with the view of Aalami et al. (2026) about the role of human and organizational factors in realizing the 4.0 generation of retail. The findings of the research indicate that the ease of use, or the simplification of the platform environment, moderates the intensity of the effect of services on loyalty. If the platform is complex, the customer will experience cognitive fatigue and leave the purchase process half-finished. This result is consistent with Khanzadeh (2024) that emphasizes the role of experience quality on repeat purchases. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_244476.html Abstract The purpose of the present study is to design an interactive content marketing model with an emphasis on its role in shaping the purchasing decisions of digital consumers in Iraq. In terms of purpose, this research is applicable, and in terms of execution, it is qualitative; the adopted strategy is exploratory, and the method utilized is thematic analysis. The research population consists of 21 faculty members and experts in the field of digital and interactive marketing in Iraq, selected based on purposive sampling and the data saturation technique. The data collection tool is semi-structured in-depth interviews. For data analysis, thematic analysis and MAXQDA software were employed. The findings of the thematic network analysis revealed 6 organizing themes, 14 basic themes, and 58 primary codes as the components and categories of interactive content marketing with an emphasis on its role in shaping digital consumers’ purchasing decisions. The (organizing) themes were presented in 6 dimensions: strategic factors, consumer factors, brand factors, consumer value-creation attitude, content personalization strategy, and responsiveness and feedback. The results indicated that interactive content marketing, as an emerging and effective strategy, plays a significant and influential role in shaping and strengthening the purchasing decisions of digital consumers. Introduction In the current digital age, social networks have become one of the primary hubs for interaction, communication, and information exchange between businesses and consumers (Zamani et al., 2022). These platforms are not only used as a base for marketing and advertising but have fundamentally transformed the nature of marketing communications through their interactive capabilities (Bazi et al., 2020). Meanwhile, the concept of “Interactive Content Marketing” has emerged as a novel and effective strategy, capturing the attention of researchers and marketing professionals. Unlike traditional methods that were largely based on one-way message dissemination, this type of marketing emphasizes creating a two-way dialogue, encouraging active audience participation, and crafting personalized experiences. On the other hand, the consumer purchasing decision process, especially in the digital context, has undergone significant transformations (Lou & Xie, 2021). Today, digital consumers go through complex stages of information searching, option comparison, evaluating other users’ opinions, and interacting with brands in online spaces—particularly social networks—before taking action to buy. This process is not a simple linear sequence but rather a cyclical and dynamic path where the customer moves repeatedly between stages of awareness, consideration, evaluation, and action (Chang et al., 2025). This necessitates a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the formation of these decisions. Despite the increasing importance of interaction in virtual space, few studies have specifically examined the role of “interactive content” in shaping purchasing decisions within the context of developing markets like Iraq (Bianchi & Andrews, 2023). One of the concepts that marketers currently focus on regarding consumer consumption behavior is the creation of pleasant experiences and their impact on consumer behavior. Creating diverse experiences as a vital element in marketing strategies can create value and lead to a competitive advantage (Holliman & Rowley, 2024). The process of online shopping involves purchasing goods directly from the seller without intermediaries, which can be defined as the activity of buying and selling goods via the internet. Online shopping transactions provide customers with a variety of products and services, allowing them to compare these products with those of other intermediaries and select the best option (Daroch et al., 2021). In the Middle East region, and specifically in Iraq, the rapid expansion of internet penetration and smartphone usage has led to the emergence of a massive population of digital consumers who perform a significant portion of their daily activities—including searching for product information, interacting with brands, and shopping—through social networks. The Iraqi market, with its young and tech-savvy population, provides a dynamic environment for studying digital phenomena. Specific socio-cultural characteristics of this market, including the importance of word-of-mouth communication, trust in personal recommendations, and the strong role of family and community in decision-making, have made the potential of social networks and interactive content in influencing consumer behavior highly significant in this country (We Are Social & Hootsuite, 2024). Therefore, the present study seeks to answer the following scientific question: What is the interactive content marketing model with an emphasis on its role in shaping the purchasing decisions of digital consumers in Iraq? Theoretical Framework Interactive Marketing Interactive marketing is an innovative form of marketing in which audiences can engage and communicate with your content. In this approach, a brand provides a relevant and appropriate response based on the specific actions and movements of each customer and audience member. This method allows brands to act more creatively and tell more compelling stories, thereby attracting a larger audience. Unlike outbound marketing methods, interactive marketing creates an environment where customers and the brand can engage in a two-way dialogue (Lufkin, 2024). Zhu et al. (2026) investigated the design of a content marketing process model aimed at strengthening customer purchase intention. The results of this research indicated that to achieve modern marketing based on social media—characterized by two-way interactive dialogues and feedback reception (a many-to-many communication system)—organizations should prioritize these elements in their information dissemination, advertising, and health tourism marketing programs. Ahmadi alinoudehi et al. (2026) analyzed the dimensions and components of digital transformation management based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The results of their study indicated that AI-based digital transformation management is designed within four overarching categories: “contextual requirements,” “digital infrastructure,” “digital transformation management process,” and “organizational capital.” These include 12 organizing categories: “ethical requirements,” “cultural requirements,” “organizational requirements,” “hard digital infrastructure,” “soft digital infrastructure,” “digital transformation management process,” “digital transformation planning,” “prototyping,” “learning,” “human capital,” “process capital,” “structural capital,” and “social capital,” comprising a total of 73 basic categories. Methodology In terms of objective, this research is applicable, and regarding its execution, it is qualitative. The adopted strategy is exploratory, and the chosen method is thematic analysis. The research population consists of 21 faculty members and experts in the field of digital and interactive marketing in Iraq, selected through purposive sampling utilizing the data saturation technique. The data collection instrument employed is semi-structured in-depth interviews. Research Findings Data analysis was conducted through the thematic analysis method and MAXQDA software. The findings from the thematic network analysis identified 6 organizing themes, 14 basic themes, and 58 primary codes as the components and categories of interactive content marketing, emphasizing its role in shaping the purchasing decisions of digital consumers. The organizing themes were categorized into six dimensions: strategic factors, consumer factors, brand factors, consumer value-creation attitude, content personalization strategy, and responsiveness and feedback. The results demonstrated that interactive content marketing, as an emerging and effective strategy, plays a vital and influential role in shaping and reinforcing the purchasing decisions of digital consumers. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing an interactive content marketing model, emphasizing its role in shaping the purchasing decisions of digital consumers in Iraq. The results obtained from these findings are consistent with the research of Zhu et al. (2026), Ahmadi Alinoudehi et al. (2026), Jalalzadeh et al. (2025), Abolhasani Abrghan & Dadash Karimi (2025), Bagher Mosavi & Fadai (2024), Shakeri (2024), and Zamani et al. (2022). Notably, Zhu et al. (2026) demonstrated that to achieve modern marketing based on social media—characterized by two-way interactive dialogues and feedback reception (a many-to-many communication system)—organizations must prioritize these elements in their information dissemination, advertising, and health tourism marketing programs. Based on the research results, it is suggested that to reach the optimal state of marketing and customer loyalty, organizations should involve their employees across various fields and departments. The company should supervise and participate in business operations and the mapping of employees’ professional futures, while simultaneously pursuing competitive excellence in its programs. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_220971.html Abstract The aim of this study is to present a model to investigate habit formation in purchasing life insurance in Iran. The present study is applicable in terms of its purpose, and descriptive in terms of its nature and method. The statistical population of it includes all the activists in the insurance industry in Iran. The method and sample size in determining the appropriate degree of the proposed model was also carried out by the available sampling method with 35 experts. The collection tool in this study includes a researcher-made questionnaire derived from the qualitative method, which includes 4 areas of economic factors, non-economic factors, factors affecting customer withdrawal, and long-term factors affecting life insurance demand. SPSS software was used to analyze the findings, and structural equations and LISREL software were used to fit the model. The research findings showed that the statistical value of the previous year's insurance demand variable was measured significantly, so it can be stated that the hypothesis of habit formation in purchasing life insurance using the conditional variance heteroscedasticity multivariate autoregression approach has a significant effect. In addition, other variables have a direct and significant relationship with life insurance demand. Introduction The three institutions of banks, insurance, and stock exchanges are of particular importance in providing financial resources for investments. The insurance industry is one of the most important pillars of the economic development of countries. By reviewing the contribution of the insurance industry in the economy of developed countries, it can be seen that insurance has a greater and more significant role and importance compared to other services (Babaei, 2020). The role of the insurance industry in financial markets appears in three ways. First, the effect that this industry can exert on other financial markets, which is usually used as a support to reduce investment risk. Its second role is to collect and provide financial resources using insurance operations, and finally, the role of the insurance industry in indirect or direct investment. Direct investment of the insurance industry in the country's economic activities is its most important role. In the role of risk coverage, insurance companies act like a cooperative fund. In other words, they act to pay for the losses incurred from the collected resources. But in the role of financial inputs, insurance acts as a capital supply fund that seeks to maximize profits like an economic enterprise (Haris et al., 2019). For this reason, it is tried to maintain an appropriate combination of insurance types in order to achieve the goals. One type of insurance policy that is significantly attractive in the composition of the insurance sales portfolio is life insurance. In selling life insurance, insurance companies use the funds of policyholders that they have in the form of technical reserves as a profitable asset and invest in appropriate economic activities. The features of this insurance policy such as low loss ratio, long-term commitments, and short-term and continuous resource provision, have made insurance companies advocate this type of insurance, unlike third-party and medical insurance. For this reason, the factors that affect its sales are of interest to insurance companies. In addition to economic variables, these factors also include non-economic ones. In fact, insurance companies are interested in developing their activities in this area by being aware of the decision-making model of life insurance buyers (Moore & Young, 2020(. Studying the effect of each of these factors will play a key role in developing life insurance sales for insurance companies. Recognizing this issue, sellers should think about developing the insurance network by understanding the psychological issues of policyholders as life insurance buyers. The development of the insurance industry, especially life insurance, as mentioned at the beginning, will play a significant role in the economic development of the country. Therefore, the researcher is trying to address the question: what is the appropriate model for examining the formation of the habit of buying life insurance in Iran? Theoretical Framework Life Insurance Insurance is a contract that transfers an imminent risk that may occur to an individual's property, activity, or life to the insurance company in order to compensate for the material loss caused by the risk (Karimi & Zaghian, 2020). Life insurance is one of the most important fields of personal insurance. Legally, life insurance is a contract under which the insurer undertakes, in return for receiving a premium, to pay an amount (capital or annuity) to the policyholder or a third party designated by him in the event of the insured's death or survival at a certain time (Ahmadi et al., 2021). Amari Allahyari et al., (2024) examined the relationships between service quality dimensions and the intention to purchase life insurance policies. The results obtained show that service quality plays a vital role in increasing customer satisfaction and improving organizational performance. The findings show that life insurance representatives with problem-solving and helpfulness skills can increase customers' willingness to purchase life insurance products. This research emphasizes that high service quality is a key competitive advantage in the life insurance market and must be aligned with organizational goals. Li et al., (2021) examined the demand for non-life insurance under habit formation by presenting a dynamic model for the optimal consumption of non-life insurance according to past weighted average consumption. In their study, habit is divided into two types: internal and external. Internal habit is influenced by the discussion of risk aversion, and external habit is influenced by the discussion of false comparison to others and the comparison of different investment options, including stocks. Research Methodology The present study is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive in terms of nature and method. The statistical population of the present study includes all activists in the insurance industry in Iran. The method and sample size in determining the appropriate degree of the proposed model were also carried out as a available sampling method for 35 experts. The collection tool in this study includes a researcher-made questionnaire derived from a qualitative method, which includes 4 areas of economic factors, non-economic factors, factors affecting customer withdrawal, and long-term factors affecting life insurance demand. Research Findings SPSS software was used to analyze the findings and the model was fitted using structural equations and LISREL software. The research findings showed that the statistical value of the previous year's insurance demand variable was significantly measured, so it can be stated that the hypothesis of habit formation in life insurance purchase using the conditional variance heteroscedasticity multivariate autoregression approach has a significant effect. In addition, other variables have a direct and significant relationship with life insurance demand. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of providing a model to investigate habit formation in life insurance purchase in Iran. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Amari Allahyari et al., (2024), Li et al., (2021), Ahmadi et al., (2021), Ghasemi Aghdami et al., (2021), Karimi & Zaghian (2020), Abdolsalam (2021), and Tan et al., (2018). Amari Allahyari et al., (2024) showed that service quality plays a vital role in increasing customer satisfaction and improving organizational performance. The findings show that life insurance representatives with problem-solving and helpfulness skills can increase customers' willingness to purchase life insurance products. This study emphasizes that high service quality is a key competitive advantage in the life insurance market and should be aligned with organizational goals. Based on the present study, the following suggestions are made: •Reforming the organizational structure of the investment unit. •Reforming the regulations related to the investment limit of life financial resources. •Using experimental advertising by insurance companies in order to confirm the habit formation hypothesis. •Insurance companies can design optimal strategies in line with customer demand for life insurance by measuring factors related to monitoring and controlling the organization's internal processes and employing expert personnel at different levels. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_222140.html Abstract The aim of this study is to design a sustainable consumption model in the health-based products market. The present study is applicable in terms of its purpose and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 13 experts and specialists in the field of sustainable consumption, and the samples were selected using a purposive sampling method, and information collection continued until theoretical saturation. Data analysis in the qualitative section is performed using the data-driven method and MAXQDA software version 2020. The results of the research showed that the designed model, which includes causal conditions (attitude towards sustainable consumption, subjective norms, ethical commitment to sustainable consumption, consumer perception, values, social responsibility, sustainable consumption intention, and environmental awareness), contextual conditions (factors related to the marketing mix, environmental laws, political factors), intervening conditions (responsible consumption, sustainable consumption reduction behavior), category-centric, strategies (push marketing, sustainability incentives, use of celebrities, etc.), and consequences (life satisfaction, conservation of natural resources, health-oriented product purchasing behavior) were identified to explain the components of sustainable consumption in health-oriented products. Introduction Sustainable consumption behavior emphasizes the importance of reducing resource consumption and adopting circular economy principles to achieve sustainable development. By examining the impact of environmental awareness, hedonic and functional aspects on sustainable consumption and purchase intention, it can be concluded that environmental awareness has a significant impact on sustainable consumption (Khalid, M. et al., 2024). Today, companies and organizations are forced to include environmental protection issues in their activities in order to meet customer needs, act on social responsibility, and protect consumer rights (Emamgholi, 2011). It seems that lack of awareness of green products is the biggest obstacle to consuming such products (Teseng & Hung, 2017). By providing information and building trust in customers, a bond is created between the customer and the company, and this emotional bond with a place created as a result of the experience is effective on the individual's positive evaluation of that company and his behavioral tendencies in the future. (Yuskel et al., 2016) Another very important issue is that sustainable consumption, as a responsible approach to using resources, plays an important role in preserving the environment and improving the quality of life. With the increase in environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, the importance of sustainable consumption has become more apparent than ever. Sustainable consumption is not limited to purchasing environmentally friendly products, but also includes everyday behaviors such as reducing waste, reusing goods, choosing sustainable food and reducing energy consumption. With increasing public awareness and global efforts, societies are seeking to adopt more sustainable practices to meet current needs while preserving resources and suitable conditions for future generations. However, the number of studies that specifically address the effects of sustainable consumption in various aspects is limited. On the other hand, most of the concerns of people in today's world and in our country are the health of the used products which cause less damage to the environment; and this doubles the importance of sustainable consumption in health-oriented products and explains the need to address this category. In fact, the main concern of the present study is the same, and an attempt has been made to fill the existing gaps and present a paradigmatic research model. Therefore, given the importance of the subject, an attempt has been made to address most of the aspects affecting sustainable consumption. Accordingly, the main issue of the present article is: How is the sustainable consumption model designed in the market for health-oriented products? Theoretical framework - Sustainable consumption Sustainable consumption includes the use of products and services that meet basic needs and improve the quality of life, while minimizing the consumption of natural resources, toxic substances, and the emission of waste and pollutants throughout the life cycle so that the needs of future generations are not jeopardized. At its core, sustainable consumption requires a change in consumer behavior, encouraging individuals and communities to make more environmentally conscious decisions. This includes reducing consumption of goods, choosing products with lower environmental impacts, and adopting practices such as recycling and reuse. The principle emphasizes the importance of consumers paying attention to the environmental footprint of their choices and moving them towards lifestyles that help preserve the environment. Sustainable consumption is not limited to individual choices, but also involves making systematic changes to production processes and supply chains to embed sustainability into the structure of consumer products and services (Khajuria, A & Verma, 2025). Some researchers consider sustainable consumption behavior as an act of voluntary convenience or anti-consumption (MoradiDehkordi & Barrani, 2022); while others define it as the adoption of green lifestyle activities. Diverse perspectives and explanations make sustainable consumption behavior a complex phenomenon to describe and predict. Some marketers and policymakers have emphasized the need to understand the social and institutional actions that may encourage the development of environmentally friendly behavior among consumers. Other studies have discussed the role of individual values ​​in influencing sustainable behaviors (Jain, 2021). In addition, the higher price of sustainable products compared to conventional options is another important factor in sustainable consumption. Given the associated economic challenges, the issue of affordability must be taken seriously. Local and major news media point to higher prices for eco-friendly products, and claims like “buying green is too expensive for the average consumer” are proposed, and consulting firms are examining why “today’s pricing is a barrier to sustainability.” While previous studies have shown that product price is a barrier to green purchasing, new research shows that not only consumers’ actual financial resources, but also their financial withdrawals predict sustainable consumption. However, consumers who follow plant-based diets actually spend less on food purchases than other consumers. Therefore, actual financial ability and withdrawals can have similar or different effects on consumer choices (Schnack, A. & Gan, C., 2024). Research Methodology This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and qualitative in terms of implementation. A purposive sampling strategy was used to explore the phenomenon under study. Given that the subject of presenting a sustainable consumption model in the health-oriented product market was to collect information, academic experts and university professors specializing in the field of consumer behavior who had published articles on this topic were consulted, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. In this research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 participants from the aforementioned statistical population. Finally, the research data were analyzed through a coding process based on the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin's data theory. In this method, the stages of data analysis were carried out through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Data analysis were carried out through coding the interviews in the 2020 MAXQDA software. Research findings In this study, considering the meaning of these codes, each has been categorized into a similar concept, and thus the research concepts were determined. The categories were written in the form of components based on the analysis of the interviews. The findings from this stage indicate that such a systematic and comprehensive study has not been conducted so far, and each of the studies has focused on a specific aspect and has not been presented in a comprehensive and systematic framework. The coding process consists of three stages: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The results of this study provide a model with 26 indicators in sustainable consumption. Factors include causal conditions (attitude towards sustainable consumption, subjective norms, ethical commitment to sustainable consumption, consumer perception, values, social responsibility, sustainable consumption intention, green management education, environmental awareness), contextual conditions (factors related to the marketing mix, environmental laws, political factors, political antecedents), focal category (sustainable consumption, health-oriented products), strategies (marketing, sustainability incentives, understanding economic models, green management education, sustainable identity formation, use of celebrities), consequences (satisfaction with life, purchasing behavior of health-oriented products, conservation of natural resources), and intervening conditions (responsible consumption, sustainable consumption reduction behavior) that explain the components of sustainable consumption in health-oriented products were identified. Conclusion The main result of this study is to provide a comprehensive model of sustainable consumption in the health-oriented products market. The results of this study indicate that using strategies in the field of sustainable consumption such as sustainable incentives, which include promoting simple procedures for sustainable consumption and training in creating business models based on sustainable consumption and using creative and intelligent strategies to attract customer attention, which ultimately results in things such as life satisfaction, conservation of natural resources (choosing products with the least environmental pollution, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing global warming due to the use of health-oriented products), and purchasing behavior for health-oriented products. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Kumar, S, & Yadav (2021), Simeone, M. et al., (2025), Abbasi & Rezaei (2017), Haung (2022), Milas Zewicz (2022), and Ambuli et al., (2022). The results of these factors showed that sustainable consumption attitudes and mental norms, and consumer perception have a significant impact on sustainable behavior and can play an effective role in marketing health-oriented products. Sustainable consumption behavior is influential in adopting appropriate strategies and actions; and background conditions such as supportive policies, integration of innovation policies, and environmental policies can provide a suitable platform for the activities of health-oriented product manufacturers in developing sustainable consumption. According to the present study, the following suggestions are presented: • Ethical consumerism training patterns • Granting bank loans to health-oriented product manufacturers • Availability of health-oriented products • Using creative and intelligent strategies to attract customer attention • Supporting local economy and innovation in sustainable consumption https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_226823.html The aim of this research is to design a marketing process model for customer relationship management in digital platforms of the banking industry. The research method is applied in terms of its purpose and qualitative in terms of its implementation. The statistical population of the study included 16 marketing experts, academics, and banking industry managers, selected through purposive or snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Data analysis and coding were conducted in grounded theory. Based on the results of qualitative analysis, five categories of overarching categories were identified, including: causal factors of the customer relationship management model in digital platforms in the banking industry (technology, organizational, individual, technological factors) Phenomenon-oriented factors (electronic channels, company organization, employee empowerment) Strategic factors (electronic marketing, customer interaction, internal exchanges, learning and innovation) Contextual factors (trust-building behavior) Intervening factors (political factors, organizational factors) The outcomes (customer satisfaction and loyalty, customer trust) were identified. The results of the quantitative section, while confirming the research hypotheses, showed that the proposed model has appropriate validity. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_245267.html Abstract The objective of the present study is to provide a model to explain the factors affecting the implementation of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM) with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) components and its outcomes for banking customers. In terms of its objective, the research method is developmental-applicable; and in terms of its execution, it is a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) study. The statistical population in the qualitative section includes 10 experiential and academic experts, and the statistical population in the quantitative section consists of 8 experiential and academic experts, selected through purposeful snowball and judgmental sampling methods. Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews in the qualitative section and an ISM questionnaire in the quantitative section. To analyze the findings, thematic analysis based on open, axial, and selective coding was applied in the qualitative section, while Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and interactive matrices were employed in the quantitative section. Research findings indicated that the successful implementation of ECRM in banks is influenced by a set of key factors, including technological factors (IT infrastructure, data quality, AI tools), organizational factors (top management support, organizational culture, processes), and human factors (employee skills, technology adoption). Furthermore, the results indicate that the application of AI components in ECRM leads to a significant improvement in outcomes such as customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty, customer experience, and value creation. Introduction The digital initiatives of governments undertaken since the beginning of the last decade, coupled with the increasing penetration of the Internet in recent years, have led to a surge in the global digital population (this increase has been reported to be over 50% in the last decade) (Statista, 2020). The Internet has become a powerful tool for electronic customer relationship management (Almajali et al., 2022). As digital technology begins to blur the distinctions between data platforms, a relatively new field of science—namely, Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM)—is developing. Customers interact with companies through a variety of information channels, some of which are connected to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications via the Internet (Santy & Hardiyanti, 2019). Intense competition, increasing globalization, and rising consumer expectations have forced banks to provide the best possible services to their customers, both to retain customers and to increase financial profitability (Gul et al., 2025). As a result, the business model has shifted from being bank-centric to customer-centric. Product homogeneity has only added to the burden of the banking industry, becoming a major challenge for maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty during a significant transition in technology and customer behavior. Banks utilize various ICT strategies to improve their customer relationships (Al-Dmour et al., 2019). The rapid expansion of digital banking has forced banks to transform their current strategy into an omni-channel strategy that includes the Internet, web, or physical branches (Shastri et al., 2020). Consequently, banks offer a wide range of digital products, including online banking, mobile banking, telephone banking, neobanking, self-service technology, and more. Every marketing campaign is primarily aimed at enhancing business profitability and developing and maintaining good customer relationships (Kotler & Keller, 2015). In managing a customer relationship system, it is necessary to analyze customer interaction data using appropriate tools. Today, these tools are developed and utilized through information technology capabilities. Therefore, to succeed in implementing a customer relationship management system, the factors affecting its implementation must first be examined and an appropriate model must be adopted. This will be addressed in this thesis through a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) approach. Thus, the main question is formulated as follows: How can the factors affecting the implementation of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM) be explained, emphasizing artificial intelligence components and their subsequent outcomes for banking customers? Theoretical Framework Electronic Customer Relationship Management Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM) is an online delivery system of sales, marketing, and service designed to identify, attract, and retain a company’s customers. The form of customer relationship management that is established through the use of information technology is referred to as Electronic Customer Relationship Management (Fuad & Abdullah, 2023). Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence refers to the study of how computers can be made to perform tasks that humans currently perform correctly or better, and it is defined as the intelligence demonstrated by a machine or the computer science that attempts to create it (Zolghadr et al., 2025). Asadi et al. (2025) investigated the identification of primary elements and components affecting electronic customer relationship management, and their results showed that variables related to causal factors—including human, technological, and support factors—along with contextual factors such as cultural and industry factors, and organizational factors including organizational design and customer-related factors, were identified and categorized as influential variables on electronic customer relationship management; furthermore, satisfaction and loyalty were recognized as the outcomes of implementing electronic customer relationship management. Additionally, Emami et al. (2025) examined the design of an AI-based customer relationship management model in digital service marketing within the health tourism industry, where the research results indicated that causal conditions included market competition enhancement, relationship improvement, automated data analysis, and empowerment, while contextual conditions consisted of customer data management and intelligent services; moreover, intervening conditions included efficient planning, resource savings, and customer behavior management, while the strategies in the study involved solving integration problems, information management issues, and planning challenges, leading to outcomes such as increased customer satisfaction, improved financial strength, customer loyalty, and time savings, with structural equation modeling results demonstrating that the dimensions loaded well onto the research variables and provided an appropriate description of them. Research Methodology The research method, based on its objective, is developmental-applicable; and in terms of execution, follows a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) approach. The statistical population of the study in the qualitative phase consists of 10 experimental and academic experts, and in the quantitative phase, it includes 8 experimental and academic experts selected by purposeful snowball and judgmental sampling methods. The data collection tool in the qualitative section is semi-structured interviews, while the quantitative section utilizes the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) questionnaire. Research Findings To analyze the findings, thematic analysis based on open, axial, and selective coding was utilized in the qualitative phase, while the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method and interactive matrices were employed in the quantitative phase. The research findings revealed that the successful implementation of ECRM in banks is influenced by a set of key factors, including technological factors (IT infrastructure, data quality, and AI tools), organizational factors (top management support, organizational culture, and processes), and human factors (employee skills and technology adoption). Furthermore, the results indicate that the application of artificial intelligence components in ECRM leads to a significant improvement in outcomes such as customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty, customer experience, and value creation. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the objective of providing a model to explain the factors affecting the implementation of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM), with an emphasis on artificial intelligence components and their subsequent outcomes for banking customers. The results of this research are consistent with the findings of Asadi et al. (2025), Emami et al. (2025), Hosseinimanesh et al. (2025), Karimi & Mahmoodi Ranani (2025), Zolghadr et al. (2025), Shiri & Hassoumi (2024), Pousti (2024), Sahoo et al. (2024), Amin Ravan & Ferdous Makan (2023), Sarfarazi et al. (2023), and Fuad & Abdullah (2023). Karimi & Mahmoodi Ranani (2025) demonstrated that the adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce has a significant relationship with improving the business performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, their research emphasizes the pivotal role of dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation in advancing AI adoption within the e-commerce sector, which in turn contributes to enhanced business performance; these results highlight the importance of developing technological capabilities and innovative approaches in SMEs to effectively exploit artificial intelligence and achieve growth and success. Given the dependence of intelligent ECRM on data and artificial intelligence, it is suggested that regulatory bodies facilitate the sustainable development of these systems by formulating transparent frameworks in the areas of privacy, AI ethics, and data security. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_242291.html Abstract The primary aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the complex relationship patterns among stakeholders within the artificial intelligence ecosystem of Iran’s automotive industry, and to precisely identify the loci of power concentration, interest misalignments, and potential capacities for strategic convergence. To this end, a mixed‑method (qualitative–quantitative) research design grounded in futures studies was employed. In the first phase, through a systematic literature review and expert panel consultations with industry and academic specialists, 48 key stakeholders along with their core objectives were identified. In the second phase, the required quantitative data were collected through standardized impact–influence matrices and actor–objective position matrices, and subsequently analyzed by the mathematical model implemented in the MACTOR software. The findings from the internal analysis indicate that the network structure is highly unbalanced; specifically, 66.7% of stakeholders fall within the “strategic isolation” quadrant, while the only actor positioned in a state of “mutual dependence” is the automotive manufacturing sector. Conversely, the external analysis reveals the formation of a powerful coalition within the industrial–governmental bloc (including automakers; the Ministry of ICT; the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade; and the military sector), primarily aligned around hardware‑driven objectives such as infrastructure development and data security. In contrast, actors such as media, universities, and civil society organizations exhibit minimal convergence with these strategic objectives. Introduction Today, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a significant driving force across various industries (Soleymanpoor et al., 2025). This transformative technology plays a pivotal role, particularly in the automotive industry—a sector recognized as a leading economic engine in many nations. AI not only optimizes manufacturing processes and supply chains but also facilitates the design of innovative products such as autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) (Tripathi et al., 2024). Furthermore, AI-driven smart after-sales services have enhanced customer satisfaction and operational efficiency (Mehta et al., 2024). Nevertheless, AI remains an emerging phenomenon within the automotive technological ecosystem; its sustainable development, involving diverse stakeholders with multifaceted objectives, necessitates rigorous investigation (Pourshahabi, 2023). Stakeholder interactions within technological ecosystems are critical dimensions of their development and success. These ecosystems comprise complex networks of relationships among organizations, individuals, and resources involved in the creation, production, and commercialization of new technologies (Tripathi et al., 2024). Deciphering these relationships—including the identification of key stakeholders, their goals, and their interaction patterns—is a fundamental necessity for managers and policymakers. Through a meticulous analysis of these relations, more effective strategies can be formulated for resource allocation, collaboration facilitation, and risk management (Khizar et al., 2025). Moreover, examining the structures and dynamics governing these ecosystems can foster open innovation, improve organizational performance, and enhance global competitiveness (Iglesias-Sánchez et al., 2022). Ultimately, managing stakeholder relations in technological ecosystems contributes to sustainable development and value creation for all participants (Li et al., 2022). Addressing stakeholder relations is essential because technological ecosystems represent interconnected clusters of agents collaborating to advance innovation and technological growth (Reiter et al., 2024). Understanding these relationships assists policymakers in leveraging the ecosystem’s full potential by creating efficient and effective policy environments (Grimm & Walz, 2024). Identifying the mutual interests and objectives of diverse stakeholders—including technology firms, academia, investors, and the government—enables the formulation of strategies that encourage collaboration and innovation while mitigating dysfunctional competition (Hayatmehr et al., 2025). In the contemporary era, the automotive industry has undergone a paradigm shift from a purely mechanical domain to a “software-centric” and “intelligent” industry. This transition is fraught with fundamental challenges and conflicts of interest among stakeholders. The current status quo reflects a “strategic rift” between the various layers of this ecosystem. On one hand, large automakers, characterized by traditional and bureaucratic structures, often resist the agile transformations necessitated by AI. On the other hand, the innovation landscape and AI firms face obstacles such as lack of access to automakers’ operational data, absence of sustainable cash flow, and a void of transparent regulatory standards. Consequently, these challenges have prompted the researcher to address the following core question: What is the nature of stakeholder relations within the AI ecosystem of Iran’s automotive industry? Theoretical Foundations Technology Ecosystem A technology ecosystem is a complex and multidimensional concept referring to a network of activities, actors, and technologies that operate in a coordinated and interdependent manner to generate innovation and create value (Hayatmehr et al., 2025). The origin of this concept dates back to the past two decades, coinciding with the growing attention of scholars and managers to the development and management of inter-organizational relationships and technology-driven activities. Specifically within the domain of digital technologies, the ecosystem concept is employed to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship, benefiting from advanced developments such as blockchain and financial technologies (Hijriah et al., 2024; Kitsantas & Chytis, 2022). Soleymanpoor et al. (2025) examined the development of a model for identifying factors influencing the socialization of artificial intelligence technologies. Their study, applied in purpose and quantitative in method, was conducted as a descriptive–survey research design. The results indicated that both independent and dependent variables had a direct, positive, and statistically significant relationship. Rostam Zadeh Ganji et al. (2025) explored a model for developing cognitive trust among employees in the context of artificial intelligence. Their findings revealed that causal factors—including transparency, training and awareness‑building, ethical alignment, and the definition of shared roles and objectives—alongside contextual factors such as organizational culture and resources, as well as intervening factors like employee resistance and system complexity, all contribute to shaping cognitive trust. Additionally, strategies such as employee training and empowerment were identified as key tools for enhancing human–machine interaction. Research Methodology This study is applicable in purpose, and qualitative‑analytical in nature, employing a futures studies approach combined with stakeholder analysis. The core methodological framework is grounded in actor‑based analysis and designed using the strategic MACTOR model. To this end, key stakeholders and the strategic objectives of the artificial intelligence ecosystem in Iran’s automotive industry were initially identified through a systematic review of policy documents and relevant literature. Subsequently, the required data were collected by means of a specialized questionnaire and based on the insights of an expert panel comprising technical specialists, industrial managers, and policymakers selected through purposive sampling. The final analysis was conducted by constructing matrices of mutual influence and actor–objective positions (3MAO), enabling the extraction of levels of influence, dependency, and strategic coalitions among the actors. Research Findings The findings of this study indicate that the network structure is highly unbalanced, with most stakeholders positioned in isolation, while primary power and bilateral interactions are concentrated exclusively within the automotive manufacturing institutions. This configuration stems from a predominantly top‑down managerial orientation and limited cross‑sectoral collaboration. In fact, a strong coalition has formed among industrial, governmental, and defense‑related sectors, whose central focus is confined to hardware‑oriented and security‑driven issues, whereas academic, media, and civil stakeholders possess minimal influence within this ecosystem. Therefore, overcoming this condition requires governance mechanisms to be reformed through legal and economic incentives that would enable private‑sector and academic actors to integrate more effectively into the core of power and decision‑making. Discussion and Conclusion According to the findings of the influence matrix, although professional drivers operate within the operational layer, their direct impact on macro‑level policymaking is estimated to be zero. Nevertheless, their central objective is “reducing human error and increasing safety in long‑distance driving.” The analysis reveals that shareholders are among the most powerful economic actors. Their primary focus lies in “profit maximization” and “improving financial returns.” This result is fully consistent with the findings of Kanani et al. (2023) and Laskin & D’Agostino (2024), who argue that the main driver behind the adoption of artificial intelligence in the automotive industry in developing countries is not environmental concerns, but rather the reduction of operational costs and the enhancement of the financial attractiveness of automotive firms. The public expresses a diverse set of concerns, including “improving safety” and “data security.” The results show that society views AI as a tool for promoting fairness in mobility and reducing accidents. This perspective aligns with Karimlou & Zakeri (2020), who emphasized the role of “public trust” derived from enhanced safety. The findings also indicate that startups, due to their very low influence, have not yet secured their true position within the Iranian automotive industry. Their limited focus on “autonomous vehicle technologies” reflects the significant barriers to entering this highly exclusive market. This result corresponds with the concerns raised by Kolekar et al. (2021) regarding the “gap between innovative ideas and the production lines of large manufacturers”. Suppliers predominantly focus on “profit maximization” and “specialized human resources.” Automakers, with the highest overall scores, serve as the principal compass of the industry. They occupy leading positions across all indicators, including “profit,” “competitiveness,” and even “data security.” This concentration of power is consistent with Castells’ Network Society theory (2010), which posits that the central nodes of a network control the greatest flow of data and resources. Banks constitute key players in financing large‑scale AI projects. Their primary orientation toward “profit generation” and “infrastructure development” supports the premise presented by Kanani et al. (2023), who argued that without financial intermediary institutions, the transition from a traditional automotive industry to an intelligent one would face severe liquidity challenges. Technology companies, however, occupy a significantly lower‑than‑expected position within the ecosystem. Their limited emphasis on “infrastructure development” and “human resources” suggests that the technical sector has not yet been fully integrated into the value chain of large automakers. This finding markedly differs from the Karimlou & Zakeri (2020) model, in which technology companies (such as Tesla or NVIDIA) constitute the primary driving forces. Municipalities act as “urban infrastructure facilitators.” Their balanced focus on “supporting innovation” and “infrastructure development” illustrates the strong dependence of autonomous vehicle implementation on the progress of smart city initiatives. This result aligns with Kanani et al. (2023), who emphasized that without physical urban infrastructure—such as smart traffic lights—automotive AI alone cannot be effective. The Traffic Police (Law Enforcement) shows the highest level of concern regarding “safety” (and “human resources”). The findings suggest that this institution views AI as a tool for enhancing traffic discipline, which corresponds with the results reported by Kanani et al. (2023). The Environmental Protection Organization achieves the highest score on the “environmental protection” indicator. This is consistent with Murphy & Navani (2024), who argued that AI, through route optimization and reduced fuel consumption, represents one of the few viable solutions for alleviating pollution in large metropolitan areas. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution primarily contributes to “foresight” and “cultural impact assessments”. Its emphasis on “human capital development” and “data security/privacy” reflects concerns about the ethical dimensions of advanced technologies. The Judiciary plays a vital role in “developing legal frameworks”, and is expected to become the primary stakeholder in addressing legal cases related to autonomous vehicles. This finding corresponds with the challenges discussed by Kanani et al. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_219519.html Abstract The aim of this study is designing an entrepreneurial marketing model for the development of the tourism industry. The research is applicable in terms of purpose, based on the method of theory. The statistical population was senior executives and experts in the field of marketing, entrepreneurship and tourism (with more than 10 years of experience), investigated by a targeted non -snowballs, as many as 12 persons, to reach the theoretical saturation stage and in a semi-structured deep interview. Maxqda 2018 software was used for data coding. The findings showed that the 18 main categories were identified in the six classes of the theory. This research examines the factors affecting the development of the health tourism industry through the design of entrepreneurial marketing model. In this regard, casual agents such as physicians' expertise, staff communication skills, and innovative health care have been identified as key components. In terms of underlying factors, issues such as economic conditions, physical and service infrastructure, and government support have a major impact on the improvement of the health tourism market. Interventional factors include cultural differences, competition with similar purposes, and technology advances in the medical field; that influence the success of marketing strategies. Finally, the consequences of this study include increasing health tourism revenue, improving the quality of health services, and enhancing international interactions, all of which help the industry's growth and sustainability. The results of this study could be used as a roadmap for managers and policymakers in the tourism industry to develop entrepreneurial marketing and improve the competitiveness of the industry. Introduction The health tourism industry has been considered one of the most important and popular economic areas in the world in recent years. The industry, which combines two areas of tourism and health services, provides not only for destination countries, but also for tourists to improve health, reduce health costs, and benefit from high quality health services (Giannake, Economou, Metaxas & Geitona, 2023). However, in order to fully utilize the industry's potential, there is a need to use innovative and entrepreneurial marketing strategies, especially in developing countries (Rahimian & Esavi, 2023). Given the rapid and accelerated growth of the industry, many countries, especially Iran, which have rich natural and therapeutic resources, seek to develop and strengthen their health tourism industry. Iran, as one of the most important destinations in the region, has many capabilities in various therapeutic, medical and cosmetic areas that can attract health tourists. However, in many cases, the lack of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing strategies has made the industry potential not fully utilized (Salimi, 2023). Previous models in this field have mainly analyzed and evaluated existing conditions and have often used qualitative methods and theme analysis (Jabari Nezhad Esfahlan & et al, 2022; Rajabi, 2022). For example, AHP and SWOT models have been used to identify and prioritize effective factors in health tourism development (Imeni Gheshlagh & Asshghali Farahani, 2023). Also, network analysis models and structural frameworks have been introduced to evaluate empowerment and infrastructure (Chekin, 2022; Khazaie Aliabad & Has Ani, 2023). Although these studies have been useful, they need to develop innovative models and combine these approaches in a comprehensive and operational framework to help improve health tourism marketing and attract international tourists. In this regard, the design of an entrepreneurial marketing model, which contributes to the development of this industry by emphasizing innovation, creativity, and the use of existing resources in the health tourism industry, can be considered as an effective strategy for enhancing health tourists and enhancing the quality of services in the industry. This pattern should be in a way that can identify and respond to the target market needs. Finally, the present study seeks to answer the question: what is the entrepreneurial marketing model for the development of the tourism industry? Theoretical framework The concepts and principles of entrepreneurial marketing Entrepreneurial marketing refers to the process of using innovative and creative approaches to identify new opportunities, develop unique products and services, and marketing to attract and retain customers. In this type of marketing, entrepreneurs are looking to exploit market opportunities that are usually less attracted to competitors (abbasi-moud, vahdat-nejad & saadri, 2021). This approach is based on the combination of creativity, risk -taking, and innovation that ultimately leads to sustainable competitive advantages for the organization (Carracedo, Puertas & Marti, 2021). Health Tourism Health tourism refers to the process of travel to specific destinations for medical and health services that have grown rapidly in recent years as a global industry. The industry is a combination of medical, treatment and health services that not only include complex medical treatments such as surgeries and specialized treatments, but also covers preventive care and alternative therapies such as traditional medicine and physical therapies. Health tourism in many countries, especially developing countries, is a popular destination for people looking for high quality medical services and lower costs (Pour Khosravi, Barahouie, Hanif Khetar Kekha Momen, 2023(. Research Methodology The present study approach is of qualitative type and its strategy based on the data-based theory. At the heart of this method, a systematic approach was used to achieve a paradigm pattern. The statistical population of this study included all senior managers and experts in the field of marketing, entrepreneurship and tourism (with over 10 years of experience). The method of sampling was non-probable targeted as snowball sampling and the number of samples was 12 people. The research tool was a semi -structured interview that the data collected were analyzed with three stages of open, central and selective coding using Maxqda 2018 software. Research Findings 12 interviews were analyzed for this study. In the open coding stage, after reviewing the data and integrating similar concepts, 148 initial concepts were reduced to 85 sub-categories. In the second step; central coding, secondary codes were classified based on similar topics and were placed in 18 main categories. At the last stage of open coding, the main categories obtained from pre-similarities, conceptual communication and common characteristics between open codes and concepts were placed in more abstract classes or categories. In the axial coding stage, the components obtained from the open coding stage were linked to the paradigm pattern in the form of 18 main categories. Casual agents such as physicians' expertise, staff communication skills, and innovative health care have been identified as key components. In terms of underlying factors, issues such as economic conditions, physical and service infrastructure, and government support have a major impact on the improvement of the health tourism market. Interventional factors include cultural differences, competition with similar purposes, and technology advances in the medical field, that influence the success of marketing strategies. Finally, the consequences of this study include increasing health tourism revenue, improving the quality of health services, and enhancing international interactions, all of which help the industry's growth and sustainability. Conclusion The purpose of this study was to design an entrepreneurial marketing model for the development of the tourism industry. The results of this study are in line with previous studies in the field of health tourism. Rahimian & ESAVI (2023) emphasized the role of reference, financial stimuli, residence, transportation, and restructuring of medical centers, which corresponds to the findings of this study. Zareh (2023) also considered economic components to be effective in sustaining health tourism, as this study refers to the importance of financial policies. Daraie et al., (2023) considered strategic planning, support services, marketing and new technologies in tourism entrepreneurship as key factors, which also emphasizes the findings of this study. Also, Wang et al., (2023) emphasized the sustainable management and perspective of international patients, which also referred to the satisfaction of patients as an important factor. Finally, Lunt et al., (2023) expressed the systematic consequences of health tourism, including the quality of treatment, safety and financial issues, which also emphasize the need for therapeutic standards and support policies. According to the results of the research, the following suggestion was presented: It is recommended that organizations work closer to educational and research institutes to update human skills and introduce health innovations. Also, the use of new technologies such as digital platforms and mobile apps can help attract health tourists. Finally, the creation of hybrid service packages, including treatment and cultural and tourism experiences, can increase the attractiveness of health destinations in global markets. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_222141.html Abstract The present study aims to explain how customer mindset affects the tendency to order food online. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, with a quantitative approach. The statistical population of this study was 384 customers of food ordering applications and the sampling method was available sampling. A questionnaire was developed to collect data and PLS Smart software was used to analyze the findings. The findings showed that advertising (impact coefficient: 0.410 to 0.480) and the ordering experience with the app (0.428 to 0.454) have the greatest effect on the relevance of content, competitors, and app features. Customer mindset with a coefficient of 0.861 is one of the most important variables, strengthened through time savings (0.328), rewards (0.526), ​​and support (0.590). Also, living conditions (up to 0.519), food quality (up to 0.271), and food price (up to 0.187) play a significant role in interaction with the application. The results showed that food quality, food price, and living conditions are independent variables. These factors affect advertising and ordering experience. The aforementioned components affect the components of app features, app content relevance and competitors. Therefore, it is suggested that food ordering application developers focus on these key factors to improve customer experience and increase the willingness to buy on digital platforms. Introduction Today, buying goods and receiving services is no longer limited to physical stores, but with the expansion of e-commerce, people can use online stores and digital platforms to buy and receive services. This evolution in business models allows companies to reach a wider audience and make the purchasing process easier for customers. Online stores have provided consumers with many advantages, including ease of price comparison, shopping anytime and anywhere, and access to a wide variety of goods and services (Al Maalouf et al., 2025). Therefore, businesses are increasingly using Internet technology to improve their business processes, allowing companies to deliver their services and products to customers faster and more efficiently, create a competitive advantage, facilitate customer relationship management, and reduce costs (Alalwan, 2020). In recent decades, online food ordering services have been rapidly changing and evolving in the food service industry market. These changes, especially in the food retail sector, have led researchers to carefully examine how consumers interact with these platforms. Despite the significant use of these services, there has not been enough research on consumer behavior towards online food ordering (Yang, 2024). In particular, studies that have examined consumer behavior in this area are limited in number, and more up-to-date research is needed to better understand this trend (Alvarez et al., 2022). Some studies have focused on factors such as convenience, accessibility, and delivery time that influence consumers' decision-making in using these services, but in general, there is still no complete understanding of the long-term effects of these platforms on consumer purchasing behavior (Siddiqi et al., 2024). Given that consumer mindset is a new topic that is mostly studied in the field of psychology and has many gaps in the field of consumer behavior, this study attempts to evaluate the role of customer mindset in the willingness to order food online. So far, no research has focused on the mindset of Iranian consumers. This article examines the impact of mindsets and other psychological factors on the willingness to order food online in Iran. Despite the growing body of research in psychology, sociology, and to some extent marketing on the role of mindsets, there is little information on the role of mindsets in online shopping behavior. Therefore, there is a significant gap in the existing knowledge regarding the role of mindsets and their relationship with individuals' willingness to use online space. Thus, the researcher intends to answer the fundamental question: what are the factors affecting customers' mindsets for using online ordering applications? Theoretical Framework Online Ordering While e-commerce is rapidly expanding, the food industry has also gradually found its place in this growing space (Alagoz & Hekimoglu, 2012). Online food ordering applications, as a specific type of e-commerce, provide convenience and time savings to consumers (Dirsehan & Cankat, 2021) and have increased consumers' willingness to use these applications, which is one of the main reasons for the boom of this industry (Ramesh et al., 2023). In fact, applications have helped consumers eliminate unnecessary processes and have more time to do other things (Yeo et al., 2021). These applications have great potential to provide a better quality of life for consumers if they include certain features (Sobnath et al., 2017). Online food ordering is especially suitable for people who live in busy urban environments and have little time because they can place their order online and pick up the food at a designated location (Zulkarnain et al., 2015). These services are very convenient to use because they offer consumers a variety of food options (Idris et al., 2021) and help exchange experiences and feedback between customers and restaurants (Shah et al., 2021). In online food ordering applications, price acts as a determining factor in consumers' purchasing behavior (Lin et al., 2014), and food quality refers to its overall characteristics that affect the customer's experience of the restaurant (Suhartanto et al., 2019). Research Methodology This study is applicable and focuses on quantitative analysis of the relationships between variables. The data collection method is a questionnaire that includes 14 dimensions and 71 items. To verify the validity of the questionnaire, the content validity method was used; in this way, experts in the fields related to consumer behavior and online food ordering were first consulted and the necessary amendments were made based on their opinions, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated for the reliability of the questionnaire; therefore, the desired variables had the required reliability. Then, the questionnaire was presented to 384 consumers of online food ordering applications as a sample. Research findings SPSS software was used to analyze the findings, and structural equations and PLS Smart software were used to fit the model. The research findings showed that food ordering applications lead to improved customer experience and increased willingness to buy on digital platforms. Conclusion The present study was conducted based on the CMOFO model with the aim of customer mindset and its role in the willingness to order food online. The results showed that food quality and living conditions as independent factors have a significant impact on advertising and ordering experience variables. This result is clearly in line with previous studies such as the studies of Tewari et al., (2022) and Papadopoulou et al., (2023). Privacy and ordering rewards also affect time savings and follow-up support. These variables are known to be influential factors in consumer decision-making and are in line with the studies of Valenti et al., (2023) and Murphy & Dweck (2016). According to the present study, the following suggestions are made: Accurate, realistic and practical information in effective advertising Continuous application updates Assuring users to protect personal information Providing services tailored to specific segments of society https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_245689.html Abstract The aim of this research is to design a data-driven human resources system deployment model using digital and intelligent tools in Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization. This research is fundamental in terms of its purpose, and mixed in terms of its implementation method (qualitative and quantitative). The statistical population in the qualitative section includes 15 academic experts and scholars, faculty members, and managers of the blood transfusion organization, selected by a purposeful and theoretical (judgmental) method. The statistical population in the quantitative section includes 700 active employees in the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization, with a sample size of 196 people selected by a simple random method. The data collection tool in the qualitative section includes semi-structured interviews and in the quantitative section, a questionnaire. MAXQDA2020 software was utilized to analyze the findings in the qualitative section, and SPSS and SmartPLS software were utilized in the quantitative section. The results of the qualitative section showed that through axial coding, 44 initial codes were categorized into 22 axial codes that express the key and structuring concepts of the data-driven human resources system. The quantitative section analysis also confirmed that causal, contextual, intervening, and strategic factors significantly affect the establishment of the data-driven human resources system. Coordination between organizational structure, technology, and policies was proposed as a prerequisite for the success of data-driven decision-making and increasing human resources effectiveness. By presenting an integrated and data-driven model, this research highlights the role of digital and intelligent tools in improving human resources processes and strategic decision-making and can provide valuable practical and theoretical guidance for organizations on the path of digital transformation. Introduction Today, in the fast-paced and complex world of organizations, human resource management is recognized as one of the key factors for success. With the significant advances in digital technologies and artificial intelligence, this field is rapidly evolving, and organizations need data-driven management systems to remain competitive and respond to changing market needs (Okon et al., 2024). Data-driven HR refers to the accurate and targeted use of employee-related data to make management decisions based on real and analyzed information, not just experience or guesswork. This is especially important for organizations that play a vital role in the health of society, as optimal human resource management can have a direct impact on the quality of services and patient health (Conte & Siano, 2023). Therefore, the use of new technologies and the creation of a smart and data-driven system in the field of human resources have become a strategic necessity for organizations (Mujtaba, 2020). In this system, data related to various factors such as skills, job satisfaction, productivity, work history and even psychological factors of employees are collected and by analyzing them carefully, managers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their workforce (Mateen et al., 2024). This understanding provides the basis for making strategic decisions such as optimizing human resource allocation, designing targeted training programs and predicting future workforce trends (Ajalli et al., 2023). Digital and intelligent tools include advanced human resource management software, big data analysis systems and artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning and data mining, which enable the processing and analysis of very large volumes of data (Stankeviciute, 2024). These tools can identify hidden patterns in human resource data and predict various trends such as turnover rates, job satisfaction levels, or weaknesses in employee skills (Toghiani-Pezouh et al., 2025). In addition, smart technologies can automatically provide management suggestions and facilitate daily human resource processes. Using these tools in the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization can increase the accuracy and speed of decision-making, reduce costs, and improve human resource productivity, while also allowing for faster response to environmental changes and organizational needs (Damnjanović et al., 2025). Conducting this research will not only help solve existing problems, but can also provide a usable and generalizable model for other similar organizations and help develop data-driven management in the field of human resources at the national level. Therefore, in line with this goal, the main question of the present study is: What is the design model for establishing a data-driven human resources system using digital and smart tools in the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization? Theoretical Framework Establishing a Data-Driven Human Resources System Establishing a data-driven human resources system is a process in which an organization employs accurate and comprehensive data related to human resources, including performance information, skills, behaviors, and employee needs, to design, implement, and optimize human resource management processes (Rohmah et al., 2025). Khashi & Pourshahabi (2026) examined the design of a symbiotic optimization model of artificial intelligence and human capital in providing urban services to municipalities in Sistan and Baluchestan province. The findings showed that the final research model has a good fit and includes six main constructs including contextual factors, artificial intelligence components, human capital components, mediating factors, coexistence strategies, and desired outcomes. The strongest relationship in the model was observed between contextual factors and artificial intelligence components with a path coefficient of 0.98. This study presents a local model for optimizing human-AI collaboration in municipalities in underserved areas. Tizfahm Fard et al. (2026) examined the impact of digital technologies on the transformation of human resource management practices and its consequences on employee outcomes. Findings showed that causal factors including technology-driven leadership, managerial support for innovation, and a data-driven decision-making culture play a key role in facilitating human resource transformation. Contextual factors including organizational learning culture and employees’ digital literacy level provide the necessary platform for successful implementation of digital processes, while financial resource constraints, administrative rules, and employee resistance act as intervening factors. Strategies such as employee digital empowerment, cross-functional collaboration, and technological infrastructure development enhance employee productivity, satisfaction, and commitment. The study provides a comprehensive theoretical-practical framework that organizations can apply to effectively and sustainably implement human resource management practices by utilizing digital technologies. Research Methodology This research is fundamental in terms of purpose, and mixed in terms of implementation method (qualitative and quantitative). The statistical population in the qualitative section includes 15 academic experts and experts, faculty members and managers of the Blood Transfusion Organization, selected by a purposeful and theoretical (judgmental) method. The statistical population in the quantitative section includes 700 active employees in the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization, with a sample size of 196 people selected by a simple random method. The data collection tool in the qualitative section includes semi-structured interviews and in the quantitative section, a questionnaire. Research Findings MAXQDA2020 software was applied to analyze the findings in the qualitative section and SPSS and SmartPLS software in the quantitative section. The results of the qualitative section showed that through axial coding, 44 initial codes were categorized into 22 axial codes that express the key concepts and structure of the data-driven human resources system. The quantitative analysis also confirmed that causal, contextual, intervening, and strategic factors significantly affect the establishment of a data-driven human resources system. Coordination between organizational structure, technology, and policies was proposed as a prerequisite for the success of data-driven decision-making and increasing human resources effectiveness. By presenting an integrated and data-driven model, this study highlights the role of digital and smart tools in improving human resources processes and strategic decision-making and can provide valuable practical and theoretical guidance for organizations on the path of digital transformation. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a model for establishing a data-driven human resources system using digital and smart tools in the Tehran Blood Transfusion Organization. The results of this research are in agreement with the results of Khashi & Pourshahabi (2026), Tizfahm Fard et al. (2026), Toghiani-Pezouh et al. (2025), Mujtaba (2025), Ghosh (2025), Liu (2025), Damnjanović et al. (2025), Iyer (2025), Toghiani-Pezouh et al. (2025), Ajalli et al. (2023), Bahari & Taheri Roozbhani (2023), Yang et al. (2021), Foroutan Eghlidi et al. (2021), Seyyed Naqavi et al. (2022), Zhang et al. (2025), Niu (2024), and Kambur & Yildirim (2023). Domestic research such as Mohammadi et al. (2022) and foreign research such as Okon et al. (2024), Owusu-Berko (2025), and Mateen et al. (2024) show that data-centricity increases the accuracy and speed of decision-making, reduces human biases, improves transparency and employee trust, enhances the effectiveness of human resource management, and ultimately creates a sustainable competitive advantage for the organization. These outcomes are realized when there is complete coordination between infrastructure, organizational culture, human capabilities, and supportive policies. Research suggestions based on the results include strengthening data-driven leadership through training managers, investing in smart technologies, prioritizing areas requiring data-drivenness, developing technology infrastructure and secure networks, explaining a transparent organizational structure, creating a data-driven culture, formulating data security and privacy policies, increasing organizational flexibility, managing change and reducing employee resistance, redesigning human resources processes with a data-driven approach, developing analytical skills and digital literacy, implementing predictive and prescriptive analytics, designing key performance indicators, and observing ethical principles in the use of data. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_245268.html Abstract The objective of this research is to design a development model for emerging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an emphasis on employee social capital. This study is applicable in terms of its objective, and qualitative in terms of its execution method. The statistical population consists of managers, specialists, and owners of emerging SMEs in Tehran Province, from which 21 individuals were selected by purposeful snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect research data, and the data collection process continued until the stage of theoretical saturation. For data analysis, the thematic analysis method was employed. The findings from the thematic network analysis revealed 6 organizing themes, 15 basic themes, and 54 initial codes as the components and categories of emerging SME development with an emphasis on employee social capital. The organizing themes were presented in 6 dimensions, namely: “Administrative Rules and Policies,” “Innovative Production Methods,” “Human Resources and Organizational Learning,” “Empowerment and Knowledge Development of Human Capital,” “Financial Support,” and “Infrastructure Creation and Development.” Emerging SMEs are considered highly effective and fundamental solutions for the comprehensive development of a country; long-term goals must be achieved by relying on the knowledge, expertise, and social capital of employees to foster the development and prosperity of these businesses. Introduction Emerging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the backbone of the economy, as they lead to employment generation, production, exports, poverty reduction, economic empowerment, and economic development (Mohammadian et al., 2025). These businesses have numerous advantages over large enterprises, including innovation, job creation, and greater flexibility compared to large industries (Nazhadian et al., 2025). In recent decades, unjust sanctions imposed by dominant powers have been one of the obstacles to accessing technical knowledge and up-to-date global technologies for economic growth and development, and have been regarded as a serious point of contention in reducing the competitiveness of economic enterprises (Goderzipoor et al., 2025). Therefore, the Iranian economy faces two categories of obstacles on its path toward achieving the goals of its vision document: first, international risks, crises, and economic sanctions imposed by adversaries; and second, internal structural problems and economic processes, including dependence on fragile oil revenues, an unfavorable business environment, unemployment, and economic recession (Rezvani et al., 2025). Accordingly, in order to strengthen endogenous growth and enhance economic resilience, general policies for economic development and support for emerging businesses and national production have been announced by authorities with a jihadist, flexible, opportunity-oriented, productive, endogenous, pioneering, and outward-looking approach. One of these directives emphasizes comprehensive attention to the social capital of individuals within organizations and companies (Godarzī et al., 2025). Social capital has been recognized in recent decades as one of the most important topics among scholars in various branches of social and human sciences (Boon et al., 2022). Organizations that invest in their human resources through human resource development programs cannot overlook the importance of the role of social capital (Mishchuk et al., 2024). The foundation of development within an organization lies in the utilization of developed human capital, and social capital is a tool that measures mutual commitment and action among members of a community and represents those organizational characteristics that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (Mesfin et al., 2022). Social capital serves as a resource for group and collective actions and is related to awareness and knowledge, as well as attention to social and political issues, structural-network elements, public trust, formal and informal participation, and societal beliefs and norms (Siswanti et al., 2024). This study addresses the presentation of a development model for emerging SMEs with an emphasis on employee social capital. The present research seeks to answer the following scientific question: What concepts, dimensions, and components constitute the development model of emerging small and medium-sized enterprises with an emphasis on employee social capital from the perspective of experts? Theoretical Framework Development of Emerging Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) The term “business” refers to an organization or entity in which individuals engage in economic, industrial, or professional activities. The goal of a business is to organize the production of a good or service. Businesses can operate for the purpose of generating profit or even to advance a social objective without the expectation of return on investment or profitability, such as in the form of charitable or non-profit organizations (Rafaelsen & Lindqvist, 2025). Social Capital In a general sense, social capital refers to a type of investment in social relationships for which the expected return is defined within a market context. Of course, the term “market” is used metaphorically, and its scope may vary across different analyses, including economic, political, social, or labor markets, in which individuals generate expected benefits through engagement in social interactions and networks (Fatihudin et al., 2020). Raftari et al. (2026) examined social capital as a personal branding strategy for management instructors. The results of their study showed that social capital functions as a personal branding strategy, and the concepts identified as strategic elements represent the common ground between social capital and the interactions and exchanges that shape a personal brand. The process of personal branding through social capital ultimately leads to specific outcomes. A personal brand is the image formed in people’s minds as a result of others’ interactions with an individual. Therefore, building a strong personal brand requires management instructors to possess social capital. Nazhadian et al. (2025) investigated the design of a model of entrepreneurial coaching capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises. The findings showed that, in the existing literature, entrepreneurial coaching capabilities can be identified in two dimensions: coach and trainee. At the end of the open coding process, 262 concepts were labeled, and in the axial coding stage, by reviewing these concepts, subcategories were identified and classified, resulting in the extraction of 53 components from the 262 open codes. In the third stage, selective coding, the components identified during axial coding were analyzed and categorized into 14 main dimensions. The trainees’ capabilities included 6 dimensions—entrepreneurial skills, psychological capabilities, strategic capabilities, operational capabilities, cognitive capabilities, and knowledge—comprising 20 components and 103 indicators. The coaches’ capabilities included 8 dimensions—specialized knowledge, skills, operational capabilities, emotional capabilities, communication capabilities, functional capabilities, individual capabilities, and cognitive capabilities—comprising 33 components and 159 indicators. Ultimately, the relationships among these capabilities were classified into four categories: key capabilities for knowledge and skill transfer, psychological growth, strategic empowerment, and individual support and development. Research Methodology The present study is applicable in terms of its objective, and qualitative in terms of its execution method. The statistical population consists of managers, specialists, and owners of emerging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Tehran Province. From this population, 21 individuals were selected by purposeful snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect the research data, and the data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Research Findings Thematic analysis was applied for data analysis. The findings of the thematic network analysis showed that 6 organizing themes, 15 basic themes, and 54 initial codes represent the components and categories of the development of emerging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an emphasis on employee social capital. The organizing themes were presented in the form of 6 dimensions, namely: “Administrative Rules and Policies,” “Innovative Production Methods,” “Human Resources and Organizational Learning,” “Empowerment and Knowledge Development of Human Capital,” “Financial Support,” and “Creation and Development of Infrastructure.” Emerging SMEs are considered highly effective and fundamental solutions for the comprehensive development of a country; and in order to develop and promote these businesses, long-term goals must be achieved by relying on the knowledge, expertise, and social capital of employees. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a development model for emerging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an emphasis on employee social capital. The findings of this study are consistent and aligned with the results of Nazhadian et al. (2025), Heshmiyan Far (2025), Naji (2025), Promono et al. (2021), John and Vivienne (2024), Raftari et al. (2026), Zhu et al. (2025), Fathi Bajestani et al. (2025), and Mahmoudi and Pourshahabi (2023). Naji (2025) showed that knowledge management strategy has a significant effect on reducing organizational trauma in SMEs, considering emotional intelligence as a mediating variable. Based on the research results, the following suggestions can be presented: · Shifting the focus of taxation from the productive sector (especially emerging small and medium-sized industries) toward non-productive sectors (real estate, banking, and import trade). · Combating corruption, favoritism, and rent-seeking practices, and eliminating channels of large-scale rent-based income generation. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_243107.html Abstract The aim of this study is to present a conceptual model for managing post‑purchase anomalies in the pharmaceutical industry (Case Study: Darou Mofid Iran Company). This research is applicabel in terms of outcome, qualitative in terms of data type, and developmental–exploratory in terms of purpose. The study population consists of experts in the pharmaceutical industry, among whom 15 individuals were selected as the sample through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. To ensure the validity of the research instrument, the opinions of professors familiar with the subject were used. Inter‑coder reliability was applied to measure the reliability of the interviews, and MAXQDA software was used for data analysis. The extracted model follows Strauss and Corbin’s paradigm model, addressing all its dimensions, including causal conditions, core phenomenon, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. In the strategies dimension, the components include improving monitoring and control systems, increasing transparency and trust‑building, identifying and classifying customers, providing services tailored to the target community, strengthening interaction and continuous communication, and digitalizing processes and communications. In the consequences dimension, the identified components include increased trust, improved satisfaction, strengthened mental image, reduced complaints, increased loyalty, reduced hidden anomaly‑related costs, decreased overdue claims, improved supply chain, enhanced competitive advantage, and reduced product bundling. Introduction Today, the consumer is considered the key determinant of a company’s success or failure. Therefore, understanding and studying consumer behavior is of great importance (Seifi Shojaei et al., 2024). In the pharmaceutical industry, consumer behavior and the way individuals interact with pharmaceutical products after purchase represent a fundamental aspect of the performance of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies (Khaja Mansouri et al., 2024). Consumer purchasing behavior refers to the decision‑making process and the choices individuals make during the buying process (Shoa Kazemi et al., 2025). Given the current competitive environment in which companies seek to attract consumers and maintain their loyalty, paying attention to post‑purchase issues and managing the anomalies that may arise at this stage is essential (Azar et al., 2020). Post‑purchase anomalies refer to problems that consumers encounter after purchasing a product, which may negatively affect customer satisfaction, trust in the brand, and ultimately the credibility of pharmaceutical companies. Proper management of these issues requires careful and strategic attention (Khang et al., 2024). In addition, in this industry, managing relationships between distribution companies and pharmacies (business‑to‑business) as part of the pharmaceutical supply chain is critically important. Anomalies that occur in the post‑purchase stage between distribution companies and pharmacies can disrupt pharmacy operations, reduce final consumer satisfaction, and even lead to irreparable harm to public health. The role of distribution companies as a vital intermediary between manufacturers and pharmacies is highly significant, and failure to properly fulfill this role leads to challenges related to post‑purchase anomalies. Neglecting timely resolution of such issues can result in disruptions in patient access to essential medicines, bringing about severe socio‑economic consequences (Kuo et al., 2020). Studies conducted in Iran have predominantly focused on end‑consumer behavior, and deeper understanding of the complex interactions between distribution companies and pharmacies has been overlooked. To date, no comprehensive or localized framework has been proposed for explaining and analyzing the management of post‑purchase anomalies in the relationships between distribution companies and pharmacies in the pharmaceutical industry. This gap presents a serious challenge and underscores the need for further research. Moreover, previous research approaches have mainly examined the effects of variables such as customer relationship management, brand image, and digital marketing on purchasing behavior, while less attention has been paid to designing efficient managerial models for controlling post‑purchase anomalies. There is a strong need for studies that, through an exploratory and qualitative approach, systematically and deeply clarify the process of anomaly formation, managerial strategies, and their consequences. Therefore, the main question of the present study is: What is the model for managing post‑purchase anomalies in the pharmaceutical industry? Theoretical Framework Consumer Behavior Definitions of consumer behavior in the scientific literature are diverse; however, the American Marketing Association defines consumer behavior as “the study of the processes individuals and groups apply to select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences.” This definition emphasizes that when making decisions, the consumer is not merely a passive buyer but an active agent influenced by psychological factors (attitudes, perceptions, motivations), social factors (culture, reference groups), and economic factors (income, price) (De Mooij, 2019). Post‑Purchase Anomalies “Post‑purchase anomaly” is a psychological state that arises after an important or high‑cost purchase decision is made regarding a product or service. This phenomenon is especially significant in marketing and consumer behavior because of its considerable impact on customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and repeat purchase behavior (Kuo et al., 2020). Okok et al. (2024) examined the effect of marketing capability on the performance of pharmaceutical companies in Kenya. Their findings indicate that marketing capability has a positive and significant effect on the performance of pharmaceutical firms. The study emphasizes the necessity of using modern marketing techniques and paying close attention to customer feedback to enhance the performance of pharmaceutical companies. Sarafarazi et al. (2023) investigated the role of customer relationship management (CRM) quality and brand image in customer trust and loyalty. The results showed that high‑quality CRM and a strong brand image significantly increase customer loyalty in this industry. Research Methodology This study is applicable in terms of its outcomes, qualitative in terms of data type, and developmental‑exploratory in terms of purpose. The study population consists of experts in the pharmaceutical industry, from whom 15 individuals were selected as the sample through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted with these experts until theoretical saturation was achieved. Research Findings To ensure the validity of the research instrument, the opinions of experts familiar with this field were utilized. To measure the reliability of the interviews, inter‑coder reliability was applied, and MAXQDA software was utilized for data analysis. The extracted model was developed based on Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory approach, covering all elements of the model, including causal conditions, the central phenomenon, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. In the strategies dimension, the study found that improving monitoring and control systems, enhancing transparency and trust‑building, identifying and classifying customers, providing services tailored to the target audience, strengthening continuous interaction and communication, and digitalizing processes and communications are the key strategic actions for managing post‑purchase anomalies in the pharmaceutical industry. In the consequences dimension, the results revealed that implementing these strategies leads to increased trust, improved customer satisfaction, a stronger brand image, reduced customer complaints, higher levels of loyalty, a reduction in the hidden costs associated with anomalies, a decrease in overdue receivables, improved supply chain performance, enhanced competitive advantage, and a reduction in product‑bundle selling practices. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of presenting a conceptual model for managing post‑purchase anomalies in the pharmaceutical industry (case study: Darou Mofid Iran Company). The findings of this research are consistent with the results of previous studies including Okok et al. (2024), Pourheidari et al. (2023), Raman Akar Reddy (2023), Soltani (2023), Sarafarazi et al. (2023), Khosravi Laqb et al. (2022), Khojeh et al. (2022), Taherpour et al. (2021), Mohammadipour et al. (2021), Mousavi Nasab et al. (2021), Lob et al. (2020), Khankhiro et al. (2021), Kuo et al. (2020), Majd et al. (2020), Mirnezami et al. (2020), Asadi et al. (2019), Hult and Sharma (2019), Fatemi Moghaddam (2016), and Pujari et al. (2016). Okok et al. (2024) demonstrated that marketing capability has a positive and significant impact on the performance of pharmaceutical companies. Their study emphasizes the necessity of employing modern marketing techniques and paying close attention to customer feedback in order to improve the performance of pharmaceutical firms. Based on the results of this study, several suggestions are proposed for future research. These include examining the impact of digital transformation on operational processes and transparency in the pharmaceutical industry with a focus on analyzing its effects on anomaly management, as well as investigating the role of customer relationship management systems in increasing customer satisfaction and managing anomalies through a case study in the pharmaceutical industry. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_243359.html Abstract The present study was conducted with the aim of modeling the factors affecting customer orientation in the insurance industry. This research is explanatory, exploratory, and developmental in nature. The participants consisted of 384 employees of agencies representing ten leading insurance companies in the northwest of the country in 2023, including Iran Insurance, Mellat, Asia, Parsian, Alborz, Dana, Saman, Karafarin, Moallem, and Razi Insurance Companies, selected through random cluster sampling based on the Morgan table. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings, and data analysis was carried out through descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling in SPSS23 and AMOS software at a significance level of 0.05. The findings showed that the research model had a good fit and that all factors, including the development of financial solvency (sig = 0.007), customer satisfaction (sig = 0.009), improvement of information and communication technology (sig = 0.011), brand development (sig = 0.003), development of insurtechs (sig = 0.001), development of content marketing (sig = 0.019), advanced customer relationship management (sig = 0.008), and organizational excellence (sig = 0.013), had a positive and significant effect on customer orientation in the insurance industry. Therefore, customer orientation in the insurance industry is influenced by various factors, including the development of financial solvency, customer satisfaction, improvement of information and communication technology, brand development, development of insurtechs, development of content marketing, advanced customer relationship management, and organizational excellence. Managers and officials of insurance agencies in the northwest of the country can enhance these factors in order to adopt a customer-oriented approach in their organizations. Introduction In today’s world, with technological advancement and easy access to information, few individuals remain unaware of the diversity of insurance products and services (Appelbaum & Albin, 2024). This variety of products and services, along with the large number of insurance companies, has created an increasingly competitive market among insurers (Zhang, 2019). Under such conditions, insurance companies, in order to increase profitability and gain a larger market share, need to utilize up-to-date technologies to attract and retain customers and to enhance policyholders’ satisfaction (Yu, 2024). Regardless of the specific product being promoted, marketing approaches in the insurance industry, as well as service delivery and responsiveness to customer requests, must be carried out in a mechanized manner within an integrated interactive platform. This approach helps meet customers’ need for a continuous and personalized relationship with the insurance company and ultimately increases customer satisfaction (Pan et al., 2023). A review of previous studies in the field of customer orientation in the insurance industry indicates several shortcomings. First, many existing studies have been conducted in a fragmented manner and without a comprehensive perspective on the various dimensions of customer orientation in this specific industry, often focusing mainly on general aspects of customer relationship management. However, due to the complex nature of insurance products, information asymmetry, and the high sensitivity of customer trust, the insurance industry requires a dedicated and industry-specific model. Second, recent technological developments, such as the emergence of insurtech and the changing expectations of customers in the digital era, have received limited attention in traditional customer orientation models. Third, the impact of industry-specific environmental and regulatory factors, such as insurance regulations and competition among insurance companies and emerging financial institutions, has not been sufficiently examined in previous models. These limitations highlight the necessity of comprehensively and contextually examining the factors influencing customer orientation while taking into account both the inherent characteristics of the insurance industry and recent transformations. The need for this research arises from the fact that, despite increasing competition, changing customer behavior, and the expansion of digital services, the insurance industry in Iran still faces significant challenges in accurately understanding and responding to customer needs. The main research problem is that, despite the vital importance of customer orientation for the survival and growth of insurance companies, the factors affecting its formation and reinforcement have not been coherently identified and modeled. Consequently, it remains unclear which variables influence customer orientation, through what mechanisms, and to what extent. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer the question: What are the factors affecting customer orientation in the insurance industry, and how do these factors influence customer orientation in this sector? Theoretical Framework Customer Orientation Customer orientation, as one of the behavioral elements of market orientation, refers to having a sufficient understanding of people in order to continuously create superior value for them. Employee planning is directed toward meeting needs and responding to requests in accordance with job conditions (Emami et al., 2025). Listening to the voice of customers and providing products and services that match their highest preferences, along with delivering the best possible services, are all part of this approach (Asadi et al., 2025). Customer orientation establishes the necessary evaluations through resource allocation priorities in order to assess superior value and customer satisfaction. Insurance In 1947, the first health insurance program was introduced for employees of the Iranian Tobacco Company. By 1948, several government organizations were covered by health insurance through different mechanisms. In the same year, an organization called the Government Employees Insurance Organization was established to provide coverage for government employees and to pay their medical expenses up to a specified limit. In 1973, the Health Insurance Organization was established, and in 1977 the Health Insurance Organization and the Social Security Organization were merged into the Ministry of Health. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the Social Security Organization was separated again from the Ministry of Health and continued its activities independently. The Medical Services Organization continued its activities under the title of the Department of Insurance, Revenue, and Medical Records within healthcare organizations until October 1995, when, through the efforts of policymakers and legislators and with the approval and implementation of universal insurance, a new phase of hope emerged for all members of society. With the continuous efforts of the officials of the Health Insurance Organization, the outcomes of this initiative became visible and tangible. However, it remains necessary for this humanitarian initiative to continue while addressing the existing challenges and obstacles within the administrative system and identifying appropriate, principled, scientific, and legal pathways for making effective progress toward societal development (Hadavand et al., 2020). Kaur and Singh (2025), in their study titled “Examining the Impact of Insurance Technology Adoption in the Indian Life Insurance Industry: A Customer Satisfaction Perspective”, concluded that customer orientation is a key factor in ensuring the survival of an organization or institution. Retaining existing customers and attracting new ones is therefore essential for all organizations, particularly insurance companies. Kim and Yi (2025) conducted research titled “Customer Orientation and Sales Orientations of Insurance Planners, Seller Influence Tactics, Relationship Quality, and Their Impact on Sales Performance”. Their findings emphasized the role of relationship quality and effective interaction with insurance customers in enhancing customer orientation and ultimately improving sales performance. Research Methodology This study is explanatory, exploratory, and developmental in nature. The statistical population consisted of representatives of the ten leading insurance companies in the northwest region of Iran in 2023, including Iran Insurance, Mellat Insurance, Asia Insurance, Parsian Insurance, Alborz Insurance, Dana Insurance, Saman Insurance, Karafarin Insurance, Moallem Insurance, and Razi Insurance. Considering that the number of representatives in the northwest region exceeded 10,000, the Morgan table was utilized to determine the sample size, and 384 individuals were selected as the statistical sample. The sampling method was cluster random sampling. For data collection, since this study was derived from a doctoral dissertation conducted by a mixed-methods approach, a structured questionnaire based on the qualitative findings of the dissertation was utilized. The questionnaires were completed online. Regarding data analysis, descriptive statistics were used to describe, collect, and classify the information obtained from the sample. In addition, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test and fit the research model. In this study, SEM analysis was conducted through AMOS software, while descriptive statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 23 at a significance level of 0.05. Research Findings The results related to the gender of the respondents indicated that 39% of the sample were women and 61% were men. Regarding age distribution, 6% of the respondents were in the “30 years and below” age group, 54% were in the “31–40 years” age group, 35% were in the “41–50 years” age group, and 5% were in the “above 50 years” age group. The educational background of the respondents showed that 5% had a diploma or less than a diploma, 30% held an associate degree, 51% had a bachelor’s degree, and 14% held a master’s degree. The inferential results also indicated that the research model had an acceptable fit. All examined factors had a positive and significant effect on customer orientation in the insurance industry. These factors included financial solvency development (sig = 0.007), customer satisfaction (sig = 0.009), improvement of information and communication technology (sig = 0.011), brand development (sig = 0.003), development of insurtech (sig = 0.001), development of content marketing (sig = 0.019), advanced customer relationship management (sig = 0.008), and organizational excellence (sig = 0.013). Conclusion The present study aimed to model the factors influencing customer orientation in the Iranian insurance industry. The key findings indicate that the proposed conceptual model demonstrates a satisfactory statistical fit and that all independent variables have a positive and significant effect on customer orientation. Based on the magnitude of their effects, these factors are prioritized as follows: advanced customer relationship management, development of insurtech, development of content marketing, brand development, improvement of information and communication technology, organizational excellence, customer satisfaction, and finally, development of financial solvency. The findings of this study show substantial alignment with prior research in the field of customer orientation. For instance, the emphasis on advanced customer relationship management as the most influential factor is consistent with the results of studies such as Shadpour et al. (2024), which demonstrated that CRM directly affects customer orientation and customer experience through service personalization. Overall, this research reveals that achieving customer orientation in the Iranian insurance industry requires a multidimensional approach, with the optimization of customer relationship management positioned at its core. Accordingly, based on the research results, the following recommendations are proposed: insurance companies should make substantial investments in modern CRM platforms, customer data analytics, and employee training to ensure effective use of these tools. In addition, establishing or collaborating with insurtech startups is essential for delivering innovative services, simplifying processes, and enhancing user experience. Furthermore, producing educational, informative, and value-creating content tailored to the needs and concerns of insurance customers can contribute significantly to attracting and retaining them. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_234476.html Abstract This research aims to model the decline in the value of the Myket brand, as one of the leading platforms for distributing mobile applications in Iran, using Weibull distribution. Data were collected from Myket's financial statements (including operating income of 357 billion Tomans and evaluation costs of 8 billion Tomans per year (2024) and non-financial indicators such as 26 million monthly active users and reports from global platforms such as Google Play and App Store). The statistical population consisted of 10 active digital brands in Iran, of which Myket was purposefully selected. The research method was quantitative and descriptive-analytical, and the analyses were conducted with Python (lifelines package) and R (survival package) software and the maximum likelihood method. The findings showed that the Weibull model predicted the trend of brand value decline with high accuracy (R²=0.92) and identified the decrease of 2.6 million monthly active users and increasing competition with platforms such as Cafe Bazaar as the main factors of the decline in value. Monte Carlo simulation showed that a 10% decrease in users increases the acceleration of brand value decline by 15%. This research was conducted with Providing a localized model suggests that Myket managers maintain and enhance brand value by strengthening the digital platform and developing innovations such as expanding digital content. This model can also be generalized to other native Iranian digital platforms. Introduction Brand valuation is a process that determines the economic and competitive value of a brand and is used in strategic management, capital raising, and market development (Guzmán & Baalbaki, 2021). A brand is not only a symbol that distinguishes one product from others, but also includes all the characteristics that come to mind when a buyer thinks of that brand. These characteristics are the tangible, abstract, psychological, and social characteristics of that product (Meysamiazad et al., 2024). A brand is a fundamental asset of a company. Brands occupy a very special place in the lives of many customers. People try to generalize themselves by using brands and consuming them (Asgari & Naghdi, 2021). In fact, a brand is defined by individuals, not companies, because each person's inner feeling and perception are different and ultimately each person creates their own personal version of the brand; as a result, a brand is a completely relative concept, with part of the brand in the mind of the individual and part of it in the mind of society (Moghaddam, 2023). In today's competitive era, brand valuation has always been a major concern for all business owners in the world. When an organization's or company's brand is valued, hidden, fundamental, and accurate information is obtained about the strength of the brand compared to competitors. As a native digital platform, Myket plays a pivotal role in Iran's digital ecosystem, and maintaining its brand value is of strategic importance to compete with local (such as Cafe Bazaar) and global platforms (such as Google Play and App Store). Iran's digital market faces numerous challenges such as fierce competition, rapid technological advances, economic fluctuations, and regulatory restrictions that lead to nonlinear behavior of brand value. The importance of this research is notable from several perspectives: first, native digital platforms such as Myket have a special place in Iran's digital economy, and strengthening their brand value is vital for competitiveness against domestic and foreign competitors. Second, the lack of localized analytical models for valuing digital brands in Iran has challenged strategic decision-making and reduced development opportunities. Third, the use of Weibull distribution, which is known for its flexibility in modeling nonlinear trends (Lawless, 2003), offers an innovative approach to analyzing brand value in specific Iranian conditions, such as sanctions and high inflation. By providing a comprehensive framework, this study not only fills the gap in the Iranian scientific literature, but also provides a generalizable model for other digital platforms, such as fintech (Zarinpal, App), e-commerce (DigiKala), and digital services (Snap). Unlike traditional methods (ISO 10668), this study provides a localized framework by integrating financial and non-financial data that is generalizable to other Iranian digital platforms and contributes to the theoretical understanding of brand depreciation in volatile markets. This study, using financial and non-financial data from Myket, presents a new model for brand valuation and fills the gap in the application of Weibull for local digital brands; therefore, this research aims to develop a localized and accurate model for valuing Myket's brand and predicting its dynamic trends, including the potential decrease or increase in brand value, using Weibull distribution. The main question of the research is: how is Myket's brand value evaluated accurately using a model based on Weibull distribution and predict its dynamic trends? Theoretical Framework According to the American Marketing Committee (1960), a brand is a name, symbol, or design that distinguishes products or services from those of competitors. The Customer-Based Brand Management (CBBE) model emphasizes the role of brand awareness, perceived quality, and customer loyalty (Yoo et al., 2000). Traditional valuation methods include the income approach (based on future cash flows, such as the DCF model), the cost approach (based on brand creation costs), and the market-based approach (based on the selling prices of similar brands and the ISO 10668 standard). However, these methods have limitations in the digital environment due to the rapid changes and nonlinear behaviors of brands (Christodoulides & Veloutsou, 2022). Brand decline in digital platforms may occur due to reasons such as reduced user engagement, market saturation, or increased competition (Iglesias et al., 2020). The Weibull distribution, as a continuous probability distribution, is widely used in survival and reliability analysis due to its flexibility in modeling temporal and nonlinear data (Lawless, 2003). This distribution, with shape (k) and scale (λ) parameters, can model different patterns of brand decline, from rapid initial decline to gradual decline in later stages. If (k < 1), the decline is rapid at first and then slows down; if (k = 1), the decline is at a constant rate (similar to an exponential distribution); and if (k > 1), the decline is slow at first and then accelerates (Ausubel & Meyer, 1999). These features make the Weibull distribution suitable for analyzing the decline of Myket’s brand in the competitive and economic conditions of Iran. Brand depreciation on digital platforms may occur due to reasons such as reduced user engagement, market saturation, or increased competition (Iglesias et al., 2020). This phenomenon is more complex due to its dependence on dynamic variables such as the number of active users, engagement rate, and annual revenue. Traditional models usually use simple distributions such as exponential or logarithmic, which cannot properly model nonlinear patterns of depreciation (Hyun et al., 2024). Ko (2025) in a study investigated a put option pricing model for car leasing that was designed based on the Weibull distribution. This study compares the performance of the Weibull model with the lognormal model and shows that the Weibull model is more accurate in predicting put option pricing. This study used data from two popular car models in South Korea (Hyundai Sonata and Tucson). After removing outliers (including sales to employees and vehicles with more than 20,000 km per year), the final dataset included 57,472 transactions for Sonata and 14,931 transactions for Osman. Khorasani et al. (2025) in a study, identified and prioritized organizational capabilities that affect brand positioning of food companies. The statistical population of the study included 13 senior managers and marketing and sales managers active in the food industry. A semi-structured interview and a data-driven approach were used, and the results showed that consequences, strategies, contextual factors, intervening factors, and causal factors had the highest weight, respectively. Research methodology This research used a quantitative and descriptive-analytical approach and was conducted with a case study design. Myket was purposefully selected from among 10 active digital brands in Iran, based on criteria such as the number of monthly active users (MAU), market share, and annual revenue. Data is collected from the following sources: • Financial data: Myket’s financial statements, including operating income of 357 billion riyals (223 billion from software sales, 90 billion from advertising, 41 billion from digital traffic, and 3 billion from e-books) and valuation costs of 8 billion riyals in 2024. • Non-financial data: 26 million MAUs, 140 million monthly downloads, 50 million active installs, 180 million monthly searches, and 900 million minutes of digital content streaming in 2024. • Global data: Reports from platforms such as Google Play and the App Store from reputable sources such as Interbrand (2021) and Statista. Due to the lack of complete non-financial data for the years 2020 to 2023, it was assumed that MAU decreased from 30 million in 2020 to 26 million in 2024, which is consistent with the competitive trends in the Iranian market. The independent variable time (t) was defined in monthly intervals from 2020 to 2024, and the dependent variable Myket brand value (V(t)) was measured through financial and non-financial indicators. The moderator variables included competition intensity (cafe market), customer loyalty, marketing budget, and innovation (digital content expansion). The control variables included industry activities, economic conditions, and regulatory constraints. Data analysis was performed with Python (lifelines package) and R (survival package) and the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method. The Weibull model was fitted as (V(t) = V_0 \cdot \exp\left(-\left(\frac{t}{\lambda} \right) ^k\right)), where (V_0) is the initial value, (k) is the shape parameter, and (\lambda) is the scale parameter. The validity of the model was assessed with (R^2), MAE, and RMSE. Monte Carlo simulation and tests of stationarity (Augmented Dickey-Fuller, Phillips-Perron), collinearity (VIF), and autocorrelation (Durbin-Watson) were used to ensure the robustness of the model. Research findings The Weibull model showed high prediction accuracy ((R^2 = 0.92), MAE = 0.12, RMSE = 0.15), and outperformed the exponential ((R^2 = 0.78)) and lognormal ((R^2 = 0.80)) models. The estimated parameters ((k = 1.8), (\lambda = 24) months) showed a slow initial decline and a subsequent accelerated decline, which is consistent with the nonlinear behavior of digital brands (Al-Momani et al., 2024). Key factors in the decline included a 2.6 million MAU decline (from 30 million in 2020 to 26 million in 2024) and competition from Cafe Bazaar. Monte Carlo simulations showed that a 10% decline in MAU increases the acceleration of decline by 15%, while an increase of 8 billion riyals in marketing budget reduces it by 8%. Innovations such as streaming 900 million minutes of digital content moderated the decline by 10%. Cox regression analysis confirmed the significant effects of the moderator variables: customer loyalty (HR = 0.52, 48% risk reduction), marketing budget (HR = 0.66, 34% risk reduction), and competitive intensity (HR = 2.18, 118% risk increase). The validity of the model was confirmed with AIC = 233.42, BIC = 240.88, and Anderson-Darling test (p < 0.05). Stationarity tests (ADF: -4.81, (p = 0.00005); PP: (p < 0.05), VIF (< 5), and Durbin-Watson (1.92) showed the robustness of the model. Conclusion This research uses Weibull distribution to model the decline in the value of the Myket brand as one of the leading platforms for distributing mobile applications in Iran. The Weibull model shows a slow decline in brand value in the early stages and an accelerated decline in the later stages, which is consistent with the nonlinear behavior of digital brands. This finding is consistent with the study (Lawless, 2003) that proposes Weibull to model nonlinear temporal phenomena. Compared to (Ko, 2025) that used Weibull to price car put options with high accuracy (compared to lognormal), the present model also showed higher accuracy compared to lognormal. Based on the results, Myket managers are advised to: Focus on user retention strategies, platform improvement, and innovation (such as digital content expansion). An increase of 8 billion riyals in marketing budget could offset the decline by 8%. Policymakers can strengthen the digital ecosystem by providing financial incentives and easing payment restrictions. Also, restrictions include incomplete non-financial data for 2020–2023. Future research could integrate Weibull with LSTM or ARIMA, conduct comparative studies, and examine cultural factors. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_242195.html Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the design of a policy model for the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship based on competitive advantage and innovation in knowledge‑based businesses. The present research is applicable in terms of purpose, and quantitative and descriptive‑correlational in terms of methodology. The statistical population consists of employees and managers of knowledge‑based companies in the city of Kerman in 2024, totaling 1,740 individuals, from whom 560 participants were selected through simple random sampling. The data collection instrument was a researcher‑developed questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and the SPSS and AMOS software packages were used to analyze the quantitative data. The findings showed that the proposed model for the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship based on competitive advantage and innovation in knowledge‑based companies demonstrates an acceptable level of fit. Competitive advantage and innovation have direct effects on the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship in knowledge‑based firms. Components of competitive advantage—including technical expertise and knowledge, branding, service quality, high standards, responsiveness, organizational agility, after‑sales service and support, supply chain management, and superior efficiency—significantly influence the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship. Collectively, the competitive advantage components explain 0.358 of the variances in the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship in knowledge‑based companies. Introduction The complex and dynamic economic and technological environment requires innovative and flexible approaches to the management and development of businesses. Moreover, the misalignment between existing policies and strategies and the real needs and potentials of knowledge‑based firms leads to reduced efficiency and effectiveness of these policies. Consequently, the lack of coordination between developmental strategies and innovative capabilities can result in suboptimal use of resources and opportunities, ultimately diminishing the competitive advantages of such enterprises (Armutcu et al., 2023). Digital entrepreneurship, as a new business paradigm in developing countries, provides a suitable foundation for economic growth and development. This emerging phenomenon enables numerous entrepreneurial opportunities through digitalization. Digital entrepreneurship inherits the diverse and dispersed nature of research in entrepreneurship and management (Panahzadeh Khanamiri et al., 2023). Innovation and competitive advantage are two key determinants of success for knowledge‑based firms operating in the realm of digital entrepreneurship. Innovation is defined as the implementation of a new or significantly improved product or service, a new process, a modern marketing method, or a new approach to organizing business activities, work environments, or external relations. This comprehensive definition indicates that innovation is not limited to advanced technological development; rather, it encompasses transformation across all dimensions of businesses, companies, and organizations. Innovation refers to the ability to combine resources in new ways to create new goods, develop new production methods, open new markets, and, in some cases, reorganize an entire industry (Azeem et al., 2021). Competitive advantage, on the other hand, consists of a set of factors or capabilities that consistently enable a company to outperform its competitors and cannot be easily imitated by others (Denga et al., 2022). Knowledge‑based businesses, particularly those operating in technology and innovation sectors, must identify and leverage their competitive advantages. However, many of these firms face challenges in recognizing, analyzing, and implementing their competitive advantages. Such challenges often stem from the absence of a coherent and practical framework for evaluating and exploiting these advantages (Hoang & Böckel, 2024). Therefore, the central question of this study is: What is the appropriate design for a policy model aimed at creating and developing digital entrepreneurship based on competitive advantage and innovation in knowledge‑based businesses? Theoretical Framework Digital Entrepreneurship Digital entrepreneurship is a modern form of business that provides a suitable foundation for economic growth and development, especially in developing countries. This emerging phenomenon, enabled by technological assets such as the Internet and information technology, is capable of creating numerous entrepreneurial opportunities through digitalization (Fard et al., 2021). Competitive Advantage Competitive advantage refers to the set of assets, characteristics, and capabilities that enable an organization to perform beyond its competitors in the market. With the growing emphasis on sustainability and sustainable development, organizations are now required to consider economic, social, and environmental dimensions to enhance their competitiveness. As a result, achieving sustainable competitive advantage has become a central priority for organizations (Gravand & Nejati Pilehroud, 2023). Darvishanpour et al. (2025) examined the design of a transformational model for digital entrepreneurial ecosystems. The findings revealed that digital entrepreneurship, as the core phenomenon, creates value through innovation and agility and is rooted in digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. Causal factors (organizational factors, technological infrastructure, human factors), contextual factors (legal and socio‑cultural environments), and intervening factors (economic‑market conditions and security considerations) dynamically interact to shape this phenomenon. Central relationships include the impact of causal factors on resource creation, the role of contextual factors in maintaining stability, the moderating role of intervening factors, and the facilitative role of strategies in supporting development. The consequences encompass economic growth, job creation, financial transparency, improved quality of life, and digital justice. The study recommends that governments enhance digital infrastructure, formulate supportive regulations, expand digital training programs, establish venture capital funds, and promote public acceptance of digital entrepreneurship through cultural initiatives. Kashef Arzanagh and Nayebzadeh (2024) investigated the effect of audience awareness of the Islamic Azad University (Electronic Branch) brand on its competitive advantage, considering the mediating roles of positioning and market orientation. The findings confirmed that audience awareness of the brand positively affects both positioning and market orientation, and that these two variables, in turn, influence competitive advantage. Moreover, the mediating roles of positioning and market orientation in the relationship between brand awareness and competitive advantage were validated. This research, focused on the Electronic Branch of Islamic Azad University, offers recommendations to enhance managerial insights regarding the development of this academic brand. Research Methodology In terms of objective, the present study is applicable; and in terms of execution, it is quantitative and of the descriptive-correlational type. The statistical population comprises 1740 employees and managers of knowledge-based companies in Kerman city in 2024, among whom 560 individuals were selected using a simple random sampling method. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. Research Findings Quantitative data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SPSS and AMOS software. The results indicated that the model for creating and developing digital entrepreneurship based on competitive advantage and innovation in knowledge-based companies exhibits an acceptable fit. Competitive advantage and innovation have a direct impact on the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship within knowledge-based companies. Specifically, the components of competitive advantage—namely, technical expertise and knowledge, branding, service quality, high standards, responsiveness, organizational agility, after-sales support and services, supply chain management, and superior efficiency—significantly influence the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship in these companies. Collectively, these components of competitive advantage explain 0.358 of the variances in the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship in knowledge-based companies. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the design of a policy model for the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship based on competitive advantage and innovation in knowledge-based businesses. These findings are consistent with the results of previous research by Darvishanpour et al. (2025), KashefArzanagh & Nayebzadeh (2024), Abhkiz et al. (2024), Shahraki et al. (2024), Masah Choolabi et al. (2023), Porter & Kramer (2023), Moya et al. (2022), Snihur et al. (2022), Fartash (2022), Nambisan & Baron (2021), and Autio & Rannikko (2021). Fartash (2022), emphasizing the impact of innovation on business models, observed that high standards and technical expertise can effectively enhance competitiveness in companies. International research also places significant emphasis on the importance of competitive advantage and its role in digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Based on the research findings, the following recommendations are proposed: 1. Allocate greater financial and human resources to Research and Development (R&D) units focused on digital innovations in products and processes, and establish evaluation systems to continuously assess the effectiveness of implemented innovations. 2. Create online training programs for employees, particularly in areas related to new digital technologies and digital business tools. Additionally, conduct professional development courses to familiarize employees with an innovative culture and new skills. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_237407.html 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. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_246266.html Abstract The aim of this research was to present a local model of health tourism in the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and qualitative in nature, with an exploratory approach implemented based on the strategy of grounded theory and focusing on the systematic approach of "Strauss and Corbin". The required data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 15 health experts, tourism strategists and relevant senior managers. The selection of participants was carried out through purposive sampling and continued until the stage of theoretical saturation. The data analysis process was carried out in three stages of open, axial and selective coding by the MAXQDA18 qualitative analysis software to ensure accuracy and transparency in extracting categories. The research findings led to the extraction of a paradigmatic model that showed that the local model of health tourism is based on a set of causal, contextual, intervening factors, strategies and consequences. In the causal factors section, components such as quality of medical services, tourism infrastructure, natural factors, transportation, organizational factors, globalization of health services, and destination security were identified. Contextual factors also included changes in health costs, transition to health supersystems, attraction of health tourists, and patient experience. The main strategies included institutional coordination, international marketing, national branding, and promotion of Iranian tourism. Finally, economic, social, infrastructural, and international consequences were extracted for this model. Introduction Today, growth and development are considered the goals and aspirations of every country and society. Different societies are trying to provide the basis for sustainable growth and development by identifying their capabilities in different fields and by utilizing them appropriately. One of the areas that has received attention from different societies in recent decades for investment in growth and development is the field of tourism (zhang et al., 2023). Tourism as an industry has various potential areas for investment. One of the new areas in tourism that has the potential to invest and generate income for growth and development is health tourism, which is considered one of the most profitable and competitive industries in the world (Heung et al., 2021). For this reason, many governments at the macro level are interested in benefiting from the economic benefits of this industry, and increasing competition has begun between different countries, especially developing Asian countries, to attract health tourists (Zhao et al., 2024). Health tourism or medical tourism is extensive and includes quality health care services as well as some other facilities such as better accommodation, shopping, and sometimes recreational facilities. In fact, health tourism is a form of tourism that includes all natural and cultural resources, rehabilitation and sports activities, facilities and places with services related to the health and treatment sector and the tourism sector to serve people who travel for physical and mental health reasons (Cha et al., 2024). Nowadays, people travel for health as well as fitness, well-being and relaxation, and in response to this growing demand, countries, healthcare providers and hospitality and tourism organizations are striving to offer a wider range of medical, health and wellness tourism experiences (Zhong et al., 2021). In countries like Iran, which have good healthcare infrastructure in many areas such as dentistry, cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment and traditional medicine; health tourism can be considered as a valuable economic opportunity to attract foreign exchange earnings and create employment. However, to exploit these opportunities, strategies are needed that are specifically dedicated to this industry (Jabari Nezhad esfahlan, Divsalar & Hoseini Ghoncheh, 2022). Iran will become one of the main health tourism hubs in the region based on its 20-year vision development goals in 2025. Iran should use its capabilities in the health care industry to benefit from the benefits of health tourism, and is currently among the world's leading countries in medical science such as stem cells and spinal cord injury repair. Also, in the field of infertility, invasive radiology topics of the kidney and liver are able to compete with advanced countries in the world. There are no extensive studies in the field of health tourism in Iran, and comprehensive identification of the enablers of medical tourism in Iran and evaluation of their relationships and effects on each other seems necessary. Understanding the above, the main research question is: What are the factors shaping the indigenous health tourism model in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education? Theoretical foundations Health tourism Health is one of the inalienable rights of all human beings. Almost in the middle of the last century and at the beginning of the work of the World Health Organization, world thinkers emphasized that health is not just the absence of disease, but the enjoyment of complete mental, physical, social and spiritual well-being as the definition of health in past centuries was accepted and agreed upon by thinkers (Emami et al., 2025). The term health tourism was proposed by Goodrich in 1991 and then began to spread in American and English universities (Monroy-Rodriguez et al., 2025). Health tourism is a trip designed to maintain and maintain the physical and mental health of an individual on a regular basis (Fernando et al., 2023). Rastegari et al. (2025) conducted a study entitled "Health Tourism Destination Branding in Yazd Province Medical Centers". The findings of the study indicate the need to pay attention to infrastructure factors, cultural factors, and economic factors in the form of the health tourism destination country variable, tourism factors and destination city branding factors, and advertising, sales promotions, brand communities, and public relations in the form of communication tools variables, as well as doctors and nurses, medical center employees, and managers in the form of human resources variables, and medical equipment and facilities and services in the form of product or service variables. Farzinmehr et al. (2025) conducted a study entitled "Investigating the Presentation of a Marketing Model in the Line of Health Tourism with an Emphasis on Medical Equipment". The findings showed that economic and policy factors indirectly affect marketing development through infrastructure and service quality. Research Method The present study is applicable in terms of purpose, and qualitative in nature, with an exploratory approach conducted thrugh the data-based theory with the systematic approach of "Strauss and Corbin". The main goal of this approach is to identify and explain the processes, relationships, and interactions effective in forming the indigenous health tourism model in order to ultimately provide a theoretical framework for explaining and analyzing this phenomenon. The research population included specialists and experts in the field of health tourism who had executive and decision-making backgrounds in related organizations and institutions and were known as "informed experts". Sampling began purposefully and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. In total, 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in the field of health tourism. The interview protocol was also designed based on a review of the research background, document review, and consultation with experts; and the validity of the questions was also approved by the experts. Before the interview began, the research objectives and questions were sent to the participants, and a brief explanation of the research topic was provided at the beginning of each session. With the consent of the interviewees, the interview process was recorded and the key points of each session were simultaneously noted. The average time for each interview was about 45 minutes. Data analysis was conducted based on a systematic approach of grounded theory and by MAXQDA18 software, and included three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. In the open coding stage, after several times of studying and organizing the interview text, initial concepts were extracted and similar codes were categorized into initial categories. Then, a title appropriate to the content of the codes was selected for each category. In the axial coding stage, the relationship between the axial category and other categories was determined in the form of a paradigmatic model. Finally, in the selective coding stage, the central category was extracted and the relationships between other categories were explained in the form of a final model. Research findings The findings of this study led to the design of a local model in the Ministry of Health, based on which the quality of services and specialized infrastructure were identified as the main drivers (causal conditions). The results showed that adopting strategies such as national branding and inter-institutional coordination, under the influence of political and legal intervening conditions, can lead to the key outcome of developing currency and promoting health diplomacy. This model, relying on the patient experience and the developments of health supersystems, offers an integrated path for the transition from traditional management to a comprehensive health tourism system. Discussion and Conclusion Analysis of the research findings shows that the identified causal conditions (including service quality, technological infrastructure, natural attractions, security, and organizational factors) constitute the hard core and main driving force of the model. These factors directly affect the “perceived value of the destination” and ultimately the “intention to choose Iran” by international patients. These results are fully consistent and harmonious with the new approach to medical tourism in the world. The present study confirms the fact that today, health tourists, beyond simply receiving treatment, are looking for a set of “quality, security, and a unique experience”. This finding is consistent with the results of zhao et al. (2024) studies that emphasize the simultaneous role of medical expertise and smart infrastructure in attracting tourists. The contextual conditions in this study represent the specific context and environmental characteristics that affect the implementation of health tourism strategies. These conditions, which include changes in health spending trends, the transition to smart supersystems, a focus on patient experience, and diversification of services, provide a context in which Iran can emerge as a strategic destination. The analysis of the findings shows that the underlying conditions emphasize “creating economic advantage” and “improving patient-centered standards.” These results are in line with the new developments in the global health industry; because in the new paradigm, the success of a destination is not limited to treatment alone, but also depends on the “digital ecosystem” and “cost management.” Changes in health spending trends indicate the impact of the “medicalization of society” and the growth of the share of health in GDP on tourism demand. The findings of the study are in line with the study of Chowdhary & Majumdar (2025) who consider changes in health behaviors and increasing costs as a driver for the search for affordable options in developing countries. In fact, the price gap between countries is the main factor that has led to the formation of this pattern in the Ministry of Health. The emergence of new technologies such as digital medicine and remote monitoring forms the modern platform for health tourism. This finding is fully consistent with the study of Zhao et al. (2024) on the role of artificial intelligence in the future of medical imaging and health services. The transition to these intelligent systems reduces the physical distance between international doctors and patients and strengthens trust in cross-border treatments. Intervening conditions in this study include macro-environmental variables that influence the selection and implementation of strategies. These factors, which are categorized into three areas: political, legal, and economic; can act as “facilitators” or “structural barriers” In fact, these conditions determine to what extent Iran's potentials (causal factors) can be realized in the real world. The analysis of the findings shows that the intervening conditions emphasize "system resilience" and "stability of implementation procedures". These results are in line with the theories of strategic management in the field of health; because in international markets, even with the best medical services, sustainable development will not be achieved without legal and diplomatic supports. Coordination between the government, banks and medical centers acts as a catalyst for the implementation of the model. This finding is consistent with the structural model of Mansour et al. (2023) that emphasizes inter-institutional interaction. The existence of comprehensive plans and order in processes reduces implementation barriers and makes the partnership between travel agencies and medical centers that you have brought in the codes productive. The research findings are in line with the study of Chowdhary & Majumdar (2025). Strategies in This research is a set of targeted and planned measures that the Ministry of Health and relevant institutions use to manage and develop health tourism. These strategies, which include structural coordination, scientific branding, and smart marketing, are actually considered a "roadmap" for transforming Iran's potential into tangible economic and medical outputs. Analysis of the findings shows that the strategies emphasize process integration and marketing intelligence. These results are in line with modern tourism management models in the world; because in the present era, traditional marketing has given way to "holistic management" and "digital branding based on trust". This category is consistent with the findings of Chowdhar & Majumdar (2025). https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_244479.html Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to design a behavioral model for Generation Z consumers in the tourism industry of Iraq. Methodology: This research is qualitative in nature, employing a thematic analysis approach. The statistical population consists of 20 experts and specialists in the field of tourism, selected through theoretical sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and subsequently analyzed via thematic analysis using MAXQDA 2020 software. Findings: The research findings led to the identification of eight main themes: 1. Psychological-Motivational, 2. Digital and Media-related, 3. Economic and Perceived Value, 4. Decision-Making and Destination Choice, 5. Travel Experience and On-site Consumption, 6. Socio-Cultural, 7. Security, Risk, and Trust, and 8. Behavioral Consequences. Conclusion: The results indicate that Generation Z, as active, digitally driven, and personalization-seeking tourists, has transformed traditional demand patterns. They actively seek authentic experiences and interactions with local culture; however, these experiences must also be recordable and shareable on social media platforms. Furthermore, while highly cost-sensitive, this generation is willing to pay premium prices for unique and high-quality experiences. Consequently, this study emphasizes the necessity of transforming policy-making and developing digital infrastructure and tourism services tailored to the specific needs of this generation. Introduction The tourism industry, as one of the world’s most diverse and largest sectors, is a primary source of revenue and a key driver of employment in many countries. Due to its strategic significance, it is often termed an “engine of economic development,” encompassing substantial economic and social benefits, and thus remains a focal point for many governments (Bekele & Raj, 2025). As trade expands, the tourism industry serves as a cornerstone of the global economy. Its inherent stability yields positive effects for national self-sufficiency, and it encompasses key sectors characterized by rapid growth and high rates of direct and indirect value-added; consequently, it is also regarded as a medium for the development of cultural activities (Zvaigzne et al., 2025). Tourism is recognized as a significant economic and cultural driver in the contemporary world—an industry that not only facilitates national financing but also provides opportunities for cultural exchange, the preservation of historical heritage, and the deepening of international understanding. In Iraq, despite possessing significant historical, archaeological, and natural potential, the tourism sector faces considerable challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient standards in tour operator services, policy-making difficulties, and weak stakeholder engagement (Almasooudi & Rahman, 2024). The behavioral patterns of Generation Z consumers can serve as a catalyst for improving tourism conditions in Iraq. This generation, characterized by a high reliance on digital technology, social media, and multimedia content, creates growing demand for authentic experiences, high-quality services, and easy access to tourism information. Such expectations can drive the government and the private sector toward investing in digital infrastructure, enhancing the quality of tour operator services, and creating innovative tourism packages. Furthermore, Gen Z’s inclination to share travel experiences in virtual spaces acts as a form of digital word-of-mouth marketing, potentially constructing a positive and attractive image of Iraq at both national and international levels. The active participation of this generation in engaging with local communities, combined with their interest in sustainable tourism, provides an opportunity for policymakers and tourism stakeholders to prioritize the quality of experience and sustainable development over mere tourist volume. Thus, Gen Z behavior not only influences demand patterns but can indirectly act as a driver for policy reform, service improvement, and the enhancement of Iraq’s tourism brand. Therefore, this study, by emphasizing the analysis of Generation Z consumer behavioral patterns in the Iraqi tourism industry, seeks to address the following research question through a review of relevant concepts and an analysis of expert perspectives: ‘How can the behavioral patterns of Generation Z consumers in the Iraqi tourism industry be designed?’ Theoretical Framework Tourism Tourism, as a social and economic phenomenon, carries diverse and sometimes contradictory definitions; currently, there is no clear theoretical consensus regarding its exact meaning (Bellato & Pollock, 2025). This phenomenon extends beyond mere recreational and travel activities, encompassing cultural, economic, social, and environmental dimensions. As a multidimensional process, tourism simultaneously influences the individual behavior of tourists and their interactions with the host society; conversely, it is shaped by the macroeconomic and infrastructural structures of nations. Generation Z Consumers Generation Z, encompassing those born from 1997 onwards, has grown up in the digital and high-speed internet era, possessing extensive access to technology and social networking platforms (Williams & Page, 2011). This cohort demonstrates a propensity for short, fast-paced experiences, an openness to emerging technologies, and a deep appreciation for cultural diversity, as well as social and environmental concerns. Their behavior is significantly influenced by social media, peer and family recommendations, and content marketing, with a particular focus on quality, innovation, and social responsibility (Seemiller & Grace, 2016). Sfodera et al. (2024) examined Generation Z’s perceptions of sustainable tourism in developing nations. The study findings demonstrated that technology is positively correlated with the environmental, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainable tourism perception among Generation Z. Thus, technology can be regarded as a dimension of sustainable tourism perception for local populations; however, these perceptions vary significantly depending on the type of tourism. Furthermore, Hammad (2024) investigated the factors influencing smart tourism marketing aimed at Generation Z tourists visiting Egypt. The findings revealed that Generation Z tourists are consistently dependent on modern tourism technology applications, such as online travel agencies (OTAs), tourism-related social media platforms, and websites. The study also determined that this generation maintains a keen interest in emerging technological trends within the tourism sector. Consequently, the research recommends strengthening and enhancing the utilization of digital marketing practices. Research Methodology In terms of implementation, this study adopts a qualitative approach using thematic analysis. The statistical population consisted of 20 experts and specialists in the field of tourism, who were selected through theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Research Findings The findings were analyzed using thematic analysis and MAXQDA 2020 software. The results revealed eight main themes, namely: 1. Psychological-motivational, 2. Digital and media-related, 3. Economic and perceived value, 4. Decision-making and destination choice, 5. Travel experience and on-site consumption, 6. Socio-cultural, 7. Security, risk, and trust, and 8. Behavioral consequences. The results further indicated that Generation Z, as active, digitally driven, and personalization-oriented tourists, has transformed traditional demand patterns. They seek authentic experiences and interaction with local culture; however, these experiences must also be capable of being recorded and shared on social media. In addition, although this generation is highly cost-sensitive, it is willing to pay more for unique and high-quality experiences. This study underscores the need for policy transformation and the development of digital infrastructure and tourism services tailored to the needs of this generation. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the objective of analyzing the behavioral patterns of Generation Z consumers in Iraq’s tourism industry. The results of this study align with the findings of Ahmadian et al. (2026), Yaghoobi Zanjani et al. (2025), Sfodera et al. (2024), Hammad (2024), Pricope Vancia et al. (2023), Kimili (2023), Buhalis et al. (2023), Sánchez et al. (2022), Choirisa (2022), Uysal (2022), Gözel & Baş (2021), Dashtlaali et al. (2020), Farzin et al. (2020), and Haddouche & Salomone (2018). Specifically, Sfodera et al. (2024) demonstrated that technology is positively correlated with the environmental, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainable tourism perception among Generation Z. Consequently, technology can be considered a key dimension of sustainable tourism perception for local populations, though these perceptions vary significantly based on the specific type of tourism. From a practical and managerial standpoint, the findings of this research carry direct and inevitable implications for policymakers, marketers, and active stakeholders in the Iraqi tourism industry. To address the dimension of “seeking authentic experiences,” responsible authorities and tourism organizations must focus on developing and standardizing local accommodation experiences (such as eco-lodges), local culinary tours, and handicraft workshops, as well as promoting them effectively on digital platforms. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_233821.html Marketing has reached a point of transformation where adopting digital trends is essential.Although this seems to put a lot of pressure on marketers,in reality,all automated systems and applications that are based on digital tools require special attention to digital marketing in businesses.The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the path of the designed model from the impact of causal conditions to the consequences of digital marketing in businesses active in the Mashhad leather industry.The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection.The statistical population of this study is all people active in the leather industry,whose number is unknown.The sample size was determined based on the formula of 5to10 times the items in the questionnaire and using a non-random method available to 247people.The data collection tool in this study was a researcher-made standard questionnaire.Cronbach's alpha was used to verify the reliability of the questionnaire,and confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the validity of the questionnaire.The values obtained indicate the verification of the reliability and validity of the questionnaire.In addition,divergent validity was also confirmed,and data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method and smart pls software.The research findings showed that causal conditions have a significant impact on the pivotal phenomenon of digital marketing in the leather industry.The pivotal phenomenon has a significant impact on the underlying conditions,intervening conditions,and strategic factors in the digital marketing of the leather industry.Strategic factors have a significant impact on the outcomes of digital marketing of the leather industry.The results indicate that organizations must move in line with current science and portray innovation and creativity in the world of digital marketing to achieve customer satisfaction. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_247228.html The present study aims to identify and explain the dimensions and components of crisis communication in the context of social media (case study: the Tax Administration Organization). In terms of purpose, the research is applied–developmental, and methodologically it is a mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) exploratory study.The statistical population in the qualitative phase consisted of 25 university professors and experts from the Tax Administration Organization who were selected through purposive sampling. The statistical population in the quantitative phase included 131 managers and specialists of the Tax Administration Organization. The sample size was determined using Cochran’s formula and selected through simple random sampling.Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was employed to identify the dimensions and components. In the quantitative phase, confirmatory factor analysis using SmartPLS software was applied to test and validate the findings obtained from the qualitative stage.Based on the findings, all identified variables were confirmed. The results indicate that the development of crisis communication through the capacities of social media is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon which, if implemented in a scientific and systematic manner, can provide numerous benefits and advantages for governmental organizations. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_245925.html Purpose - This study examines the impact of supply chain capabilities and knowledge management capabilities on the business performance of chain stores with a mediating role of competitive advantage. This study provides the better understanding about key constructs such as supply chain capabilities and knowledge management capabilities that influence Mashhad chain stores business performance. Design/methodology/approach - This research is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive in nature and method, and survey-causal. Causal research design is used to identify cause-and-effect relationship among the constructs. The authors derive measures of the model from existing literature and expert opinion. Questionnaire method is used to gathering data. The statistical population of the study were managers and employees of finance, marketing, research and development, distribution and information technology, as well as suppliers of different branches of first-level chain stores in Mashhad, Iran, including Shahrema, Refah, Ofogh Kourosh, Hypermi, Bama and Etka. The author develops a conceptual model for the business performance of chain stores. This study uses a quantitative approach to test the proposed hypotheses, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and SPSS and AMOS software. Findings - Results show that supply chain capabilities significantly influence competitive advantage and business performance, and knowledge management capabilities significantly influence competitive advantage and business performance. Also, competitive advantage mediating the impact of supply chain capabilities and knowledge management capabilities on the business performance.Originality/value – Almost, no study has examined supply chain capabilities and knowledge management capabilities constructs related to competitive advantage and business performance of Mashhad chain stores. The findings of this study imply several practical directions for them. https://www.jvcbm.ir/article_246730.html The main objective of this study was to present a coherent model for the role of smart technologies in improving customer relationships so that organizations can use these capabilities to create competitive advantage. This research was, in nature, fundamental-applied research with a mixed exploratory approach (qualitative-quantitative). In the qualitative part, by adopting the grounded theory method (Corbin and Strauss version), they sought to discover relationships and build a theoretical model from empirical data. The statistical population of the research was composed of managers, activists, and expert professors in the field of marketing and the banking industry with at least 5 years of relevant work experience. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the purposive and theoretical sampling process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, which ultimately led to interviews with 21 people. Data analysis was conducted in three coding stages (open, axial, and selective). The results of the selective coding showed that the improvement of customer relationships through intelligent technologies was organized around a dynamic, three-level cycle that included organizational and strategic antecedents (such as infrastructure readiness and cultural fit), implementation components (including real-time analysis of interaction data and dynamic customer engagement), and dual outcomes (such as improving the customer’s emotional experience and increasing operational efficiency). The model confirmed that to succeed in intelligent engagement, organizations must first focus on fundamental readiness so that they can achieve outcomes such as intelligent adaptation to customer needs and improved decision-making speed through analytical technologies. Overall, the developed model not only provided a comprehensive theoretical framework for researchers, but also a practical guide for managers to transform intelligent technologies into a sustainable competitive advantage in customer relationship management.