فصلنامه مدیریت بازرگانی
سال پانزدهم شماره 58 (زمستان 1402)

This research aims to propose a coopetition model specifically designed for Iranian airline companies. As a result of shifts in both internal and external landscapes, along with the swift advancements in technology encapsulated by the term VUCA (signifying volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), the conventional dichotomy of pure competition or complete cooperation has diminished in its efficacy. In its place, a novel mode of collaboration has emerged, characterized by a blend of cooperation to generate value and competition in the pursuit of value, termed "co-competitiveness." Considerable research efforts have been dedicated to this strategy, and it has garnered significant attention on both a global and Iranian scale. Recognizing the significance of this subject from both theoretical and practical perspectives, and acknowledging the existing gap in the examination of competition within domestic airline companies, this article aims to investigate the factors, mechanisms, and outcomes of coopetition in this particular industry.
 
To identify competitors, processes, and consequences in the airline industry, Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory, which includes the conditions, strategies, and consequences of each phenomenon, was used in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 industry and academic experts, and the process model of co-opetition in airlines was extracted. After conducting interviews with the 11th expert, we reached theoretical saturation, but for more certainty, the 12th expert was also interviewed. Model extraction based on open, axial, selective coding, storyline, process coding, and conditional/consequential conditional matrix. Researchers used theoretical and operational analytical notes and 15 years of observations in this industry to extract the theory and refine the model.
 
The core category was revealed as the hidden opportunity and concerns about implementation. Causal conditions' category with 18 concepts and three subcategories, contextual conditions with 10 concepts and three subcategories, interventional conditions with 16 concepts and four subcategories, strategies with 29 concepts and three subcategories, and consequences with 25 concepts and three subcategories formed the final model. Each of these categories is expected to have a significant impact on the growth of the aviation industry, and the existence of each of them reveals many loopholes in improving the performance of airline companies. The concepts requiring reform were effectively pinpointed, and a clear assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in the application of each concept was provided.
 
Implementing this strategy, which revolves around the development of a coopetition model in the airline industry, along with the identification of conditions, strategies, and resulting outcomes, is poised to foster industry growth, enhance airline performance, and boost customer satisfaction. Airlines have the potential to augment their profits, expand their market share, and promote growth while simultaneously reducing overhead costs through the implementation of a coopetitive strategy. Moreover, by leveraging one another's expertise, they can significantly enhance their capacity to innovate, effectively doubling opportunities, and mitigate the outflow of currency.

In today's rapidly changing business environment, finding new customers is becoming increasingly difficult. As a result, companies are placing a strong emphasis on retaining their current customers. While there's a lot of research on customer loyalty in consumer-focused businesses (B2C), creating loyalty in business-to-business (B2B) settings is a unique challenge that needs a closer look. Therefore, the goal of this study is to understand how loyalty works in B2B companies and how it's evolving.
 
To examine the advancements and developments within the domain of loyalty in B2B business models, articles on the Web of Science website were analyzed over 28 years (from 1994 to 2022) using scientometric methods and Sitespace software.
 
Research in the field of B2B loyalty has shown a growing trend. However, between 2011 and 2014, there was a decrease in research in this area. Subsequently, there has been an upward trend in research. Analysis of the top 10 countries in B2B loyalty indicates that the United States is now the leader in the number and breadth of loyalty research. Notably, countries like Taiwan and Spain are also actively engaged and flourishing in this field. A comprehensive review of B2B loyalty, encompassing its foundations, influential works, and intellectual connections between these works, revealed the key insights. The analysis unveiled highly cited articles, key authors, important keywords, intellectual milestones, and emerging research trends in the B2B loyalty domain. Overall, since 2014, B2B loyalty research has garnered increasing attention, with a significant rise in the number of articles published annually. The field has transitioned from a conceptualization stage to a cognitive psychology stage. Despite this growth, B2B loyalty research has not reached full maturity, necessitating further exploration of theoretical and methodological issues. New B2B loyalty research has introduced novel perspectives, such as attitudinal and behavioral angles, branding, service quality, and word-of-mouth communication. This diversification marks a new direction in B2B loyalty research. Additionally, the findings reveal that B2B researchers often use B2C theories as criteria for evaluating B2B loyalty. While B2B markets traditionally rely on high volume and cost-benefit analysis, loyalty in these markets also exhibits psychological aspects, indicating a new avenue for research. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the boundaries of B2B loyalty research, providing valuable scientific information for researchers to guide the development of future studies.
 
This research serves as a guide for future B2B loyalty studies, helping researchers identify directions and avoid duplicative efforts. Organizations can benefit from the concepts highlighted in this research, aligning their strategies to foster customer loyalty in the provision of products and services.

In recent years, one emerging area of interest for researchers has been the study of deviant behaviors in marketing. The objective of this article is to provide an in-depth understanding of the progress in marketing deviant behavior studies by conducting a comprehensive review of scientific articles in this field, utilizing text-mining methodologies.

We identified a total of 103 articles spanning the period from 1997 to 2021 through searches conducted on respected databases like Science Direct, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Emerald, Pro Quest, Sage, and Scholar. These searches were conducted using keywords such as "deviant behaviors of marketing" and "Marketing Deviance." Through a multi-stage screening process involving the examination of titles, abstracts, and keywords, our research team identified and selected a total of 72 articles pertinent to the subject of deviant behaviors in marketing for further text-mining analysis. Then, pre-processing of data was performed, and using cluster analysis, 6 optimal clusters were obtained according to Davies Bouldin index. Using the multi-attribute decision-making technique (SAW: Simple Additive Weighting), the most important roots were ranked in each cluster. Data were analyzed by RapidMiner and Matlab software.

The findings revealed a growing interest in researching deviant behaviors in marketing, particularly in recent years. The analysis generated clusters of topics, including Job and Corporate Identity, Customer Orientation and Service Orientation, Consumer Behavior, Sales States and Behaviors, Marketing Interactions, and Neutralization Techniques. It is predicted that in the future years, research on marketing deviant behaviors will increase, and continue its upward and increasing trend. The analysis of the paper trends indicates that between 1997 and 2013, the majority of articles primarily emphasized the significance of consumer behavior in the context of marketing deviant behaviors. Considering that marketing deviant behaviors have a notable impact on consumer behaviors, and consumers possess the potential to influence other customers, communities, and businesses, many researchers have previously introduced the concepts of marketing deviant behaviors and their effects on various aspects of consumer behavior. The observed trend underscores the prevalence of deviant behaviors within the marketing domain. This trend has evolved from initially introducing consumer behavior in marketing, shifting towards customer orientation and service orientation, and ultimately making its most significant contribution to the understanding of sales states and behaviors. Given this trend, we can predict the future path of marketing deviant behaviors toward the investigation of sales states and behaviors.

This study highlights marketing deviant behaviors' categories and orientations and provides a roadmap for future inquiry on marketing deviant behaviors. Marketing deviant behaviors need to be properly managed by the organizations and managers. This study offers insight to managers by clustering techniques about the trend of marketing deviant behavior research. By recognizing the contexts and major aspects of deviant behaviors in the organization, managers can take better and more effective steps to control and manage these behaviors.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly significant for managerial authorities striving for organizational success. Comprehensive CSR initiatives are essential to address the growing pressures for heightened CSR commitment in corporate entities. These innovations enhance organizational performance within communities and have positive implications for individuals, communities, and state sectors. This study aims to highlight the impact of CSR on product innovation, exploring the mediating role of employer branding within medium and large manufacturing companies of Southern Iran's Bushehr City.

The study serves an applied purpose and employs a descriptive survey method for data collection. Its focus is on 100 medium and large manufacturing enterprises in Bushehr, Iran. Employing a combination of stratified and convenience sampling techniques, a total of 80 companies were chosen for inclusion in the study. To ensure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated at 94%, and content validity analysis was employed for construct validity. The SmartPLS software was utilized to assess research hypotheses. The research instrument used in this study is a two-part survey. The initial section gathers general and demographic data from the participants, while the latter part includes inquiries for research assessment, utilizing a five-point Likert scale, comprising 46 questions in total. During the study, each company received between 3 to 5 in-person surveys. After the data were collected, an average was computed from each company's responses, and one survey per company was chosen as the foundation for the analysis. Consequently, our evaluation was fundamentally rooted in 80 completed surveys.

The achievements indicated that CSR notably and positively influences both product innovation and employer branding. Yet, the impact of employer branding on product innovation didn't show a significant statistical effect. Moreover, the intervening function of employer branding in the connection between CSR and product innovation didn't demonstrate any statistically meaningful importance.

The outcomes of structural equation modeling highlighted the significant and beneficial effect of CSR on product innovation and employer branding in medium to large businesses. Although there wasn't a direct correlation found between employer branding and product innovation, the general results underscored the crucial function of CSR in promoting innovation and brand growth. Companies ought to prioritize social responsibility in their operations, as it is crucial for their survival. It was observed that large corporations are significantly investing in socially responsible actions, proving it's not a burden but rather a competitive advantage. Companies, therefore, need to pour resources into social responsibility initiatives and innovations with the aspiration to meet diverse expectations. Put differently, firms focusing on socially responsible actions tend to innovate more in products and procedures for various reasons, primarily because the orthodox approach is no longer effective. They need to lean on innovation to carry out these practices. Moreover, stakeholders wish to amplify their social involvement which, in turn, bolsters potential innovative responsibility within the companies. Also, activities related to social responsibility compel companies to innovate to meet the requirements of emerging consumers.

This study was conducted to present a model for the effectiveness of colors in marketing and applied neuroscience laboratory methods to test this effectiveness. Therefore, after identifying and exploring the cognitive and emotional impacts of colors as stimuli, a model was presented and its findings were tested quantitatively in the laboratory utilizing the tools of consumer neuroscience.

The research methodology followed a sequential exploratory mixed method approach which included three phases: the first phase consisted of a qualitative study, the second phase was a quantitative characteristics study, and the last phase was the final quantitative laboratory study. The first qualitative phase which applied precise tools of consumer neuroscience in a laboratory setting, resulted in the generation of categories and their respective interconnections. The research approach, in the qualitative phase, was inductive, and the research strategy was the classic grounded theory or Glaser approach. To elicit experts’ opinions in the field of marketing, university teachers in the fields of marketing, cognitive science, and neuroscience were interviewed and to elicit experts’ opinions in the field of graphics, CEOs of advertising companies, advertising managers, and design managers of such companies were interviewed. The applied sampling methods were non-probability purposive (judgmental) and theoretical sampling. In the quantitative and laboratory phase, the Tobi eye tracking device and Tobiprolab software were used to measure attention and processing, and the facial movement coding system and face reader software were used to measure emotions and arousal.

In the qualitative phase, the resulting model from theoretical coding included three components: the effectiveness of colors on corporate using neuroscience, the cognitive effectiveness of color on the consumer which was caused by attention, and the emotional effectiveness of color on the consumer which was caused by arousal. In the first qualitative phase, called the “visual and environmental advertising”, some colors such as blue, red, orange, and purple were applied to test the effectiveness of cognition and arousal towards the corporation. Research findings in the qualitative phase showed that for measuring corporate advertising and marketing effectiveness, applying organizational visual and environmental colors like blue, red, orange, and purple is useful in creating more attention and processing in the target market as well as more arousal among consumers. In the second phase, a four-plat visual advertising was designed and in the third phase, laboratory tests related to consumer neuroscience were done. Research findings in this phase showed that the most attention and processing belonged to orange, blue, purple, and red colors respectively. Also, changes in arousal and valence of research participants were tested using a facial movement coding system and Face Reader software.

From the point of marketing, Organizations by creating their organizational color, which is based on the correct application of cognitive and emotional responses of their consumers and then testing these responses more exactly by applying consumer neuroscience, can benefit from the advantage of utilization of precise neuroscience tools. We should keep in mind that organizational and advertising colors have cognitive and emotional impacts on the contacts of the organization and the correct selection of these visual elements plays an important role in creating brand awareness.

In marketing, in particular clothing marketing, the visual tool of the mannequin plays an important role in attracting the customers’ attention as a part of the store window. The effect of mannequins on the customers’ evaluation of clothing is not known and no study has been conducted based on lived experience in Iran. Mannequins play a role in visualizing clothes on customers' bodies, and the evaluation of customers with different bodies likely varies from clothing. Accordingly, this study aims to employ a phenomenological approach in examining the impact of mannequins on the experienced responses of female customers belonging to Generation Y.
 
A qualitative methodology was employed in this research, involving the selection of participants to explore the role of mannequins. Subsequently, data analysis was conducted using the "MAXQDA" software. The study seeks to identify the customers’ lived experiences about mannequins with a phenomenological approach. The participants (N = 16) were selected using purposive sampling, using a protocol, and conducting interviews. Data collection was carried out by conducting a comprehensive review of existing literature, followed by a coding process for analysis. Subsequently, a network of themes was constructed.
 
The interview findings revealed that the lived experience of mannequins encompasses three primary themes: motivational experiences, attitudinal experiences, and reaction experiences. These themes emphasize various aspects, such as product characteristics, elicitation of emotions or sensations, presentation of product design and aesthetics, value creation, initial product evaluation, customer engagement, educational aspects, incentives for store entry, self-image, and envisioning clothing. Motivational experiences further comprise sub-themes within this context. The emotional dimension of attitude, the behavioral dimension of attitude, and the cognitive dimension of attitude include the sub-themes of attitudinal experiences and purchase intention willingness, positive word-of-mouth advertising willingness, store wandering willingness, willingness to pay more money, willingness to revisit the store are sub-themes of store mannequin reaction experiences.
 
Retailers can leverage the retail environment, particularly through non-verbal communication tools like mannequins, to elicit a response from customers. This can enhance the overall customer experience, encouraging them to revisit the store in the future by providing ample motivation to do so. By recognizing the effects of visual stimuli (mannequins), retailers can use marketing strategies to create a good shopping experience. According to the findings from the motivational tool, mannequins prove to be effective in fostering a positive attitude among customers. This positive attitude, in turn, triggers various responses and reactions from customers.

The human mind, with the help of anthropomorphism, makes every unknown thing that it knows less like the most familiar thing that it knows the most, i.e. a human being (himself). The process of anthropomorphism refers to the special desire of humans to attribute human characteristics to non-human beings, which can provide a basis for greater satisfaction. Given that people naturally tend to attribute human characteristics to beings, objects, and phenomena, and many researchers consider this tendency an essential tool for comprehending factors beyond human nature, it can serve as a foundation for enhancing customer satisfaction. This study aims to investigate the impact of brand anthropomorphism on consumer happiness, considering both emotional and cognitive aspects, and to examine the mediating role of brand authenticity across four dimensions: continuity, correctness, symbolism, and credibility.
 
The current research adopts a quantitative approach with a confirmatory purpose. It is conducted using a survey methodology. The survey method was used to test hypotheses, and four hypotheses were developed and tested based on theoretical models derived from research literature. To gather data on the anthropomorphism of the LG brand, standardized questionnaires, consistent with quantitative research methods, were distributed to participants online. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability were used to evaluate the reliability of the research measurement model. In this study, smart_pls software was used for data analysis.
 
The findings of the study indicate that anthropomorphism plays a significant role in shaping consumer happiness. Furthermore, the research underscores the positive and meaningful relationship between brand anthropomorphism and brand authenticity. Importantly, brand authenticity is found to have a favorable impact on consumer happiness. One of the noteworthy findings is that brand authenticity serves as a mediator, effectively explaining how brand anthropomorphism influences consumer happiness. In essence, this means that consumers' perceptions of a brand as humanlike contribute to their happiness, partially through the lens of brand authenticity. These insights provide valuable implications for businesses looking to enhance consumer satisfaction and engagement through anthropomorphic brand strategies.
 
Research in the literature provides compelling evidence supporting the conclusion that anthropomorphism leads to an increase in positive emotions while simultaneously reducing negative emotions. Given that authenticity is considered a positive attribute in today's society; consumers tend to rely on brand authenticity based on a communication style relying on happiness and a brand's roots (symbol). Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that brand authenticity exerts a positive influence on consumer happiness, underscoring the significance of psychological feelings of authenticity in promoting mental well-being. In a broader context, the findings of this current research provide a conclusive response to the recurrent question in the research literature: Does anthropomorphism have an impact on the mental well-being and happiness of consumers? Based on our findings, the practice of anthropomorphizing a brand, which involves attributing human characteristics to the brand, whether through direct or indirect means and facilitated by the mediating role of brand authenticity, ultimately leads to consumer happiness. The results of this study offer a fresh perspective on the dynamics of consumer-brand relationships, potentially influencing the way we approach this topic. Additionally, the study offers valuable insights that can guide future research endeavors in this area.