Journal of Business Management
Year:2024 | Volume:17 | Issue:3|Papers Count:9

Objective Some strategic decisions made by firms and individual decision-makers can lead to excess market entry, situations in which an excessive number of businesses enter a market, resulting in a high rate of failure. Behavioral strategy, particularly through the lens of cognitive biases, offers a useful framework for understanding this phenomenon. In this context, managerial optimism has been identified as a potential contributing factor to excess entry. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the role of managerial optimism in driving excessive market entry.   Methodology To investigate the role of optimism in excess market entry, the simulation model of market entry decisions was used. The model relies on the assumption that entrants were boundedly rational decision-makers whose assessments of market opportunities did not fully align with the actual realization of those opportunities. Errors in these assessments, including optimism, led to various market entry outcomes. In this model, by manipulating the assessment error, different market entry outcomes (including no entry, missed opportunity, successful entry, and excess entry) were examined. The simulation model of market entry decisions was implemented using the Anaconda platform and developed in Python 3.   Findings The findings of this research showed that different degrees of optimism among entrants led to various outcomes in their market entry decisions. The results also revealed that low levels of optimism were essential for market entry and often resulted in successful entries. However, increased optimism led to unrealistic assessments of market opportunities and created conditions conducive to excess market entry. Moreover, the optimism of entrants under different market conditions resulted in varying percentages of excess entry. As the findings indicated, optimism under difficult market entry conditions led to higher levels of excess entry compared to easier entry conditions.   Conclusion This research contributed to the market entry literature in two ways. First, in the extant literature, there was a contradiction regarding whether the optimism of entrants was desirable or not. The findings of this research showed that a small amount of optimism in different market conditions led to more successful entries. Second, decision-makers’ optimism in difficult-to-enter markets resulted in excessive additional entry. When entrants were concerned about the difficulty of entering the market, optimism helped them reduce this worry. Hence, as the difficulty of entering the market increased, their optimism subsequently increased, and they entered more markets. From a practical perspective, market entrants and business managers needed to have a realistic assessment of market opportunities, and they could also use structured tools such as the inside view to reduce optimism bias. Additionally, the limitations of this research were related to the market entry simulation model. Finally, suggestions for future research in this field were considered.

ObjectiveBrands are recognized as vital organizational assets that can influence consumer perceptions and behaviors. In today's complex and competitive market, consumers face diverse choices and have limited time for decision-making. Close relationships with loyal consumers are a critical asset for companies, as they strengthen brand positioning through repeat purchases, word-of-mouth communication, and brand advocacy. Brand trash-talking, as a provocative communicative behavior, involves disparaging rival brands to elevate one's brand and can present both opportunities and threats for brands. Brand attachment, encompassing brand passion, brand salience, and brand anxiety, plays a significant role in consumer behaviors such as compulsive buying and brand trash-talking. Compulsive buying, as a behavioral disorder, has negative psychological and economic consequences, and in the digital age, with the growth of mobile and internet technologies, this behavior has gained increasing attention. Given the importance of smartphones and the intense competition among leading brands such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and HTC, examining the impact of brand attachment dimensions and compulsive buying on brand trash-talking among mobile phone consumers in Tehran holds particular significance. This study seeks to bridge existing research gaps by examining these relationships, providing insights that can help marketers and businesses develop effective strategies to foster brand loyalty and drive brand success. MethodologyThis study is applied in terms of its objective and employs a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design for data collection and analysis. The statistical population consists of mobile phone consumers of iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, and HTC brands in Tehran. Since the population size was unknown, Cochran’s formula was used to determine the sample size, resulting in 385 participants. A multi-stage cluster random sampling method was employed. The research instrument was a questionnaire adapted from Japutra et al. (2022), using a five-point Likert scale. Reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, and validity was assessed via content and construct validity. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in Smart PLS3 and SPSS. FindingsDescriptive data revealed that the majority of respondents were aged 25–35 (48.1%), followed by 35–44 (31.4%), 45–54 (14.3%), 55–65 (4.4%), and over 65 (1.8%). The education levels of respondents were as follows: bachelor’s degrees (35.1%), master’s degrees (19%), diplomas (17.9%), associate degrees (11.9%), below diploma (10.9%), and PhDs (5.2%). Inferential findings indicated that brand passion has a direct and significant effect on compulsive buying and brand trash-talking. Additionally, brand salience positively and significantly influences brand passion, brand anxiety, and compulsive buying. Furthermore, compulsive buying and brand anxiety directly and significantly affect brand trash-talking. ConclusionBrand salience has a substantial impact on consumer behavior, particularly on brand trash-talking. Compulsive purchases, brand passion, and brand anxiety are all influenced by a brand’s visibility in the market. When a brand is prominent, consumers are more likely to engage in compulsive buying and may experience stronger emotions such as passion or anxiety when interacting with a well-known brand. Therefore, marketers should consider the effect of brand salience on consumer behavior when developing branding strategies to effectively engage target audiences. This research provides a foundation for future studies exploring the diverse effects of brand salience on consumer behavior and for enhancing brand marketing strategies.

ObjectiveThe evolution of the mobile phone is one of the most successful innovations in history, and its wide distribution and ubiquity indicate the success of this technology. Marketing and business managers increasingly see mobile as an attractive tool through which they can engage with customers through various types of marketing communications. Mobile marketing is a communication and entertainment channel between the brand and end consumers, which is understood as an alternative to classical marketing approaches and a potential key element for future integrated marketing communication strategies. In addition, the rapid development of information technology has led to the explosive growth of data production. Possessing vast databases of customer information offers a significant advantage for modern businesses. However, traditional analytical methods are inadequate for processing such large volumes of data. Data mining addresses this challenge by offering automated techniques for analyzing and extracting meaningful patterns from extensive datasets. This study aims to provide a model for predicting mobile marketing acceptance factors using the hybrid approach of structural equation modeling and artificial neural network (ANN). PLS-ANN approach is a new analytical method in expert systems and artificial intelligence. This approach has several advantages compared to the existing multivariate regression approach, which can only test linear and compensatory models. MethodologyA total of 219 questionnaires were collected using the convenience sampling method. Descriptive statistics were analyzed with SPSS software. The research hypotheses were first examined using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares method (PLS-SEM), followed by analysis through artificial neural networks (ANN) using Python. FindingsThe proposed relationships between the constructs show significant coefficients; therefore, the research model is generally acceptable. Based on the results obtained from the structural equation modeling, all the hypotheses were confirmed (the positive impact of attitude, personalization, consumer innovativeness, credibility, and informativeness on the adoption of mobile marketing), and the artificial neural network was able to predict the research model well and with high accuracy ( = 0.96). ConclusionMobile marketing offers several advantages, including ubiquitous accessibility and the ability to customize content based on time, location, and individual user characteristics. It has transformed the way marketers engage with their customers, creating new opportunities for businesses that face challenges in reaching consumers through traditional channels. Accordingly, investigating consumers' reactions to marketing communications with these new technologies is inevitable. The results of the upcoming research can be beneficial for business marketing managers to develop a suitable marketing strategy for using mobile devices.

Objective This study aims to design a business survival model based on social media agility and dynamic capabilities. It investigates and analyzes the relationships among social media agility, dynamic capabilities, company characteristics, and business survival. Furthermore, the research explores the interconnections between the indicators of dynamic capabilities and social media agility in promoting business survival.   Methodology This research is applied in nature and utilizes a descriptive correlational design for data collection. The statistical population comprises employees and managers from companies affiliated with the Shiraz Chamber of Commerce. Using convenience sampling, 351 valid questionnaires were collected. The data were analyzed employing SPSS 21 and SmartPLS 3 software.   Findings This study evaluated the impact of social media agility on business survival. In addition, it examined the mediating effect of dynamic capability on the impact of social media agility on business survival, investigated the relationships between social media agility indicators and dynamic capability, and determined the importance of each indicator. The age and size of the company are other important factors in this study that play a significant role in the survival of businesses. Older companies tend to possess more resources such as established external relationships, accumulated knowledge, and sufficient capital to build strong social networks-compared to younger companies. These advantages can foster greater innovative activity and, ultimately, enhance the company’s chances of survival. Smaller companies tend to be more innovative than larger companies. The survival of both large and small companies is increasingly influenced by the technological environment. In this context, it is posited that company age and size-two key organizational characteristics examined in this study-indirectly impact business survival. Therefore, understanding the relationships between these factors and the value they generate in sustaining a competitive advantage is both significant and valuable for long-term business success.   Conclusion The study revealed that social media agility has a direct and significant impact on business survival, and it also indirectly affects business survival through the mediation of dynamic capability and the moderation of company characteristics. The benefits that companies gain from social media agility depend on the company's size. Smaller companies are more likely to benefit from social media agility than larger companies. Social media agility can help internal organizational processes and innovation performance. Through social media engagement in the workplace, a company’s capacity to acquire, differentiate, and assimilate external knowledge is significantly impacted. Agile social media can strengthen a company's adaptability and adaptability. Dynamic capability, as one of the competence strategies investigated in this study, can be described as dynamic empowerment, learning how to learn, strategic foresight, and other skills, which are inimitable and alternative resources that are highly effective in gaining a competitive advantage.

Objective Macroeconomic shocks place significant pressure on banking systems and are among the most common causes of financial crises. Such crises may arise from a combination of national economic and political conditions, as well as social dynamics and internal structural weaknesses within the banking system. The costs of such financial crises and their significant impact on real production in many crisis-affected countries require defining and classifying the types of banking crises and finding effective triggers in every banking crisis. Finally, providing banking crisis management solutions is essential. This study sought to address the following research questions: What constitutes a sales crisis in Iran’s banking system? And how can this crisis be effectively managed within Iran’s banking industry—particularly in private commercial banks—through the identification of key factors contributing to the sales crisis?   Methodology This study employed a mixed-methods research design. To identify the factors influencing the banking sales crisis, purposive sampling was used to select individuals from the banking community who possess extensive knowledge and expertise in the subject area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 professionals from the banking sector, including branch managers, marketing managers, research and development managers, public relations managers, and corporate banking managers from private commercial banks. The adequacy of the qualitative sample size was ensured through theoretical sampling, continuing until data saturation was achieved. The identified factors were then synthesized into a final model using Structural-Interpretive Modeling (ISM).   Findings The drivers affecting the bank sales crisis were extracted in the form of nine main themes, 20 sub-themes, and 57 concepts. The findings revealed that weak human capital, insufficient organizational development, and unfavorable political and economic conditions are the most influential factors contributing to the banking sales crisis. A four-level model was developed, identifying international restrictions, new tax regulations, the economic crisis, and domestic economic challenges as key influencing factors in the banking sales crisis in the country.   Conclusion Managing the sales crisis involves three stages. In the pre-crisis stage, preventive cooperation from the government in the economic sector is essential. During the crisis, effective control can be achieved through positive government intervention, support from the central bank, management of alternative financial markets, updating business models, and technological upgrades. In the post-crisis phase, implementing effective measures in collaboration with the sales crisis management team is critical to preventing weaknesses in banking products and services, mitigating social concerns, restoring public trust, addressing unmet customer needs, and strengthening customer retention within the banking industry.

ObjectiveIn a rapidly changing world with an uncertain future, it is becoming increasingly challenging for managers to develop strategies that provide a competitive advantage by effectively balancing commitment and adaptability. One way to achieve such a balance is through flexible planning. In this regard, the management of organizations has a significant impact on the way internal components interact with the external world and on the overall performance of the organization. This is especially true for small and medium-sized enterprises, where the weight of the management factor on the overall performance of the enterprise is much greater. It is becoming more and more apparent. However, in strategic planning, various models have been proposed to deal with the phenomenon of uncertainty, the most important of which are: emergent and learning strategies, multiple simultaneous strategies, rolling strategies, shaping strategies, phased strategy development, persistent strategy, strategic issues approach, and strategy negation approach. The key point is that uncertainty has a wide range, and in some organizational environments, uncertainty is very high, while in some environments, its severity is low. This variation raises a fundamental question: which strategic planning models are most effective under different levels of uncertainty? One of the variables that can have a moderating role here is strategic orientation. Because strategic orientation in companies can represent a tendency to use riskier strategic plans, it can have a moderating role in the relationship between types of strategic planning and uncertainty. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between uncertainty and types of strategic planning with the mediating role of strategic orientation. MethodologyThe statistical population of this study comprises senior managers of companies located in Tehran's Pardis Technology Park. This research adopts a descriptive-survey design in both nature and methodology. The validity of the questionnaire was established through a review of theoretical foundations and expert evaluations, while its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. To examine relationships and analyze the data, structural equation modeling (SEM) and correlation analysis were employed. FindingsThe results of the study indicate a significant positive relationship between uncertainty and strategic orientation. Additionally, a significant negative relationship was found between the level of uncertainty and strategic planning. The findings also reveal a significant positive relationship between strategic orientation and the selection of strategic planning approaches. Finally, the mediating role of strategic orientation in the relationship between uncertainty and strategic planning was confirmed. ConclusionThe planning approaches most strongly correlated with uncertainty, in descending order, are: learning and emergent strategy, persistent strategy, strategic issues management, formative planning, and lastly, strategic planning, which, despite ranking fifth in correlation, holds the highest mean score. A second key finding is that strategic orientation significantly influences how managers perceive and approach strategies and the future; thus, it plays a critical role in shaping responses to uncertainty and in determining the choice of strategic planning approaches.

Objective Over the past decades, the widespread adoption of the Internet has led to continuous growth in online shopping platforms, while exposing customers to extensive choices across diverse product categories. Consequently, consumers increasingly rely on online reviews as an accessible and credible source of real-world information to support their purchase decisions. To address key research gaps in understanding the communicative patterns of online customer reviews, this study adopts a comprehensive mixed-methods approach conducted in two phases. In the first phase, we identify the rhetorical strategies (moves) used in the most helpful consumer reviews on DigiKala, Iran’s leading e-commerce platform. In the second phase, we examine potential differences in these rhetorical strategies between search goods and experience goods through a comparative analysis across product categories. Methodology To address the stated research objectives, we conducted a detailed Genre Analysis using a Top-down Move Analysis Approach grounded in this study. Data were collected using purposive non-probability sampling from the best-selling products on DigiKala between October 23 and November 21, 2022. The statistical population included all customer reviews associated with these products. The Statistical Sample consisted of reviews from 37 of the best-selling products that had received 20 or more likes. In total, 414 customer reviews were subjected to qualitative coding and analyzed using MAXQDA version 2020 software. In the second phase of the study, all selected products were classified as either search or experience goods. To explore structural differences in rhetorical strategies, move frequencies were compared across these categories. Frequency variations were analyzed using SPSS 26 through Chi-square Tests of Independence.   Findings Customer online reviews consistently provide critical product insights directly from consumer perspectives, thereby serving as essential decision-making aids for potential buyers. This study successfully identified six Major Rhetorical Moves and eight Minor Moves within DigiKala's most helpful consumer reviews corpus, each serving a distinct communicative function. The Major Moves comprise: Title, Overall Recommendation, Personal Experience, Reviewing Products’ Overall Features, Product Evaluation, and Expressing Consent. Collectively, these Major Moves accounted for a substantial proportion, approximately 82 percent of the entire corpus. Crucially, the statistical findings robustly confirmed a significant difference in the frequency of these moves between experience and search goods.   Conclusion Customer online reviews are demonstrably important within e-commerce ecosystems primarily because they provide authentic, unfiltered insights into tangible product features and performance directly from consumers’ real-world usage perspectives. This research identified six Major Moves, with only the Overall Recommendation being mandatory for posting reviews in DigiKala; other moves reflect consumer discretion. This optional deployment of other moves demonstrates reviewers' structural autonomy in crafting comments. Based on our findings, we argue that since Personal Experience and Product Evaluation are particularly important to consumers, online platforms and retailers can strategically enhance user engagement by creating targeted content to emphasize these moves.

Objective Corporate accelerators are among the critical drivers in enhancing entrepreneurial ecosystems and fostering sustainable economic development. Despite the increasing attention they have received in recent years from organizations and businesses, there remain significant gaps in understanding what corporate acceleration processes entail, why they are important, and how they function. Concurrently, organizations and firms are increasingly leveraging corporate accelerators to internalize opportunities presented by external startups. The primary hypothesis of this research is that successful global models of specialized corporate accelerators exist and that, based on these models, a contextually appropriate acceleration framework can be developed for Iran’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Accordingly, this study aims to design a specialized corporate acceleration process tailored to the unique dynamics of entrepreneurship in Iran. The central research question is: What should be the framework and process of specialized corporate acceleration within the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Iran?   Methodology This study adopts a qualitative, multiple-case study approach, supported by semi-structured interviews with 20 founders, managers, and mentors of corporate accelerators in Iran. Simultaneously, successful global acceleration models and programs were examined using benchmarking techniques to identify best practices, structures, and key operational mechanisms. The collected data were then categorized, and essential components were extracted to formulate a final framework for a specialized corporate accelerator suited to the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Iran. The proposed model encompasses 26 key indicators.   Findings The primary research gap addressed in this study is the identification of key components contributing to successful acceleration processes in specialized corporate accelerators. The first major finding involves an analysis of 26 indicators identified through interviews with founders, managers, and mentors. These indicators were then evaluated to construct a tailored acceleration model aligned with the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Iran. Key findings include the analysis of global best practices in corporate acceleration, the delineation of effective acceleration processes, and the development of a proposed framework for a specialized corporate accelerator customized for the national context.   Conclusion Given the growing importance of corporate accelerators as key drivers of sustainable economic development and integral components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this topic holds particular significance, especially in the Iranian context, where many aspects remain underexplored. This study concludes that although global models and processes of corporate acceleration exhibit considerable similarities, the design of specialized accelerators must be adapted to the specific entrepreneurial landscape of each country. While many core indicators are shared among successful global accelerators, their application may vary in developing countries like Iran. Furthermore, insights from global case studies indicate that there is substantial untapped potential in this field, especially within Iran, highlighting the need for further development and contextualized implementation.

ObjectiveIn today’s digital landscape, the rapid spread of unverified and misleading information, particularly on social media, poses significant challenges to modern societies. Fake news has emerged as a critical issue, threatening public trust, fueling social polarization, and damaging the legitimacy of institutions. However, beyond the issue of fake news itself lies a more systemic and strategic problem: the necessity of effective content moderation. As social media platforms play an increasingly central role in shaping public opinion, distributing information, and facilitating discourse, the ability to moderate fake news within these platforms has emerged as a critical dimension of media governance. Content moderation in this context is not limited to deleting or labeling posts; rather, it encompasses a multi-layered process involving policymaking, technological tools, user engagement, and cultural adaptation. This study aims to develop a comprehensive, context-sensitive framework for moderating fake news on domestic platforms by examining the strategies employed by two global leaders in the field—X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Through comparative analysis and in-depth engagement with domain experts, the research attempts to localize and adapt these strategies to the specific socio-cultural and regulatory environment of Iran. MethodologyThis research adopts a qualitative, comparative approach. Initially, the study reviewed policy documents, moderation guidelines, and institutional reports from both platforms to identify their respective content moderation mechanisms. In the second phase, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with experts in digital policy, media regulation, and information governance. Thematic analysis was used to code and synthesize findings in a structured and iterative manner, facilitating the development of a localized and actionable moderation framework. FindingsThe results indicate that effective fake news moderation requires a dual-layered approach involving both off-platform and on-platform interventions. Off-platform strategies include legislative development, promotion of reliable news sources, enhancement of media literacy, institutional empowerment, public education campaigns, fostering critical discourse, development of detection algorithms, and encouraging civic engagement. On-platform strategies encompass internal content moderation guidelines, user verification systems, crowdsourcing fact-checking tasks, collaborations with official news organizations, algorithmic filtering, labeling and ranking content, and enabling transparent user feedback mechanisms. Notably, Iranian experts emphasized the importance of aligning these measures with local legal and cultural norms, ensuring algorithmic transparency, and offering users clear paths for appeal and redress. ConclusionFake news, amplified by viral digital dynamics, can erode social cohesion and destabilize public discourse. However, the deployment of structured and context-aware content moderation strategies can both limit the spread of false information and enhance user trust in digital environments. The framework proposed in this study synthesizes international practices with localized insights to deliver a hybrid model suitable for domestic social media platforms. This model not only serves as a policy guideline for platform developers and regulators but also contributes to the broader agenda of rebuilding public trust and ensuring the credibility of online information ecosystems in Iran and similar contexts.