The Conceptualization of Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Zahedan Tourism Industry: An Explorative Study

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Authors
1 University of Sistan and Baluchestan
2 Entrepreneurship, University of Sistan and Baluchestan
Abstract
The necessity of paying attention to the factor of context in current entrepreneurial research makes exploring of entrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism industry in the city of Zahedan a prominent research topic. Therefore, the present research, using a qualitative and exploratory plan, conceptualizes the entrepreneurial opportunities of the tourism industry in the aforementioned Iranian city. The statistical population of the study consists of experts in the fields of entrepreneurship and tourism. The sampling method is theoretical and the criterion for determining the sample size is theoretical saturation. Data collection was performed through several semi-structured qualitative interviews with twenty-three sample. The results of the coding, categorization and validation process led to the developing of 11 main categories (anthropological opportunity, geomorphological opportunity, dynamic opportunity, non-dynamic opportunity, placebo effect opportunity, technological opportunity, knowledge-based opportunity, abdominal opportunity, commercialization opportunity, service opportunity, Medical Opportunity) and 31 sub-categories as entrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism industry of the city of Zahedan. On the one hand, the research findings contain theoretical contribution to the knowledge-based domain of entrepreneurship from the perspective of the necessity of developing grounded concepts based on the dynamics and specific contextual conditions, and explain the action of entrepreneur in Iran, on the other hand. These are also appropriate for designing of relevant models, especially in the tourism industry. In this regard, and based on the research findings, some suggestions for future researches, and some practical and policy-making implications for the scientific discipline of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial actions, and policy-making in the country's field of entrepreneurship have been presented.

Keywords

Subjects


Ahmadi, A. M. (2018). Tourism potential assessment based on geomorphological contexts for regional development (case study of Ora Manat region). Geography and Regional Development, 16(1), 135-117. (In Persian)
Alsos, G. A. Eide, D., & Madsen, E. L. (2014). Handbook of research on innovation in tourism industries, university of nordland,, 1(20), 1-26.
Bassey, B. (2015). Transforming the Nigeria tourism industry through tourism entrepreneurial development. African Journal of Business Management, 9(15), 569 – 580.
Bazrafshan, J., & Bamri, A. (2018). Investigating and analyzing the situation of creative tourism in Zahedan. Regional Planning, 31(4), 180-167. (In Persian)
Berglund, H. (2007). Researching Entrepreneurship as Lived experience. Handbook of qualitative research Methods in Entrepreneurship, 3(17), 75-93.
Bhave, M. (1994). A Process Model of Entrepreneurial Venture Creation. Journal of Business Venturing, 9(3), 223-242.
Buchanan, J. M., & Vanberg, V. J. (1991). The Market as a Creative Process. Economics and Philosophy, 7(2), 167-186.
Chang, J. (2011). Introduction: Entrepreneurship in Tourism and Hospitality: The Role of SMEs. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 16(5), 467-469.
Chin, C. H., May Chiun. L., Songan, P., & Vikneswaran, N. (2014). Rural Tourism Destination Competitiveness: A study on Annah Rais Longhouse Homestay, Sarawak. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 18(4), 35 – 44.
Correia, P. A. P., Medine, I. G., & Gonzalez Romo, Z. F. (2020). Entrepreneurship and innovation in Tourism: E-Businesses: Their Relationship With Their Audiences. Multilevel Approach to Competitiveness in the Global Tourism Industry, 83(27), 159-176.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research method: Choosing among five approaches. SAGE Publication, 13(2), 56-60.
Dale, A. I. (1991). A History of Inverse Probability: from Thomas Bayes to Karl Pearson. Department of Mathematical statistics, 3(9), 91-107
De Carolis, D. M., & Saparito, P. (2006). Social Capital, Cognition, and Entrepreneurial Opportunities: A Theoretical Framework. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 30(1), 41-56.
Diaz, D. (2001). The viability and sustainability of international tourism in developing countries. Paper presented at the Symposium on tourism service, 15(5), 126-130.
Fernandes, P. (2016). What is Entrepreneurship?. Journal of Management Studies, (2)25, 321-360.
Fua, H., Okumusb, F., Wu,k., & Köseogluc, M. (2019). The entrepreneurship research in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 7(8), 1-12.
Ghanian, M., Khani, F., & Baqaei, L. (2011). Evaluation of Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism. Rural Research, 2 (3). 123-99. (In Persian)
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation. SAGE Publication, 13(4), 486-495.
Guizzardi, A., & Mazzocchi, M. (2013). Tourism demand for Italy and the business cycle, Tourism Management, 4(31), 367-6.
He, W., Wang, Y., Liu, H., Qian, J., & Zhuang, Q. (2019). What Influence Chinese Rural Migrant Workers’ Opportunity Identification Level in Tourism Industry. In 1st International Conference on Business, Economics, Management Science (BEMS 2019). Atlantis Press.
Hsieh, C., Nickerson, J., & Zenger, T. (2007). Opportunity discovery, problem solving and a theory of the entrepreneurial firm. Journal of Management Studies, 44(7), 1255-1277.
Karkehabadi, Z., & Hosseini Mostakhdemini, H. (2019). Investigating the Potential of Tourism Entrepreneurship in Iranian Nomadic Society. Labor and Community Research, (41) 5, 121-120. (In Persian)
Karikari, A., Rafique, D., George, A. T., Kwadwo Boateng, P., & Alhassan Baba, A. (2014). Opporyunity Versus Necesstt Entrepreneurship: Aninvesyigation Of Women Entrepreneurs In Tthe Tourism Sector In Kumasi. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management United Kingdom, 4(23), 250-256.
Khalifepour, M. (2009). The Role of Information Technology in Identifying and Discovering Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Tourism Industry. Journal of Tourism Management, 41(8), 52-90. (In Persian)
Kubickova, M., & Campbell, J. M. (2020). The Role of Government in Agro-Tourism Development: a Top-down Bottom-up Approach. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(5), 587-604.
Lee, J., & Lee, H. (2015). Deriving Strategic Priority of Policies for Creative Tourism Industry in Korea using AHP. Procedia Computer Science, 55(12), 479–484.
Mohammadi Eliassy, G. (2008). Entrepreneurship Legitimacy as an Emerging Scientific Field. Management Knowledge, 80 (12), 200-213. (In Persian)
Momaiezi, A., & Abbasi, M. (2012). The Future of Entrepreneurial Opportunities in the Land of Rotation Case Study: Jolfa Region. Journal of Applied Research in Geographical Sciences, 11(26), 123-150. (In Persian)
NikRaftar, T., & Nosratifar, Z. (2017). Analysis of Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Rural Tourism in Alborz Province. Quarterly Journal of Space Economics and Rural Development, 6(23), 345-450. (In Persian)
Nongsiej, P., Shimray, S., & Somipam, R. (2017). presented a paper on “The ROLE of ENTREPRENEURSHIP in TOURISM INDUSTRY: An Overview” in the National Seminar on Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Educated Youth in Global Business, at Pondicherry University, 15(7), 23-24.
Oumlil, R., Juiz, C. (2018). Acceptance of Tourism E-Entrepreneurship: Application to Educational Balearic Islands Context. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 21(1), 152-265.
Privitera, D., Stetic, S., Baran, T., & Nedelcu, A. (2020). Food, Rural Heritage, and tourism in the local Economy: Case Studies in Serbia, Romania, Italy, and Turkey. Handbook of Research on Agricultural Policy, Rural Development, and Entrepreneurship in Contemporary Economies, 45(25), 189-219.
Parvazi, M., & Afshin, M. (2012). The role of tourist attractions in sustainable development (Case study: The City of Zahedan). First National Conference on Geography, Environmental Risks and Sustainable Development, Tehran, 23-37. (In Persian)
Piazolo, M., & Zanca, N. A. (2011). Medical Tourism - A Case Study for the USA and India, Germany and Hungary. Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, (8)1, 560-632.
Ratten, V., Costa, C., & Boger, M. (2019). Artisan, Cultural and tourism entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(7), 423-430.
Rodriguez Sanchez, I., Williams, A. M., & Brotons, M. (2017). The innovation journey of new-to-tourism entrepreneurs. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(8), 200-210.
Rusu, S., ISAC, F. L., & MILIN, A. I. (2017). ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TOURISM - REASONS, NECESSARY RESOURCES AND IMPEDIMENTS. Ecoforum Journal, 6(13), 19-23.
Safari, S., & Mirzaei Bafghi, M. (2014). Identifying and prioritizing entrepreneurial opportunities in the tourism industry of Yazd city. Quarterly Journal of Tourism Management Studies, (26)16, 27-149. (In Persian)
Saarinen, J., Moswete, N., & Monare, M. (2014). Cultural Tourism: New Opportunities for Diversify The Tourism Industry in Botswana. Bulletin of Geography Socio Economic Series, 26(26), 200-240.
Sarasvathy, S. D., Dew, N., Velamuri, S. R., & Venkataraman, S. (2003). Three views of entrepreneurial opportunity. In Handbook of entrepreneurship research (pp. 141-160). Springer, Boston, MA.
Sequeira, A. H. (2014). Conceptualization in Research. National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal Publishing.
Shane, S. (2012). Reflection on the 2010 AMR Decade Award: Delivering on the Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research. Academy of Management Review, 37(1), 100-120.
Shane, S., & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of Research. Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 217-226.
Sofieh, J. H., Hosinia, G. H., & Mobini Dehkordi, A. (2018). Content analysis of the current methodological status of research published in top journals in the field of entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurship Development, 11 (4), 641-660. (In Persian)
Tang, J., Tang, Z., & Marino, L. (2012). Exploring an inverted u-shaped relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance in Chinese ventures. Wiley-Blackwell, 60(1), 468-587.
Taghvaei Yazdi, M., & Shayan, M. (2013). A Study of the Relationship between Tourism and Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development of Iran. Quarterly Journal of Iranian Management Sciences, 6 (13), 324-330. (In Persian)
Venkataraman, S. (2019). The distinctive domain of entrepreneurship research. In Seminal Ideas for the Next Twenty-Five Years of Advances (pp. 5-20). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Wan, H. (2008). Resonance as a Mediating Factor Accounting for the Message Effect in Tailored Communication- Examining Crisis Communication in a Tourism Context. Journal of Communication, 58(3), 472–489.
Welter, F., & Gartner, W. B. (2016). A Research Agenda for Entrepreneurship and Context. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Wu, X. (2000). Ethnic tourism: a helicopter from “huge graveyard” to paradise. Hmong Studies Journal, 3(12), 1-33.
Yachin, J. M. (2017). The entrepreneur–opportunity nexus: discovering the forces that promote product innovations in rural micro tourism firms. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 13(8), 39-42.
Zahra, S. A. (2007). Contextualizing theory building in entrepreneurship research. Journal of Business venturing, 22(3), 443-452.
Zahra, S. A., Wright, M., & Abdelgawad, S. G. (2014). Contextualization and the advancement of entrepreneurship research. International Small Business Journal, 32(5), 479-500.
Zivdar, M. (2020). Entrepreneurial Opportunities: Models and Approaches, Assumptions and Perspectives. Science and Technology Policy Letter, 9(4), 47-56. (In Persian)
Zivdar, M., Imanipour, N., Talebi, K., & Hosseini, S. R. (2016). A model of Decision-making for New Venture Creation: a Grounded Theory approach. Innovation Management, 5(2), 109-134. (In Persian)