Designing a Qualitative Model of Value Chain Governance for the Development of Knowledge-Based Companies in the Tourism Industry

Jafar Jangi; Mohammad Feizi; Vahid Araei

Authors

Jafar Jangi Department of Public Administration, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8242-0317
Mohammad Feizi Department of Public Administration, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4967-4264
Vahid Araei Department of Public Administration, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9987-2252

Keywords:

value chain governance, development of knowledge, based companies, tourism industry, thematic analysis

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to design a value chain governance model for the development of knowledge-based companies in the tourism industry using a qualitative approach. From a paradigmatic perspective, the study was grounded in an interpretive approach and employed thematic analysis to explore and provide an in-depth explanation of the dimensions, components, and underlying mechanisms of value chain governance within the context of tourism knowledge-based companies. The study population consisted of academic and executive experts. Using purposive sampling and the principle of theoretical saturation, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. The resulting data were coded and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method in MAXQDA software. To enhance the credibility and reliability of the findings, strategies including peer review, coding–recoding, and calculation of Cohen’s kappa coefficient were employed. The final findings led to the identification of a structure comprising 180 basic codes, 35 organizing themes, and nine global themes: value chain architecture, value chain policymaking, interactive regulation, value-oriented culture, information integration, communication integration, continuous value optimization, value-creation dynamism, and sustainable tourism development. These themes were integrated into a comprehensive conceptual model depicting the mechanisms of value chain governance and the pathways through which they influence the sustainable development of tourism knowledge-based companies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Ansari MA. Tourism and economic growth: Evidence from cross country data with policy insights. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. 2025;16(1):968-1013.

2. Sun Z, Liu L, Pan R, Wang Y, Zhang B. Tourism and economic growth: The role of institutional quality. International Review of Economics & Finance. 2025;98:103913.

3. Suwanthep D, Pathan A, Balen M, Kokkhangplu A. Exploring domestic senior travelers’ experiences in a second tier city through the tourism value chain: a case study of Thailand. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. 2026:1-21. doi: 10.1108/JHTI-10-2025-1191.

4. Chams Anturi O, Paipa Sanabria E, Escorcia Caballero JP. Tourism Value Chain Integration in a Fluvial Destination System: A Multi Criteria Analysis of a Corridor in Colombia. Sustainability. 2026;18(6):2676. doi: 10.3390/su18062676.

5. Delshad A, Sadeghizadeh M, Shoalaei F. The Tourism Value Chain: A Systematic Review of Research Using the Paradigm Funnel Approach. 2026.

6. Kjaer AM. Governance: John Wiley & Sons; 2023.

7. Margetts H, John P. How rediscovering nodality can improve democratic governance in a digital world. Public Administration. 2023;101(3):874-89. doi: 10.1111/padm.12920.

8. Brancati E, Pietrobelli C, Mazzi CT. The influence of value chain governance on innovation performance: A study of Italian suppliers. Eurasian Business Review. 2024;14(2):319-44. doi: 10.1007/s40821-023-00255-4.

9. Debellis F, Rondi E, Buckley PJ, De Massis A. Family firms and the governance of global value chains. Journal of International Business Studies. 2024;55(8):962-75.

10. Islam MT, Chadee D. Adaptive governance and resilience of global value chains: A framework for sustaining the performance of developing country suppliers during exogenous shocks. International Business Review. 2024;33(2):102248.

11. Serrano A. Restructuring palm oil value chain governance in Colombia through long-term labour control. Journal of Agrarian Change. 2023;23(3):547-67. doi: 10.1111/joac.12510.

12. Schilling-Vacaflor A, Gustafsson MT. Towards more sustainable global supply chains? Company compliance with new human rights and environmental due diligence laws. Environmental Politics. 2024;33(3):422-43.

13. Wilhelm M. Mandatory due diligence legislation: A paradigm shift for the governance of sustainability in global value chains? Journal of International Business Policy. 2024;7:1-7. doi: 10.1057/s42214-023-00183-6.

14. Cooper C, Pereira V, Vrontis D, Liu Y. Extending the resource and knowledge based view: Insights from new contexts of analysis. Journal of Business Research. 2023;156:113523. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113523.

15. Duarte Alonso A, Kok SK, Bressan A, O’Shea M. Knowledge management and the business development journey: A knowledge based view among micro firms. Knowledge Management Research & Practice. 2022;20(2):279-91. doi: 10.1080/14778238.2020.1777963.

16. Hughes M, Hughes P, Hodgkinson I, Chang YY, Chang CY. Knowledge-based theory, entrepreneurial orientation, stakeholder engagement, and firm performance. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. 2022;16(3):633-65. doi: 10.1002/sej.1411.

17. Hosseini E, Saeida Ardekani S, Sabokro M, Salamzadeh A. The study of knowledge employee voice among the knowledge based companies: The case of an emerging economy. Revista de Gestão. 2022;29(2):117-38. doi: 10.1108/REGE-12-2020-0119.

18. Manteghi M, Ahmadi M, Boushari A. Presenting a conceptual model for knowledge sharing and networking of knowledge based companies in the lithium battery value chain. Strategic Organizational Knowledge Management. 2024;7(3):87-109. doi: 10.47176/smok.2024.1769.

19. Truong BTT, Nguyen PV, Vrontis D. Enhancing firm performance through innovation: The roles of intellectual capital, government support, knowledge sharing and knowledge management success. Journal of Intellectual Capital. 2024;25(1):188-209. doi: 10.1108/JIC-02-2022-0046.

20. Deb SK. Proposing Electronic Tourism Value Chain Model (eTVCM): A Customer Centric Approach. Tourism and Hospitality Management: A Modern Fusion of Sectors: Bentham Science Publishers; 2025. p. 148-69.

21. Mele C, Spena TR, Marzullo M, Di Bernardo I. The phygital transformation: A systematic review and a research agenda. Italian Journal of Marketing. 2023;2023(3):323-49. doi: 10.1007/s43039-023-00074-9.

22. Zhang H, Wu C, Zhang Z, Zhu Y, Lin H, Zhang Z, et al. ResNeSt: Split attention networks. Proceedings of the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition: IEEE; 2022. p. 2736-46.

23. Feyzbakhsh OAB, Babalhavaeji F, Nezafati N, Hariri N, Nooshinfard F. Presenting an open data management (ecosystem) model with developing innovative information flow approach in Iranian knowledge based companies. Aslib Journal of Information Management. 2022;74(3):458-80. doi: 10.1108/AJIM-05-2021-0139.

24. Pansara R. Unraveling the complexities of data governance with strategies, challenges, and future directions. Transactions on Latest Trends in IoT. 2023;6(6):46-56.

25. Ding K, Hioki S. Intellectual property strategy and the governance of technological platform driven global value chains: The case of Qualcomm. Competition & Change. 2024;28(1):165-88. doi: 10.1177/10245294231169485.

26. Retnandari ND. Implementation of strategic planning in regional/municipal governments, obstacles and challenges. Policy & Governance Review. 2022;6(2):155-75. doi: 10.30589/pgr.v6i2.488.

27. Hussain T. Market thinking in public service: Designing statutory authorities for governance and efficiency. Contemporary Journal of Social Science Review. 2025;3(4):81-93.

28. Jalilian L, Heydari Ahadnezhad Roshti M. The role of government in tourism development with an emphasis on economic policies. Urban Economics. 2022;7(1):19-38.

29. Tashakini A, Shafiei A. Development model of value chain of textile and apparel industry in Iran. Journal of Industrial Economics Research. 2024;7(26):17-32. doi: 10.30473/jier.2024.24151.1365.

30. Joyami EN, Yaghoubi NM, Rowshan SA. Quality management and environmental management: Role of knowledge transfer and organizational innovation in knowledge based firms. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. 2024;15(2):8457-94. doi: 10.1007/s13132-023-01425-z.

31. Ouriques R, Wnuk K, Gorschek T, Svensson RB. The role of knowledge based resources in agile software development contexts. Journal of Systems and Software. 2023;197:111572. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.111572.

32. Piyathanavong V, Huynh VN, Karnjana J, Olapiriyakul S. Role of project management on sustainable supply chain development through Industry 4.0 technologies and circular economy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multiple case study of Thai metals industry. Operations Management Research. 2024;17(1):13-37. doi: 10.1007/s12063-023-00393-8.

33. Wang Z, Huang Y, Ankrah V, Dai J. Greening the knowledge based economies: Harnessing natural resources and innovation in information and communication technologies for green growth. Resources Policy. 2023;86:104181. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.104181.

34. Liguo X, Ahmad M, Khan S, Haq ZU, Khattak SI. Evaluating the role of innovation in hybrid electric vehicle related technologies to promote environmental sustainability in knowledge based economies. Technology in Society. 2023;74:102283. doi: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102283.

35. de Camargo TA, Alves LA, Mendes IC, Gasques LR, de Oliveira LGS, Pires GC, et al. Enhancing soil quality and grain yields through fertilization strategies in integrated crop livestock system under no till in Brazilian Cerrado. European Journal of Soil Biology. 2024;121:103613. doi: 10.1016/j.ejsobi.2024.103613.

36. Marschner S, Orsi L, Olper A, Stranieri S. Sustainability Strategies in the Cocoa-Chocolate Value Chain: An Analysis Using Stakeholder Theory, Global Value Chain Theory, and Resource Dependence Theory. Agribusiness. 2026;42(2):694-716. doi: 10.1002/agr.22044.

37. Yu D, Zhao P. Global value chain governance of the apparel design industry under the background of global sustainable economic development. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2022;2022:5178301. doi: 10.1155/2022/5178301.

38. Yu H, Deng X, Zhang N, Zhang X. Is blockchain cost effective in construction project management? A systematic review from the perspective of transaction cost. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. 2026;33(1):28-52. doi: 10.1108/ECAM-06-2023-0604.

39. Nguyen LT, Zuidwijk R. Sustainable supply chain governance: A literature review. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility. 2025;34(2):541-64.