CV


FA
Alireza Abbasi Gorji

Alireza Abbasi Gorji

Assistant Professor

Full-Time Faculty Member

Faculty: Literature and Humanities

Department: Management and Economics

Degree: Ph.D

Birth Year: 1992

CV
FA
Alireza Abbasi Gorji

Assistant Professor Alireza Abbasi Gorji

Full-Time Faculty Member
Faculty: Literature and Humanities - Department: Management and Economics Degree: Ph.D | Birth Year: 1992 |

Alireza Abbasi Gorji has been an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Birjand since 2025. In 2023, he defended his Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Designing a Business Democracy Model for Iranian Petrochemical Companies” and received his Ph.D. in Business Administration-Business Policy from the University of Guilan. He also holds an M.Sc. in Business Administration-Marketing from Semnan University, where he completed his master’s thesis entitled “The Effect of the Green Marketing Mix on Brand Equity and Customer Purchase Intention through Corporate Social Responsibility”. He earned his B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering-Control from Mazandaran. His research and academic expertise encompasses Business Policy and Strategy, Strategic Management, Marketing, and Branding. He has published numerous research articles in reputable national and international academic journals. He also serves as a member of scientific committees and a peer reviewer for reputable national and international academic journals and is actively involved in the authorship and peer review of specialized books and the evaluation and review of research projects in the field of business.

Work Phone: +985631026144

Mobile: +989116406602

Organizational Email: AlirezaAbbasiGorji@birjand.ac.ir

Personal Email: AlirezaAbbasiGorji@yahoo.com

My affiliation

Assistant Professor of Business Administration at University of Birjand

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Analyzing Brand Loyalty Mechanisms in the Restaurant Industry: The Role of Brand Experience with the Mediating Effects of Perceived Brand Trust and Customer Engagement in Virtual Brand Communities

AuthorsAlireza Abbasi Gorji-Samira Pour
JournalTourism and hospitality marketing research
Dor Code 10.22080/tmhr.2026.32261.1149
Paper TypeOriginal Research
Published At۲۰۲۶
Journal GradeScientific - research
Journal TypeElectronic
Journal CountryIran, Islamic Republic Of
KeywordsCustomer Experience, Perceived Trust, Customer Engagement, Brand Loyalty, Virtual Brand Communities, Digital Marketing

Abstract

Context and Purpose: In today’s competitive digital markets, brand experience is recognized as a key factor in shaping sustainable customer-brand relationships. This study examines the impact of customer brand experience on brand loyalty and analyzes the mediating effects of perceived brand trust and customer engagement in virtual brand communities among customers of the Akbar Joojeh chain hotels and restaurants.

Design/methodology/approach: Drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of experiential marketing, relationship marketing, and social identity, the proposed conceptual model was developed based on existing literature. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) on a sample of 384 online customers. The research instrument consisted of a standard Likert-scale questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed.

Findings: The findings revealed that brand experience has a significant and positive direct effect on trust and engagement. Furthermore, trust and engagement have direct effects on the intention to forward/share brand page contents, respectively, while engagement demonstrated a strong impact on loyalty. The indirect effects of brand experience on forwarding intention through trust and engagement, as well as on loyalty through engagement, were also confirmed. Conclusion: By emphasizing the stronger mediating role of engagement, these results contribute to the theoretical enrichment of digital marketing and provide practical recommendations for brand managers, including a focus on designing interactive experiences on social media to foster loyalty.

Originality/value: Despite relative consensus on the importance of brand experience, trust, and customer engagement, empirical findings on the precise mechanisms by which these variables influence brand loyalty, especially in the context of heterogeneous virtual communities, have been reported. Consistent and contemporary evidence that has simultaneously examined the mediating roles of perceived brand trust and customer engagement in the relationship between brand experience and loyalty in virtual brand communities remains limited. Focusing on these interactional mechanisms in this study allows for a more coherent understanding of the multidimensional relationships between experience, trust, engagement, and loyalty in digital ecosystems and can add to the theoretical richness of experiential and relationship marketing in the context of social media.

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