Despite the developments in computer-mediated communication after the advent of the Internet, traditional word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is still influential on consumers' buying decision processes. As one of the WOM influencer groups, market mavens are information providers who affect buying decision of other consumers with their product knowledge and marketplace expertise. The purpose of the study is to examine whether front-line employees working at travel agencies are market mavens or not. A survey of 120 travel agency employees was conducted using a structured questionnaire including open-ended questions as well. Descriptive statistics, parallel test, minimum average partial test, exploratory factor analysis, independent samples t-test, and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS 24.0 software. The conclusion of the study revealed that the front line employees in travel agencies had a tendency to give recommendations and share information as market mavens.
Widespread usage of the Internet services in all over the world has resulted in implementation of the Internet censorship -restrictions on what can be publicized or viewed on the Internet-and the surveillance society in many countries. The Internet access restrictions and censorship are being used by some governments to control and suppress individuals' sharing and reaching information on the Internet. In this study, following a theoretical discussion based on the review of relevant literature, individuals' perceptions related to the Internet censorship in Turkey is demonstrated based on a qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that the Internet censorship is considered as a major obstacle restricting individuals' freedom of getting information, sharing their opinions and communicating with others. Furthermore, internet users implement self-censorship while posting their opinions about especially political issues since they feel fear, anxiety and pressure stemming from restrictions and surveillance.
rine de yönelmektedir. Günümüz turistlerinin daha fazla değer talep ettikleri bir ortamda alternatif ürünlerle çekirdek turizm ürünlerini zenginleştirmek rekabet gücü elde etmeyi hedefleyen turizm çekim merkezleri için kaçınılmazdır (Duman, Kozak ve Uysal 2007). Diğer taraftan alternatif turizm türlerinin geliştirilmesi, turizmin mevsimsellik özelliğinin azaltılması ve mevcut
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