Teaching Assistant Matea Topić Crnoja Defends Doctoral Dissertation

On Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Matea Topić Crnoja, Teaching Assistant at the University Department of Sociology, defended her doctoral dissertation entitled Investigating the Relationship Between Purchase Barriers and Purchase Intention for Locally Produced Souvenirs at the Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb. She completed her dissertation under the supervision of Prof. Josip Mikulić, PhD.

Topić Crnoja’s doctoral thesis represents a scientifically relevant study of tourist consumer behavior, placing particular emphasis on analyzing barriers to purchasing locally produced souvenirs. Theoretically, the dissertation is grounded in the integration of the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework and Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT), forming an original conceptual model that was empirically tested. The research also examines the role of locally produced souvenirs in achieving sustainable tourism practices across destinations.

The empirical portion of the research was conducted on a sample of 511 domestic and international tourists in Zagreb, Rovinj, and Dubrovnik across both high- and low-season periods of tourist activity, further reinforcing the scholarly significance of the findings.

Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data processing and analysis, enabling the testing of complex relationships among the examined latent constructs.

The scholarly contribution of the dissertation lies in the complementary integration of S-O-R and IRT frameworks within the context of tourism consumption, alongside the empirical validation of the conceptual model capturing the relationships between measured constructs. Its practical value is reflected in concrete recommendations for souvenir retailers, destination management organizations, and national tourism development policymakers.

We congratulate our colleague on this achievement and wish her abundant success and God's blessings in her future endeavors!