Dr. Wang Yijie of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management has recently published a new academic paper, "The Herd Effect of Conflict between Tourism Communities in Ethnic Villages and Scenic Area Enterprises from a Resident's Perspective—Based on Stochastic Game Analysis," in the prestigious journal Tourism Tribune. Dr. Wang is the first author, and Yunnan University of Finance and Economics (YUFE) is credited as the primary affiliated institution.

Tourism Tribune is a highly reputable academic publication in its field, recognized as an AMI authoritative journal, rated T2 in the FMS list of high-quality management science journals, and sponsored by the National Social Science Fund. This publication marks Dr. Wang's second paper in Tourism Tribune with YUFE as the primary institution, following his 2024 article, further deepening his systematic research and continued exploration of ethnic tourism development and governance.

The study examines the diffusion mechanism of conflicts between tourism communities in ethnic villages and scenic area enterprises, focusing on residents' decision-making behaviors and using the intensity of the "herd effect" as a key contingent factor. Employing a stochastic game model and numerical simulation methods, the research is based on field data from Xishuangbanna Dai Park and Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village. It constructs a game theory framework that accounts for limited rationality and imitative following among residents.

The study's key findings are:

• Single factors such as unequal benefit distribution, potential gains from conflict, or external governance alone are insufficient to fully explain the spread of conflict in ethnic villages. The herd effect is both a universal and critical factor in conflict evolution.

  
  

• The unique "face culture" and "acquaintance society" characteristics of ethnic villages significantly amplify the herd effect, increasing the likelihood of conflict diffusion as residents are more inclined to follow the actions of others.

  
  

• Regarding the influencing mechanisms, potential gains from conflict and government compensation aimed at "paying for stability" were found to strengthen the herd effect. Conversely, factors such as profit-sharing dividends from the scenic area, the negative externalities of conflict, residents' sense of moral threat, and the severity and probability of government penalties were found to weaken the herd effect.

  
  

About the Author:
Dr. Wang Yijie is a faculty member at the School of Tourism and Hotel Management, holding a Ph.D. in Management. His primary research interests include tourist behavior and ethnic tourism. In recent years, he has published more than 10 papers in SSCI and CSSCI journals such as Tourism Management, Tourism Tribune, and Tourism Science. He has led one Yunnan Provincial Basic Research Project, one Yunnan Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project, two projects for the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, and one YUFE-level research project, in addition to participating in numerous national-level and horizontal projects.