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Showing 8 results for Fatemi
Marjan Golkar Fard, Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 6, Issue 12 (12-2019)
Volume 6, Issue 12 (12-2019)
Abstract
Considering the economical development level, Women play a crucial role in agricultural and rural development especially in developing countries. Paying attention to the development of entrepreneurial activities in rural areas is one of the ways towards development. Carried out through survey and classification random sampling methods, the present research aimed to analyze the individual and supportive variables of entrepreneurial activities among rural women in Fars province. Participants of this study were all of the members of Fars Province Agricultural Development support fund Companies (3033 individuales) which are activate in three companies in Marvdasht, Shiraz and Estahban counties. The sample consist of 393 rural women according to the Krejcie and Morgan table. Results indicated that to improve rural women’s entrepreneurship, elevation of entrepreneurial spirit and motivation as well as providing other necessary factors including suitable business environment with facilitating policies of the compony in order to develope rural women entrepreneurial activities are necessary “Gaining income and profit” and “high-quality production increasement” were considered as the two main items for improvement of rural women` motivation in entrepreneurial activities. Based on findings, women entrepreneurs of Marvdasht have depicted a more desirable performance in comparison with Estahban and Shiraz rural entrepreneur women in the following fields: the effectiveness of information sources, creativity, the skills of compiling commercial plan, entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial motivation, information effectiveness, company conducted education, governmental supportive policies, company facilitating policies, business environment and managerial power of the Funds' directors. Thus, women entrepreneurs of Marvdasht could be a good model for entrepreneurisl activities improvement of the women in the two other studied sounties; Thus, it is suggested to provide monthly meetings for the rural women entrepreneurs of three counties in order to communicate and negotiate continouosly for transferring their valueable experiences.
Fatemeh Badzaban, Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 7, Issue 13 (6-2020)
Volume 7, Issue 13 (6-2020)
Abstract
The resilience of women businesses is a key factor in the survival and development of rural businesses which follow to poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth. Business resilience helps the entrepreneur to adapt and resist crises, which can be one of the drivers of successful women's entrepreneurial performance. Analyzing the entrepreneurial resilience of small and medium-sized businesses of rural women in Fars province was the main purpose of the study. All members of Fars Province Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies were the population of research which 269 of them were selected as a sample by stratified random sampling method for data collecting using questionnaire. Resilience of women entrepreneurs was measured based on Lifespan Resilience Scale-Business (LRS-B). The Resilience of rural women businesses was moderately upward in studied businesses. Comparison of women entrepreneurship resilience in Shiraz, Marvdasht and Estahban indicated that women entrepreneurs in Marvdasht have more business resiliency than women in Shiraz and Estahban. Variables of marketing strategies, marketing mix, marketing methods, firm support and marketing attitude had a positive and significant correlation with the resiliency of women entrepreneurs. According to regression results, marketing strategies, marketing mix, marketing methods and marketing attitude were the determinants of women businesses resilience. Finally, some applicable recommendations were presented in order to improvement of resiliency of rural women businesses.
Mrs. Ommolbani Karami, Dr. Mahsa Fatemi, Dr. Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, Mrs. Fatemeh Badzaban,
Volume 7, Issue 14 (12-2020)
Volume 7, Issue 14 (12-2020)
Abstract
One of the main contexts of women's participation in rural society is the creation of small businesses and entrepreneurship or self-employment. Microfinance funds and the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund have played a significant role in this regard. The main aim of study was to analyze the marketing activities of women entrepreneurs in the Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies and Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in Fars province. This survey study was conducted using stratified random sampling method and 307 individuales were interviewed through questionnaires for data collection. The main comparisons between the two women groups were done using T-tests. Based on the results, women entrepreneurs who are the members of Specialized Holding Companies had higher mean in terms of marketing methods awareness, marketing mixes, strategies and environmental factors than the members of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund. The members of the Specialized Holding Companies also were in a better position than women in the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in terms of personality traits (success, risk-taking, creativity, and independence). In this regard, some applicable suggestions were presented in oreder to improve the marketing activities of rural women.
Miss Marzieh Gholami Gandomani, Dr. Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 8, Issue 15 (7-2021)
Volume 8, Issue 15 (7-2021)
Abstract
Analysis of entrepreneurial orientation and employability of Shiraz University agricultural students in order to start personal business after graduation was the main purpose of current study. Conducting a mixed method, the study was acoopmlished using quantitative and qualitative methods in 2020. The research population was all of the School of Agriculture students at Shiraz University (1874 students) that a random sample of 365 individuales were selected through stratified random samplling method. The data was collected through a questionnaire which its face validity and reliability were confrmed through the professors of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education at Shiraz University as well as conducting a pilot study with 30 students out of the main sample. In-depth interviews with the members of Shiraz University council of employability improvement (12 individuales) were done using purposeful samplling technique in qualitative phase due to the case study. Based on quantitative findings and the structural equation modelling results, total mean, attending in workshops, entrepreneurship courses experience, startup attending experience, attitude toward favorable internship, personal development skills, business skills and entrepreneurial orientation were the effecting factors on students` tendency toward business startup. Finally, due to the qualitative findings, the strategies for improvement of students` employability at University could be presented as educational, implementation, supportive and intencive strategies.
Miss Zahra Karimi Amaleh, Dr. Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 8, Issue 16 (12-2021)
Volume 8, Issue 16 (12-2021)
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objective: Sustainability of small and medium-sized rural businesses` activities are very vital due to the importance and effective role of SMEs as the engine of human and economic development. Rural women have direct effect on these businesses` development as half of the population of rural areas. Therefore, determinants of entrepreneurial activities development of rural women of Larestan County in Fars province were the main purpose of the study.
Material and Methods: This descriptive study was accomplished through survey technique using a questionnaire for data collection. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the professors of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education and the reliability was approved by conducting a pilot study out of the main sample in some villages of Marvdasht County. The Cronbach`s alphas of the variables were computed between 0.74 and 0.93. The research area was Larestan county in southern Fars province, so the study population was all of the rural women who were the members of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund of Larestan County (440 individuals) and the sample was estimated 108 individuals based on Cochran formula. Final samples of 216 rural women were interviewed due to the stratified random sampling method from two groups of members (111 women) and non-members (105 women) of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund. Two separate causal models were presented for memvers and non-members.
Results: The results of path analysis indicated that entrepreneurial spirit, educational level, entrepreneurship education, skills for business plan writing, governmental supportive policies, business environment, entrepreneurial; orientation and social and organizational networking had direct effects on the entrepreneurial activities development. On the other hand, based on the causal model of non-members group, the three variables of educational level, business environment and social and organizational networking were the effective factors on entrepreneurial activities development of non-members. Indirect effects of the factors through mediator variables have also been seen in the both models.
Conclusion: Findings showed that the members of Omid Entrepreneurship Fund were better than non-members in terms of individual entrepreneurial characteristics and business`s condition. The causal model of the members is a stronger model and indicates a more diverse affecting factor in the development of rural women entrepreneurial activities compared to the other model of non-members. Some applicable recommendations were provided based on the findings in order to improve the businesses of Larestan county`s rural women. One of the most important recommendations of the study was to pay attention to various entrepreneurial educations, strengthen skills in business plan writing skill and improve the five characteristics of rural women entrepreneurial orientation. The networking of different rural women groups could also be effective on the improvement of business performence. Finally, creating a culture about the role of women in the socio-economic activities of community will also be an important factor in the women's entrepreneurial activities development.
Seyedeh Zahra Sadr Dashtaki, Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 10, Issue 1 (8-2023)
Volume 10, Issue 1 (8-2023)
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background: Population changes, technological advancements, inflation, unemployment, lack of development, and other environmental factors have presented numerous challenges to human society. In response to these issues, governments, organizations, and public opinion have emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship, recognizing it as a key driver of economic development. Addressing these challenges requires a clear identification of the underlying problems. The primary purpose of this study was to recognize and categorize the inhibitors and obstacles to the development of entrepreneurial activities among agricultural business owners who are members of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in Fars Province.
Methods: This descriptive study utilized a survey and a structured questionnaire to collect data. The face validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed by a panel of professors at Shiraz University, along with the computation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The studied population consisted of the members of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in Fars Province, from which a random sample of 70 individuals was selected.
Results: The findings indicated that individual-personality barriers, educational barriers, economic barriers, structural and policy-related barriers, and environmental-cultural barriers were the five main inhibitors affecting the initiation and development of entrepreneurial activities among the members. The entrepreneurial alertness of the respondents was found to be at an average level, which is a crucial aspect of individual-personality factors. Notably, business owners in Shiraz exhibited significantly higher levels of entrepreneurial alertness compared to their counterparts in Marvdasht. However, there were no significant differences in entrepreneurial alertness based on gender or specific areas of work activity.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, individual-personality barriers were identified as the most significant obstacles to the development of entrepreneurial businesses. Among these barriers, entrepreneurial alertness encompasses a range of psychological characteristics that are beneficial for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses. Conversely, entrepreneurs with weaknesses in the dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness are likely to face more challenges in developing their ventures compared to their more alert counterparts. To address these issues, it is recommended to conduct targeted educational workshops aimed at strengthening the psychological characteristics associated with entrepreneurship, as well as covering marketing principles, business regulations, and both technical and managerial skills. Additionally, improving social networking and fostering interpersonal and group communication among the members of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund is crucial. Introducing and recognizing top entrepreneurs from each region, along with organizing periodic meetings at both provincial and national levels, would facilitate access to current news and updated information relevant to entrepreneurship. By cultivating an environment where trained and active entrepreneurs can identify profitable opportunities, the overall level of entrepreneurial alertness among business owners is likely to increase. This proactive approach will enhance individual entrepreneurial capabilities and contribute to the broader economic development of the region.
Methods: This descriptive study utilized a survey and a structured questionnaire to collect data. The face validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed by a panel of professors at Shiraz University, along with the computation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The studied population consisted of the members of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in Fars Province, from which a random sample of 70 individuals was selected.
Results: The findings indicated that individual-personality barriers, educational barriers, economic barriers, structural and policy-related barriers, and environmental-cultural barriers were the five main inhibitors affecting the initiation and development of entrepreneurial activities among the members. The entrepreneurial alertness of the respondents was found to be at an average level, which is a crucial aspect of individual-personality factors. Notably, business owners in Shiraz exhibited significantly higher levels of entrepreneurial alertness compared to their counterparts in Marvdasht. However, there were no significant differences in entrepreneurial alertness based on gender or specific areas of work activity.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, individual-personality barriers were identified as the most significant obstacles to the development of entrepreneurial businesses. Among these barriers, entrepreneurial alertness encompasses a range of psychological characteristics that are beneficial for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses. Conversely, entrepreneurs with weaknesses in the dimensions of entrepreneurial alertness are likely to face more challenges in developing their ventures compared to their more alert counterparts. To address these issues, it is recommended to conduct targeted educational workshops aimed at strengthening the psychological characteristics associated with entrepreneurship, as well as covering marketing principles, business regulations, and both technical and managerial skills. Additionally, improving social networking and fostering interpersonal and group communication among the members of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund is crucial. Introducing and recognizing top entrepreneurs from each region, along with organizing periodic meetings at both provincial and national levels, would facilitate access to current news and updated information relevant to entrepreneurship. By cultivating an environment where trained and active entrepreneurs can identify profitable opportunities, the overall level of entrepreneurial alertness among business owners is likely to increase. This proactive approach will enhance individual entrepreneurial capabilities and contribute to the broader economic development of the region.
Miss Afsaneh Banazadeh, Prof. Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, Dr. Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (7-2024)
Volume 11, Issue 1 (7-2024)
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background: Entrepreneurship is the main driving force in economic development. The role of an entrepreneur is to innovate and create new combinations of materials or how to form processes. The development of women's entrepreneurship has been one of the main topics of the contemporary development agenda in many developing countries. Many rural development experts believe that recognizing the capabilities and skills of women, especially rural women, and guiding their creative talents can influence using the capacities of this large social stratum. Entrepreneurship is a process that takes place in a network of social relations, and these social relations can limit or facilitate the entrepreneur's relationship with resources and opportunities. Therefore, social capital as a social phenomenon causes creativity, ideation, facilitation of innovative behaviors, and risk-taking. Entrepreneurs need a strong consulting and support system at every stage of their entrepreneurial activities. These networks play an effective role, especially in the first stages of activity, to obtain information and advice. Based on this point of view, the presence or absence of support networks is very influential in the development of women's entrepreneurship. Thus, this study mainly aimed to identify and analyze the individual and structural factors (especially social capital) influencing the entrepreneurial activity of rural women in Fars province to improve their status.
Methods: This study was carried out using a survey technique, and a questionnaire was used for data collection. Based on the random sampling method, a random sample of 380 women was selected from the members of agricultural development specialized holding companies of Marvdasht, Shiraz, and Estahban in Fars province. A pilot study was conducted among 30 women members of the fund with similar conditions in Kavar County, and alpha coefficients were obtained between 0.77 and 0.95. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: A significant difference was found between the development of entrepreneurial activity of the members in the three Shiraz, Marvdasht, and Estahban cities, with a higher average level of entrepreneurial development among the women of Marvdasht. The higher components of entrepreneurial activity (innovation, environmental protection, customer satisfaction, fund members' satisfaction, flexibility, regional prosperity, job creation, profitability, business sustainability, competitiveness, and taking advantage of opportunities and idea commercialization) among women entrepreneurs of Marvdasht led to better development of their entrepreneurial activities. In the second place, women entrepreneurs of Shiraz City had a higher average score than Estahban City regarding the entrepreneurial activity development variable. On the other hand, the average social cohesion of women in Morvdasht city was significantly different from Shiraz and Estahban cities, and this rate was higher in Marvdasht City than in the other two cities. Also, there was a significant difference between the women studied in Shiraz and Estahban cities, with the latter women having a higher average than the former in social cohesion. The result of the regression test showed that social capital, success-seeking ability, decision-making ability, independence-seeking level, consulting policies, business atmosphere, skill in formulating a business plan, and support policies were the variables that explained the utmost amount (56%) of entrepreneurial activity changes.
Conclusion: Considering the set of factors influencing the development of rural women's entrepreneurial activities, especially the role of social capital, the network of relationships, and activities in various social networks, it is suggested to improve the like-mindedness and synergy of the women entrepreneurs' activities through periodic and continuous meetings with other companies. Moreover, coherent and purposeful educational classes should be held for rural women members of the funds to strengthen their activities in social networks and help them acquire various entrepreneurial skills.
Background: Entrepreneurship is the main driving force in economic development. The role of an entrepreneur is to innovate and create new combinations of materials or how to form processes. The development of women's entrepreneurship has been one of the main topics of the contemporary development agenda in many developing countries. Many rural development experts believe that recognizing the capabilities and skills of women, especially rural women, and guiding their creative talents can influence using the capacities of this large social stratum. Entrepreneurship is a process that takes place in a network of social relations, and these social relations can limit or facilitate the entrepreneur's relationship with resources and opportunities. Therefore, social capital as a social phenomenon causes creativity, ideation, facilitation of innovative behaviors, and risk-taking. Entrepreneurs need a strong consulting and support system at every stage of their entrepreneurial activities. These networks play an effective role, especially in the first stages of activity, to obtain information and advice. Based on this point of view, the presence or absence of support networks is very influential in the development of women's entrepreneurship. Thus, this study mainly aimed to identify and analyze the individual and structural factors (especially social capital) influencing the entrepreneurial activity of rural women in Fars province to improve their status.
Methods: This study was carried out using a survey technique, and a questionnaire was used for data collection. Based on the random sampling method, a random sample of 380 women was selected from the members of agricultural development specialized holding companies of Marvdasht, Shiraz, and Estahban in Fars province. A pilot study was conducted among 30 women members of the fund with similar conditions in Kavar County, and alpha coefficients were obtained between 0.77 and 0.95. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Results: A significant difference was found between the development of entrepreneurial activity of the members in the three Shiraz, Marvdasht, and Estahban cities, with a higher average level of entrepreneurial development among the women of Marvdasht. The higher components of entrepreneurial activity (innovation, environmental protection, customer satisfaction, fund members' satisfaction, flexibility, regional prosperity, job creation, profitability, business sustainability, competitiveness, and taking advantage of opportunities and idea commercialization) among women entrepreneurs of Marvdasht led to better development of their entrepreneurial activities. In the second place, women entrepreneurs of Shiraz City had a higher average score than Estahban City regarding the entrepreneurial activity development variable. On the other hand, the average social cohesion of women in Morvdasht city was significantly different from Shiraz and Estahban cities, and this rate was higher in Marvdasht City than in the other two cities. Also, there was a significant difference between the women studied in Shiraz and Estahban cities, with the latter women having a higher average than the former in social cohesion. The result of the regression test showed that social capital, success-seeking ability, decision-making ability, independence-seeking level, consulting policies, business atmosphere, skill in formulating a business plan, and support policies were the variables that explained the utmost amount (56%) of entrepreneurial activity changes.
Conclusion: Considering the set of factors influencing the development of rural women's entrepreneurial activities, especially the role of social capital, the network of relationships, and activities in various social networks, it is suggested to improve the like-mindedness and synergy of the women entrepreneurs' activities through periodic and continuous meetings with other companies. Moreover, coherent and purposeful educational classes should be held for rural women members of the funds to strengthen their activities in social networks and help them acquire various entrepreneurial skills.
Afsaneh Banazadeh, Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam, Mahsa Fatemi,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (8-2024)
Volume 11, Issue 2 (8-2024)
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background: Extensive studies show that the lack of a suitable job market for university graduates is one of the most important challenges in higher education, which causes students to lack motivation for higher education. Today, new and important tasks have been defined for universities, especially agricultural faculties. One of the important duties of professors at universities is to provide a supportive environment for students to learn and progress. Underlying this task is the development of entrepreneurial characteristics in students during the study programs, which ensures that graduates are ready to work. The development of entrepreneurship at universities requires a network of different factors and components in the form of an entrepreneurial ecosystem. In fact, universities as one of the entrepreneurial ecosystems that play an important role in the growth and development of entrepreneurial activities. On the other hand, the resilience of entrepreneurial education is very important for the role and performance of universities in line with the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In other words, identifying the indicators of the university entrepreneurship ecosystem plays a very important role in identifying entrepreneurial opportunities and improving the entrepreneurial resilience of universities. Considering the role of agricultural colleges in developing the concepts of entrepreneurship and technology needed in the field of agriculture, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and improving entrepreneurial resilience together can improve the performance of agricultural colleges. Therefore, it is highly important to study this field. Thus, the current study aims to identify factors affecting the resilience of entrepreneurship education at agricultural faculties from the perspective of graduate students at the School of Agriculture, Shiraz University.
Methods: This quantitative descriptive research was accomplished using the survey technique. The statistical population of the study was all graduate students (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) studying at the School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, in the academic year 2023-2024. The sample was estimated to be 186 graduate students who were from two master's degree and Ph.D. classes, according to stratified random sampling. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of expert professors in the field of entrepreneurship at the School of Agriculture, Shiraz University. To confirm the reliability, a pilot study was conducted among 30 students of agricultural fields at Islamic Azad University (Shiraz Branch), followed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficients (between 0.77 and 0.95) for the questionnaire variables, being considered an acceptable amount. The path analysis method and AMOS software were used to analyze the data and implement the causal model. The causal model of the research obtained an optimal level in terms of model fit indices, so that the Chi-square ratio to the degree of freedom, the comparative fit index, the normative fit index, and the root mean square error index were equal to 1.25, 0.960, 0.966, and 0.024, respectively.
Results: According to the findings of the causal model and based on the graduate students’ attitudes, the entrepreneurship ecosystem had a direct, positive, and significant effect on systematic networking. As a result, the activity and development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem had an effect on the internal and external systematic networking of agricultural schools and expanded communication and interaction between people. Meanwhile, an interesting point was the indirect effect of the entrepreneurial ecosystem variable on external networking through the internal networking variable. On the other hand, the entrepreneurship ecosystem also had a direct, positive, and significant effect on intra-organizational knowledge integration and extra-organizational knowledge integration. Similar to the findings of systemic networking, the entrepreneurial ecosystem variable had an indirect effect on the extra-organizational knowledge integration variable through the intra-organizational knowledge integration variable. Next, the entrepreneurial ecosystem variable had a direct, positive, and significant effect on entrepreneurship development. The effect of extra-organizational knowledge integration was not significant on entrepreneurship development. This finding showed that the existing activities, such as the application of research results of agricultural faculties by the Agricultural Jihad Organization, information sharing between professors and managers of different faculties, facilitating conditions for participation in entrepreneurship workshops outside the university, and providing internship conditions and sabbatical opportunity learning were not in line with the entrepreneurial activities of students. Based on the causal model results, it should generally be acknowledged that the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the entrepreneurial activities development had a direct, positive, and significant effect on the resilience of entrepreneurship education at agricultural colleges. Moreover, internal and external systematic networking and intra-organizational integration had a direct, positive, and significant effect on the resilience of agricultural colleges.
Conclusion: The unemployment of agricultural graduates has been one of the most important challenges of the country's higher education system in recent years and has adversely affected students' motivation to study and learn. The effect of the entrepreneurship ecosystem on the resilience of agricultural colleges shows that activities such as government policy and strategy, cooperation of various private and public institutions and universities, applied courses related to entrepreneurship, and the role of professors in informing and connecting the students with entrepreneurial activities would be effective for developing the resilience of agricultural colleges. The relationship between the entrepreneurship activities development and the resilience of agricultural colleges also showed that the increase in activities, such as familiarizing the students with the innovation and entrepreneurship center through university managers and professors, supporting the entrepreneurial activities of students through university authorities, preparing for the labor market through participation in entrepreneurship classes, and identifying entrepreneurial opportunities, would be very important in the resilience of agricultural colleges. Creating conditions for the communication and interaction of students with different departments and facilitating the communication of the School of Agriculture with accelerators, entrepreneurship centers, and hubs inside the college and university, and the interaction and cooperation of the School of Agriculture with Science and Technology Parks are among the other suggestions of this study to improve the resilience of educational activities. It is also recommended to move the university toward the creation of interdisciplinary knowledge, and the atmosphere of knowledge sharing is strengthened by holding scientific meetings between students and professors of different disciplines through the formation of informal groups between professors and students.
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