فهرست مطالب مرجان گلکارفرد

Small-sized businesses and rural entrepreneurship play a major role in improving the life situation of villagers especially the rural women. Today, women`s participation is regarded as a fundamental tool for development, which the formation of small-sized businesses and entrance into entrepreneurship or self-employment are considered as one of its main fields in rural community. The main aim of the study was to analyze factors affecting the development of rural women`s entrepreneurial activities who are the members of Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies in Fars Province. The statistical population was 3033 individuals as all of the companies` members of the three main pioneer companies in Shiraz, Marvdasht and Estahban counties. A sample of 393 rural women was selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling using Krejcie and Morgan table. The required data was collected by survey technique using questionnaire. The face validity and reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of specialist at Shiraz Unicersity as well as a pilot study among 30 rural women out of the main sample in Siakh-Darenjan. The range of Cronbach`s alpha was between 0.68 and 0.98. Data analysis was done through SPSS19. The findings of research showed that variables such as directors' managerial power, entrepreneurial training, entrepreneurial motivation, promoting policies, marketing activities, creativity, skills in compiling a business plan and the effectiveness of information have been able of predicting 54% of developmental changes in entrepreneurial activities. The variable of directors' managerial power depicted the highest power of predicting the variable of developing entrepreneurial activities.

Women play a crucial role in agricultural and rural development especially in developing countries due to the economic development level. 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 is aimed to analyze the individual and supportive variables of entrepreneurial activities among rural women in Fars province. All of the members Fars Province Agricultural Development Specialized Holding Companies (3033 individuales) which are activated in three companies in Marvdasht, Shiraz and Estahban counties were the research population. The sample was consist of 393 rural women according to the Krejcie and Morgan table. Results indicated that the improvement of entrepreneurial spirit and motivation of rural women as well as providing other necessary factors including suitable business environment with facilitating policies of the compony in order to development of rural women entrepreneurial activities. “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 od three counties in order to communicate and negotiate continouosly for transferring their valueable experiences.

In the conceptual frame of rural  and agricultural development, the emphasis on improving the quality and empowerment of rural women and advancement of their working conditions in rural communities is what needs to be carefully stressed. Entrepreneurship development and empowerment are in complementary touch with each other and lead to strengthening women in various entrepreneurial activities including social, economic and cultural fields. This research is set out to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurship, empowerment capacities and analyze the structures affecting the various aspects of rural women's empowerment in Fars province. Implementing a survey method and questionnaires, the present research is conducted among rural women entrepreneurs membered in Agricultural Activities Backing Company  in Fars. Totally, a sample of 393 participants was selected through stratified random sampling. According to the findings of regression analysis, the variables of entrepreneurship motivation, entrepreneurship development, participation in training courses, entrepreneurship knowledge, the rate of applying information resources, environmental factors (business environment), supportive policies, and skills in compiling a business plan were able of predicting 56% of women's empowerment changes. The variables of entrepreneurship motivation in entrepreneurial activities, supportive policies and the skills of compiling a business plan depicted the maximum and minimum rate of predicting women's empowerment changes, respectively. The availability of  raw and in process materials, ratification of the appropriate laws in line with improving women's business, women's participation in training courses held by the company, improving the conditions for selling products, increasing more positive interest and motivation among the company members and paying attention to the  professional needs of membered women are among the focal suggestions of the present research.