snour ahmadi

Nowadays, the sustainability evaluation concept of agricultural entrepreneurship has become as one of the most prominent subjects among the researchers and policymakers. Despite the existence of numerous frameworks for assessment, there is no common agreement on selecting sufficient indicators for assessing the sustainability of agricultural enterprises. This goal was pursued with an emphasis on applicability by adopting a descriptive-analytical approach based on a survey with the Delphi technique. For this purpose, first, a conceptual framework for the identification of components, criteria, and indicators of sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship was determined, and then the set of indices that could signify the status of sustainability in agrarian entrepreneurship activities in rural areas of Kurdistan province in Iran were extracted with the help of a panel of experts consisting of 30 entrepreneurs, university instructors, and experts on agriculture in Kurdistan. The data collected from the panel was analyzed by multi-criteria decision-making method, namely Fuzzy Topsis. The results suggested a framework of indicators for the assessment of the sustainability of agricultural enterprises in the study area. The ultimate objective of this study was to discuss and test a suggested framework to improve for broader use in similar regions.

Regarding the importance of entrepreneurship especially among rural women and its effects on the economic and social development of today’s societies, explaining the status of entrepreneurial motivation indices (progress) among rural women, as well as identifying factors that can be effective in strengthening these indices, is of great importance. Moreover, investigating this subject in villages of Kurdistan province as one of the less developed regions of Iran considering the economic and employment problems can be regarded as the first stages of study about entrepreneurship; because understanding the status of progress motivation and its affecting factors among rural women entrepreneurs in the area under study can help rural development in different dimensions. Therefore, considering the above cases and in line with entrepreneurship development among rural women of Kurdistan Province, the aim of this study is the analysis of affecting factors on entrepreneurial motivation (progress) among rural women of Kurdistan province; in this regard the present study faces with the following fundamental questions: 1- What factors affect entrepreneurial motivation (progress) among women living in rural areas of Kurdistan province?2- How effective are each of the determining factors of the entrepreneurial motivation index (progress) among women living in rural areas of Kurdistan province?   

  In this study, for collecting literature of the subject and review of literature, library studies, articles and the studies related to the subject of the study were used and for the other part of the required information, questionnaire and field study has been used. Validity of the research instrument were evaluated and confirmed as convergent by consulting experts and university professors (face validity). For measuring the reliability, combined reliability coefficients (more than 7/0) and Cronbachchr('39')s alpha (more than 7/0) were used, and if these coefficients are appropriate, then the research tool is reliable. The statistical population of this study were all women entrepreneurs living in rural areas of Kurdistan province (Sanandaj, Marivan, Saqez and Baneh). The studied sample were determined considering the existing limitations and using Bartlett et al. (2001) table; 100 women (women entrepreneurs) by using a random stratified sampling method and appropriate assignment among the considered women entrepreneurs were selected and the necessary information was collected.     Method The present research is considered as an applied research in terms of its purpose. On the other hand, according to the data collection method, this research is classified as descriptive (non-experimental) research among the various methods of descriptive research, the method of this research is a type of correlation research that is specifically based on the structural equation model.  In this study, both descriptive statistics (frequency, frequency percentage, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, regression, and structural equation model) were used to analyze the data. In this regard, in order to increase the accuracy of data analysis, related softwares such as SPSS and Smart PLS have been used.  

The aim of this study was to design the model of Sustainable Agricultural Entrepreneurship Development among rural women in Kurdistan. The statistical population of this study was all women entrepreneurs living in rural areas of Kurdistan province (Sanandaj, Marivan, Saghez and Baneh Township). These people have been active in the field of agriculture since 2011 to the end of 2017. 100 women (female entrepreneur) selected and collected using appropriate stratified random sampling method from among the women. The required information was obtained using Research tool. The tool used in this research is a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity has been formally (formal) and structural and its reliability has been confirmed using combination reliability. Data analysis was performed through correlation analysis and structural equation modeling using SPSS and Smart PLS software. The model evaluated in the study had acceptable fitness indices. Results showed that the results of modeling of structural equations, social components (γ = 0.438, t = 5.66), marketing (γ = 0.36, t = 3.41), policy making (γ = 0.336, t=4.88), individual - psychological (γ = 0.284, t = 3.7) and technical (γ = 0.231, t = 2.62) explained that about 62 percent of the variability of agricultural entrepreneurship capabilities and this variable (γ = 0.5555, t = 8.68) is a total of 40.2% of the variations in the Sustainable Agricultural Entrepreneurship Development in rural women studied.