راهبردهای کارآفرینی در کشاورزی

Extended Abstract Background: In recent decades, the expansion of information and communication technologies has brought about a fundamental transformation in lifestyles and economic relations worldwide, leading to the emergence of new forms of business, particularly electronic commerce. In developing countries, including Iran, agricultural development faces challenges such as low productivity and limited adoption of advanced technologies. The application of digital innovations, especially internet-based tools, is now considered a strategic necessity for improving efficiency and competitiveness in the agricultural sector. Given the economic and social significance of agriculture in Iran, embracing innovations, e.g., e-commerce, is essential. This study aims to compare the tendency to launch electronic businesses among members of agricultural and non-agricultural knowledge-based companies in the Science and Technology Park of Sistan and Baluchistan Province. Methods: This descriptive and quantitative research was done using a survey. The sample consisted of 162 individuals, including 80 and 82 members of agricultural and non-agricultural knowledge-based companies, respectively, in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, which were selected using the stratified random sampling method. Due to the limited number of knowledge-based companies in the agricultural sector in this province (100 active members in agriculture), 80 members from agricultural companies were initially selected using stratified sampling and the Krejcie and Morgan table. Then, a nearly equal number—82 individuals—was randomly selected from the other group targeted in the study. The total sample size was thus estimated at 162 participants. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, the face validity of which was confirmed by the professors of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education at Shiraz University. To assess the reliability of the study, a pilot study was conducted in a sample of 30 individuals from the members of knowledge-based companies in the Science and Technology Park of Fars Province. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the research variables ranged from 0.70 to 0.96, which are statistically acceptable values calculated using SPSS 26 software. The research data were also analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software through descriptive statistics and path analysis (structural equation modelling (SEM)). Results: Based on the results of path analysis in the group of agricultural companies, digital marketing (0.098) as the independent variable and perceived usefulness (0.057), subjective norms (0.054), and attitude toward e-commerce (0.101) as mediating variables were effective on the respondents’ intention to start e-commerce. Digital marketing (0.151) indirectly affected the intention to start an electronic business in agricultural companies. According to the results of path analysis in the group of non-agricultural companies, computer and internet literacy (0.070), government and legal support (0.064), and digital marketing (0.081) as independent variables, and perceived usefulness (0.093) and attitude toward e-commerce (0.115) as mediating variables were effective on individuales’ intention to start e-commerce. Moreover, computer and internet literacy (0.221), government and legal support (0.115), and digital marketing were the variables with indirect effect on the intention to start e-commerce among non-agricultural companies through mediating variables. Conclusion: According to causal models related to agricultural and non-agricultural knowledge-based companies, perceived usefulness, attitude toward e-commerce, and digital marketing were the variables with direct effects on both groups. Computer and internet literacy and government and legal support in non-agricultural companies, and subjective norms in agricultural companies were the variables that directly affect the intention to start an electronic business. Increasing people's awareness and literacy about computers and the Internet and providing a platform for digital markets increase the understanding of the ease of electronic businesses and improve the intention to start these kinds of businesses. The governmental and legal support variable increases the intention to start e-commerce through influencing individual's attitudes. Increasing legal and government support for e-businesses positively influenced people's attitude toward these types of businesses and further increased the intention to start them. In general, computer and internet literacy, digital marketing, and government and legal support were identified as having the most effects and among the most frequent paths in the causal model, which both directly and indirectly affected the intention to start e-commerce in non-agricultural companies. On the contrary, the causal model of agricultural companies was a simpler model than the non-agricultural causal model in terms of influencing paths on the intention to start an electronic business. The effect of digital marketing in both agricultural and non-agricultural models indicated the importance of these markets in today's world for business owners. More attention and providing suitable conditions for the use of these markets will increase the number of businesses to start e-commerce. Among the most important recommendations of this study to enhance the intention to adopt e-commerce in agricultural companies are organizing training workshops to raise awareness about the benefits of e-commerce, leveraging local digital market capacities in the fields of crop, horticultural, and livestock products, and promoting social norms that support technology acceptance. In contrast, for non-agricultural companies, the focus should be on providing specialized training in computer and internet skills, developing standard digital infrastructures—such as online sales platforms, product marketing applications, secure payment gateways, order tracking systems, and customer interaction platforms—and expanding legal and financial support for online businesses, all of which can play a crucial role in increasing the intention to launch e-commerce ventures.

Extended Abstract Background: Sustainable agricultural development and sustainable food security require the protection of basic resources, including soil, water, etc. The cultivation pattern of agricultural products plays an important role in protecting the quality of these resources. In addition to climate change, the inappropriate cultivation pattern has caused the destruction of water and soil resources in Iran and has subsequently led to a high risk to farmers’ agricultural income in recent decades. According to the emphasis of the National Policy Statement, the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad is trying to facilitate the achievement of self-sufficiency and sustainable food security through optimal management of basic resources by developing and extending the pattern of cultivation appropriate to different regions of the country based on land use planning. The current study aimed to investigate the willingness of farmers in Sari County to implement the proposed cultivation pattern of Mazandaran Province. In this regard, while explaining the willingness of farmers to implement the proposed cultivation model of the province, the affecting factors were also identified through a causal analysis. Methods: This practical study with a quantitative research type was conducted using the survey technique and a questionnaire tool. The statistical population of the study was 44173 farmers of Sari County in Mazandaran Province. The number of samples (338 people) was calculated using the Krejcie and Morgan sample size table, and the stratified random sampling method was used for sampling. The face validity of the questionnaire was emphasized by the professors at Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and its reliability was confirmed by a pilot study and Cronbach's alpha test. Results: The farmers were inclined to implement the proposed cultivation pattern on their farms. Farmers had more tendency to cultivate drought-tolerant, high-yielding, and early varieties of various crops (such as rice and wheat), use pressurized irrigation methods (rainy, drip, and strip), use modified seeds with low water consumption, and cultivate oil seeds (such as rapeseed, soy, sunflower, and safflower). The least amount of the farmers’ desire was to cultivate rice using the dry farming method, low-water fodder plants (such as triticale and sorghum), and legumes in dry lands. Farmers had a favorable attitude toward the proposed cultivation pattern, and while it was emphasized to be appropriate to the climatic conditions and their indigenous knowledge, they believed that this cultivation pattern could protect water and soil resources and ensure their sustainable production and income. The results of the causal analysis indicated that environmental support, attitude, technical knowledge, the amount of communication with the agricultural experts, and favorable social norms could predict 38% of the changes in the farmers’ willingness to implement the proposed cultivation pattern. Social norms, self-efficacy, and environmental support were also effective on farmers' attitudes toward the proposed cultivation pattern. Self-efficacy was also affected by farmers' technical knowledge on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was effective on farmers' attitudes toward changing the cultivation pattern. This means that the improvement of technical knowledge helped increase the feeling of empowerment in the implementation of the proposed cultivation model and led to a favorable attitude toward it. Conclusion: The program to change the cultivation pattern can be successful when it is suitable to field conditions and the farmers' wishes. The evaluation of this program from the viewpoint of its main audiences, farmers and villagers, can provide appropriate feedback for the correction and improvement of the program. Since changing the cultivation pattern is not only technical but also has socioeconomic dimensions, it is time-consuming and requires environmental support. Based on the results, credit, financial, and structural support to farmers, utilizing the capacity of leading farmers and rural reference persons to encourage others, upgrading their technical knowledge through training-extension programs, and expanding farmers' communication with agricultural experts at the farm level can encourage farmers to implement the proposed cultivation pattern. In fact, government support by granting long-term low-interest bank loans, while compensating for the temporary decrease in the income of not cultivating hydrophilic crops, helps farmers to implement more water and soil protection measures, such as pressurized irrigation at their farms. Accompanying the elites and village leaders with the proposed cultivation pattern will be effective in its extension and social acceptability. The experimental implementation of the proposed cultivation plan at the level of the farms of the leading farmers, the selection and extension of innovative and productive farms, and the introduction of model and sample sites will help expand the cultivation plan at the regional level. Therefore, the implementation of programs for the transfer of research findings and farm days with a focus on changing the cultivation pattern and introducing alternative crops should also be on the agenda.

Extended Abstract Background: The development of rural entrepreneurship is a multidimensional phenomenon, influenced by various fields, factors, and skills. The establishment of rural growth centers, specialized training of entrepreneurs, the use of information and experiences of successful entrepreneurs and access to the media, attention to the specific characteristics of the environmental context, the existence of legal structures, economic conditions, level of knowledge, social and environmental conditions, innovation and pragmatism, access to water, soil texture type and water quality, and institutional factors (such as the property rights system, transparency and accountability), the reward system, etc., are some of the factors and indicators affecting the development of rural entrepreneurship in Iran. With the increase in the number of studies in the field of rural entrepreneurship, which is a necessary condition for the systematic production of knowledge, there is a need for reliable methods to integrate the findings of these studies more than ever. To understand this necessity, therefore, the present study sought to conduct a meta-analysis of the factors affecting the development of rural entrepreneurship in Iran to draw conclusions about the importance of the issue of rural entrepreneurship development and its antecedents by integrating and integrating separate research projects in a coherent manner. Methods: This research was conducted using quantitative meta-analysis, a type of basic-applied research. In this method, statistical methods are used to summarize and provide a quantitative description of the findings of cumulative research. The statistical population in this study included retrospective research with rural entrepreneurship in the period from 2001 to 2024 as the dependent variable. Based on input criteria (statistical, quantitative studies, complete presentation of results and findings, retrospective research with the dependent variable of rural entrepreneurship and its forms) and output criteria (qualitative studies, meta-analytical research, barrier assessments, non-quantitative modeling, library studies, needs assessment, factor analysis and scale validation, ranking research, fuzzy and pure mathematical studies, and situational assessments of rural entrepreneurship), and also document evaluation based on validation criteria (document quality from the perspective of observing the principles of compiling valid research documents in the field of problem analysis, observing theoretical and methodological rules, and using appropriate statistics for description and analysis, as well as presenting results). Finally, 50 research documents were extracted in the form of 294 hypotheses. The extracted statistics were converted to r (correlation coefficient) using the Hunter and Schmidt approach. For the inferential analysis of the data, the publication bias hypothesis was assessed using a funnel plot and the Begg and Mezumdar rank correlation. A moderation analysis was performed to examine the factors that provided the significance of the effect to interpret the evidence and present the results, and to analyze the effect size and interpret the heterogeneity of the studies. Results: The significance of the homogeneity coefficient Q revealed the existence of heterogeneity among the effect sizes of studies on rural entrepreneurship development in Iran, and, therefore, a random model was used to combine the effect sizes. The results of the Bagg and Mezomdar rank correlation analysis regarding the evaluation of publication bias in the reviewed studies indicated the confirmation of the no publication bias assumption. The results of the error-free N coefficient analysis indicated that 1570 more studies should be conducted in the field of rural entrepreneurship development so that the final results of the research could be changed by possible errors. Based on the results of this study, it was determined that the average combined effect size of the factors affecting rural entrepreneurship development was 0.475, which indicates that the factors and indicators examined in studies on rural entrepreneurship development explain 0.47% of the changes in rural entrepreneurship development in Iran. This can help rural policymakers to focus on the important factors surveyed, provide the conditions for rural entrepreneurship development, and remove its obstacles. The results of the moderation analysis showed that men, educated individuals with an average age of 45 years, residents of the western regions of the country, and individuals, who were personally engaged in entrepreneurial activities (non-group), had a greater effect size on the development of rural entrepreneurship. A large part of the programs, strategies, and policies in the field of rural entrepreneurship are written as people-centered, and the necessary support for the development of women's entrepreneurship has not been provided in regulatory policies due to the existence of obstacles and limitations. Education and training increase the ability and mind of individuals to receive, process, and synthesize information, and increasing education and knowledge causes individuals to transform their ideas into new risky businesses with higher self-confidence in their capabilities. In relation to the index of the type of effective factors, institutional-organizational factors (0.638), economic and financial factors (0.571), individual factors (0.560), and environmental factors (0.542) played the greatest role in the development of rural entrepreneurship in Iran. Institutional and organizational factors affecting the development of rural entrepreneurship include activity and communication with special organizations for entrepreneurial activities, access to centers for receiving consulting services, provision of facilities, inputs, and raw materials required for entrepreneurial activity by government institutions, development of rural growth centers, support for entrepreneurial research, and formulation and amendment of required laws based on privatization and devolution policies. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, our suggestions include the psychological and motivational empowerment of villagers, relying on psychological preparation and motivation of villagers to start new businesses, changing and softening gender attitudes in rural communities toward women's entrepreneurship, increasing interventions by government and private institutions, and formulating intervention strategies to promote and develop rural businesses in the form of cooperatives and partnership communities, expanding new forms of entrepreneurship and self-employment in deprived areas of the country, including the eastern half, considering the environmental conditions and local requirements of the regions, and implementing a job diversification program, creating and strengthening entrepreneurial organizations and networks in rural areas of a province to facilitate relationships and meet awareness needs.

Extended Abstract Background: Knowing the behavior of investors in the stages of creating economic units is one of the first steps to solving the problems they face. Usually, investors have plans and programs for building economic units, based on which they provide the resources needed to build their units. The market situation is one of the conditions that investors pay attention to in unit construction plans. Choosing the right size of the unit, the number of products produced, and the right strategy for selling the product will greatly help in advancing the goals of the economic unit. In this regard, choosing the correct type and number of products produced by an economic unit will help considerably in attracting the target market. Product diversification strategy is one of the ways for economic units to achieve goals such as introducing the product to different markets, reducing risk, increasing market power, and reducing the probability of bankruptcy. However, the adoption of this strategy in the construction stage requires different production lines and more cost. The effects of this strategy are shown in the cost of creating the unit and the speed of completing the unit. Therefore, this study attempts to determine the effect of this type of strategy on the establishment of food and beverage industries in Mazandaran Province. The reason for choosing food industries in this study was the importance of these units in Iran's industry and their relationship with food security. Moreover, the cheapness of the raw materials of agricultural products and foreign exchange, and the lower capital required compared to other industrial units have made the food and beverage industry one of the priorities for reducing unemployment in every country. Method: In this study, based on the level of physical progress, food and beverage industries in Mazandaran province were divided into four groups: primary, semi-developed, exploitable, and exploited. The role of influencing factors (type of activity, type of ownership, size of activity, location of activity, strategy of product diversification, and time) in the construction process of these industries was investigated using the ordered logit model and the required information was obtained from the website of the province's industry, the mining and trade organization. Mazandaran was collected in 2022. Results: The initial examination of the estimated model shows that all three model thresholds are significantly different from each other, and the hypothesis of their equality is rejected at the 99% level. The prediction rate of the model is 60.11%, which is at a desirable level. The results of the link test (which indicates the effect of missing variables) are not significant; thus, the specified model is not problematic in terms of the selected and missing variables. The results of the ordinal logit model showed that among the variables affecting the construction process of food and beverage industries, the type of ownership had the greatest effect on the construction process. The time, variety of products, area of the unit, and place of establishment are the variables with a significant effect on the construction process. The proposed capacity, private ownership, cooperative ownership, and product diversification strategy are the variables that negatively affect the progress of construction. On the other hand, the industrial towns, Bread Biscuits Sweets activity, and the years 2007 and 2008 are the variables with a positive effect on the construction process. Furthermore, the choice of product diversification strategy by the applicants will reduce the chances of exploiting the food industry, so that the units with product variety have 6% lower chance of exploitation than the other units. The variable coefficient of the type of ownership shows that the probability of the cooperative units being placed in the preparatory group of construction is 38% higher than that of joint-stock units. In the later stages of construction, these units have less chance than joint-stock units. On the other hand, food industries with share ownership have 32.7% more chance of exploitation than private food industries. The availability of the necessary infrastructure to start activities in industrial towns increases the possibility of exploiting the food industries of Mazandaran Province, so that the chances of units whose location is in industrial towns are 13% higher than the other units. Choosing the activity of Bread, Biscuit, and Sweet products will increase the chances of using the food industry, so that the probability of completing these units is 11% higher than the other activities. A reason for this result can be the high consumption of bakery products (such as fancy bread, biscuits, and sweets) by people. Conclusion: The results of this study show that, despite the benefits of the product diversification strategy in market development, this strategy increases construction costs and prolongs the construction process of the food and beverage industries. Moreover, the type of ownership and the type of activity are among the factors with a great effect on the construction process of food industries in Mazandaran Province. Based on the results of this research, the following are some of our suggestions: the priority of supporting the existing semi-finished units, granting new construction permits to joint-stock, private, and cooperative ownership, respectively, and providing cheap facilities for the construction of food and beverage industries. Additionally, despite the effect of the product diversity strategy in introducing the product on a wide level, this strategy increases the construction costs and prolongs the construction process of the food and beverage industries. Therefore, it is recommended that new units start working by offering products with less variety and start diversifying the product as the experience of the unit increases.

Extended Abstract Background: Today, one of the most important challenges in Iran is the unemployment crisis of university graduates, especially agricultural graduates. At the same time, the capacities of agricultural development and employment in it are significant and abundant. Therefore, taking into account the capacity of the agricultural sector in this country, the unemployment problem of agricultural graduates can be solved by promoting entrepreneurship. On the other hand, the development of entrepreneurship is faced with various and different challenges and obstacles, which are necessary to be identified and overcome. In this regard, it will be very important to identify and explain the obstacles to agricultural entrepreneurship. Therefore, the current research was conducted to investigate the views of agricultural graduates regarding the obstacles to the development of agricultural entrepreneurship in the Kohgiluyeh region. Methods: The statistical population of the present study was agricultural graduates living in the Kohgiluyeh region (Choram and Dehdasht counties) in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, who were members of the Agricultural Engineering and Natural Resources Organization of the province (N = 300). Among them, 140 people were determined as the sample size and selected by the simple random sampling method. The data collection tool was a questionnaire containing 47 items based on the literature review and a pilot study in the region in the form of seven dimensions, including market-economic, skill-individual, administrative-legal, inability to recognize opportunities, support barriers, management, and contextual and in the form of a five-point Likert scale from one (completely disagree) to five (completely agree). The content validity of the questionnaire was examined and revised using the opinions of subject experts at Yasouj University, the vice president of human resources development of the Jihad-e-Agricultural Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, and top entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The reliability of the research instrument was assessed through a pilot study conducted in Basht County (outside the research community), where Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated for various challenges, resulting in values between 0.705 and 0.854. The data were collected, coded in SPSS23 software, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Results: The obstacles and challenges of agricultural entrepreneurship in the Kohgiluyeh region can be divided into seven categories, which are economic and financial challenges, support obstacles, managerial obstacles, lack of opportunity recognition, contextual, individual-skill, and administrative-legal ranked first to seventh, respectively. In addition, a higher than standard average was obtained for economic and financial, personal-skill, administrative-legal, support barriers, failure to recognize opportunities, managerial, and contextual barriers, which shows the high agreement of the studied graduates despite the mentioned obstacles. Based on the results of the Mann-Whitney test, no significant difference was observed between women and men in the view of obstacles to entrepreneurship. However, the research results show a significant difference between the education levels of agricultural graduates and individual-skill barriers. In addition, no significant difference was observed between economic and financial barriers, support, managerial, contextual, administrative-legal barriers, lack of recognition of opportunities, and the education levels of agricultural graduates. Conclusion: Food security in the country under the conditions of drought, water scarcity, and cruel sanctions necessitates the development of entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. Notably, the primary responsibility for fostering entrepreneurship in this sector lies with its graduates; however, there are numerous obstacles and challenges to be addressed along this path. Investigating the barriers to entrepreneurship among agricultural graduates in the Kohgiluyeh region reveals a range of challenges in this area. The most significant barriers to entrepreneurship for agricultural graduates, among the seven obstacles examined, are economic and financial barriers, followed by supportive barriers; in contrast, administrative-legal barriers rank last. Among the financial-economic components, the high costs of acquiring equipment and essential supplies for agricultural businesses and the low profit margins associated with such activities are considered prominent financial-economic obstacles. Additionally, the lack of interested and specialized individuals to start businesses and insufficient skills and experience for launching innovative enterprises are recognized as the main skill-related challenges. Furthermore, the existence of an import mafia, along with unfair competition and complex, cumbersome regulations within the realm of administrative-legal barriers, is significant. Moreover, the inadequate provision of services by relevant organizations and the absence of necessary training in this regard are deemed to be among the major supportive barriers. Weak management and the failure to adopt strategic decisions for developing the agricultural sector have also been identified as important factors in managerial barriers to entrepreneurship. The likelihood of idea theft and fear of failure in starting and developing businesses among graduates further hampers their engagement in entrepreneurial activities. Based on the research findings, it appears that addressing the barriers to agricultural entrepreneurship in the Kohgiluyeh region could have a positive impact on alleviating the unemployment issue faced by agricultural graduates. Given that these obstacles significantly affect the entrepreneurship of graduates, it is essential to devise educational and supportive programs aimed at enhancing individual and managerial skills, alongside creating suitable economic and legal frameworks within the agricultural sector. Ultimately, recognizing the substantial potential of the agricultural sector in Iran and the need to promote entrepreneurship in this area can play a crucial role in the employment of university graduates, particularly in agricultural engineering fields. The proposed measures could support young entrepreneurs in establishing startups and creating sustainable employment opportunities.

Extended Abstract Background: The sericulture industry, as one of the most important sectors of Iran’s agricultural domain, has historically played a vital role in the rural economy and the sustainable employment of local communities. This centuries-old industry in Iran has not only contributed to supplying raw materials for the textile sector and silk production but has also served as a significant source of direct and indirect employment in rural areas. In recent decades, however, the industry has faced numerous challenges, including stagnation, declining production, the migration of local labor to urban areas, the conversion of agricultural lands to other uses, the aging of active farmers, and weaknesses in marketing structures. Furthermore, insufficient government support and deficiencies in macro-level policymaking have prevented industry stakeholders from competing effectively in the market and maintaining sustainable production. Considering the necessity of sustainable rural development and the reduction of income disparities between urban and rural areas, reviving the sericulture industry can be regarded as one of the effective strategies for boosting the local economy. The primary aim of this research is to comprehensively identify, analyze, and categorize the challenges facing Iran’s sericulture industry and, ultimately, provide practical and feasible solutions to improve the industry’s situation. This study seeks to pave the way for the industry’s return to its rightful position by focusing on developing the sericulture value chain from production to processing and final marketing. Methods: This research is classified as applied research in terms of purpose and as analytical-interpretive research in terms of methodology. Theoretical foundations were collected using a library method, including the study of articles, specialized books, statistical reports, and upstream documents related to sericulture and agricultural entrepreneurship. Subsequently, inductive content analysis was used to identify seven main categories of challenges, viz. financial and economic issues, governmental sector problems, infrastructure deficiencies, technical and specialized issues, weaknesses in research and technical knowledge, industrial sector problems, and non-technical issues. Then, supplementary information was collected through in-depth interviews with ten experts selected based on criteria, such as a minimum of five years of experience in sericulture and at least a master’s degree in relevant fields. After gathering the data, the identified challenges were aggregated and classified into five main groups, enabling more precise analysis and the development of targeted solutions. The problems and proposing actionable solutions were prioritized employing two advanced multi-criteria decision-making methods, namely the fuzzy SWARA method for determining the weights of the challenges and the fuzzy bipolar TOPSIS method for ranking the solutions. Questionnaires were designed based on the analytical results and distributed among the experts. The collected data were processed using analytical software, and ultimately, a comprehensive model was presented for identifying and prioritizing the challenges and solutions for the sericulture industry. Results: The study identified and prioritized the main challenges of Iran's sericulture industry into five key areas. According to the fuzzy SWARA analysis, financial and economic issues ranked highest with a weight of 0.2657, followed by marketing and export problems (0.2433), and technical and production issues (0.2152). Sixteen solutions were proposed based on expert interviews, including financial support, infrastructure development, promotion of home-based businesses, the adoption of modern technologies, and the establishment of trade centers and international exhibitions for silk products. Fuzzy TOPSIS-Bipolar was used to evaluate the effectiveness of these solutions, with the top three strategies identified as modernizing production and industrial infrastructure, utilizing new technologies in production processes, and supporting the development of conversion industries to enhance value and market efficiency. Conclusion: The results of this study underline that reviving the sericulture industry requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach capable of addressing various aspects of the existing challenges simultaneously. Given that the most significant challenge is financial and economic, it is recommended that policymakers design comprehensive support packages, including credit facilities, tax exemptions, and easier access to financial resources for stakeholders to encourage increased investment in this sector. In terms of marketing and exports, developing reputable national brands, holding specialized domestic and international exhibitions, establishing local markets, and leveraging digital marketing capabilities can play a decisive role in increasing sales of silk products and re-entering global markets. On the technical and production front, modernizing machinery and equipment, utilizing up-to-date technical knowledge, and adopting modern technologies will not only boost productivity but also reduce production costs and improve product quality. Finally, establishing and strengthening conversion and complementary industries related to sericulture can significantly increase the industry’s added value and ensure income sustainability for stakeholders. Accordingly, formulating supportive policies, developing appropriate infrastructure, enhancing specialized knowledge, and providing marketing platforms constitute the four main pillars for the sustainable development of the sericulture industry. Achieving these objectives requires collaboration among the government, the private sector, and stakeholders; attaining the desired outcomes will not be possible without synergy among these actors. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the revival of the sericulture industry a top priority for rural development in development programs and long-term national strategies, so as to curb excessive migration and secure sustainable employment and income for future generations.

Extended Abstract Background: The inadequacy of the supply of agricultural inputs with the demand for various products of this sector reveals the need for the optimal use of resources and increasing productivity. In this regard, addressing the issue of productivity in rice production is very important due to its essential role in feeding different sections of society, providing food security, reducing dependence on imports and foreign exchange, strengthening trade interactions with other countries, generating income, creating employment, creating balance in the business and capital market, and many other issues. In 2022, Mazandaran Province produced 1.6 million tons of paddy as a strategic product, responsible for 44.47% of Iran's paddy production, and in this sense, it has been ranked first in the country. This province has long been known as the hub of rice production, and this user product, having about 76% of Mazandaran's irrigated crop area, has always made an important contribution to the province's employment. For this purpose, the present study aimed to identify factors affecting the prosperity of the rice production business in Mazandaran Province, focusing on measuring the inefficiency of various production inputs, especially the labor force. Methods: Three institutional, managerial, and policy-market criteria effective in the prosperity of rice production business were extracted in this study. The input criterion includes all production factors affecting the productivity of this product, which includes eight subcriteria as water, labor, land, fertilizer, poison, machinery, capital, and seed. The management criterion is all management actions by relevant organizations and bodies (Jahad Keshavarzi, Regional Water, Room of Commerce), which includes six regulatory, executive, organizational, service, and innovation options. The political-market criterion also covered the macro-government policies that can affect the productivity of rice, and there are six financial, economic, structural, commercial, marketing, and strategic development options. Thus, 19 effective options in the productivity of rice production were considered in this study. In this study, factors affecting the productivity of this product were exracted and prioritized using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, measuring the production efficiency of important cultivars of this product (high-quality rice and high-yielding rice) using the data envelopment analysis method (DEA), and then examining productivity changes over time using the Malmquist Index (MI). The data needed for identifying and prioritizing factors in this research were collected by designing a questionnaire, which was completed based on the opinions of 18 experts, including those from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Mazandaran Province and Sari City, as well as the academic community. The statistics and information of the Agricultural Jahad Organization of the province were used to complete the data in measuring the productivity of production and efficiency of inputs. Results: The results indicate that among the eight production factors, water, mechanization, and land are the most important input factors in rice production with weights of 0.36, 0.2, and 0.14, respectively. Among the five management factors, benefiting from the opinions of agricultural experts, implementing the optimal cultivation pattern of crops according to the climatic conditions and the status of water resources in the province, and using new technologies in agricultural operations with weights of 0.40, 0.25, and 0.14, respectively, were known as three important and superior factors for the management of rice production business. In addition, the financial, economic options, and improvement of the structure of the rice product marketing system were determined with the weights of 0.30, 0.22, and 0.19, respectively, as three policy-market subcriteria affecting the rice productivity of this province. Based on the findings in the agricultural year of 2017-2018 in the east of this province, Qaemshahr City, the land, machinary, poison, and fertilizer inputs were inefficient at 52.68%, 48.26%, 34.37%, and 33.16%, respectively. In 2018, the inefficiency rates in the use of land, labor, and poison inputs were 71.36%, 15.09%, and 4.46%, respectively. In the production of high-yielding rice in the east of the province, there has been inefficiency in the use of land, machinary, seed, water, and fertilizer inputs. Accordingly, Behshahr City acted inefficiently in consuming the mentioned inputs by 68.29, 52.60, 16.65, 12.63, and 7.55%, respectively. In 1998, the cities of Behshahr and Neka acted inefficiently in the consumption of all the investigated inputs, except for machinery. The percentages of inefficiency in the labor input are 16.14 and 42.07%, respectively. In addition, the productivity growth index values of Malmquist in the production of high-quality rice and high-yielding rice are 1.155 and 1.094, respectively. Hence, it can be concluded that the production productivity of this product has increased in this province. Conclusion: The results indicate that the productivity of different rice varieties has increased during the studied period. In the case of high-yielding rice, however, the technical efficiency of producers in newer technology is lower than in older technology. Therefore, it is necessary for trustee organizations and knowledge-based companies to invest in the research, innovation, and promotion of new technology in training to use this technology. In this study, "water" has been determined as the most important input affecting the productivity of this product; therefore, it is recommended to take necessary measures to promote water storage and reduce its consumption. It is also suggested to provide financial support to rice farmers and the development of knowledge-based companies to provide new irrigation systems. Referring to the results of this study, the use of "machinery" is considered the second most effective factor in increasing productivity. In addition to reducing the cost of manpower and saving time, the uniformity and accuracy of the work are increased with mechanized cultivation, and seedlings are exposed to less damage. However, this issue does not mean to ignore the role and importance of the workforce in the production and elimination of job opportunities. Rather, it is recommended to train skilled and specialized human resources to benefit from mechanization for the long-term stability of the rice production business and stable rural employment.

Extended Abstract Background: The entrepreneurial atmosphere in rural communities is undergoing a transition under the influence of global developments. Rural women have been left behind in the train of entrepreneurial development in the wake of the advances in knowledge and technology due to historical backwardness, which is mostly rooted in culture and tradition. On the one hand, rapid changes and the requirements of the modern world, and on the other hand, the slowness of environmental changes and dependence on traditions in complex rural communities have formed the paradox of entrepreneurial development. This problem is much more complicated in its general form and takes on a unique form in the area of rural women's entrepreneurship. Extrinsic conditions for initiating entrepreneurial activities are crucial in the field of women's entrepreneurship, taking into account social and cultural approaches. If it is accepted that personal development results from talent and perseverance, it can be concluded that providing perseverance for talent to manifest requires the provision of environmental conditions, or at least it can be stated that it will reduce the costs of personal development. Due to social issues and weaknesses in the structure, rural women's entrepreneurship in the west of the nation is a little more complicated than in other regions. Accordingly, the present study aims to model the effect of extrinsic components along with components that have an individual and personality origin on the desire for entrepreneurship among rural women. Methods: With a quantitative general approach, the present study was conducted with a descriptive correlation method. The research is applied in terms of its purpose and non-experimental in terms of the method of controlling variables. The study population (3960 people) is rural women of Miandarband village in Kermanshah City. Based on the Krejci and Morgan table, 250 people were selected as the sample size. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Two content and construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis) methods were used to determine validity. The reliability of the research Instrument was examined and confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software, and structural equation modeling, and path analysis in Amos 23 software were used in the inferential statistics section. In this study, internal factors refer to all structures and variables that originate in the mind and possession of the individual. In addition, external factors are related to structures and variables that have their roots in the external environment and the atmosphere of rural women's entrepreneurship. Results: The average age of the studied women was 39 years. More than 80% were married, and about 60% had less than a high school diploma. In addition, employed and unemployed women were 14.4% and 85.6%, respectively. Entrepreneurial experience was recorded in 9.2% of the studied individuals, and 90.8% had no entrepreneurial experience. Moreover, entrepreneurial knowledge and characteristics explained 37% of the variance in the attitude variable and 48% of the variance in the perceived behavioral control variable. In addition, knowledge could explain 21% of the variance of the subjective norm variable, and finally, the research variables (entrepreneurial characteristics, attitude, economic factors, and educational factors) explained 56% of the variance of the entrepreneurial desire variable. According to the results, despite the results of previous research, entrepreneurial knowledge, subjective norm, and self-efficiency as internal variables, and family factors, institutional-organizational factors, and sociocultural factors as external variables did not affect the entrepreneurial desire of the studied women. Conclusion: External structures that have shaped the surrounding environment and the invisible space that governs the minds of rural women can have a dual role in women's entrepreneurship, and their orientation is decisive for rural women's intention toward entrepreneurship. Therefore, to increase the attitude and desire for entrepreneurship among rural women, there is a need to create favorable environmental conditions for entrepreneurship and improve the level of literacy regarding entrepreneurship and understanding of existing sociocultural conditions. Typically, in a suitable entrepreneurial environment, intrapersonal and external factors should have a positive synergistic effect on the creation and discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. The results of this study showed that, given the conditions prevailing among rural women, internal characteristics such as knowledge, for which the tools and conditions for learning are available nowadays, and mental norms and perceived behavioral control, could not affect women's tendency toward entrepreneurship. A positive effect that has been pointed out in almost all studies. The gender bias of development measures, which is usually, institutionalized in the decision-making and action procedures of development projects, and few programs have been developed with a focus on rural women, has affected the mental structures affecting entrepreneurship among women in the region and, ultimately, has not shown its positive effect on women's desire for entrepreneurship. Therefore, to encourage rural women in the region to become entrepreneurship, it is necessary to observe the following: 1. targeting a part of rural development programs and measures (at least proportional to the population of active and educated rural women), 2. changing the attitude of rural women from "job seekers" to “job creators”, 3. training that familiarizes rural women with hardware and software skills, 4. creating economic incentives, such as self-reliance or self-actualization, in rural women through education, and 5. increasing entrepreneurial characteristics, such as risk-taking and innovation, in rural women.

Extended Abstract Background: In recent decades, many organizations have attempted to develop programs and policies for greater participation in environmental protection. Therefore, part of the responsibility and decision-making power has been transferred to local communities. However, there are important challenges, such as power imbalance, lack of sufficient information, and uncertainty in the interaction between government and indigenous approaches to environmental management. These challenges are particularly prominent in the use and transfer of indigenous knowledge to assess and respond to environmental risks. In this regard, sustainable development is fundamentally related to specific and anticipated changes for future improvement. Development must be environmentally sustainable, socially just, economically efficient, and culturally compatible with the local community. Based on the principles of sustainable development, it is essential to pay attention to the indigenous knowledge of local people. This research aims to analyze the attitudes of rangeland users about the role of indigenous knowledge in the process of empowerment and sustainable development. By utilizing the knowledge and experiences of the past, indigenous knowledge can help transfer environmentally friendly information and play an important role in job creation, exploitation, and optimal use of resources in local communities. Methods: This research is applied-inferential in terms of the purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of the method. The statistical population of the research was the users of the pastures upstream of the Alborz Dam, Mazandaran Province. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that was prepared and arranged according to the purpose of the research. The necessary information was collected through library and internet studies and interviews with experts through a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and LISREL 9 software and shown in the form of descriptive and inferential analyses using exploratory factor analysis and path analysis techniques. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the correlation ratio of each indicator to the total and the combined reliability of CR were used to measure the validity or reliability of the research tool. The opinions of expert professors in agricultural extension and education and social sciences were also used to calculate the exploratory factor analysis. The statistical population of the study included 18 customary rangeland areas upstream of the Alborz Dam in Mazandaran Province, which had 389 users based on the audit list of rangeland management plans. Among them, a sample of 194 people was randomly selected and completed the questionnaires. Results: One of the most important problems of sustainable development in rangelands is the weak implementation of rangeland management plans and the lack of motivation in local communities. The lack of use and application of indigenous knowledge, experiences, and professional awareness of users has caused the government, as the owner of national resources, to fail to properly consider the needs and opinions of local communities in the success of rangeland management plans. Indigenous knowledge and awareness of rangeland users are very consistent with the principles of sustainable development; therefore, achieving sustainable development will not be possible without considering indigenous knowledge. The results of a survey of local communities showed that recognizing indigenous knowledge could increase interest in this knowledge among the new generation and strengthen its learning and use among rangeland owners for resource conservation and sustainable development. This research showed that familiarity, trust, and application of indigenous knowledge all have positive and significant effects on the empowerment of local communities. Among these three factors, trust in indigenous knowledge has the highest impact, with an impact coefficient of 0.92, and the application of indigenous knowledge has the lowest impact coefficient. Conclusion: The results of this study show that accurate knowledge of local communities and the integration of indigenous knowledge with modern techniques can reduce conflicts of interest and strengthen sustainable development and empowerment of local communities. In particular, trust in indigenous knowledge plays a key role in the success of development projects. It is suggested to prioritize the use of indigenous knowledge and adopt policies in rangeland management plans, which, in addition to paying attention to traditional knowledge, provide the basis for job creation and sustainable development.

Extended Abstract Background: Climate variability is one of the most significant issues that has emerged in the agricultural sector over recent decades, posing challenges to the production of crops and horticultural products. Today, these changes are becoming a critical concern for farmers and the environment alike. Agriculture is a risk-prone activity, as farmers face various types of risks, including climatic risks, pests, diseases, market risks, and input-related challenges. The intensification of the adverse impacts of climate change is not unrelated to human behavior in rural areas and people's attitudes toward the environment or nature. Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing the production and development of fruit trees. The high sensitivity of fruit trees to climatic conditions, along with the effects of shifting temperature and precipitation patterns on their growth, development, and productivity, underscores the importance of comprehensive research in the field of climate change. In all countries, the agricultural sector and its support have been a focal point, as this sector holds significant strategic importance. This is because it is directly linked to the essential needs of society and the health of the population in every nation. On the other hand, various risks can jeopardize the functioning of this sector, and one of the best ways to manage risk is by providing insurance services to agricultural and rural communities. Insurance companies are also seeking to introduce new tools, such as index-based weather insurance, as innovative entrepreneurial instruments. These tools not only create new job opportunities for the private sector but also enhance the satisfaction of farmers. Given the importance of agricultural insurance in reducing income risks for orchardists and the high dependence of orchard performance on weather conditions in Mazandaran Province, this study investigates the preferences of citrus orchardists in Tonekabon County for safeguarding against climatic risks in the year 2024. Methods: The present study is applied research in terms of its objectiveand it is a survey and field-based study in terms of its methodology. The current study was conducted using the Heckman method within a two-stage conceptual framework. The participation or non-participation of orchardists in the index-based weather insurance program was examined in the first stage, and the factors influencing the orchardists' willingness to pay were identified and analyzed in the second stage. In the first stage of the present study, the dependent variable was derived from the response to the question of whether citrus orchardists are willing to participate in the index-based weather insurance program or not. Given that the dependent variable is a binary qualitative variable taking values of zero and one, binary regression models, such as the Probit model, were used to achieve the objective of the first stage. However, since the Tobit model incorporates both sets of observations in estimating the model parameters and determining the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable, factors that could influence an individual's willingness to pay for crop insurance were included as independent variables in the Probit model of this study. Meanwhile, factors that could affect the level of willingness to pay after the decision to participate were incorporated into a linear regression model. Data were collected using a survey method and a pre-prepared questionnaire. The sample size, determined based on Cochran's method and the variance of the characteristic trait (acceptance or non-acceptance of index-based weather insurance), was set at 387. The designed questionnaire was randomly distributed among orchardists. SPSS and SHAZAM software were utilized for data analysis. Results: The results of the study revealed that having a non-orchard-related occupation negatively affected the likelihood of accepting index-based weather insurance. According to the marginal effect statistic, orchardists who had additional income sources or occupations were 0.1 units less likely to accept index-based weather insurance than those whose sole occupation was orchard farming. The previous damage experience variable showed a positive and significant impact on the likelihood of accepting index-based weather insurance. According to the marginal effect value, if orchardists in Tonekabon experienced damage in previous years, their likelihood of accepting index-based weather insurance would be 0.11 units higher than those who had no history of damage. Additionally, efforts to adapt to climate change had a positive and significant impact on the likelihood of accepting index-based weather insurance. The results from calculating the marginal effect of this variable showed that if orchardists took measures to adapt and reduce damage to citrus and fruit trees before or during unfavorable weather conditions, such as snow, rain, and hail, their willingness to accept index-based weather insurance would increase by 0.12 units compared to the other group. In this study, the overall significance of the regression was assessed using the likelihood ratio test. Given a significance level of less than 5%, it can be concluded that the model results are highly reliable. Additionally, the results of the second-stage estimation revealed that the inverse Mills ratio was significant, indicating that the influencing variables in the decision-making and action stages of orchardists are different regarding index-based weather insurance. Furthermore, the average yield (orchardist income) and awareness of methods to combat orchard frost damage were the variables having a negative and significant impact on the willingness to pay for index-based weather insurance. Conclusion: Index-based weather insurance represents a new entrepreneurial opportunity in the insurance industry. Based on the findings of this study, organizing region-specific and age-appropriate training sessions, timely and precise follow-ups by experts at the damage sites, and effective advertising through mass media can be beneficial in encouraging orchardists to adopt index-based weather insurance. These measures can assist planners in this field in promoting its acceptance.

Extended Abstract Background: Academic entrepreneurship is the third mission of universities and higher education centers after the educational and research missions. Therefore, these institutions can play an important role and strengthen the establishment of the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Academic entrepreneurship means promoting entrepreneurial behaviors of employees and students in the academic environment, which, by creating opportunities for participation, also provides financial independence and income for academics and students. Thus, academic entrepreneurship can be defined as the creation of an entrepreneurial process in the academic environment while preserving intellectual property for the university. In this way, the entrepreneurial process encompasses all university activities (scientific, educational, research, etc.) and enables the university to interact with other economic actors, and subsequently injects the university’s intellectual property into commercial markets for the development of innovative ideas and products. As a result, the results and achievements of academic entrepreneurship are very important for academics, their affiliated universities, and the general public. Accordingly, different university departments have taken steps to develop academic entrepreneurship, but what makes such activities effective is the organization and implementation of various activities in a specific and planned format. It is useful and practical to design a model that can provide a specific intellectual framework and path for the development of academic entrepreneurship. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify effective components in the establishment of academic entrepreneurship in Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (SANRU). Methods: The research method is practical in terms of its purpose, and it is a combined (qualitative-quantitative) sequential type regarding the overall approach. The qualitative section was designed in the first stage, and then the quantitative part of the research was followed based on the findings of the qualitative part. In total, 42 experts (including university faculty members, graduates, managers of knowledge-based companies, university entrepreneurship experts, university students, and researchers) were purposefully selected for the qualitative part of the research. The required information was collected through interviews with the sample to achieve theoretical saturation. The data analysis steps from the interviews were followed in the form of three-stage coding and the form of a grounded theory paradigm model. The validation of the findings obtained from the qualitative part of the research was investigated through the review of the findings by member examination and the triangulation technique. The community studied in the quantitative section was all faculty members, managers, and vice-chancellors of the university, and the students of SANRU in Ph.D. and Master's degrees (135 staff/professors and 1027 postgraduate students). Using simple stratified random sampling and based on the Cochran formula, 289 people were selected as a sample. The validity of the questionnaire was examined by asking faculty members and other entrepreneurship experts at the university level. The reliability of the questionnaire was also examined and confirmed by conducting a pre-test and calculating Cronbach's alpha. As a result, composite reliability (CR) was also used to measure the reliability of the constructs. In addition, the fit of the designed model concerning the establishment of academic entrepreneurship in SANRU was examined in two parts, including measurement and structural parts. The structural equation measurement model was studied using indicators such as factor loadings, Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability (CR), convergent validity or AVE (average variance extracted), and divergent validity (Fornell-Larcker test). The structural model was also examined using indicators such as R2, t-coefficients, and path coefficients (Beta). The overall fit of the model was studied using indicators such as the standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) and the normed fit index (NFI). The data obtained from the quantitative section were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the SmartPLS3 software package. Results: Based on the findings of the qualitative section, six components, namely causal factors, contextual factors, intervening factors, entrepreneurship development, strategies, and consequences, are the main components of the establishment of academic entrepreneurship in SANRU. From the viewpoint of the students and employees of SANRU, contextual factors (path coefficient 0.967) had the greatest role in the implementation of university entrepreneurship development strategies, and intervening factors had a negative relationship with university entrepreneurship development strategies (path coefficient -0.410); this finding shows the more pronounced role of intervening obstacles. Significant relationships were observed between the academic entrepreneurship development and its strategies, as well as between strategies and the consequences of academic entrepreneurship. Between two groups of academic entrepreneurship strategies in SANRU, policy strategies and support programs with a higher factor load (0.952) are in the first rank, and educational-cultural strategies with a factor load of 0.910 are in the next rank. Among the various consequences resulting from the implementation of university entrepreneurship development strategies, economic consequences, organizational consequences, individual consequences, and social consequences were ranked in order of priority from the most important to the least important consequences. Conclusion: Various components, from economic to social and cultural components, etc., are effective in the establishment of academic entrepreneurship in SANRU. An important part of the effective components in the obtained model can be attributed to the organizational conditions. Therefore, the university can be considered an organization whose preservation and promotion depend on organizational entrepreneurship. The improvement of organizational conditions, as the main sub-components of causal factors, has an impact on the development of intra-organizational interests, which is the most important aspect of academic entrepreneurship development. Favorable management conditions in the university can affect the improvement of policies, laws, and support programs of the university, and thus the creation and establishment of university entrepreneurship. At the same time, the financial and technical obstacles of the university make the establishment of entrepreneurship difficult. In the end, suggestions are presented for a more successful establishment of entrepreneurship in the studied university.

Extended Abstract Background: In recent decades, the concept of entrepreneurial resilience has become a key topic in the literature of entrepreneurship psychology. In environments that are highly dynamic, unstable, and crisis-ridden, having internal psychological resources, such as resilience, emotional stability, and self-awareness, plays a fundamental role in the success, sustainability, and survival of businesses. This is particularly true in rural areas, which often face financial resource limitations, market fluctuations, weak infrastructure, and a lack of institutional support, making the importance of these psychological resources even more evident. In such conditions, entrepreneurs need the ability to cope with failures, adapt to harsh circumstances, and maintain motivation and hope in their entrepreneurial journey. One of the key consequences of possessing these psychological resources is the improvement of mental well-being. Mental well-being, which includes an individual's assessment of quality of life, personal satisfaction, and a sense of meaning in life, not only helps maintain entrepreneurs' motivation and mental health but also plays an essential role in economic success, job satisfaction, and the intention to persist in entrepreneurial activities. On the other hand, the lack of necessary psychological resources can lead to increased stress, burnout, depression, and ultimately premature exit from entrepreneurship. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing resilience and mental well-being in entrepreneurs can offer new insights for policymakers, rural development planners, and designers of educational interventions. In this context, one of the recognized theoretical frameworks is the Conservation of Resources theory, which emphasizes the importance of psychological and personality resources in coping with pressures. Additionally, the resource-based view in strategic management considers individuals' internal characteristics, including personality and resilience, as rare, valuable, inimitable, and non-substitutable resources that can create a sustainable competitive advantage for individuals and organizations. Based on these frameworks, it is expected that individual personality traits may affect the mental well-being of entrepreneurs by influencing psychological resilience. Accordingly, the present study aims to examine the impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial resilience and mental well-being among rural entrepreneurs, and to analyze the mediating role of resilience in this relationship. Methods: This study is applied in nature and descriptive-survey in terms of the method, using a correlational design. The statistical population consists of rural entrepreneurs from Nahavand County in Hamedan Province. One hundred rural entrepreneurs and business owners were selected using a convenience sampling method, and data were collected through standardized questionnaires. The Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) was used to measure personality traits. Entrepreneurial resilience was assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRCS), and mental well-being was evaluated using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach and SmartPLS software. Before evaluating the structural model, the reliability and validity of the measurement model were examined and confirmed using indicators such as composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), and the heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT). Additionally, the Harman’s single factor test was conducted to control for common method bias, which showed no significant bias. Results: The results of the structural equation modeling analysis show that personality traits, such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, and extraversion, have a significant positive effect on entrepreneurial resilience. These traits also directly and indirectly (through resilience) affect mental well-being. The most significant finding of this study is the confirmation of the partial mediating role of entrepreneurial resilience in the relationship between personality traits and mental well-being. This means that resilience, as a psychological mechanism, partially transfers the impact of personality traits to mental well-being. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that personality traits, as valuable internal resources, can enhance entrepreneurs' mental well-being by strengthening psychological resilience. These results align with psychological theories, such as Conservation of Resources theory and the resource-based view, indicating that entrepreneurial resilience can play the role of a valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable resource. From a practical perspective, the findings can inform the design of educational programs, psychological interventions, and supportive policies for fostering sustainable entrepreneurship in rural areas. Emphasizing resilience training, self-awareness development, personality understanding, and creating opportunities for experiential learning and interaction with experienced entrepreneurs can increase resilience and improve entrepreneurs' mental well-being. Additionally, this research highlights the importance of incorporating psychological assessments into the design and evaluation of entrepreneurship development programs. Tools measuring personality and resilience can help professionals identify at-risk individuals and tailor interventions more effectively. Finally, this study opens avenues for future research. Longitudinal studies can provide a dynamic perspective on how personality and resilience evolve over the entrepreneurial journey. Moreover, comparative studies in different cultural and geographical contexts could enrich our understanding of how the interaction between psychological traits and entrepreneurial outcomes shapes. In sum, this study advances a comprehensive, resource-based approach to entrepreneurship—an approach that recognizes the value of psychological traits not merely as background variables but as active enablers of resilience and well-being. This perspective is especially vital for promoting sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship in rural and underdeveloped areas.

Extended Abstract Background: Although studies indicate the existence of extensive and, at the same time, scattered programs during the years after the revolution in the field of removing deprivation, improvement, and rural construction, with the allocation of necessary credits in the field of rural programs, it seems that deprivation, poverty, and inequality still prevail in rural areas. The effects of this situation are visible in the issues and problems of rural areas, including unemployment of family members, population evacuation and physical destruction of the village, poverty and inequality, lack of access to educational and health facilities, increasing dependence on government social support, inability to face climate changes, weakness of infrastructure, land degradation, low-yield agriculture, loss of valuable pastures, and low level of income. To fulfill its missions, including ensuring the food security of the society and playing an effective role in strengthening national independence, the agricultural sector needs a rapid transition from the subsistence and traditional production stage to the industrial and commercial production stage. In this regard, agricultural development can provide opportunities for attracting facilities and services in the village and is an important factor in preventing unemployment and its negative consequences and problems. Among agricultural products, olive trees have long been of interest to different societies due to their long life, adaptability to relatively a wide spectrum of environmental conditions, historical aspects, and their high value in human nutrition and health. This is because the development of olive cultivation in the region is an important factor for attracting labor, creating employment, generating income, reducing unemployment, and especially preventing group migrations and evacuation of manpower from villages. In this direction and to improve the welfare of villagers, the present research aimed to identify the strategies for the development of olive cultivation in the rural areas of Rijab City. Methods: In terms of the purpose, the current research is considered a descriptive survey research in the category of applied research and data collection and analysis. A combined approach (qualitative-quantitative), Delphi methods, and hierarchical analysis were used to achieve the goal of the research. The community studied in this research was exemplary and leading farmers, experts of the Agricultural Jihad Organization, and subject matter experts in Rijab City, among which 21 people were selected as members of the Delphi panel using the purposeful Snowball sampling method. In this research, a consensus was reached after three rounds of investigation regarding the strategies for the development of olive cultivation in the rural areas of Rijab City. The main research tool in the first Delphi round was a questionnaire with open-ended questions, a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions in the second and third rounds, and a pairwise comparison questionnaire in the hierarchical analysis stage. The data were analyzed using coding, content analysis, and descriptive statistics in SPSS, Excel, and Expert Choice software. Results: Based on the research results, for the development of olive cultivation in the rural areas of Rijab City, 27 solutions were identified in the form of four general categories, including educational and skill solutions, cultural and social solutions, infrastructural and service solutions, and economic and support solutions. The most frequency was dedicated to economic and support solutions. It was also determined that the solutions for paying low-interest facilities for the construction of olive gardens and the development of olive processing and packaging industries were respectively the most important and, in other words, the most appropriate solutions for the development of olive cultivation in the rural areas of Rijab City. Conclusion: The cultivation of olives in areas with suitable ecological conditions has brought prosperity to horticulture in the region, which brings a stable and permanent income for gardeners in the long run. On the other hand, the cultivation of olive groves through the use of labor in all stages from the construction of the orchard to the harvest of the crop will boost employment and create job opportunities in the olive-growing areas, and this development of olive groves and increasing its production will create a competitive advantage that attracts investors from other regions. In addition, the development of olive groves has an effect on the livelihood and sustainable food security of the village and seeks social welfare. Based on the findings of the present research, programs and measures can be suggested for paying low-interest facilities for the construction of olive groves, development of olive processing and packaging industries, efforts to attract local, regional, and national investors for the development of olive groves, development of educational and promotional infrastructures in the field, planting, growing, and harvesting olives, establishing an olive oiling workshop, providing subsidized and free seedlings, developing transformation industries to reduce the sale of raw olives, and holding training and skill training courses on planting and using olives. In this regard, olive cultivation in the Rijab region has led to the prosperity of horticulture due to the favorable ecological conditions, which will lead to the development of sustainable agricultural businesses and farmers' achievement of stable and permanent income in the long run. Therefore it is suggested to identify suitable places for the development of olive groves by carrying out research projects and location plans based on detailed climate studies, soil science, etc. Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate olives by creating experimental and demonstration farms under the supervision of research centers. The quality reduction and corruption of the olive product should be prevented by modernizing the oil extraction methods and improving storage conditions. Considering that most of the agricultural land in the city of Rijab is mountainous and steep, investing and using bank facilities and agricultural subsidies for the development of olive orchards can prevent soil erosion in these areas.

Extended Abstract Background: Sustainable development is a development that meets the current needs of societies without jeopardizing the needs of future generations so that a combination of economic, social, and environmental factors is included in its measurement indicators. One of the most important parts of sustainable development is agriculture, which has a significant impact on society and plays a very important role in nations due to the determination of social, economic, and political priorities. Since rapid population growth leads to an increase in the environmental costs of developing countries, it is very important to pay attention to food security and achieve sustainable development. Therefore, its risks can be reduced by planning appropriate cultivation patterns based on diverse agricultural products. The advantages of cultivation patterns include reducing the consumption of fertilizers and herbicides, reducing the contamination of food with chemicals, high efficiency of land use, yield stability, distribution of the share of labor during the growing season, less dependence on storage, more market opportunities in crop production, sustainability, and long-term profitability without the need for more financial investments. Considering the area under cultivation and high production, the special climate of the region in the south of Kerman Province, the need to plan for appropriate cultivation patterns is particularly important. The current research aimed to investigate and identify the challenges of cultivation patterns and diversity of crops in the south of Kerman Province and to provide solutions and suggestions. Methods: The research implementation and data collection were through research-descriptive and survey-type methods, and it is a research-applicable study in terms of the goal. The research was carried out by completing 50 questionnaires by experts in the south of Kerman Province. The tools of data collection included library studies, questionnaires, the use of experts' opinions, interviews, and Friedman's test to rank infrastructural, educational-supportive, economic, and agricultural barriers. The questionnaire used in this research included four parts, infrastructural, educational-supportive, economic, and agricultural barriers. Statistical analysis was done using Excel and SPSS software. Results: The results showed a significant difference between infrastructural, economic, educational-supportive, and agricultural barriers, among which infrastructural obstacles, economic obstacles, educational-supportive obstacles, and agricultural obstacles were in the first (3.80), second (2.92), third (2), and fourth (1/28) ranks, respectively. Among the indicators of educational-supportive obstacles, the index of the lack of suitable organization and company for the approval of agricultural products ranked first (4.10), among the indicators of economic obstacles, the weak and low guarantee purchase index ranked first (21/ 4), among the indices of agricultural barriers, the index of farmers' experience and customs in cultivating a crop was in the first place (3.78), and among the infrastructural, economic, educational-supportive and agricultural barriers, the infrastructural barriers were in the first place (3/80). It seems that among the obstacles to complying with the appropriate planting pattern of the region in the indicators of economic obstacles, the farmers' lack of access to the necessary facilities, the lack of suitable support packages, and the sale of various products are the major reasons for the farmers non-participation in the south of Kerman Province. On the other hand, repeating the cultivation of some crops every year and the personal unwillingness of farmers to change the cultivation pattern are among other obstacles. Agriculture is influenced by human society and changing natural conditions. One of these changes is the cultivation pattern that is chosen by farmers or imposed on them. Therefore, educating the necessary awareness about the environment, infrastructure, encouraging, and supporting farmers regarding the appropriate cultivation pattern, and paying attention to its application are useful solutions that will increase the farmers’ quality of life and sustainable development. Conclusion: The following suggestions are made regarding the results of this research: 1- Provision and necessary conditions in implementing the appropriate cultivation pattern aiming at balancing the cultivation levels and encouraging the cultivation of strategic crops. 2- Determining the price and purchase of strategic products .3- The practical and direct participation of the community of experts and specialists in the entire process of planting, growing, and harvesting strategic products with farmers. 4- Correct planning for the development of conversion and export industries for surplus products. 5- Payment of facilities for farmers who follow the planting pattern. 6- Development of the cultivation of low-water plants in the cultivation pattern of the region. 7- Allocation of subsidized chemical inputs to agricultural and horticultural crops according to the cultivation pattern. 8- Applying the governance of water resources in agriculture, especially in the case of wells, through the installation of smart meters and determining the water requirement of the desired crops in the cultivation pattern, soil conditions, and the capacity of the region and climate, and paying facilities for farmers who follow the planting pattern.

Extended Abstract Background: A spin-off is the separation of a subsidiary from its parent company to create a new entity. A situation where an employee or a group of employees leave the parent company and start a company independent of the parent company. A spin-off happens when a mature business, to achieve greater productivity and facilitate affairs, gives up part of its organization and creates an independent entity. Spin-offs are created for two main reasons, organizational entrepreneurship and giving opportunities to creative people in the organization to grow and reducing the management layers of an organization. In the context of academic entrepreneurship, the role of entrepreneurial orientation can be particularly important because academic spin-offs in the field of agriculture, due to their specific nature, may need to formulate entrepreneurial strategies to lead their innovations from the path of commercialization. In addition, agricultural academic spin-offs usually face highly uncertain and competitive environments where the focus is on discovering new opportunities and competitively developing innovations. Methods: The research method is causal and applied in terms of the purpose. Two researcher-made questionnaires with 30 and 34 items, respectively, and supplementary sources, such as annual reports prepared by incubators and technology parks, were used to collect data. The statistical population of the research was the founders and managers of academic spin-offs (ASOs) established in the last decade, in which 22 ASOs were selected as a sample. The structural equation model was used to study the relationships between variables and test the hypotheses. Results: Market networks and academic support networks had a positive effect on strengthening the entrepreneurial orientation of ASOs. The size and frequency of the academic support network had a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial orientation, but the size and frequency of informal networks had no effect. Two models were considered to test the hypotheses. The first model includes only the control variables while the independent variables in the second model are considered to analyze the effect of such variables on the entrepreneurial orientation of ASOs in the field of agriculture. The first model showed that the control variables could explain 6.7% of the change in entrepreneurial orientation by agricultural ASOs. The size of the management team, the age of the ASO, and the size of the ASO had a positive effect on the manifestation of this strategic orientation. According to the hypothesis test, the results extracted from the second model first showed that neither the size of the informal network nor the frequency of the informal network has any effect on the entrepreneurial orientation of agricultural ASOs, contrary to the hypotheses of the study, as a result, rejecting both states a and b of the first hypothesis. Moreover, the size of the academic support network had a positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial orientation of agricultural ASOs, confirming hypothesis 2a. In addition, similar results can be obtained regarding the analysis of the impact of the frequency of the university support network on the entrepreneurial orientation of agricultural ASOs because a significant and positive relationship was observed between the two variables. Therefore, this result supports hypothesis 2b. The second model also shows the existence of a very important and significant relationship between the size of the industrial network and the entrepreneurial orientation of agricultural ASOs. Conclusion: The management teams of agricultural ASOs strongly need the presence of industry actors because such representatives can provide the resources, skills, and knowledge necessary for agricultural ASOs. For this purpose, designing large industrial networks with many contacts is considered an effective way of working. In addition, the management teams of agricultural ASOs should not ignore the importance of resources, especially the links owned by university support institutions, and avoid such resources as much as possible. This is because the development and demonstration of entrepreneurial attitudes by agricultural ASOs seem to require a series of resources, abilities, and knowledge that are not available to such people. On the other hand, university support institutions should be aware of its importance as a facilitator, both direct and indirect, and a number of resources and information that seem critical to the entrepreneurial behavior of agricultural ASOs. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that university supporting institutions should play a fundamental role as facilitators of mutual understanding between academic entrepreneurs and industrial representatives, in addition to creating a suitable environment for establishing joint relations with agricultural ASOs. Agricultural ASOs can expand and strengthen trust among agents. For this purpose, it can be a good start to developing programs, activities, or workshops in which managers and representatives of ASOs from agricultural industrial fields can share experiences and mutual needs. Agricultural ASOs are an excellent choice for studying the network theory in practice due to their technological complexity, market dynamics, growth challenges, and changing directions. For this purpose, the present study in the framework of academic entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture expands the emerging research stream by focusing on the role of different types of networks on the behavior of ASOs. It also allows for standing out the relationship of the analysis of the impact of structural elements of networks on the performance of ASOs, where previous research has not addressed such relationships.

Extended Abstract Background: Due to the increase in the population, the decrease in the share of the government in employment, and the increase in the share of the private sector in the economy, entrepreneurship has nowadays been proposed as a tool to achieve the social, economic, and dynamic goals of societies. Entrepreneurship falls into the major inexhaustible resources of all human societies, and entrepreneurs, as owners of thoughts and ideas, create value by identifying and using existing opportunities and are considered key factors in improving productivity and economic growth. Before the recent economic developments, it was believed that economic growth would increase incomes and improve the quality of people's lives, but the economic growth along with the decrease in environmental quality caused the issues related to sustainable development to be the focus of global attention. Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the current generation without jeopardizing the ability of future generations.In this path, there are sustainable societies that pay attention to environmental sustainability in addition to social and economic sustainability. The development of entrepreneurship with the aim of higher economic growth along with the excessive consumption of natural resources and the destruction of the environment has made it necessary to simultaneously pay attention to the goals of economic and environmental sustainability. According to the stated contents, the current research aims to investigate the relationship between entrepreneurship, economy, and environmental quality in a selection of developing and developed countries. Methods: In 2024, this research investigated the simultaneous effects of entrepreneurship, economic growth, and environmental quality on each other during 1995-2020 using data on 26 selected developing countries and 17 selected developed countries. In the current applied research, data and information were collectedthrough the library-documentary method. Therefore, factors affecting entrepreneurship, environment, and economic growth werefirst extractedby reviewing previous studies. Then, the coefficients of the model variables were estimated using the system of simultaneous equations method with tabular data (panel 3sls). This method estimates all the equations simultaneously in the system of equations, which is asymptotically more efficient, and all the coefficients of the studied relationship variables can be calculated simultaneouslywith this method. Stata version 13 software was used to estimate the equations. Results: The results of estimating the coefficients of the simultaneous equations showed that GDP per capita, energy consumption, and financial development variables had a positive and significant effect on environmental pollutionin developed countries, with coefficients of 0.332, 0.318, and 0.118, respectively. However, trade liberalization and entrepreneurship negativelyaffected environmental degradation with coefficients of -0.105 and -0.266, respectively. In these countries, the energy consumption, trade liberalization, entrepreneurship, and financial development variables had a positive and significant effect on economic growth with coefficients of 0.551, 0.213, 0.498, and 0.108, respectively. Besides, the GDP per capita, public government expenditure, trade liberalization, fixed capital formation, and research and development expenditurevariables, with coefficients of 0.475, 0.005, 0.339, 0.016, and 0.141,showed a positive and significant effect. They were based on entrepreneurship and caused the development of entrepreneurship. The results of the simultaneous estimation of relations in developing countries showed that the GDP per capita, energy consumption, and entrepreneurshipvariables had a positive and significant effect with the coefficients of 0.466, 0.629, and 0.203, respectively, and the trade liberalization variable with a coefficient of -0.117 had a negative and significant impact on environmental pollution. In these countries, energy consumption, trade liberalization, entrepreneurship, public government expenditure, and financial development increased economic growth with coefficients of 0.749, 0.117, 0.114, 0.072, and 0.202, respectively. The GDP per capita, trade liberalization, fixed capital formation, and research and development expenditurevariables had a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurship in developing countries, with coefficients of 0.210, 0.115, 0.545, and 0.033, respectively.However, public government expenditure did not significantlyimpact the development of entrepreneurship in these countries. Conclusion: In recent decades, the destruction of the environment has increased and serious damage has been caused to the ecosystemdue to the development of economic activities with the aim of higher economic growth.In the meantime, one of the most important activities related to increasing economic growth has been the development of entrepreneurship, which has had a negative impact on environmental pollution and destructionin developed countries, where, entrepreneurship development has,therefore, been carried out in line with sustainable development policies. Despite the significant contribution of entrepreneurship in the economic growth of developing countries, entrepreneurship has caused an increase in pollution and endangered the sustainability of their environment because the goal of economic growth and more production has been pursuedin these countries, without considering the environmental aspect of economic activities. According to the obtained results,therefore, it is suggested that entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities should continue to be consideredto increase economic growth and increase the welfare of societies.However, the necessary platform for environment-friendly entrepreneurshipactivities should be providedto prevent the negative effects of entrepreneurship development on the environment.Moreover, entrepreneurship development, economic growth, and environmental quality improvement should be taken into consideration togetherwith proper planning, policymaking, and environmental laws.

Extended Abstract Background: Due to government support for ecolodges, particularly in rural areas, and the growing demand for such accommodations, the number of ecolodges has increased significantly in recent years. Despite the variety and rising numbers of ecolodges, there is still limited information about why customers choose this new type of accommodation. Therefore, this study primarily aimed to develop a conceptual framework for investigating factors influencing guests' intention to revisit ecolodges. To achieve this, the present study proposed a conceptual framework based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), incorporating the construct of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) to examine tourists’ intentions to revisit ecolodges—a relatively underexplored area in the tourism and ecotourism literature. The framework was designed to identify the roles of beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the influence of eWOM on tourists' decision-making. The findings of this research can help ecolodge operators and policymakers adopt effective marketing strategies and enhance customer experience management, facilitating the attraction and retention of tourists. Moreover, a deeper understanding of factors affecting revisit intentions can contribute to sustainable rural tourism development and foster cultural and economic connections between local communities and tourists. Methods: This quantitative research was applied in nature and a descriptive-survey study in terms of data collection. The statistical population consisted of tourists who stayed at ecolodges located in various regions of Gilan Province. This population was defined solely based on their stay at rural ecolodges in Gilan Province without other specific criteria. Ten out of 30 contacted ecolodges ultimately agreed to participate in the study. These participating ecolodges were widely distributed across the province. A non-probability convenience sampling method was employed, which is commonly used in studies on tourist behavior, especially when the overall population is large and independent random sampling representative of the entire population is impractical. In total, 280 questionnaires were distributed among guests of ecolodges in April and May 2023, 250 of which were completed and returned by the guests (response rate: 89%). After excluding incomplete and invalid questionnaires, 230 responses were used for the final analysis. The research questionnaire consisted of two sections: one measured the study constructs, and the other collected demographic characteristics of the respondents. All measurement scales were adapted from the literature and assessed using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). To test the content validity of the questionnaire, three faculty members from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Education at Bu-Ali Sina University, specializing in entrepreneurship and tourism, were consulted to review the items. Some items were revised based on their feedback. Before distributing the final questionnaire, a pilot test was conducted by distributing 20 questionnaires to guests at one of the ecolodges in Gilan Province (outside the study sample) to ensure the clarity and comprehensibility of the items, assess the reliability and face validity of the variables, and refine the questionnaire. A final questionnaire was prepared following minor adjustments. Results: Structural equation modeling results revealed a significant and positive relationship between attitude and perceived behavioral control with guests’ intention to revisit. However, the relationship between subjective norms and revisit intention was not significant at the 5% level. Additionally, eWOM had a significant positive relationship with attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. However, the direct relationship between eWOM and revisit intention was not significant, which did not support the fourth hypothesis. Overall, the four independent variables explained 52% of the variance in revisit intention. Findings showed that eWOM indirectly influenced revisit intention through attitude and perceived behavioral control. The mediation effect was fully established given the non-significant direct effect of eWOM on revisit intention. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the factors influencing tourists' intention to revisit ecolodges. The results confirm the applicability of the TPB in predicting revisit intention, with attitude and perceived behavioral control emerging as significant predictors. The study highlighted the indirect effect of eWOM on revisit intention through attitude and perceived behavioral control. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing attitudes and perceived behavioral control among ecolodge guests and leveraging the power of eWOM to influence these factors. Ecolodge managers should focus on delivering exceptional experiences that foster positive attitudes and enhance guests' sense of control over their stay. Furthermore, they should actively manage their online presence and encourage positive eWOM through excellent service delivery and guest engagement on social media platforms. Overall, this research contributes to understanding tourist behavior in the context of ecolodges and provides practical implications for ecolodge managers seeking to enhance guest loyalty and revisit rates. Future research can leverage other psychological theories to explore social, cognitive, cultural, and demographic factors. Variables such as past experience, customer satisfaction, perceived value, trust, perceived ease of use, gender, age, education level, and income can be considered to develop a more comprehensive model.

Extended Abstract Background: Knowledge-based economy is not only a new theoretical concept but also a new era that is fundamentally different from the era of agricultural and industrial economy. The development process of the knowledge-based economy is the formation of a knowledge-based economy, which will mean the beginning of a new stage in the development of the global economy. Nowadays, the economy based on knowledge and entrepreneurship is one of the important issues for the growth and development of various economic sectors of the world, in which the agricultural sector, similar to other economic sectors, requires the use of knowledge, innovation, and technology for growth and development. In the new models of agricultural development, knowledge and technology have an important place in the growth and development of sustainable agriculture, and these models are referred to as scientific agriculture, agriculture based on knowledge and technology, and knowledge agriculture. In other words, it means the development of the agricultural knowledge base, knowledge management, technology, and innovation in agriculture. Therefore, the role of knowledge in the agricultural development process has nowadays gained significant importance. Currently, knowledge and information, such as land, capital, and labor, are the main factors of production in the agricultural sector, and therefore, the access of farmers to modern knowledge in agriculture plays an essential role in agricultural and rural development. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effect of knowledge-based economy indicators on the added value of the agricultural sector of the D8 member countries (including Iran, Bangladesh, Turkey, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Nigeria). Methods: In general, the indicators of knowledge economy can be divided into two categories. The first category focuses on the basic characteristics of the knowledge-based economy, and these indicators describe the share of the knowledge-based economy in the overall economy of the country. For example, the proportion of people working in high-tech industries, or the proportion of people with higher education who make universities powerful centers that consolidate strong intellectual capital and produce new knowledge and technological innovations in their research activities. The second largest group consists of the so-called performance or output indicators, which include the production of high-tech industries, high-tech exports, GDP growth, and labor productivity growth. There are several approaches to classifying the knowledge-based economy indicators, among which the World Bank, instead of indicators based on the knowledge-based economy characteristics, argues the pillars of the knowledge-based economy, and these four pillars are the economic and institutional regime, education and human resources, information and communication infrastructure, and the innovation system. In this research, the indicators of the knowledge-based economy for 8 D8 member countries were prepared using the model introduced by the World Bank, which is a complete and common model, during 2000-2019. All study data, including economic growth, regulatory quality, and corruption control for the institutional regime and economic motivation, scientific journal articles, patent applications for the innovation system, internet users and mobile phone users for information and communication technology, registration rate in the second academic year, and the enrollment rate in the third year, the guidelines for training and development of human resources were obtained from the World Bank website. The PANEL ARDL method was used to estimate the model. Results: Before estimating the model, four economic indicators, innovation, education, and information technology of Islamic developing countries were calculated during the reviewed period. The results of index calculations showed that among the D8 countries, Iran ranked first in the innovation index, second in the education index, third in the technology index, and seventh in the economic index. The results of this research showed that in the long term, all four indicators of the knowledge-based economy had a positive and significant effect on the added value of the agricultural sector of the D8 countries. In the short term, however, there were no relationships between the indicators of the knowledge-based economy and the added value of the agricultural sector. In other words, the effect of the knowledge-based economy components on the added value of the agricultural sector is a long-term process and will be observed in the long term. Among the indices, the education and human development index has had a greater effect on the added value of the agricultural sector according to the elasticity in the long term, showing greater importance of this index on the growth and development of agriculture. Conclusion: According to the results, although the effects of knowledge-based indicators are not significant in the short term, they have a positive and significant effect on the added value of the agricultural sector in the long term, which shows the importance of knowledge-based economy in the future of the agricultural development of countries. Therefore, attention and investment in education, technology, innovation, and economic growth can ultimately increase the growth and development of the agricultural sector. This is because the productivity of production factors has improved with the use of institutional and technical innovations and the development of education. It leads to the growth of production in the agricultural sector, thus it is recommended to take an effective action in this field by investing more and improving the quality of educational centers in the studied countries. Finally, considering that agriculture has a direct relationship with the indicators of the knowledge-based economy, researchers should provide their scientific and research achievements to farmers and agricultural sector operators to increase and improve the efficiency of the agricultural sector

Extended abstract Background: Knowledge-based companies are known as drivers of the economic wheel of developed and developing countries. The performance of these companies, especially in the agricultural sector, affects the future performance of the country's economy. Hence, examining factors affecting financial performance, as the most important indicator in evaluating the performance of companies, has always been of interest. In addition to external factors and economic, social, and climatic conditions and policies and plans to support these companies, management factors also significantly impact their financial performance. Organizations adopt different policies and strategies in using their resources, and choosing appropriate strategies puts companies on the right path of progress and development. In today's knowledge-oriented world, the effect of knowledge and knowledge management on the performance of companies is not hidden for the elite. Knowledge management (Heenkenda et al.) strategies can be understood as special programs designed to help an organization manage information, data, and knowledge for the benefit of the organization and its stakeholders. Applying the knowledge exploitation strategy puts the existing knowledge in the field of exploitation, and the knowledge exploration strategy paves the way for development and progress by discovering hidden knowledge. On the other hand, the current age is the age of innovation, and the ability to innovate is a gift that organizations make their progress and development more possible. On the other hand, sustainability and creating a common competitive advantage have led organizations to commit to environmental, social, and economic responsibility while the most important performance expected by investors is the company's financial performance. Therefore, the desire and insistence of business units have been drawn to fulfill corporate social responsibility (CSR) in environmental, social, and economic dimensions and its significant impact on their popularity and financial performance. In the meantime, the simultaneous use of exploitation and exploration knowledge management strategies, known as "organizational ambidexterity", and the mediating effect of influencing factors, such as the capabilities of innovation and CSR, on financial performance can be a challenge that agricultural knowledge-based companies are facing in a new era to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effect of choosing knowledge management strategies on financial performance and the mediation of innovation capabilities and corporate social responsibility in knowledge-based agricultural companies in Khorasan Razavi Province. Methods: This is applied research based on the purpose and a descriptive post-event and quantitative study based on data collection and methodology, respectively. The research statistical population consisted of more than 200 managers of knowledge-based agricultural companies in Khorasan Razavi Province, determined by simple random sampling with a sample size of 127 people according to Morgan's table. A questionnaire adapted from articles (González-Ramos, Guadamillas, et al., 2023; Ramos et al., 2018) was used to collect data. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by scientific elites and university professors, and its convergence and divergence were confirmed using Fornell and Larcker (1981) and HTMT methods. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed based on Cronbach's alpha coefficients and composite reliability. SPSS and SMART PLS-3 software were used for processing. Results: In this research, knowledge management strategies, innovation capabilities, and corporate social responsibility each had a positive and significant effect on the financial performance of agricultural knowledge-based companies, with a confidence factor of 95%. Their significance coefficients are 2.11, 3.18, and 2.16, respectively. Innovation capabilities mediated the effect of knowledge management strategies on financial performance with a significant coefficient of 2.84, and the mediation of corporate social responsibility in the effect of knowledge management strategies on financial performance was confirmed with a significant coefficient of 2.09. In this research, the effect of corporate social responsibility on innovation capabilities was confirmed in a positive direction with a significant coefficient of 3. Conclusion: The conceptual model of the research was confirmed based on the results. Considering the importance of adopting the right knowledge management strategies according to their position and abilities, agricultural knowledge-based companies can create a space to increase the capacity and ability to innovate in the direction of development and progress. Considering the unmet needs of the market, it will be possible to discover new distribution channels, commercialize new products to explore knowledge, or make improvements and modifications to existing products to exploit existing knowledge. In addition to increasing innovation capabilities in products and processes, such companies can have a more stable and greater effect on their financial performance by improving, modifying, and developing existing and new products to be ahead of their competitors, in parallel with adhering to corporate social responsibility, with inputs of less environmental damage. They should also produce a product with the least negative impact on the environment, provide fair wages, and pay attention to the rights and demands of the people of the region to create a common advantage with other stakeholders.

Extended Abstract Background: One of the most important economic and social developments in Iran has been the significant increase in the population of female entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs play a significant role in job creation, wealth, poverty reduction, human development, education, health, and development of the country, especially in developing countries. The development of transformational and complementary industries in villages is a solution for empowerment and capacity building to reduce the gap between cities and villages, create economic, social, environmental, and institutional equality, and is an important tool to achieve sustainable development. The lack of attention to innovation management in the date conversion and finishing industries is one of the important factors that has made these industries unable to find their way to global markets. Considering the level of mass palm production, Kerman Province can take an effective step toward industrialization and creating employment for women in villages by developing processed products related to dates. The role of women is very important in the agricultural production system and rural development. Women are active in different ways in the villages, but their activity is invisible. Rural entrepreneurship in the direction of empowering rural women, as a key factor in reducing gender gaps, preventing migration to cities, and ensuring food security, is one of the important pillars of rural community development. Rural women's entrepreneurship supports the stability of the local economy in the village and improves the villagers’ quality of life. To inform society and defend the rights of women, various activities have been carried out in this field. By analyzing the capacities, talents, and opportunities of each region, entrepreneurs can offer many challenges and solutions for rural women's entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and employment of rural women increase the family income and improve the literacy and health status of the family and can affect rural life and ultimately the whole society. Therefore, identifying the entrepreneurial talents of rural people, especially rural women, and trying to develop and strengthen entrepreneurship by providing its basic conditions, are of particular importance. Accordingly, the present research aims to identify the dimensions of the development of date conversion and complementary industries in the development of rural women entrepreneurs. Methods: This research is a descriptive-analytical study in terms of the nature and method and an applied study in terms of the purpose. Information was collected through library and field studies. The geographical area is the villages of Kerman Province where palm trees grow and women are active in the field of date processing and supplementary industries. In the qualitative part, data were collected using the opinions of academic experts, managers, and entrepreneurial experts with semi-structured interviews using the approach of database theory. The tools of data collection were interviews and questionnaires in the qualitative and quantitative parts, respectively. According to the outputs of the interview part, the research questionnaire was extracted through the final codes and put in the form of a quantitative part questionnaire in the quantitative part of the research. According to the statistics of 2021, 96 people were employed in the three fields of marketing, packaging, and processing of date products. A sample size of 76 people was estimated according to Cochran's formula. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire containing 58 items. SPSS and Amos software were used for data analysis. The structural equation modeling method was used to analyze and examine the desired relationships in the conceptual model. Results: According to the results obtained from the confirmatory factor analysis model and the scores or factor load for each of the indicators, causal conditions, background conditions, intervening conditions, consequences, and the development model of date transformation and complementary industries on strategies with path coefficients of 0.82, 0.39, 0.76, and 0.86, respectively, significantly affect the entrepreneurship of rural agricultural women. The final model was obtained from the categories of causal conditions (system efficiency and innovation with a factor load of 0.81), contextual category (marketing ability with a factor load of .79), and intervening conditions (economic incentives with a factor load of 0.88) in strategies (globalization with a factor load of 89 0.0) and consequences (economic growth with a factor load of 0.89). Conclusion: The studies conducted on date conversion and complementary industries in the villages of Kerman Province showed that educated women with different specializations and the desire to be entrepreneurs in the field of date conversion and complementary industries in rural areas will become active members of the local community by creating employment and financial support for rural women. Processing agricultural products, including dates, with an innovative approach is a useful action among rural women entrepreneurs to improve women's access to global markets. Since rural women are weak financially and socially, strengthening rural women's entrepreneurship should be accompanied by financial and economic support. The category of entrepreneurship is associated with the concept of innovation, therefore, innovative women should be supported and the necessary background and facilities, including education, should be provided for rural women to be innovative regarding the transformation and complementary industries of dates. Setting up business teams of rural women increases their awareness and capacity for employment and entrepreneurship.