An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Social Entrepreneurial Intention in Rural and Nomad Women's Micro-credit Funds

Despite the important role that rural and nomad women play in developing countries, their significant contributions are generally neglected and then they have been deprived of rural development programs. Women have always been a vulnerable group of society that are invisibly trapped in deprivation and powerlessness. Social entrepreneurship as an axis of development can be considered as an important factor to solve social problems and challenges that women are dealing with. Nomad women's micro-credit funds in rural areas are potential structures that can be used as a platform for social entrepreneurship and then to solve women's social problems. But, since the development and expansion of social entrepreneurship in any structure, especially in nomad women's micro-credit funds depends on the determination of its associated factors, thus identifying the factors that may affect social entrepreneurship is really significant. In this regard, the main aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting social entrepreneurial intention in nomad women's micro-credit funds. This study was a descriptive-correlational research that conducted through a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population was all members of the micro-credit funds in Kerman province (N= 1146) that 300 members were selected as a sample using Krejcie and Morgan sample size table and stratified random sampling method. The research tool was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed using a pilot test and calculating Cronbach's Alpha coefficients (0.71≤α≤0.86). Research findings showed that empathy, self-efficacy, perceived social support, moral obligation and prior experience had positive and significant impacts on social entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that independent variables could predict 43.2% of the variance changes for dependent variable. At the end, some recommendation provided in line with the results.