Presenting the model of development of marketing of agricultural products in Iran with the focus on medicinal plants Using the Grounded Theory Method and Model Validation

Marketing has a high place and importance in today's world economy, and various researches and surveys are being conducted in the field of marketing, especially the marketing of agricultural products and medicinal plants. The current research is designed with the aim of discovering the mental pattern of elites, specialists, professors and senior managers in the field of agriculture and marketing in Iran regarding the development of marketing of agriculture and medicinal plants. The method of the present research is mixed and interpretative and exploratory and using the grounded theory technique. In the qualitative part, the statistical population includes elites, professors and senior managers in the field of agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and the Chamber of Commerce and Marketing of Medicinal Plants, who use sampling method. An in-depth interview was conducted with 15 people and the theory building process reached theoretical saturation with 15 interviews. Data analysis was done by using Strauss and Corbin coding method and in quantitative analysis, 9 variables obtained from the qualitative model were considered as hypotheses and inferences and were tested with Pearson correlation coefficient and then indexed in a model. T three stages of coding with more than 108 meaningful propositions, 211 corresponding concepts, 23 subcategories, 9 main categories, and one core category. And quantitative results were also confirmed with structural tests. Finally, it is suggested that the training of skilled, expert and efficient human resources should be done by specialists and senior managers in all fields of agricultural marketing and medicinal plants.