The Role of Educational and Administrative Factors on Tobacco Extension Agent's Job Performance in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces

Organizations need to continuously improve their performance for their survival and development among which the crucial factor is improving their experts’ and agents’ job performance. Accordingly، the current study aimed at evaluating the relationship between agricultural extension agents’ job performance with environmental، motivational، educational، organizational and managerial factors and professional characteristics، the nature of work and job satisfaction using structural equation modeling. The study adopted a causal- correlational approach. The statistical population of this research consisted of 46 tobacco extension agents in Mazandaran and Golestan Provinces being selected through census. The data collection tool was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts، and its reliability was measured through Composite reliability ranging from 0. 83 to 0. 94. in order to analyze the data for both descriptive ad inferential statistics the SPSSWin21 and Smart PLS were used. The findings results showed that 13% of the agricultural extension agents’ job performance was excellent، 43. 5% was good، 30. 5% ranked average and 13. 5% was weak and the most effective factor on extension agents ‘job performance was job satisfaction with path coefficient of 0. 638 explaining 0. 604 % of changes related to extension agents’ job performance. Therefore، to increase the tobacco extension agents’ job performance، it is necessary that the organization in charge improve their job satisfaction through appointing a suitable supervisor in the office، granting appropriate incentive and establishing the promotion system.