Modeling the Development of Rural Entrepreneurship Based on Local Capacities: A Case Study of Rural Settlements in Bonab County of Iran

This study aimed at investigating the rural entrepreneurship capacities in the villages of Bonab County of Iran. It was a descriptive-analytic research using documents and field studies to collect data through a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study included 12369 rural households living in villages of Bonab. Using the Cochran formula and random sampling, 372 households were selected as the sample. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics and multi-attribute decision-making models. The study results showed that institutional-structural variables with an effect of 0.849, economic 0.833, social 0.813 and environmental 0.805, respectively, had priorities on the rural entrepreneurship development. The results from the use of TOPSIS, VIKOR, ANP and Copland models showed that villages such as Akhond Gheshlagh and Zavosht, densely populated and close to city center, had more local capacities for entrepreneurship development. Finally, according to the research findings, a number of practical recommendations were presented.