Presenting a Theoretical Model of Organizational Components Affecting Entrepreneurship Development for NGOs Active in the Area of Environment

Today, entrepreneurship is recognized as a key factor for growth and development. It is also regarded as a multidimensional concept with economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects. Various studies indicate that public participation in the form of NGOs is an essential factor for the development of entrepreneurship in the area of environment and the reduction of effects caused by lack of attention to this area in developing countries. The purpose of the present study is presenting a theoretical model and identifying the effective organizational factors on entrepreneurship development of NGOs that are active in the Iranian environment field.

In the related literature, environmental entrepreneurship has been referred to in different forms including green entrepreneurship (Taylor & Walley, 2003; Schaper, 2002), ethical entrepreneurship (Taylor & Walley, 2003), and environmental entrepreneurship (Keogh & Polonsky, 1998). The term “environmental entrepreneurship” is comprised of the words environment and entrepreneurship which indicates the creation of innovative businesses that produce environmentally friendly products and services. Environmental entrepreneurship also involves the environmentalists’ market who are active in the field not only for profit, but also for its strong, substantial, and green values. Environmental entrepreneurship is a combination of strong environmental and social values with active entrepreneurship outlooks (Gibbs, 2009). Volery (2002) defines environmental entrepreneurship as environmental accountability in entrepreneurship. Isaak (2002) believes that environmental entrepreneurship is an objective form of business behavior which is committed to sustainability. Environmental entrepreneurship is considered as an act of entrepreneurship which helps conserve the natural environment (Schaper, 2005; Pastakia, 1998). Businesses in environmental entrepreneurship are carried out based upon sustainability principles (Kirkwood & Walton, 2010). The phenomenon is distinct from social entrepreneurship which emphasized the social welfare of the society (Zahra, Gedajlovic, Neubaum, & Shulman, 2009). Environmental entrepreneurship also differs from sustainability entrepreneurship which unifies the three major pillars of sustainable development, i.e. social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Tilley and Young (2009) argue that sustainability entrepreneurship ventures beyond environmental and social entrepreneurship and incorporates a vast domain of sustainability-related dimensions.

The present qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 12 experts in the area of NGOs and environment management. To ensure the reliability and validity of interviews, more interviews were required according to the experts’ comments. Therefore, 4 NGO managers in the field of environment were interviewed and theoretical saturation was achieved. Following open and axial coding, the main, axial and secondary factors which influence entrepreneurship organizational factors of NGOs that are active in the field of environment in Iran were identified. These factors include organizational objectives, administrative capabilities of NGOs, organizational culture, organizational resources, the maturity level of technology in organizations, organizational process, communication with external organization networks, organizational structure, organizational strategies, and knowledge management. Furthermore, the results obtained from other studies in the area of entrepreneur companies confirm the accuracy of the results of the present study.

The results of this study are consistent with those of Judge, Liu‐Thompkins, Brown, Pongpatipat (2015) and Petty, Zang (2011) in the context of the role of research and development units, formation of virtual networks, communication with external networks, and knowledge management. Moreover, the results are also consistent with findings of Petty and Zang (2014) and Bojica, Fuentes (2012) with respect to the Concerning organizational components, there is no mention of the maturity level of NGO technology in any of the researchers' researches and is considered as a research innovation.

 Given the results of the study, the strengthening of the organizational and spiritual objectives of NGOs in different sections along with their public interest purposes are recommended; special attention should also be paid to the economic purposes of NGOs. In order for the majority of NGOs to achieve success, it is recommended that a particular attention be paid to the administrative capabilities of NGOs active in the area of environment. Moreover, there should be a focus on the improvement of administrative styles, management experiences of NGOs, the level of knowledge and preparedness of environment management, values and beliefs of NGO management, management’s degree of enthusiasm towards entrepreneurship, factors related to the levels of preparedness and recognition of the market and business atmosphere of NGO management, sustainable network building, interactions, access to management resources, and the extent of time allocated to the voluntary works of management in NGOs. Additionally, special attention must be made to organizational culture at NGOs via improving the experience and background of the organization, prompting teamwork and value creation culture in organization, developing innovation culture and focusing on normative structures of NGOs and the resolution of single issues, increasing the level of accountability culture and concerns over social affairs and raising the maturity level of the organization culture, internal trust building within the organization and the employment of guides in NGOs. On the other hand, organizational resources should be reinforced in NGOs; Therefore, financial, human and information resources along with the social capital and social resources of NGOs should be increased as well.Attention should be paid to the maturity level of organization. This is possible by increasing the level of technology readiness in NGOs. Emphasis on the improvement and design of organizational process in NGOs through reforming the research and development process, communication with external organizational networks via creating real and virtual communication networks, social networks among homogenous groups, chain networks of value NGOs and communication with networks and government organization institutions, preventing accurate organizational structure of NGO case to prevent bureaucracy, adoption of organization strategies through adopting innovation and development strategies are done; it is recommended for entrepreneurship development in NGOs.