Designing a Model of Persuasion of Entrepreneurial Behavior Based on Cognitive and Emotional Approaches (A Qualitative Study)

Considering the role of entrepreneurship in the growth of society, every country is expected to persuade its citizens regarding entrepreneurship. The main goal of this research was to identify and analyze the psychological elements involved in the pattern of persuasion regarding entrepreneurial behaviors based on cognitive and emotional approaches.

This research was a qualitative and exploratory research based on grounded theory. Data collection method included semi-structured interview, and statistical population includes entrepreneurs of Mazandaran's agriculture and transformation industries and entrepreneurship and management professors. The sample included those who could give expert opinions in relation to the objectives of the current research, and their sampling method was determined in a purposeful and snowball manner. Considering the principle of theoretical saturation, the sample number was 21 including 13 entrepreneurs (organizational experts) and 8 university professors (theoretical experts). 

Findings of this research by conducting semi-structured interviews, 982 codes related to the concept of persuasion were identified.Then, these codes were analyzed in three stages by open, central, and selective coding methods, and based on the qualitative method of category analysis, the codes were classified into 27 subcategories, 12 main categories and in 5 axes, including motivational factors (needs-oriented motivation, cognitive motivation, emotional motivation), contextual factors (personality type, knowledge, skills, experience), intervening factors (entrepreneurs' values), strategies (ways self-oriented coping, environmental strategies) and consequences (material and organizational achievements and spiritual and individual achievements), around the central category (behavior persuasion). 

The research results were formed in the form of a paradigmatic model and a conceptual model. The findings of this study can be effective for persuading students and those interested in entrepreneurship.