نشریه مطالعات کارآفرینی و توسعه پایدار کشاورزی
سال ششم شماره 1 (پیاپی 21، بهار 1398)

The characteristics of rural businesses are increasing over time due to their impact on growth and creation of diversity in economic activities. In the meantime, new approaches have been identified to development rural economy and rural communities. One of these approaches is to identify national and international opportunities that have led to the growth and development of rural businesses. One of the necessities of developing countries is the movement of small and medium-sized enterprises towards internationalization, as competitive pressure is increasing and on the other hand, direct financial aid and support from governments has decreased. Moving from the national market to the international market is a crucial decision for small and mediumsized enterprises with a low financial base, local focus and limited geographic area. By considering importance of the issue, the main purpose of this article is to explore the challenges and barriers to the internationalization of rural SMEs. According to the results, it was found that the internationalization of rural SMEs faces many problems and challenges that can be divided into two categories macro and micro level. Macro level problems cannot be controlled easily; include institutional environmental factors, the challenge of entry mode selection, barriers related to language and culture, barriers related to health certification and standardization, that are often classified as external problems. Micro level problems can be controlled easily; such problems include internal organizational capability barrier and human resource barrier such as management and human capital challenges, human resource management challenges, export marketing challenges, inadequate network and knowledge, technology and social capital challenges are small issues that are often classified as internal problems.

Today, there is no doubt that the definitive solution to many of the country's problems is a production boom, and this requires that market, technical, financial, and economic considerations be considered before starting a business. The purpose of this study is to identify the context of production and study of justifiability of cultivation of button mushrooms in Ziaabad section of Qazvin province. The method of this research is mixed. Therefore, research data were first collected through library studies and semi-structured interviews with 28 manufacturers and distributors. Qualitative data were then translated into quantitative numbers. Based on this, financial and economic ratios were calculated. Then, it was found that the cultivation of button mushrooms in Qazvin province will not be a problem in terms of market and there will be a suitable consumer market for the product. Also, the tools and equipment needed to start a business and cultivation of button mushrooms can be easily provided from within the country. As a result, the implementation of this business plan is also technically justified. Then, with the data obtained from the interviews along with the economic evaluation indicators (NPV, IRR, B/C and POP), the business plan was examined in terms of profitability. All the results of the indicators showed that this business plan has a positive and acceptable profitability. Implementation of the Button Mushroom Cultivation Business Plan will create youth employment and further boost production in the region. Finally, recommendations and suggestions were provided to manufacturers and other researchers.

Entrepreneurial intention affects on entrepreneurial events, and examining the factors affecting entrepreneurial intention can provide a more accurate prediction of the probability of occurrence of entrepreneurial activities. The purpose of this study is investigation the effect of self-compassion on entrepreneurial intention. According to this, the relationship between selfcompassion and its dimentions, which includes Self-kindness (self-judgment), commonhumanity (isolation), and mindfulness (over-identification), was examined with entrepreneurial intention. Target population was students of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in Gonbad-e Kavous University and the sample size was determined to be 180 students using stratified sampling method and SPSS software was also used to analyze the data. Assessing entrepreneurial intention and self-compassion was used using the standard questionnaires of Linan et al. (2011) and Neff (2003). The validity of the questionnaires was assessed using the opinion of experts and the reliability of the questionnaires was assessed using the reliability coefficient of alpha Cronbach (0.83). The results indicated there is a significant positive relationship between the variables of self-kindness, common-humanity, and mindfulness, and there is a significant negative relationship between self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification with entrepreneurial intention. Finally, self compassion can help entrepreneurs build their determination to start a business and regain their ability to deal with problems of new businesses.

Identifying entrepreneurial opportunities in different regions is an important step towards developing entrepreneurship and improving the life quality of people. The purpose of this study is to identify agricultural entrepreneurship opportunities in Golbaf section of Kerman city. The method of this research is qualitative. The study applied purposive sampling method and interviewed with 17 experts and entrepreneurs in the field of agriculture. Through qualitative content analysis, 25 entrepreneurial opportunities including production, processing, trade, and infrastructure were identified and prioritized in the agricultural sector of Golbaf city. Prioritization of agricultural entrepreneurship opportunities in Golbaf city showed that packaging and processing of medicinal plants, setting up a tarragon essential oil production factory, and construction of a date packaging and processing plant had the highest priorities in the agricultural entrepreneurship opportunities in the Golbaf city.

Access to finance plays a key role in supporting entrepreneurial activities, and entrepreneurs use different methods of financing depending on the situation. One of the effective factors in financing businesses is the life cycle of the firm, which is divided into four stages: introduction (creation), growth, maturity and decline. The purpose of this study is to prioritize financing methods based on firm life cycle theory in agricultural businesses. The statistical population includes entrepreneurs and owners of agricultural businesses in Tehran. For sampling, purposeful sampling method was used and a questionnaire was distributed among 16 agricultural experts and entrepreneurs. To achieve the research goal, financing methods were prioritized according to the life cycle of agricultural businesses using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) technique. The results show that among the methods of financing agricultural businesses, in the stage of creating a business, financing through personal resources and savings, in the stage of growth, the use of accumulated profits and bank facilities, in the stage of maturity, the use of private investment and partnership, and in the declining phase, the use of support and guarantee fund facilities from other financing methods have a higher priority. Finally, suggestions were made for entrepreneurs and decision makers in the field of agricultural financing.

Students’ employability is one of the critical issues in higher education practice and research. Participation in extracurricular activities is one of the employability development mechanisms. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of extracurricular activities on students’ employability. A survey was conducted among 190 agricultural students’ in agricultural and natural resources University College, University of Tehran. Data were collected through a questionnaire which its face validity, construct validity and reliability were confirmed through a panel of experts, convergent and discriminant validity and composite reliability, respectively. Results revealed that participation in extracurricular activities had positive effect on students’ employability. 46 percent of students’ employability variance was explained by participation in extracurricular activities. According to results and regarding the lack of developed mechanisms to address employability in universities curriculum, improving students’ employability through extracurricular activities is recommended.

Increasing employment and reducing unemployment are considered as one of the indicators of the development of societies. Due to population growth of cities around the world and the increasing demand for food and jobs, urban agriculture can be one of the important strategies to respond these demands. The purpose of this study was investigating the role of urban agriculture in employment and entrepreneurship in different countries of the world. In-depth library study has been used in this study. Results showed that despite limited constraints and support, urban agricultural activities have significant share of employment and production of agricultural products in various countries around the world. According to the results, urban agriculture has a capacity that can provide a wide range of entrepreneurial employment opportunities in the agricultural production and services sector for young job seekers, especially agricultural graduates with new ideas. Also, providing safe food and earning a stable income with entrepreneurial motivations is one of the most important motivations for urban farmers in developing countries, including Iran. Therefore, urban agriculture in Iran, where youth unemployment is one of the main challenges, can be considered as a solution for employment of young people and agricultural graduates.