پوریا عطایی

Purpose- Since the development of entrepreneurial activities in rural areas reduces many initial costs, and because the agricultural production is centered in rural areas, agricultural graduates can make closer and easier relationships with beneficiaries. Therefore, the current research was conducted aimed at analyzing the rural entrepreneurial intentions of agricultural students of Hamadan University based on the extended theory of planned behavior. Design/methodology/implications- The population of the study were all senior agricultural students of Bu Ali Sina University, Hamadan (N = 420). The simple random sampling method and Krejcie and Morgan table were used respectively to sample the research population and to determine the sample size (n = 200). A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. To verify the reliability of the research tool, a pilot study and the calculation of the ordinal theta coefficient were also conducted. Findings- The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the indicators used to measure the latent attributes studied in this research are consistent with the factor structure and the theoretical basis of the research. The results showed that three main components of TPB (attitude, perceived behavioral control and social norms) had a positive and significant effect on rural entrepreneurial intentions of students, which predicts 51% of the variance of rural entrepreneurial intentions. In addition, adding six entrepreneurial skills to the model, the predictive power of TPB increased by 19%. Research limitations/implications- One of the most important limitations was the accurate assessment of the entrepreneurial skills. Practical implications- Considering the interaction of motivational and skill components, it can be inferred that students’ confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities and skills in order to launch and manage a new business gives them the power to have creative intentions and decisions to start a new activity. Originality/value- This study contributed to integrate skills and behavioral components for improving the rural entrepreneurial intentions of agricultural students. The results contribute to enriching the literature on rural entrepreneurial intention. This study documents the entrepreneurial intention and skills as important precursors to students’ decision to create new agricultural business.

Purpose- Basically, one of the physical planning patterns in Iran is the rural guidance [Hadi] plan that has been considered in the path of rural development planning since the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran. Preparing and implementing rural guidance [Hadi] plans with more than three decades of experience is one of the most fundamental proceedings is executed to enhance the physical development of Iranian villages. The implementation history of these plans over many periods indicates many challenges in the process of preparing, approving and implementing guidance [Hadi] plans. Design/methodology/approach- The main purpose of the present study was to analyze the challenges in the process of preparation, approval and implementation. For this purpose, we interviewed 12 individuals who had a background in conducting the guidance [Hadi] plan. Therefore, in this study, the research method was based on qualitative method and was used to analyze the data collected by MAXQDA software. Finding- The results show that the challenges in the process of preparing the conductor plans are Service description (29.73%), Partnership (33.78%), Organizational and systems (29.73%) and Consultants Characteristics (6.76%). In challenges existing in implementing Guidance [Hadi] plans, 2 main axes are also addressed by the interviewees, including participation and the rules. In the partnership axis, the limited participation of villagers in the implementation of plans with the weight of 100 was more important than other sub-axes. Since the villagers have minimal participation in the two processes of plan preparation and approval, it is, therefore, foreseeable to have limited participation in the process of implementation. Originality/value - This is significant because for the first time, a study is being conducted at this level on the challenges of preparing and implementing a Rural Guidance [Hadi] Plans.  The paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of Middle East & world.