Journal of Research and Rural Planning -پژوهش و برنامه ریزی روستایی

Purpose- The main purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the performance of the two dimensions of tourism namely supply and demand to achieve agricultural tourism development in the rural areas of Zarivar Wetland in Marivan County as a capable destination in the field of agricultural tourism.Design/methodology/approach- This qualitative research has delved into documentary sources to collect data in the theoretical phase, and conducted purposeful interviews with the Delphi group (decision-making Delphi) in the field phase to identify effective obstacles. The Delphi group included 26 individuals of development authorities, tourism activists, local tourism entrepreneurs and informants as well as experts of rural development and tourism in the region. It was conducted applying grounded theory technique.Findings- The findings showed that the effective factors on the development of agricultural tourism in the region are in the form of two levels related to the development of mass tourism and specialized in the field of agricultural tourism. In the public sector related to the development of mass tourism, weakness in tourism infrastructures and services, weakness in marketing, weakness in training, protecting and diversifying the attractions, weakness in planning, monitoring and performance of governmental institutions, inappropriate business space and weakness in the needs and performance of tourists including 68 variables were identified as the main factors. In the specialized field and related to the development of agricultural tourism, , funding and financial flow, specialized advertising and highlighting, empiricism and creativity orientation, planning and management and traditional agriculture in the form of 34 variables were identified as the most important and effective obstacles of its development and expansion.Practical solutions- Changing the view of regional development and tourism managers to a systemic vision in tourism management and then changing the procedure in emphasizing the development of mass tourism in Zarivar Wetland and emphasizing the expansion of tourism with agricultural as well as paying attention to the villages on the edge of the wetland to present in the tourism market of the region are vitally important.Original/value- In today's era, according to the changes in the tourism market in attracting tourists with special motivations and taking the distance of the tourism market from mass tourism, the development of agricultural tourism can play as an important advantage in the field of rural tourism of Zarivar wetland and attract more tourists and increase their longevity.

Purpose- Existing literature shows that women, especially rural women, play a prominent role in the development of small and medium-sized businesses; however, few studies have explored factors affecting the perceptions and entrepreneurial tendencies of rural women in developing countries, especially in Iran. The present study was conducted to investigate the determinants of entrepreneurial tendencies of rural women, who are members of microcredit funds, in western Iran (Kermanshah province).Design/methodology/approach- This is an applied study of a correlational-descriptive nature with a quantitative approach that uses a survey method for data collection. The study population consists of all female members of microcredit funds in Kermanshah city (n = 626 people). Using Bartlett et al.'s table, 201 people were chosen as the research sample using a stratified random sampling method. They were selected by proportional assignment. The main data collection instrument was a questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity, convergent validity, combined reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Smart PLS software.Findings- According to the results, the latent variables of social capital, recognition of opportunities and entrepreneurial skills had a positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial tendency of rural women who are members of the microcredit fund; however, the positive and significant effect of entrepreneurial education on the entrepreneurial tendency of rural women was not confirmed. In addition, the findings showed that social capital has a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial tendency through opportunity recognition.Originality/value- The findings of this research have theoretical and practical implications for the development of entrepreneurship among rural women. That is while enriching literature on the subject, it helps policy makers focus on communication and social interactions, strengthen entrepreneurial skills and introduce entrepreneurial opportunities to develop entrepreneurship among rural women.

Purpose- The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which emotional intelligence have a psychological impact on the performance of employees in Nigeria health sectorDesign/methodology/approach- A descriptive survey research approach was employed to achieve this goal, and the study's population comprised of 102 nurses and doctors of State Hospital Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. Since nurses and doctors are recognized as the professionals who provide care services to patients in the organization, they make up the population. The Yamane formula was used to determine the sample size of 81, and the convenience sampling technique was used to select the respondentsFinding- Out of the questionnaire distributed 72 was completed and returned, yielding 89% response rate. The analysis's showed that emotional intelligence has a 52% variance in employee performance, with a R square value of 0.520. Additionally, it was discovered that employee performance was significantly and favorably impacted by the emotional intelligence predictor variables of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management with a βeta values of 0.341, 0.411, 0.217, and 0.381, respectivelyOriginal/value- An organization cannot experience improved performance or a sustained competitive advantage if its human resources are not managed efficiently. This is because human resources are the only resources within the organization that possess thoughts, feelings, and hopes. The study results would help managers in the health sector increase awareness of emotional intelligence's value within their workplaces as doing so would benefit both the employee and the organization.

Purpose: Despite much evidence on consumers' behaviors and veterinarians' perspectives against Covid-19, nor have the past inquiries surveyed ranchers and livestock breeders' hygiene behaviors against Covid-19, serving as the main actors in the supply chain of livestock-product. Therefore, this study intends to be notified of the hygiene behaviors of ranchers and sheep farmers to curtail the spread of Covid-19.Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the theory of planned behavior and health belief model, this study contributes to predicting sheep farmers' behaviors in Maragheh County, northwestern Iran (2021-2022). Based on the quantitative paradigm and non-experimental research design, the study benefits from the cross-sectional survey to gather the data of 207 sheep farmers using questionnaire. To analyze the data, linear regression model (LRM), analysis of variance, and univariate GLM were used.Findings: Using the Univariate General Linear Modeling (UGLM), it was found that subjective norms (SNs) ( ) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) ( ) have a significant influence on behavior, further, these factors have different variate values at three levels of production unit type, inclusive of mechanized (n = 27), semi-mechanized (n = 47), and traditional (n = 133), most value of SNs and PBC falls under the category of traditional production units. The interaction of the SNs variable (SNs × Production Unit) with the levels of the production unit is statistically significant (F = 1.87, p < 0.05; ).Original/Value: This study fulfilled the knowledge gap of the factors that contribute to forecasting hygiene behaviors of sheep farmers against Covid-19. The agenda of recommendations would have impacts on health and wellbeing of not just sheep farmers but also public people by promoting the preventive behaviors of ranchers and sheep farmers against the spread of Covid-19.

Purpose- This study examined the effects of non-revenue water (NRW) on organisation running costs and customer satisfaction. The intention was to describe the NRW's effects on the MUWASA's performance as a case study. Specifically, it identified factors prompting non-revenue water; described the NRW effects on organisation running costs; and examined the level of customer satisfaction towards service provision.Design/methodology/approach- A purposive sampling technique was used to pick respondents for the household survey and key informant interview. The study included 100 respondents (70 connected customers and 30 employees of the authority). MUWASA serves 5 zones of the municipality; therefore, the study obtained 70 connected customers from the five zones of the authority. The household survey and the key informant interviews (KII) were the main data collection methods, the survey technique was used to collect data from 100 respondents and seven were involved in key informant interviews.  Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis were used in data analysis.Findings- The findings have indicated that NRW affects the water utility revenue collection, and organisation running costs, which jeopardizes customer satisfaction with the organizational service delivery. Originality/value- Based on the National Water Policy of 2002 which aims at achieving sustainable, effective, and efficient development and management of Water Supply and Sanitation one of its objectives is to create an enabling environment and appropriate incentives for the delivery of reliable, sustainable, and affordable water supply and sanitation services. Therefore, the findings of this study are a catalyst for the improvement of the set policy objectives and enhance interventions where necessary.

Purpose- Rural tourism is considered a potential solution for rural communities to overcome economic challenges; in this context, smart tourism can be viewed as a logical advancement from traditional tourism, providing a balanced approach to revitalizing rural settlements and creating new economic opportunities for farmers and local communities. Accordingly, given that smart tourism can play a significant role in the sustainable development of businesses and the overall economy of villages, the aim of this research is to analyse the impact of smart tourism on the sustainable development of rural businesses in the Tafresh County.Design/methodology/approach- Therefore, this study is applied and employs a descriptive-analytical method, and from a paradigm perspective, it is classified as quantitative research. The required information was collected through both documentary-library and field methods. The statistical population of the study includes 28 villages in Tafresh County. In the field method, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. For data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, one-sample T-test, and the MARCOS multi-criteria decision-making model were utilized.Findings - The results from the exploratory factor analysis indicated that among the five identified factors, social and infrastructural factors in smart tourism have the greatest impact on the sustainable development of rural businesses. The results from the MARCOS decision-making model also showed that the villages of Kookan, Khank, and Naqousan are in a more favorable position regarding the indicators of smart tourism in the sustainable development of rural businesses.