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Nowadays, entrepreneurship and knowledge-based companies are highly considered. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting Psychological Capital (PSyCap) in two groups of agricultural and non-agricultural knowledge-based companies from Science and Technology Park (STP) of Fars province, Iran. The population included the companies located in the STP incubators in Fars province. The data were collected from 238 participants (100 from agricultural and 138 from non-agricultural companies) as a sample through a questionnaire. Regarding the effect of services and facilites provided by STPs on the performance of companies at incubators, it is suggested that such services and facilities become more specialized and reinforced. In addition, it is emphasized to consider the necessity of educational and operational strategies in order to strengthen the entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and PsyCap among members.

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Organic farming as an approach to sustainable agriculture tries to decrease environmental problems and possible health hazards caused by the residues from pesticides. Since the agricultural professionals are responsible to inform the farmers and the public by education and extension efforts, it is necessary to understand their attitudes. The main purpose of this research was to investigate factors influencing agricultural professionals’ attitudes towards organic farming. We used a survey research by questionnaire in Fars province (a southern province in Iran) to collect data from 138 agricultural professionals in autumn 2007. Major independent variables in the study were knowledge of organic farming, general attitude towards the environment, social norm about organic farming, moral norm about organic farming, nutrient attitude, health attitude, perceived transitional difficulty and negative attitude towards conventional agriculture. The findings showed that negative attitude towards conventional agriculture, general attitude towards the environment, perceived transitional difficulty and moral norm had significant and direct effects on attitude towards organic farming. Negative attitude towards conventional agriculture had the most direct effect. As it was expected, the perceived transitional difficulty had a negative effect on attitude towards organic farming.

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The present study aimed to analyze sugar beet farmers’ intention towards the acceptance of drip irrigation based on an extended version of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The main objectives of this study were introduction of the existing acceptance behavior models, comparison of these theories with a critical point of view, presentation of a theoretical framework based on TAM, and testing the possible relationships among variables. This descriptive-correlational research was conducted through a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population of the study was sugar beet growers of Miandoab District, Iran, of which 346 farmers were selected as the sample of the study using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method (N= 3326). The research instrument was a structured questionnaire, whose face, convergent, and discriminant validity were confirmed. Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability coefficients were employed to examine the reliability of research tool (0.74< α< 0.93). The results revealed that the variables of attitude, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness have significant positive effects on behavioral intention towards accepting drip irrigation technology. Innovation features also have an indirect effect on behavioral intention. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that independent variables of extended version of TAM could account for 59.3% of variance of behavioral intention towards drip irrigation acceptance. The significant effect of attitude towards acceptance of drip irrigation in explaining farmers' intention towards acceptance of drip irrigation technologies implies that reinforcing farmers' attitudes will increase the likelihood of activating behavioral intention towards these new irrigation methods. In general, the results of this study contribute to the development of more integrated and comprehensive models in the field of farmers' acceptance behaviors. It also provides practitioners and policy makers of agriculture and water sectors with some useful insights regarding determinants and strategies of behavioral changes.

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Empirical studies on the concept of rural entrepreneurship are neglected in the literature. This study aimed to analyze this concept empirically through investigation of the businesses related to rural areas and distinguish them into three groups including “rural entrepreneurship”, “entrepreneurship in rural areas” and “rural business”. Two questionnaires were designed for this survey research: one general, filled by owners of businesses, and the second was specific, filled by the research group. A total of 496 Iranian businesses related to rural areas supported by Omid Entrepreneurship Fund in Fars Province were categorized into three groups of businesses. The results of ANOVA indicated that “rural entrepreneurship” and “entrepreneurship in rural areas” were statistically more entrepreneurial than “rural business”. The values created by different groups of businesses were analyzed and the results showed that “rural entrepreneurship” was the only group whose profitability was dependent on value creation for rural areas.

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Research on the rural entrepreneurial process is relatively limited. This quantitative study appraised an opportunity-based model of rural entrepreneurial process that consisted of two components including the principal stages and the important factors in each stage. Using tree analysis, the pathways passed by the rural entrepreneurs and the drivers of the process were investigated. A survey was conducted with a sample of 193 rural entrepreneurs supported by Omid Entrepreneurship Fund, Iran. Based on the results, the rural entrepreneurs passed 7 pathways to get from opportunity recognition to opportunity exploitation. Process of analyzing the regression tree indicated that the rural entrepreneurial process resulted from a complex set of various stages and drivers. The first determinant stage of the predicted value of opportunity exploitation as the dependent variable was opportunity evaluation. All rural entrepreneurs were divided into two categories of low and high opportunity evaluation. The most important drivers of this stage were prior knowledge, access to expertise, and access to financial resources. According to the results, social supports, proactiveness, and expectancy for success were the most effective drivers of the rural entrepreneurial process in which opportunity revision was the most determinant stage. Opportunity examination was another determinant stage influenced by normative environment and self-efficacy. Innovativeness and social networks were the best drivers for the rural entrepreneurs who passed the rural entrepreneurial process with high ability of opportunity recognition. According to the results, both individual and contextual factors were important, in almost all pathways. To facilitate and accelerate the rural entrepreneurial process and promote its quality, it is important to consider the rural entrepreneurs’ abilities.