An Ordinal factor analysis of requirements and challenges of information and communication technology system to train private agricultural insurance brokers in Iran

This study was conducted to identify challenges and requirements of an information and communication technology (ICT) system to train brokers. Using the ordinal factor analysis, the challenges and requirements have been classified into six factors (Human, Organisational, Technical,Social, Financial, and Legal) and four factors (instructional,technical, organisational, and cultural) respectively. Finally a conceptual framework is presented for the challenges and requirements of the ICT training system

Explaining the Challenges Facing the Development of Entrepreneurial University: The Application of Grounded Theory

An entrepreneurial university is a new approach to improving the quality of higher education systems around the world. However, the lack of a transparent mechanism has prevented Iranian universities from turning into an entrepreneurial university. In this regard, the present study aimed to identify the barriers facing the development of an entrepreneurial university in Islamic Azad University (Science and Research Branch). The statistical population was composed of managers and faculty members of the university, of whom 24 respondents were selected by the snowball sampling method. Using Grounded Theory, the respondents were subjected to in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed by NVivo10 software. In total, 55 codes were extracted in the open-coding step. Finally, eight main concepts were derived through the codifying hierarchy of Grounded Theory according to which the challenges included academic, distance, operational, human, management, strategic, political, and cultural ones. Each concept expresses one aspect of the subject. According to the results, the distance challenge is the most important challenge of the entrepreneurial university development at Islamic Azad University. The paper is concluded with some practical suggestions to facilitate the path to an entrepreneurial university

Role of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology in Iran

Agricultural experts in the field of biotechnology in Iran were surveyed in order to explore their perception  about factors influencing the participation of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology in Iran.  Based on the results of the study, policy making, marketing, infrastructural, educational and research factors determined about 74% of variance of factors influencing the participation of public sector in developing agricultural biotechnology.Key words: Biotechnology, agriculture, Iran, public sector

Degree modeling of pistachio farmers' resilience against climate change (Study subject: Rural areas of Rafsanjan and Anar counties, Iran)

The counties of Rafsanjan and Anar are some of the main production centers of pistachio, an important strategic commodity of Iran that is recently facing major environmental problems such as climate change. Therefore, the present research has modeled the degree of resilience of Rafsanjan pistachio and pomegranate farmers against climate change. The study's statistical population was pistachio farmers in the rural areas of Rafsanjan and Anar, which were 27,860 people. To determine the sample size of the research, a sample size of 588 users was calculated using Cochran's formula, with an error level of 4%. Users were then randomly selected in each village as a proportional assignment. A questionnaire was used for data collection. A group of experts determined its validity, and Cronbach's alpha method was used to determine its reliability and internal consistency. The combined method of Vaikor-entropy was used to measure the resilience behavior of Rafsanjan pistachio and pomegranate farmers against climate change. Data processing was done using MATLAB 7.10, AMOSver24, SPSSver25, and Arc-GIS 10.5 software. The results show that the behavior of the studied farmers' resilience against climate change is at an average level. Also, after analysis, the studied villages were divided into six levels, ranging from lack of endurance to resilient. None of the villages fell into the lowest or highest level. There are 8 villages with a very weak resilience level and 22 villages in the weak resilience level. There are 26 villages at the relatively resistant level and 4 villages in the good resilience level. This finding indicates that the investigated pistachio growers are not in good shape in terms of climate change resilience, and they are unable to deal with larger climate change variations, which can have serious effects on the agricultural sector and the villages' livelihoods

Analysis of interrelationships between the management of agricultural water consumption optimization constructs based on smart climate agriculture: application of structural analysis

Considering that the behavior of farmers regarding the use of smart climate agricultural technologies is influenced by the socio-economic conditions of their locality, this study identified the constituent components of optimal agricultural water consumption management in Pakdasht city, Iran. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using AMOS20 to investigate the linear relationships between latent and explicit variables. The results showed that the hidden variables of educational and economic, technical and economic, and cultural and economic dimensions have a significant relationship with each other. Variables such as financial support from official institutions to greenhouse owners for the preparation and installation of new irrigation systems, financial facilities provided by Agriculture Bank for greenhouse development, financial support for research and development in optimal water management, and financial support packages for adopters of smart technologies impact the economic dimension of water consumption management among greenhouse owners. Additionally, the ability to attract support from local leaders for optimal water management, capacity building, and the empowerment of local communities—particularly youth—in this area, as well as the formation of cooperative groups among users of new irrigation methods, facilitate interactions between greenhouse owners