Dimensions and Strategies of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Explorative-Mixed Research Study

With regards to the concept of sustainability, the dimensions and strategies of the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem have not been identified in most of valid literature of entrepreneurship discipline yet. The aim of this study is to conceptualize dimensions and strategies of Sustainable Rural Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (SREE) phenomenon for clarifying its dimensions and proposing regarding strategies for development of SREE. This study was conducted in two stages using an explorative mixed research design. In the first step, using a qualitative design, SREE was conceptualized, and its dimensions and strategies were developed. Therefore 6 dimensions and 36 strategies were conceptualized based on the analysis on the qualitative gathered data from the semi-structured interviews with the field experts of the research theoretical sample. In the second step, by pairwise comparisons of the quantitative method of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the weights of the dimensions were determined relative to each other, and the strategies were also prioritized. As a result of the study, the SREE was conceptualized so that some differences between this specific ecosystem and other ecosystems were identified. Rural entrepreneurship can be considered as a unique ecosystem that has its own characteristics and requirements in a context. Especially since the issue of bio-resources conservation has several public concerns, the importance of the SREE is greater than ever. The SREE as an independent phenomenon can provide new insights for the development of rural areas through the entrepreneurship process. Besides, from the contribution perspective, the contextualized dimensions and strategies as the developed concepts contribute to the body of knowledge in the entrepreneurship discipline based on the prominence of the context element in contemporary and future research of the entrepreneurship discipline. However, the substantive and context specific nature of the developed concepts and strategies requires future researchers to design variables according to these constructs for investigating the generalizability of these findings in more and different population frames

Methodological Evaluation and Analysis of Entrepreneurship Studies in Tourism: A Meta-Method Approach

Entrepreneurship in tourism as an emerging discipline, but with increasing growth, has attracted the attention of scholars of various disciplines through their interdisciplinary background. Research in this area, however, faces the same methodological and research weaknesses, and the results do not pave the way for entrepreneurs and policymakers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the methodology of studies in this field using meta-analysis. Statistical population includes all articles published in domestic journals in the field of tourism entrepreneurship. Sampling was done through a whole-body method and 44 articles were selected. The methodology of Sanders et al. introduced and used to evaluate and analyze the articles. The results show that research in this field is mainly conducted in the positivist paradigm, since entrepreneurship in tourism is in the conceptualization and theorizing stage, research in this field requires fundamental orientations with exploratory goals, qualitative and synthetic approaches, grounded theory strategies, and comparative and deductive approaches. Finally, suggestions for future research are presented

Entrepreneurship development policymaking factors: An exploratory survey of tourism in Iran

Widespread presence of small and medium enterprise (SME) and entrepreneurial businesses (EB) as well as governments' key role in tourism sphere, especially in developing countries. As a result, the importance of policymaking in SME and EB has been growing through last decade. This study is trying to identify and prioritize the factors influencing SME and EB policy in Iran tourism scope. For this research, data were collected via exploratory mixed method in two steps. Firstly, qualitative techniques such as literature review has been done to find all scholarly work and then using qualitative content analysis, factors influencing SME policy in tourism has been identified. In second step, quantitative methods, namely survey and Statistical techniques were used for analysis. Population of this study comprised policymaking and tourism entrepreneurship experts of Iran. The survey results showed there were 40 variables into six factors under two main dimensions influence on SME and EB. Factors identified in this study can be used to formulate macro policies in the tourism industry and national policymakers can utilize these concepts for entrepreneurship and SME's development in tourism. This research contributes to the existing literature in the field of entrepreneurship policymaking by introduce a systematic framework. This new framework can provide better insights and inform thinking in the area of entrepreneurship policymaking

Entrepreneurship development policymaking factors: An exploratory survey of tourism in Iran

Widespread presence of small and medium enterprise (SME) and entrepreneurial businesses (EB) as well as governments' key role in tourism sphere, especially in developing countries. As a result, the importance of policymaking in SME and EB has been growing through last decade. This study is trying to identify and prioritize the factors influencing SME and EB policy in Iran tourism scope. For this research, data were collected via exploratory mixed method in two steps. Firstly, qualitative techniques such as literature review has been done to find all scholarly work and then using qualitative content analysis, factors influencing SME policy in tourism has been identified. In second step, quantitative methods, namely survey and Statistical techniques were used for analysis. Population of this study comprised policymaking and tourism entrepreneurship experts of Iran. The survey results showed there were 40 variables into six factors under two main dimensions influence on SME and EB. Factors identified in this study can be used to formulate macro policies in the tourism industry and national policymakers can utilize these concepts for entrepreneurship and SME's development in tourism. This research contributes to the existing literature in the field of entrepreneurship policymaking by introduce a systematic framework. This new framework can provide better insights and inform thinking in the area of entrepreneurship policymaking

Tourism entrepreneurship policy: a hybrid MCDM model combining DEMATEL and ANP (DANP)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s), and Entrepreneurial businesses (EB) play an important role in tourism since tourism has increasingly become the largest economic sector. Entrepreneurships known as a mean of economic development and policymakers are looking for creating a competitive and dynamic entrepreneurial economy. The aim of this study is to present a model for entrepreneurship tourism policy by using entrepreneurship development framework, which interacts with economic development. To this purpose, entrepreneurship policy dimensions are weighted and prioritized by tourism entrepreneurs, tourism policymakers and experts using decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique and Analytical Network Process (ANP) technique. First, DEMATEL technique is used to identify complex relationships, and to form a network relationship map. Then, ANP technique is used to calculate the influential weights of policy criteria. Results show that policymakers for entrepreneurship development in tourism need to consider basic requirements factors. In addition, they should improve efficiency enhancer criteria as well as innovation driver criteria. Also, the relationship among dimensions and their influences on each other are illustrated. Using the capabilities of this method, we can determine the casual relationships between dimensions and criteria and identify priorities for policy