Multi-stakeholder involvement and urban green space performance

This study aimed to identify the main factors influencing urban green space performance. Therefore, a conceptual framework on the relations of multi-stakeholder involvement (MSI) and the performance was conducted by a mixed-method approach. The study covered all urban green space projects (UGSPs) published in international journals as its population which were obtained from three main databases: ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Picarta. Using a few combinations of keywords, 29 relevant journals were identified, which included 42 UGSPs as the main units of analysis in this study. A content analysis was used to determine the contribution of MSI to the performance of urban green space. The main internal (state, private, society, planning/design, implementation, maintenance, input for management, and financial support) and external (regulation, good leadership and financial support) MSI indicators were further identified. The findings showed that the main indicators that significantly influence urban green space performance are 'state, society, implementation and regulation'. The study concluded that the state plays a critical role in the UGSPs' performance although it is not the only actor. The influential role of the state and society should also be considered since most of green space projects are non-profit oriented. 'Society' involvement also contributes to the performance and 'regulation' is also needed as a legal basis for green space development and management. To validate the conceptual framework and mixed-method approach developed here, it is recommended that more studies should be conducted to compare the relationship of the MSI and the UGSPs' performance in different categories

Promoting Entrepreneurial Behavior among Agricultural Students: A Two-Step Approach to Structural Equation Modeling

I ncreasing rate of unemployment among the graduates of Iranian higher agricultural education system has been developed into one of the major socio-economic problems of the nation. Entrepreneurship is one of the most important factors contributing to economic and social development, that is, it is a main driver for employment creation. As such, many policy initiatives in Iran attempt to pull agricultural students toward an entrepreneurial career choice. In this regard, considering the importance of entrepreneurship, and applying Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting entrepreneurial behavior of agricultural students in Razi University. The population of this study consisted of all senior agricultural students of Razi University in Iran (N=300), 169 of whom were selected as the sample using the proportional stratified sampling method. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS version23 software in two phases of descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that personal attitude toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm were the main predictors of entrepreneurial intention (R 2=0.46) and behavior (R 2=0.45) among agricultural students. The findings of this study can have practical implications concerning the promotion of entrepreneurial intention and behavior among agricultural students for higher agricultural education managers, planners, and educators

Vulnerability assessment models to drought : toward a conceptual framework

Drought is regarded as a slow-onset natural disaster that causes inevitable damage to water resources and to farm life. Currently, crisis management is the basis of drought mitigation plans, however, thus far studies indicate that effective drought management strategies are based on risk management. As a primary tool in mitigating the impact of drought, vulnerability assessment can be used as a benchmark in drought mitigation plans and to enhance farmers' ability to cope with drought. Moreover, literature pertaining to drought has focused extensively on its impact, only awarding limited attention to vulnerability assessment as a tool. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for designing a vulnerability model in order to assess farmers' level of vulnerability before, during and after the onset of drought. Use of this developed drought vulnerability model would aid disaster relief workers by enhancing the adaptive capacity of farmers when facing the impacts of drought. The paper starts with the definition of vulnerability and outlines different frameworks on vulnerability developed thus far. It then identifies various approaches of vulnerability assessment and finally offers the most appropriate model. The paper concludes that the introduced model can guide drought mitigation programs in countries that are impacted the most by drought

A cross-cultural approach to understanding entrepreneurial intention

The current research aims to shed light on the role of culture in the formation of career intentions. It draws on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen), which has been widely employed to predict intentions, including entrepreneurial career intentions, but past research has almost exclusively been conducted in "Western" countries. The current research specifically explores the extent to which both the strength of relationships of TPB predictors with entrepreneurial career intentions and the TPB predictors themselves are invariant across cultures. The study compares six very different countries (Germany, India, Iran, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands), drawing on an overall sample of 1,074 students and their assessments of entrepreneurial career intentions. Results support culture universal effects of attitudes and perceived behavioral control (self-efficacy) on entrepreneurial career intentions but cultural variation in the effects of subjective norm

PRA: Where Has All the Participation Gone?

Abstract Participation is a process through which stakeholders influence Introduction The past two decades has witnessed more shifts in the rhetoric of rural development than in its practice. These shifts include the now familiar reversals from top-down to bottom-up, from centralized standardization to local diversity, and from blueprint to learning process. Linked with these, there have also been small beginnings of changes in modes of learning. The move here is away from extractive survey questionnaires and towards participatory appraisal and analysis in which more and more the activities previously appropriated by outsiders are instead carried out by local rural or urban people themselves

Factors determining Adoption of Information Technology by Vocational Agricultural Teachers Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in Kermanshah Province

The purpose of this survey study was to determine factors influencing adoption of information technology using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) among vocational agricultural teachers in Kermanshah province. Davis's questionnaire was back-translated and used to collect data. The research instrument was validated by a panel of experts and reliability was checked using Cronbach's alpha coefficient yielding 0.7 for all sections. A census of 52 agricultural vocational teachers across six agricultural vocational schools (Kermanshsh, Islam-abade Gharb, Songhor, Ravansar, Ghasreshirin, Bisetoun) participated in the study. The results of path analysis revealed that perceived usefulness and attitude towards using information technology had a positive and significant correlation with teachers' use of information technology. Moreover, perceived ease of use predicted attitude towards using information technology. The result of this study has implications for policy makers involved in agricultural vocational schools in that teachers can be made aware of effectiveness of information technology in teaching and learning process. In addition, mastery learning can enhance teachers' utilizing information technolog