10.57647/ijamad.2025.1503.13

Analyzing Innovation Capacity in Agricultural Cooperatives of Iran

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  • Manoochehr Alizadehnia1,
  • Ahmadreza Ommani*1,
  • Azadeh Noorollah Noorivandi1,
  • Tahmasb Maghsoodi1,
  1. Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Sho.C., Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran

Received: 11-11-2023

Revised: 28-05-2025

Accepted: 15-07-2025

Published in Issue 30-09-2025

Copyright (c) 2026 Manoochehr Alizadehnia, Ahmadreza Ommani, Azadeh Noorollah Noorivandi, Tahmasb Maghsoodi (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Alizadehnia, M., Ommani, A., Noorollah Noorivandi, A., & Maghsoodi, T. (2025). Analyzing Innovation Capacity in Agricultural Cooperatives of Iran. International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.57647/ijamad.2025.1503.13
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of open innovation in enhancing innovation capacity, mediated by knowledge management, in agricultural cooperatives in Iran. The study population comprised 3,823 members of agricultural cooperatives in Khuzestan Province, Iran. The sample size (n = 349) was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table. A questionnaire was distributed to 349 members, with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) serving as key informants, following the common single-respondent approach in knowledge management and open innovation studies. The questionnaire covered three main sections: open innovation, innovation capacity building, and knowledge management. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze direct, indirect, and mediating effects. Data collection took place between June 2020 and January 2021. The findings suggest that knowledge management systems facilitate innovation capacity building and the development of innovative ecosystems. Open innovation, by leveraging internal and external knowledge flows, directly and through knowledge management, enhances innovation capacity. This study provides key scientific and managerial insights into innovation management and outlines future research directions in this field.

Keywords

  • Open Innovation, innovation capacity, knowledge management, agricultural cooperatives.
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