Developing an Appropriate Model for Entrepreneurial Faculty of Agriculture in Iran

Abstract

Nowadays, promoting entrepreneurship to train graduates endowed with entrepreneurial traits is considered one of the new functions of the faculties of agriculture. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to design an appropriate model for entrepreneurial faculty of agriculture in Iran. This study was of the descriptive-correlational research type in which a survey method was employed for data collection. The study population comprised all students (N1 = 19973) and faculty members (N2 = 713) of all faculties of agriculture in Iran's state-run (public) universities, of whom 403 students and 344 faculty members were sampled by the multi-staged (three-stage) method. The sample size was determined by Krejcie and Morgan's sample size table. The research instrument was a self-designed questionnaire whose face and content validity were confirmed by a panel of experts. The diagnostic validity of the questionnaire in the case of its latent variables was also confirmed using the average variance extracted method (0.76≤AVE 0.87). Furthermore, its internal consistency (0.81≤α≤0.93) and composite reliability (0.80≤Pc≤0.91) were confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The collected data were also analyzed using SPSS 22 and LISREL 9.1. The results showed a significant relationship between structural, content, and contextual factors and the entrepreneurship of faculties of agriculture. Meanwhile, content factors showed the greatest effect (path coefficient = 0.83) on the entrepreneurship of agricultural faculties. According to the findings, the final proposed model was developed with respect to the factors listed in three categories of education, research, and entrepreneurship for the establishment of entrepreneurial faculties of agriculture in Iran.