Volume 11, Issue 40 (summer 2022)
serd 2022, 11(40): 189-206 |
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Pazkoi M. The role of social capital in the economic performance of rural entrepreneurs in Pakdasht county. serd 2022; 11 (40) :189-206
URL: http://serd.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3837-en.html
URL: http://serd.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3837-en.html
Assistant Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran , Pazoki@pnu.ac.ir
Abstract: (2939 Views)
Introduction
The entrepreneurship approach, suggested by planners, is a strategy for Overcoming the socio-economic problems facing rural communities. Facilitating innovations and entrepreneurial activities with high effectiveness are the tools to achieve economic development in rural areas. Another necessary condition for the development of any society, especially rural communities, are the main components of social capital, namely, the expansion of social cohesion, the development of social participation and, most importantly, mutual trust (between the private sector and the government). To achieve the development of entrepreneurial activities in rural areas, planning for the existing resources in rural areas, especially human resources, is essential through empowerment and resilience. The variables of social capital, empowerment and resilience must be considered in achieving innovative performance. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the social capital relationship with the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs in the rural district of Filestan in Pakdasht County according to the variables of resilience and empowerment.
Methodology
The present research is an applied study, and due to the nature of the subject, the approach to the research process is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the study was villagers in villages with more than 20 households in Filestan Rural district. According to Cochran's formula, 353 households from 5 villages were obtained as a research sample. Then, based on the number of households in each village and by stratified sampling method, the number of samples in each village was calculated. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed according to the opinion of experts in geography and rural planning. Its reliability was obtained by Cronbach's alpha method, and data analysis was performed using SPSS software and ARAS, CODAS, WASPAS, COPELAND and MULTI-MOORA techniques.
Discussion and conclusion
The crucial strategy for survival in today's fast-paced world for the villages is the use of all available resources and the empowerment of all the capacities available to the villagers. Choosing this path requires providing a suitable platform that allows the emergence of creative skills and tactics, and entrepreneurial activities. In the current research, the relation of social capital with the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs in the villages of Filestan Rural district was studied with regard to resilience and empowerment variables. According to the results of Shannon's entropy method, among the criteria of social capital effective on resilience, the criterion of knowledge and awareness with a weight of 0.9981 has the most importance. A rural society with stronger social capital in comparison with other villages has stronger social cohesion, social support, informal social relations, social interactions, social justice, justice in the distribution of resources, and resilient innovative practices and entrepreneurial activities. According to the COPELAND technique, the indicators of the desirability of innovation at the end of the work and the holding of classes related to entrepreneurship in the village were ranked first in significance. The ranking based on the MULTI-MOORA method shows that the villagers of Golzar village are more capable in terms of innovative practices and entrepreneurial activities compared to other villages. The results of the WASPAS technique show that the village of Golzar has a superior position compared to other villages in the Filestan Rural district from the point of view of different dimensions of social capital that are effective in the resilience of innovative and entrepreneurial practices with a Qi equal to 0.8764 and acts stronger. The results of the CODAS technique show that the role of social capital on the performance of rural entrepreneurs in Golzar village has been more than in other villages of the Filestan Rural district. This means that based on the results of this research, the self-confidence of entrepreneurs in this village, along with planning, training, skill acquisition, competitiveness, flexibility and increasing participation, should lead to a diversity of employment and improvement of household income in addition to creating social cohesion. Therefore, this village has stronger social capital than other villages. In fact, social capital leads to common ideals, social harmony, social cohesion, motivation, trust, creativity, and forward-looking, which can directly affect the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs through empowerment and resilience.
The following suggestions are presented in order to improve the conditions of entrepreneurship according to the variables of empowerment, resilience and entrepreneurship in the study area:
The entrepreneurship approach, suggested by planners, is a strategy for Overcoming the socio-economic problems facing rural communities. Facilitating innovations and entrepreneurial activities with high effectiveness are the tools to achieve economic development in rural areas. Another necessary condition for the development of any society, especially rural communities, are the main components of social capital, namely, the expansion of social cohesion, the development of social participation and, most importantly, mutual trust (between the private sector and the government). To achieve the development of entrepreneurial activities in rural areas, planning for the existing resources in rural areas, especially human resources, is essential through empowerment and resilience. The variables of social capital, empowerment and resilience must be considered in achieving innovative performance. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the social capital relationship with the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs in the rural district of Filestan in Pakdasht County according to the variables of resilience and empowerment.
Methodology
The present research is an applied study, and due to the nature of the subject, the approach to the research process is descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the study was villagers in villages with more than 20 households in Filestan Rural district. According to Cochran's formula, 353 households from 5 villages were obtained as a research sample. Then, based on the number of households in each village and by stratified sampling method, the number of samples in each village was calculated. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed according to the opinion of experts in geography and rural planning. Its reliability was obtained by Cronbach's alpha method, and data analysis was performed using SPSS software and ARAS, CODAS, WASPAS, COPELAND and MULTI-MOORA techniques.
Discussion and conclusion
The crucial strategy for survival in today's fast-paced world for the villages is the use of all available resources and the empowerment of all the capacities available to the villagers. Choosing this path requires providing a suitable platform that allows the emergence of creative skills and tactics, and entrepreneurial activities. In the current research, the relation of social capital with the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs in the villages of Filestan Rural district was studied with regard to resilience and empowerment variables. According to the results of Shannon's entropy method, among the criteria of social capital effective on resilience, the criterion of knowledge and awareness with a weight of 0.9981 has the most importance. A rural society with stronger social capital in comparison with other villages has stronger social cohesion, social support, informal social relations, social interactions, social justice, justice in the distribution of resources, and resilient innovative practices and entrepreneurial activities. According to the COPELAND technique, the indicators of the desirability of innovation at the end of the work and the holding of classes related to entrepreneurship in the village were ranked first in significance. The ranking based on the MULTI-MOORA method shows that the villagers of Golzar village are more capable in terms of innovative practices and entrepreneurial activities compared to other villages. The results of the WASPAS technique show that the village of Golzar has a superior position compared to other villages in the Filestan Rural district from the point of view of different dimensions of social capital that are effective in the resilience of innovative and entrepreneurial practices with a Qi equal to 0.8764 and acts stronger. The results of the CODAS technique show that the role of social capital on the performance of rural entrepreneurs in Golzar village has been more than in other villages of the Filestan Rural district. This means that based on the results of this research, the self-confidence of entrepreneurs in this village, along with planning, training, skill acquisition, competitiveness, flexibility and increasing participation, should lead to a diversity of employment and improvement of household income in addition to creating social cohesion. Therefore, this village has stronger social capital than other villages. In fact, social capital leads to common ideals, social harmony, social cohesion, motivation, trust, creativity, and forward-looking, which can directly affect the innovative performance of rural entrepreneurs through empowerment and resilience.
The following suggestions are presented in order to improve the conditions of entrepreneurship according to the variables of empowerment, resilience and entrepreneurship in the study area:
- Creating the environment and background for entrepreneurship (capacity building);
- Applying the necessary self-confidence and empowerment strategies through specialized training in the field of starting entrepreneurial businesses and innovative actions;
- Applying resilience-building strategies through specialized training in order to increase the ability to return to the conditions before the tension and after the accidents and the flexibility and creativity of entrepreneurs;
- Providing the necessary support to entrepreneurs in the fields of removing administrative formalities and facilitating loan conditions;
- Personal and occupational insurance and the establishment of markets for the sale of agricultural and rural products;
- Intensifying the expansion of entrepreneurial activities by creating mobility and activity.
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