9 pages, via online journal article, Internet is a key for globalization and a tool for communication around the world. E-commerce has been introduced as a global phenomenon in the twenty-first century by internet development. The main goal of this research is to investigate the challenges and solutions of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture. The paper is based on a descriptive-analytical type of field research, therefore a questionnaire was prepared as our data collection tool. The population of this research was a panel of agriculture faculty members in Iran. The overall results showed that the use of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture has many obstacles ahead in infrastructural, cultural, social and educational fields. The research findings showed that e-commerce can provide many advantages like profitability, elimination of intermediaries, agricultural production market development, farmers' awareness of market prices, and access to national and international markets, increasing competition and improving the quality of agricultural products. According to the results it seems
that infrastructure development, culture and security and confidence production, and internet training to all classes of people are the most important strategies for e-business development in agriculture. Further research in this area and using other countries’ experiences are some other proposed solutions for e-commerce development in Iranian agriculture.
11 pages., via online journal., The main purpose of this research was to investigate those factors influencing the entrepreneurial behaviour of agriculture students who were members of entrepreneurship learning and training groups in virtual communication networks. In doing this, a conceptual model was developed to examine the effects of characteristics of entrepreneurship virtual social networks and the degree of participation in these networks through entrepreneurial thinking and decision on entrepreneurial behaviour. The study population of this descriptive-correlational research was made up of 180 members of virtual social groups exchanging knowledge of entrepreneurship in WhatsApp and Viber networks. A total of 126 usable questionnaires were collected. Results indicated that participation in virtual social networks had both direct and indirect effects – through entrepreneurial thinking and decisions – on entrepreneurial behaviour. However, characteristics of entrepreneurship virtual networks had only indirect effect on entrepreneurial behaviour via entrepreneurial thinking. The study highlights certain implications for policymakers, (potential) entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship support organizations, researchers and underlines the potential of virtual social networking for promoting entrepreneurship.
12 pages., via online journal., This descriptive survey research was undertaken to design appropriate programs
for the creation of a positive perception of nanotechnology among their
intended beneficiaries. In order to do that, the factors affecting positive
perceptions were defined. A stratified random sample of 278 science board
members was selected out of 984 researchers who were working in 22 National
Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs). Data were collected by using a
mailed questionnaire. The descriptive results revealed that more than half
of the respondents had “low” or “very low” familiarity with nanotechnology.
Regression analysis indicated that the perceptions of Iranian NARI Science
Board Members towards nanotechnology were explained by three variables:
the level of their familiarity with emerging applications of nanotechnology in
agriculture, the level of their familiarity with nanotechnology and their work
experiences. The findings of this study can contribute to a better understanding
of the present situation of the development of nanotechnology and the planning
of appropriate programs for creating a positive perception of nanotechnology.
13 pages., via online journal., This study examined the feasibility of the use of mobile phones as an educational tool in agricultural extension services in the Guilan Province of Iran. A descriptive-survey methodology was employed on a sample population of 120 agricultural extension agents. Data were analyzed at descriptive and inferential levels using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The results of the factor analysis indicated that the application of mobile phones in extension activities was influenced by three factors: economic, skill, and infrastructure. These factors accounted for 52.3% of the variance. Moreover, the possibility for the development of mobile phones as an educational medium is impacted by social, financial-credit, information-communicational, psychological, and improper conditions factors that, in total, captured 70.4% of the variance.
17 pages, via online journal, Purpose: This quantitative study sought to investigate the perceptions of teachers and students regarding competency-based education (CBE) principles at the College of Agriculture at Razi University.
Design: This research is a comparative analysis of two groups. The first group consists of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in agriculture who are members and non-members of student cooperatives (n = 256). The second group consists of agricultural faculty members (n = 59).
Findings: The results of this study show that students and teachers have different views with regard to the extent to which CBE principles are practiced in the College of Agriculture. Moreover, students with different learning patterns had different perceptions regarding the extent to which CBE is practiced, whereas teachers with different teaching patterns had the same perception of the application of CBE principles in the College of Agriculture.
Practical implications: This study has practical implications for agricultural higher education in general and colleges of agriculture in particular. Colleges of agriculture across Iran could encourage their students to establish and engage in student cooperatives so that the ‘what’ and ‘how’ aspects of CBE are put into practice.
Theoretical implications: This study has theoretical implications for CBE principles. For example, student cooperatives can be utilized by faculty members as one of the main strategies for developing CBE in agricultural colleges.
Originality/value: This study is original in that it moves from theory to practice when considering CBE.
13 pages., Via online journal., The investigation of the rising use of pesticides in the Yazd City is a remarkable issue, the respective witnesses on the factors affecting the issue are lacking. For this reason, this contribution was intended to investigate the determinants of the pesticide use behavior (PUB) using the design of sequential-exploratory mixed method in central Iran. In the qualitative phase, verbal data (i.e., pesticide narratives) were collected. The heuristic units of the case study were thematically analyzed using the Atlas.ti software. The obtained results served as the data that were applied to develop the conceptual framework, including grounded concepts. By surveying 306 cucumber farmers, the proposed model was tested using the path analysis in the interface of SPSS and AMOS, indicating the model fits with the data well. The study finds that attitude towards the indigenous knowledge of the pest and disease management forecasts the PUB indirectly by the mediation of attitude, behavioral intention, and PBC. Moreover, large-scale farmers have a better understanding of the usefulness of the IPM. Furthermore, the scientific pesticide knowledge and imitation influence the PUB. Habitual behavior and avarice also have a negative impact on the PUB. In addition, trust has an indirect impact on the PUB via behavioral intention. It is necessary to take policy initiatives to enhance the efficient PUB by (1) establishing a network of indigenous knowledge relevant to the pest and disease management together with the scientific pesticide knowledge, (2) disseminating the innovations that mitigate the impact of pesticides (e.g., Biochar), (3) giving information to farmers so that they are persuaded to make money as much as they fulfill their fundamental needs, change their detrimental habits of pesticide use, and (4) raising the trust in cucumber farmers by establishing a close communication between agricultural experts and cucumber farmers and updating the technical knowledge of agricultural experts in the ground of pest and vector management as well as the use of pesticides.
15 pages., via online journal., This study aimed to analyse the mediating role of farmers' time perspective in water resources exploitation behaviour/s (WREB). The study was descriptive correlational and causal relational and was carried out using a survey. The statistical population consisted of farmers in the eastern area of Lake Urmia (N = 232 295), of whom 386 persons were selected using a stratified random sampling method. The instrument was a questionnaire, whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts. Its reliability was also verified by performing the Cronbach's alpha test (0.60 ≥ α ≥ 0.94). The causal framework is presented based on the findings. In such a condition, self‐efficacy, psychological needs and time perspective had the highest total causal effect on farmers' WREB. Moreover, the results confirmed the mediating role of time perspective (as a personal variable) and time norms (as a social variable) in WREB. Therefore, the proper conduct of farmers' WREB needs to provide a futuristic perspective, which is also confirmed by social norms.
Hosseininia, Gholamhossein (author), Khachak, Parisa Rafiaani (author), Nooripoor, Mehdi (author), Van Passel, Steven (author), and Azadi, Hossein (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2015
Published:
Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 32 Document Number: D10630
23 pages., via online journal., Understanding communicational behavior of rangelands’ stakeholders is fundamental for effective development of rangeland management plans. This study aimed to understand differences between stakeholders’ relations among various actors involved in rangeland management using social network analysis (SNA). A survey was conducted on 334 stakeholders (89 extension agents, 110 researchers and 135 executive agents) in the Tehran province, Iran. Results showed that all the three groups of stakeholders are interested in making contact mainly within their own group. Furthermore, while the executive agents have shared the strongest technical and friendship relations with the two other groups, the extension agents established the strongest administrative interactions. The researchers, however, made a poor link especially with the extension agents. The study concluded that SNA could be an efficient tool to assess communicational behavior in rangeland management.
