Presenting a Model of Factors Influencing Social Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism of Gilan Province

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to identify the factors influencing social entrepreneurship in rural tourism in Gilan Province and to propose a fuzzy cognitive model. This research is considered exploratory-applied in terms of purpose and mixed-method (exploratory sequential) in terms of research type. The statistical population in the first phase consisted of 10 experts, scholars, and faculty members in the fields of tourism and entrepreneurship with outstanding experience in Gilan Province, who participated in semi-structured interviews and the Delphi technique. In the second phase, the statistical population included social entrepreneurs in rural tourism from 2022 to 2024, with a minimum of three years of work experience, from whom 12 individuals were selected for the fuzzy methodological section. For the structural equation modeling (SEM) section, social entrepreneurs active in rural tourism in Gilan Province were selected, and due to the use of the SEM method, a minimum sample size of 200 individuals was determined. In the first phase, a non-probability judgmental sampling method was applied. In the fuzzy methodological phase, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was distributed to social entrepreneurs in rural tourism using a non-probability judgmental sampling approach. In the structural equation modeling phase, a probability convenience sampling method was used to distribute the questionnaire. To identify the influencing factors in the first phase, thematic analysis was conducted, followed by the Delphi technique to confirm the components. The relationships between these factors were then determined using fuzzy cognitive modeling, with the aid of FCMapper and Mental Modeler software to identify the interrelationships among the factors. Finally, the extracted model was tested using structural equation modeling within the statistical sample. Through thematic analysis, 10 key influencing factors were identified: economic and financial factors, policy and planning factors, social capital utilization, community empowerment, cultural factors, environmental factors, technological and innovation factors, social entrepreneurship in rural tourism, social factors, and human capital. These 10 influencing factors were presented to tourism experts in Gilan Province in the form of a pairwise comparison questionnaire ranging from -1 to +1. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using fuzzy cognitive modeling, and the relationships among the factors were examined. The results indicated that the components of social entrepreneurship in rural tourism and community empowerment had the highest susceptibility to influence, while policy and planning factors, as well as economic and financial factors, exhibited the highest influencing power. Ultimately, social entrepreneurship in rural tourism and policy and planning factors achieved the highest central index.