فرحناز رستمی

Understanding farmers' mental models (MM) is crucial for interpreting their behavior; however, these models, are shaped by technical, economic, and social factors, have often been overlooked. Using a case study from Kangavar County, Western Iran, this study investigates the MM of farmers and experts regarding wheat seed usage and proposes optimization strategies using a mixed-methods approach. Qualitatively, phenomenological analysis of interviews with 16 participants (selected via purposive and snowball sampling) identified five key factors shaping farmers' mental models (MM): work context, climate, experienced risks, available resources, and subjective norms. Experts' rationale for seed recommendations centered on three themes: academic knowledge, professional experience, and user characteristics. Quantitatively, a structured questionnaire administered to a separate sample of 255 farmers (stratified proportional sampling) and 50 experts (complete enumeration) revealed significant disparities. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) across all major mental model (MM) domains. Responses were initially scored as percentages (0–100) based on item agreement, then standardized to a 100-point scale. Mean scores were substantially higher among farmers in experienced risks (74.02 vs. 15.80), subjective norms (66.24 vs. 18.93), and work context (65.67 vs. 35.30), indicating stronger perceived influence of experiential and social factors. Conversely, experts scored higher on academic knowledge (75.28 vs. 41.71), reflecting greater reliance on scientific evidence.The Delphi method identified and prioritized key strategies for optimizing seed use, with "preparing a suitable seedbed" (weighted average: 0.148) and "using certified seeds" (weighted average: 0.143) ranked highest. These findings underscore the critical gap between farmer and expert models and emphasize the need for targeted interventions that integrate experiential knowledge with scientific evidence to bridge this divide, fostering more sustainable seed usage practices.

Purpose- Existing literature shows that women, especially rural women, play a prominent role in the development of small and medium-sized businesses; however, few studies have explored factors affecting the perceptions and entrepreneurial tendencies of rural women in developing countries, especially in Iran. The present study was conducted to investigate the determinants of entrepreneurial tendencies of rural women, who are members of microcredit funds, in western Iran (Kermanshah province).Design/methodology/approach- This is an applied study of a correlational-descriptive nature with a quantitative approach that uses a survey method for data collection. The study population consists of all female members of microcredit funds in Kermanshah city (n = 626 people). Using Bartlett et al.'s table, 201 people were chosen as the research sample using a stratified random sampling method. They were selected by proportional assignment. The main data collection instrument was a questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity, convergent validity, combined reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Smart PLS software.Findings- According to the results, the latent variables of social capital, recognition of opportunities and entrepreneurial skills had a positive and significant effect on the entrepreneurial tendency of rural women who are members of the microcredit fund; however, the positive and significant effect of entrepreneurial education on the entrepreneurial tendency of rural women was not confirmed. In addition, the findings showed that social capital has a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial tendency through opportunity recognition.Originality/value- The findings of this research have theoretical and practical implications for the development of entrepreneurship among rural women. That is while enriching literature on the subject, it helps policy makers focus on communication and social interactions, strengthen entrepreneurial skills and introduce entrepreneurial opportunities to develop entrepreneurship among rural women.