New Approaches in Management and Marketing

Abstract The aim of this study is to present a model of factors affecting investors' intention to participate in crowdfunding projects and is mixed in terms of methodology. In the qualitative part, data were collected through interviews with 14 experts and specialists in the field under study and analyzed using the content analysis method and ATLAS.ti software, which resulted in the extraction of 14 main themes and 46 sub-themes. Next, in the quantitative part, by designing a questionnaire and collecting 200 samples of active investors, the proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling using Smart Pls software. The research findings showed that all identified factors, including motivation and desire, trust, risk perception, familiarity and recognition, altruism, financial and information resources available, shared values, network size, innovation and quality of the project, rate of return, geographical location, expertise and experience of the project owners, and product or service characteristics, have a positive and significant effect on investing in crowdfunding. The results also indicate that investor behavior in this area is influenced by a combination of economic, social, and psychological factors and is not limited to financial dimensions. Finally, the conceptual framework presented in this study can be used as a practical basis for improving the performance of crowdfunding platforms, enhancing investors' decision-making processes, and increasing the success of entrepreneurial projects.

Abstract This study aims to examine the experiences and influential factors shaping young people’s transitions from traditional employment to freelancing. The statistical population consists of 28 Iranian experts in the field of freelancing. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews using purposive sampling and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The qualitative method applied in this study was thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s standard framework, and coding and analysis were conducted using Atlas.ti software.
The analysis of findings revealed four strategic dimensions that provide a comprehensive perspective for understanding freelancing:
(1) push factors and decision‑making in career transition;
(2) significant economic and financial challenges during the transition process;
(3) skill development and professional networking; and
(4) economic empowerment outcomes for youth.
The results indicate that transitioning from traditional employment to freelancing is a complex and multilayered process requiring precise and purposeful planning, strong social and professional network development, and the establishment of supportive governmental and political environments. The comprehensive strategic framework presented in this study can serve as a practical and evidence‑based guide for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholder organizations—including chambers of commerce and labor unions—to more effectively support young individuals during this career transition and to improve conditions for the development of freelancing.
Introduction
Over the past decade, a transformative shift—both morphological and structural—has emerged in the global labor market, placing independent entrepreneurship and freelancing at the forefront as key solutions. In Iran, as the knowledge‑based economy, modern digital technologies, and internet‑driven economic infrastructures rapidly expand and evolve (Khodaparast & Emadi, 2025), young people are increasingly and noticeably gravitating toward freelancing, autonomous work, and self‑directed employment, considering these pathways as preferred career choices.
These new forms of employment and career transitions, despite offering advantages such as flexibility and autonomy, are accompanied by complex and profound challenges that pose difficulties both for young individuals and for the global economy (Yang et al., 2024). Income instability, lack of access to conventional employment benefits such as health insurance and unemployment insurance, high levels of economic vulnerability, and the absence of formal support structures are among the most significant challenges (Lu et al., 2024).
Accordingly, the central research question is formulated as follows: How does the transition of Iranian youth from traditional employment to freelancing lead to economic empowerment?
Theoretical Foundations
Independent Entrepreneurship
Independent entrepreneurship, or freelancing, refers to a modern approach to business and autonomous work in which an individual, as an independent entrepreneur, undertakes various projects for multiple clients. In this model, the individual operates as a self‑directed professional, performing diverse tasks for different and numerous clients (Baitenizov et al., 2025; Öberg, 2018).
Career Path
Various perspectives exist regarding career paths, each emphasizing one or several dimensions of occupational development. Holland’s Theory of Career Choice highlights the alignment between an individual’s personality and their work environment, proposing that people are naturally drawn to occupations that match their personality types—such as realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, or conventional. This theory conceptualizes career choice primarily as a voluntary and individually driven process based on person‑environment fit; however, it pays limited attention to external pressures and involuntary career transitions.
Economic Empowerment
Economic empowerment is a broad and multi-layered concept that refers to the process by which individuals acquire and activate the ability, authority, and capacity to plan, make independent decisions, and control their own economic resources (Golara et al., 2025; Saffari Darberazi et al., 2025).
Research Methodology
This qualitative study employed the thematic analysis method within the standard framework developed by Braun and Clarke (2006), utilizing the Atlas.ti software. A qualitative approach was selected for this research to gain an in-depth, internal understanding of the lived experiences, motivations, emotions, and meanings held by participants (Clarke & Braun, 2021). This established framework for thematic analysis has garnered over 20,000 academic citations to date and represents a scientific and systematic method for identifying semantic patterns and latent themes within qualitative data (Foroozanfar et al., 2025).
The study utilized purposive sampling. The statistical population comprised individuals holding at least a bachelor’s degree and currently engaged in freelance work. In this research, the criterion for concluding the sampling process was the achievement of theoretical saturation, as defined within Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework. The sampling process unfolded iteratively and in parallel with the coding phase. Following approximately 22 initial interviews, no significant new codes were added to the initial coding structure, and the primary themes began to repeat. Subsequently, conducting 6 additional interviews provided richer data and new contextual examples but did not yield any novel conceptual codes or themes, indicating theoretical saturation at the level of the main themes.
Research Findings
Through the analysis of 28 interviews conducted with the target population and audience, followed by a textual analysis of the interview transcripts, 11 initial themes were identified. In aggregate, these sub-themes represent four main dimensions, illustrating that the transition from traditional employment to freelancing among Iranian youth is not a simple linear process. Instead, it is a chain of transitions where push factors and liberating motivations, in conjunction with economic and institutional challenges, are navigated through skill and network development. This ultimately leads to outcomes of relative empowerment or [outcome not specified in text]. Consequently, freelancing in this study is understood not merely as an opportunity nor solely as a threat, but as a dynamic and conditional field whose quality of experience is contingent upon a specific combination of individual, network, and structural circumstances.
Discussion and Conclusion
The results of this research indicate that the transition from traditional, conventional employment to freelancing for Iranian youth is a complex, multi-layered, and arduous process that demands considerable attention, meticulous and purposeful planning, and substantial support. The key findings are as follows: Firstly, diverse and varying push factors are significant—negative push factors (fear of instability, dissatisfaction) are as important as positive ones (freedom, income). Secondly, considerable economic challenges, such as income instability and the lack of benefits, represent fundamental dilemmas requiring innovative solutions. Thirdly, essential social capital, along with strong professional and social networks are crucial for success and economic empowerment. Fourthly, balanced economic empowerment and genuine self-sufficiency necessitate a combination of financial independence, a sense of control, and economic security.
In comparison to previous research, the findings of this study regarding the importance of networking underscore the vital and fundamental role of social capital in freelancing. These results corroborate Golara’s (2025) research on the role of “weak ties” and professional networks in job seeking. Furthermore, our findings concerning the essential role of social and professional networks, the importance of continuous skill development and learning, and the fear and concern regarding income instability show significant similarities with studies conducted in other countries (Baitenizov et al., 2019; Morris et al., 2025). However, fundamental differences also exist. It can be argued that in Iran, negative push factors are stronger, whereas in developed countries, positive factors are more prevalent.
The findings of this research have important implications for policymakers and support organizations, presented below based on the study’s outcomes:
Based on the findings and themes from the push factors and decision-making dimension, a significant portion of youth transitioning to freelancing stems from dissatisfaction with the rigid structures and bureaucracy of traditional employment. Therefore, it is recommended that governmental and private organizations revise their human resource policies. By developing flexible work models (remote work, flextime, project-based work) and reducing unnecessary procedures, they can mitigate some of the push pressures. This would help transform freelancing from an option often driven by compulsion or escape from structure into a conscious and strategic choice.
Based on the themes from the economic challenges dimension, considering the fundamental role of income instability and the lack of benefits in undermining the economic empowerment of freelancers, it is proposed that policymaking institutions such as the Ministry of Labor, the Social Security Organization, and the Chamber of Commerce move towards designing insurance and support mechanisms tailored for freelancers. This includes flexible health and retirement insurance and adaptable premiums based on actual income, thereby partially reducing the gap between occupational freedom and social security.
Furthermore, findings based on the skill development and networking dimension indicated that success in freelancing depends on a package of technical, soft, and business skills, as well as robust professional networks. Consequently, it is recommended that universities, skill training centers, and science and technology parks design and implement comprehensive freelancing preparation courses, including training in negotiation, project management, personal marketing, and professional networking skills. They should also foster the development of social capital for freelancers by creating networking spaces, such as internal events and platforms.
Also, based on the themes from the economic empowerment outcomes, given that economic empowerment is experienced as relative and conditional by participants, it is suggested that policymakers and freelancing platforms develop indicators to monitor the quality of freelance livelihoods, including relative income stability and access to social support. Based on these indicators, programs to enhance the welfare and job security of freelancers should be designed, ensuring that the transition to freelancing systematically leads to improved well-being rather than merely a change in the form of insecure work.
Based on the results of this research, suggestions for other researchers interested in the field of freelancing are presented as follows: conducting longitudinal studies to track the career paths of youth over longer periods; examining the potential of freelancing for women and conducting specific research on the unique barriers faced by female freelancers; analyzing the role of new technologies, artificial intelligence, and automation on the future of freelancing; investigating public sector support policies; conducting cross-country comparative studies to benchmark and assess efficient and diverse freelancing methods; and examining the social effects of freelancing on family and social relationships. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions and components of competitive advantage and innovation within the policy framework for creating and developing digital entrepreneurship in knowledge‑based companies. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and qualitative in terms of methodology. The statistical population consists of 15 experts, including university faculty members in management and managers of knowledge‑based firms located in Kerman. Considering participants’ diversity (managers, faculty members, and employees), a purposive sampling method was employed, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews and analyzed using coding and thematic analysis, facilitated by MAXQDA software.
The findings reveal that the most significant themes in this domain include research and development, adoption of emerging technologies, creation of digital business models, data‑driven decision‑making, digital networking, cybersecurity, development of e‑commerce, digital management and online human‑resource systems, development of digital markets, digital investment, and attraction of digital financial resources. These results indicate that digital entrepreneurship in knowledge‑based firms encompasses multiple dimensions that can contribute to enhanced performance and competitiveness.
Introduction
With the expansion of digital technologies and their prominent role in the global economy, digital entrepreneurship has emerged as a key driver of economic and social development. In this context, knowledge‑based businesses—relying on innovation and competitive advantages—possess significant potential for value creation and sustainable development. However, the absence of a comprehensive and effective policy model for establishing and developing digital entrepreneurship in such firms represents a major challenge (Bagaini et al., 2022).
As an emerging and rapidly evolving field, digital entrepreneurship requires specialized operational models tailored to the needs and characteristics of knowledge‑based enterprises. Many existing models have been designed in a general form and do not sufficiently address the specific context of digital entrepreneurship or the distinct nature of knowledge‑based firms. This lack of operational models often leads to confusion and difficulties in implementing digital entrepreneurship strategies (Merín‑Rodrigáñez et al., 2024).
Innovation and competitive advantage are two critical factors in the success of knowledge‑based companies within the realm of digital entrepreneurship. Innovation is a key driver of growth for firms, enabling them to achieve future successes and providing a mechanism through which businesses can sustain their presence in the global economy (Sung & Kim, 2021). It helps companies secure competitive advantages in uncertain environments, outperform competitors; and ultimately influences long‑term organizational performance. Innovation is also the primary factor contributing to business growth (Eshkor Vakili & Nojabaei, 2022). The innovation process requires effective management and efficient use of resources and technologies. The lack of an effective model for managing and implementing innovation can diminish competitive capability and hinder the realization of a firm’s full potential.
Competitive advantage refers to a firm’s ability to, compared to its competitors, deliver greater value to customers. Knowledge‑based businesses, particularly those engaged in technology and innovation, must identify and leverage their competitive advantages. However, many such firms face challenges in recognizing, analyzing, and operationalizing these advantages. These challenges often stem from the absence of an integrated and practical framework for analyzing and exploiting competitive advantages (Hoang & Böckel, 2024).
Accordingly, the central question of this study is: How can the dimensions and components of competitive advantage and innovation be identified within the policy framework for creating and developing digital entrepreneurship in knowledge‑based companies?
Theoretical Framework
Digital Entrepreneurship
Digital entrepreneurship refers to the process of creating and developing businesses that primarily focus on digital technologies and technology-based business models. This type of entrepreneurship involves utilizing the internet, digital software, online platforms, and emerging technologies to establish, launch, and grow new ventures (Sharma, 2022).
Competitive Advantage
Competitive advantage refers to an organization’s ability to create higher value than its competitors and achieve market superiority. This advantage enables organizations to differentiate themselves from rivals by leveraging unique resources and capabilities; thereby gaining a larger market share (Teece, 2020).
Mir Jalali et al. (2025) investigated the design of a customer relationship management development model and the role of sustainable competitive advantage in sports clubs in Gilan province. The research findings indicated that 469 indicators could be effective in customer relationship management with an emphasis on sustainable competitive advantage in sports clubs in Gilan province. Subsequently, in the axial coding of indicators, they were categorized into 105 concepts and 41 categories. The data obtained from interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The results showed that seven main categories—Marketing, Organizational Environment, Infrastructure, Performance, Management and Planning, Service Quality, and Relationship Management—are important for optimizing the customer relationship management system to develop CRM with an emphasis on sustainable competitive advantage. Managers of sports clubs can utilize the identified indicators, concepts, and categories in their future planning for effective customer engagement.
Abhkiz et al. (2024) examined the presentation of a competitive advantage model with a pioneering approach in Iran’s aviation industry. The results indicated that having an appropriate network and scope of air routes, flights, and airport services in the country; the possibility (capability) of technological sharing for producing modern aircraft; the technical and technological capabilities of the industry for pioneering; possessing strategic management vision and abilities for the industry to lead; having experience in joint cooperation with international consultants, companies, and governments; the willingness of statesmen and decision-makers in the industry to be pioneers; commitment to strategic plans by industry managers for pioneering; the aviation industry’s learning, adaptation, and future-gazing capabilities for pioneering; possessing skills and expertise among managers and human resources in the industry for pioneering; the number and composition of the air transport fleet; and having cohesive, integrated, and strategic marketing and branding plans in the industry have the most influence among variables on competitive advantage for pioneering.
Research Methodology
In terms of its objective, the research methodology is applicable; and in terms of execution, it is qualitative. The statistical population of the research includes 15 experts, university professors in management, and managers of knowledge-based companies in Kerman city. For sample selection, considering the diversity of experts (managers, professors, and staff), a purposive sampling method was used, and interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection.
Research Findings
For data analysis, coding and thematic analysis methods were employed, utilizing the Maxqda software. The results indicated that the most significant themes in this domain include Research and Development (R&D), utilization of new technologies, creation of digital business models, data-driven decision-making, digital networking, cybersecurity, e-commerce development, digital management and online human resources, digital market development, digital investment, and digital fundraising. These findings suggest that digital entrepreneurship in knowledge-based companies encompasses various dimensions that can contribute to improving the performance and competitiveness of these firms.
Conclusion
The present research was conducted with the aim of identifying the dimensions and components of competitive advantage and innovation in the policy-making for the creation and development of digital entrepreneurship in knowledge-based companies. These findings are consistent with the results of previous studies by Mir Jalali et al. (2025), Abhkiz et al. (2024), Hosseini et al. (2023), Masah Choolabi et al. (2023), Porter & Kramer (2023), Teece (2022), Snihur et al. (2022), Fartash (2022), Nambisan & Baron (2021), and Ciriello et al. (2021). Hosseini et al. (2023) have shown that challenges such as technological limitations and legal institutions, along with digital market opportunities, are considered the main barriers and opportunities for digital entrepreneurship in Iran.
Based on the research findings, the following suggestions are provided:
Establish digital infrastructures for online sales and customer acquisition through various platforms. These models should be designed to cover the specific needs of particular customers and markets.
Create an online system for collecting, evaluating, and implementing suggestions. This system can assist companies in identifying new market needs and improving internal services and processes.

Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work.
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
AI Use Statement
The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript.
Funding
The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript.
Ethics Approval
All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract The aim of this study is to present a model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (RA), selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Data analysis was performed through coding using the content analysis method and using NVIVO version 11 software. The research findings showed that the extracted concepts related to the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee include 94 themes, 30 basic themes, and 10 organizing themes (drawing a vision supporting social entrepreneurship, improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization, utilizing economic activity, creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture, service-oriented human resources, social responsibility of the relief committee, creating sustainable value in the organization, creating organizational interactions, promoting social justice and reducing poverty, and improving the organization's entrepreneurial performance).
Introduction
Today, a new topic that has been considered in the field of entrepreneurship, along with organizational entrepreneurship, is social entrepreneurship. This type of entrepreneurship expresses the benefit of a social institution with an image of discipline, innovation, and social dependence and is rooted in human interactions and human social relations (Gelard et al., 2022). Social entrepreneurship is recognized as the most important tool for addressing social challenges and whenever the market and the public sector cannot cope with these challenges, social entrepreneurship emerges as an agent of change and a social organization as an organizational entity that considers the separatist sector as a customer, while being guided by the philosophy of harmonizing social and economic value (Choi et al., 2024).
Entrepreneurship is a process that involves recognizing, evaluating and exploiting opportunities to introduce new products, access new markets or raw materials by organizing efforts that did not exist before (Simeone et al., 2018). Social entrepreneurship is proposed as an innovative approach to addressing social needs with an emphasis on problem solving and social innovations that eliminate traditional boundaries between the private, public and non-governmental sectors. Defining social entrepreneurship and its conceptual boundaries is not an easy task; because the concept is inherently complex and the literature in this field is very new. The term, used in both the general and academic literature, covers a wide range of activities and innovations (Seifi et al., 2024).
According to the latest estimates, there were approximately ten million NGOs in the world in 2015. There are also about fourteen thousand NGOs in Iran. Of the total number of NGOs in the country, 5,409 operate under the title of People’s Charity Centers with the license of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. These centers consist of a number of local benefactors and trustees managed voluntarily and in a completely popular manner with a board of directors structure and usually in the manner of traditional charities. However, if we define social entrepreneurship as an effective, innovative, sustainable and voluntary response of individuals or social institutions to one or more social needs, then undoubtedly the charity centers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, which are often providing social services in old and traditional ways, are still a long way from reaching the stage of social entrepreneurship. For this reason, one of the solutions to promote social entrepreneurship in the charity centers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is to develop and present a desirable model of social entrepreneurship to transform the management methods of these centers. Therefore, in this research, we seek to answer the question: what is the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee organization?
Theoretical Framework
Social Entrepreneurship
"Social entrepreneurship is the activities and processes committed to discovering, defining, and exploiting opportunities to enhance social values, which are carried out through new actions and the management of existing organizations in an innovative manner" (Shahvand et al., 2022).
Bazoukar & Bagheri (2025) examined the presentation of the Islamic jurisprudence support model of social and economic entrepreneurship. The findings were extracted based on the research approach of 6 aspects, 26 components, and 76 codes. Managers and entrepreneurs should adopt and implement effective principles and strategies to achieve positive outcomes. The results showed that the rights support model of social and economic entrepreneurship was presented in the form of 26 components. Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025) examined the presentation of a social entrepreneurship model in the development of rural tourism in the tourism target villages of Gilan province. The results showed that traditional tourism entrepreneurship follows a capitalist approach, is highly profit-oriented, and ignores the social aspects of doing business, which may in turn cause further harm to already disadvantaged communities. Social entrepreneurship in tourism, referred to here as tourism social entrepreneurship, is positioned as a market-oriented approach to addressing various social problems through tourism entrepreneurship.
Research Methodology
The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, selected through purposive sampling. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved.
Research Findings
Data analysis was carried out through coding using the content analysis method and using NVIVO version 11 software. The research findings showed that the extracted concepts related to the model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee included 94 themes, 30 basic themes, and 10 organizing themes (drawing a vision supporting social entrepreneurship, improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization, utilizing economic activity, creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture, service-oriented human resources, social responsibility of the relief committee, creating sustainable value in the organization, creating organizational interactions, promoting social justice and reducing poverty, and improving the organization's entrepreneurial performance).
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of presenting a model for developing social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The results of this study are consistent with the studies of Bazoukar & Bagheri (2025), Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025), Blanco-Jiménez et al. (2024), Abhari & Hashempour (2024), Viswanath et al. (2024), Azizi & Mohammadi (2024), Chichevaliev et al. (2023), Cortes & Lee (2022), Nourpour et al. (2023), and Gelard et al. (2022). Abhari & Hashempour (2024) showed that there is a direct and significant relationship between social entrepreneurship and its various dimensions and components based on the multidimensional model of social entrepreneurship with environmental components that affect this concept; accordingly, the environmental component corresponding to the "risk-taking" element of "innovative behavior"; the concept of "creative and innovative spaces" and the pillar of "power of wisdom"; the concept of "coherence and integrity" and the pillar of "entrepreneurial virtue"; the concept of "moral values"; and finally the pillar of "identifying social opportunities" which is one of the pillars of social entrepreneurship is the concept of "common norms".
According to the results of the research, the following suggestions were made:
Participation in social projects Cooperation with non-profit organizations and charities to improve social conditions.
Creating awareness campaigns and launching educational campaigns to make people aware of social and environmental issues. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract The present study sought to investigate the role of entrepreneurial marketing in the development of the tourism industry. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, quantitative in terms of its implementation method, and descriptive-correlational in terms of its nature and method. A standard questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect research data. The content validity of the tool was confirmed by specialists and experts, and Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were used to measure the reliability of the tool. By distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the tool was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all variables should be greater than 0.5. SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the data. The results of structural equation modeling with SmartPL software showed that entrepreneurial marketing of health tourism is influenced by human factors, innovation, and government support, and has a significant impact on economic and social strategies and outcomes. Implementing innovative strategies improves the tourist experience and develops cooperation between healthcare and tourism centers. This study shows the importance of innovative management and the use of new technologies for the sustainable development of health tourism. In addition, the overall model fitting results showed that the obtained model had appropriate validity, reliability, and credibility.
Introduction
The tourism industry is one of the most important economic and cultural resources of countries and plays a key role in sustainable development, job creation, and increasing foreign exchange earnings (Rajabi et al., 2024). Tourism can contribute to economic and social growth by creating direct and indirect job opportunities, strengthening infrastructure, and developing less-developed areas (Lovafan et al., 2022). In Iran, despite its natural, historical, and cultural diversity, there are potential capacities for tourism development, the use of which requires careful planning and targeted policymaking (qiu et al., 2021).
Health tourism, as one of the booming and growing branches of tourism, has gained special importance. The combination of medical services with natural and cultural attractions has made Iran one of the potential health tourism destinations in the region. In addition to generating income, this type of tourism improves the quality of medical services, creates jobs, and promotes balanced development of different regions, and provides new economic opportunities for the private and public sectors (Tash & Amiri Sardari, 2023).
Entrepreneurial marketing, as a new approach to marketing management, is a combination of entrepreneurial thinking and traditional marketing principles. This approach emphasizes creativity, innovation, risk-taking, and opportunism and helps organizations remain competitive in dynamic markets. In the tourism industry, entrepreneurial marketing provides the opportunity to provide differentiated services and products, attract tourists, and create new experiences (Salami et al., 2023). Entrepreneurial marketing, relying on innovation, creativity, and the use of new market opportunities, can play a key role in the development of the health tourism industry (Mansoori et al., 2024). By focusing on accurately understanding the needs of the target market and utilizing new advertising and digital techniques, this type of marketing can help identify and introduce unique health services in health tourism destinations. In addition, entrepreneurial marketing leads to the formation of a coordinated and integrated ecosystem to attract health tourists by encouraging cooperation between different sectors such as medical centers, travel agencies, and governments. Also, by using innovative approaches, entrepreneurial marketing can help identify new markets and develop unique strategies to attract target audiences globally (Darwazeh, Clarke & Wilson, 2021). In countries like Iran, which have good medical infrastructure in many areas such as dentistry, cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment, and traditional medicine, health tourism can be considered a valuable economic opportunity to attract foreign exchange earnings and create employment. However, to exploit these opportunities, there is a need for precise and entrepreneurial marketing strategies that are specifically dedicated to this industry (Jabari Nezhad esfahlan, Divsalar & Hoseini Ghoncheh, 2022). Currently, despite the high therapeutic capacities, the marketing of the health tourism industry in Iran is still in its infancy, and many private medical centers and hospitals have not been able to effectively use this potential. This is especially noticeable compared to competing countries that use advanced marketing strategies to attract health tourists. Another challenge is the lack of accurate knowledge of the characteristics of the target market in the health tourism industry. This market, unlike traditional tourism markets, pays special attention to the specific needs of individuals and health services tailored to those needs. Therefore, designing a marketing model that can accurately identify the needs and preferences of the target market is of particular importance (Tash & Amiri Sardari, 2023). Therefore, the main question of the present research is: what is the role of entrepreneurial marketing in the development of the tourism industry?
Theoretical foundations
Health tourism
Health tourism is a set of activities in which people travel to a destination other than their place of residence to improve their physical and mental health, receive medical, rehabilitation, prevention or health care services. This type of tourism is a combination of medical, care and recreational services and, due to its overlap with other tourism sectors such as nature tourism, cultural and accommodation, has extensive economic and social potential (Shafiei & et al, 2021).
Research background
Khakzadian (2025) studied “Explanation of local and cultural characteristics of Mazandaran province on the formation and continuation of hybrid entrepreneurship”. The qualitative and phenomenological research approach was chosen using the Claise method. The results show that the combination of cultural, geographical and climatic characteristics of the region, as well as the role of local networks and support structures, provides a suitable platform for the formation and continuation of hybrid entrepreneurship in Mazandaran.
Yahyazadeh et al. (2023) studied “Presenting a tourism industry development model with an emphasis on the role of media management with a mixed approach”, in this study a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) was used. The results showed that advertising, service quality, policy-making, participation of local people, tourism culture, appropriate exploitation of the environment, income generation in the tourism destination and infrastructure facilities were identified as the main components that affect the tourism industry.
Research methodology
This research is applicable in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The population of the present study includes all hospital visitors (including patients and their companions). Given the unlimited size of the population, the sample size was determined to be 384 people and four cities including Shiraz, Rasht, Tehran, and Isfahan were selected. The researcher was assigned to Milad and Pars hospitals in Tehran, Namaz and Dr. Shariati hospitals in Shiraz, Fayyaz Bakhsh, Imam Khomeini hospitals in Isfahan, and Ghaem (A.J.) and Golsar hospitals in Rasht. An equal number of 48 questionnaires were distributed to each hospital. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research instrument are reported in Table 2. To examine the validity of the instrument, content validity (expert opinion) was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, by distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the instrument was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all research variables must be greater than 0.5. In order to test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used in the context of smart pls2 statistical software.
Research findings
The findings showed that human factors and skills, innovation in services, infrastructure and government support play an important role in the formation of entrepreneurial marketing in health tourism, and this phenomenon has a significant impact on development strategies and economic, social and cultural consequences of the industry. Also, strategies based on entrepreneurial marketing improve customer experience, attract investment and strengthen cooperation between medical centers and tourism. These results are in line with previous domestic and international research and emphasize the importance of innovative management and the use of new technologies in the development of health tourism.
Discussion and Conclusion
The research findings showed that a set of human and specialized factors play the greatest role in the formation of entrepreneurial marketing in health tourism. The expertise and experience of doctors, the communication skills of employees, the quality of customer-oriented services, and innovation in providing medical services strengthen the understanding and trust of health tourists and provide a suitable platform for entrepreneurial marketing. These results are in line with the studies of Shafei et al. (2021), who emphasized that human resource capabilities and service quality are the most important factors in attracting health tourists in Iran. Also, the studies of Kaewman et al. (2018) show that innovation and expertise are the determining factors for tourists. Therefore, it can be concluded that human factors and innovation are the basis for the development of entrepreneurial marketing in the health tourism industry and their importance has been confirmed globally.
The results show that entrepreneurial marketing, as the main phenomenon of the research, is the main driver of the success of health tourism attraction strategies. The use of creativity, digital technologies, social networks and distinctive branding increases the attractiveness of health services and differentiates the destination in the competitive health tourism market. These findings are consistent with the research of Daraie et al. (2023) which shows that innovative and digital marketing increases the effectiveness of health tourism programs. Also, the studies of Mansoori et al. (2024) emphasize that the application of new technologies and entrepreneurial marketing increases competitiveness and international market development. As a result, entrepreneurial marketing plays a key role in creating value, developing the market and attracting health tourists and can create a sustainable competitive advantage for medical destinations. The findings showed that cultural and social factors play an important intervening role in the implementation of entrepreneurial marketing strategies. The attitude of the host community, the level of public awareness towards health tourism and the level of acceptance of new treatment methods can facilitate or limit the implementation of marketing programs. The study of Hosseini et al in Iran also emphasizes that a positive attitude and community awareness are prerequisites for the success of health tourism. Studies by Kaewman et al. (2018) show that cultural differences and social acceptance are determining factors for the success of health tourism destinations. Therefore, it can be concluded that without cultural support and community awareness, marketing strategies, even if innovative, will not achieve the desired results.
The results showed that the existence of appropriate physical and medical infrastructure, standard accommodation facilities, appropriate transportation and financial support and government policy play a fundamental role in the success of entrepreneurial marketing. Studies by Wang et al. (2023) have also shown that infrastructure and government support are the most important requirements for the development of health tourism. Kaewman et al. (2018) also shows that smart government policymaking and the development of standard infrastructure directly attract health tourists and increase industry productivity.
Therefore, the conclusion is that marketing strategies cannot be effective without adequate infrastructure and strengthening environmental conditions is the basis for the development of this industry.
The results show that the implementation of entrepreneurial marketing strategies has wide-ranging consequences at the economic, social and cultural levels. The use of creativity, innovative service design and correct branding, in addition to increasing tourist attraction, creates jobs, boosts related businesses and improves the quality of health services. Robina-Ramírez et al. (2022) studies have also emphasized the role of these strategies in economic development and improving the quality of services. Kaewman et al. (2018) studies also show that innovative marketing increases cultural interaction, sustainable development and improve of the quality of health services in health tourism destinations. Therefore, entrepreneurial marketing strategies act as a bridge between therapeutic capacities and international markets and play a key role in the sustainable growth of the industry. Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge all individuals, institutions, and organizations that provided scientific, technical, administrative, or advisory support throughout this research and the preparation of this manuscript. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial, personal, professional, or institutional conflicts of interest relevant to this work. Data Availability Statement The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. AI Use Statement The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation, writing, or editing of this manuscript. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other financial support were received during the conduct of this research or the preparation of this manuscript. Ethics Approval All procedures performed in this study were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible institutional and national research committee.

Abstract Abstract
The aim of the present study is to level and relate the factors of social entrepreneurship policies in Imam Khomeini Relief Committeee. The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, selected by purposive sampling. In order to level and examine the relationship between the factors of social entrepreneurship policies, the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC methods were used. Based on the results of the final model of relationships between the organizing themes, the final model of social entrepreneurship policies consists of four levels. At the first level, the theme of "promoting social justice and reducing poverty" is placed, which receives the greatest impact from other themes of the study. At the second level of the model, six themes are included: “Improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization”, “Taking advantage of economic activity”, “Service-oriented human resources”, “Social responsibility of the relief committee”, “Creating organizational interactions” and “Improving the entrepreneurial performance of the organization”. The themes included at the second level influence the themes at the first level and are influenced by the themes at the third level. At the third level, two themes are included: “Creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture” and “Sustainable value creation in the organization”, and at the fourth level, the theme is “Drawing a vision supporting social entrepreneurship”, which has the greatest impact on the themes at the lower levels.
Introduction
Today, entrepreneurial activities have been proposed as a key axis of innovation, job creation and economic growth in the world. Among them, social entrepreneurship is a type of entrepreneurship that has recently attracted the attention of researchers. The goal of social entrepreneurship is to better understand the needs of society by entrepreneurs and also to create social responsibility towards society. High levels of social entrepreneurship can be a characteristic of a healthy society. Therefore, the need for human resource innovation processes and investment in social entrepreneurship is not endless (Davoudirad et al., 2021). Social entrepreneurship refers to a process in which entrepreneurs build or change institutions at the local community level and act by expressing useful solutions to reduce social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, environmental degradation, etc. (Viswanath et al., 2024). Due to its social nature, social entrepreneurship can have many impacts on societies; among other things, it can provide solutions to a wide range of social problems and as an effective mechanism for generating economic, social and environmental value. Social entrepreneurship has always been associated with social change processes (Gupta et al., 2020). Social entrepreneurs also act as agents of social change. They take advantage of opportunities that are ignored by others to grow society through new approaches and create solutions to improve the current situation (Haugh & Talwar, 2014). Just as an entrepreneur can create a new industry, a social entrepreneur can also find a new solution to social problems and implement it in the best possible way (Fazelipour et al., 2024). In this regard, the main research question is posed as follows: What is the leveling and relationship between the factors of social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee organization?
Theoretical Framework
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a process that involves recognizing, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities to introduce new products, access new markets, or raw materials by organizing efforts that did not previously exist (Simeone et al., 2018).
Social Entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is a process in which individuals, groups, and social sectors voluntarily work to create value from unused social assets and recognize the opportunities arising from them (Davoudirad et al., 2021).
Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025) examined the presentation of a social entrepreneurship model in rural tourism development in tourism target villages in Gilan province. The results showed that traditional tourism entrepreneurship follows a capitalist approach, is highly profit-oriented, and ignores the social aspects of doing business, which may in turn cause further harm to already disadvantaged communities. Social entrepreneurship in tourism, referred to here as tourism social entrepreneurship, is positioned as a market-based approach to address various social problems through tourism entrepreneurship.
Viswanath et al. (2024) conducted a study titled Social Entrepreneurship Opportunity Recognition among Higher Education Students: Scale Development and Validation. According to the results of the study, a 24-item scale was developed in this study, with six factors measuring the motivational factors influencing opportunity recognition in social entrepreneurship: life experiences, social awareness, social inclination, community development, institutional gaps, and natural choice for a meaningful career.
Research Methodology
The research method is developmental-applicable in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of this study includes 17 university professors, social entrepreneurship experts, and senior managers of the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, selected through purposive sampling.
Research Findings
In order to classify and examine the relationship between the factors of social entrepreneurship policies, the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC methods were used. Based on the results of the final model of relationships between organizing themes, the final model of social entrepreneurship policies consists of four levels. At the first level, the theme of "promoting social justice and reducing poverty" is placed, which receives the greatest impact from other research themes. At the second level of the model, six themes are included: “Improving entrepreneurial capacities in the organization”, “Utilizing economic activity”, “Service-oriented human resources”, “Social responsibility of the Relief Committee”, “Creating organizational interactions” and “Improving the entrepreneurial performance of the organization”. The themes included at the second level influence the themes at the first level and are influenced by the themes at the third level. At the third level, two themes are included: “Creating an entrepreneurial organizational culture” and “Sustainable value creation in the organization”; and at the fourth level, the theme is “Drawing a supportive vision for social entrepreneurship”, which has the greatest impact on the themes at the lower levels.
Conclusion
The present study was conducted with the aim of classifying and relating the factors of social entrepreneurship policies in the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee. The results of this finding are consistent with the results of the research of Doozandeh Ziabari et al. (2025), Viswanath et al. (2024), Maziriri et al. (2024), Jafarinasab et al. (2023), Khalili Khezrabadi & Hassani (2023), Cortes & Lee (2021), Hoseini et al. (2022), Safari & Mooghali (2022), Nourpour et al. (2023), Mouseli et al. (2020), and Fazelipour et al. (2024). In the study of Safari & Mooghali (2022), the research findings showed that the social entrepreneurship model in non-governmental organizations includes seven dimensions of flexible structure, entrepreneurial culture, social value creation, entrepreneurial strategies, community-oriented leadership, social service-oriented employees, and innovative processes.
According to the research results, the following suggestions were made:

Developing an innovative and knowledge-based jobs document as a top-level document in the relief committee (given the missions and position of this institution in the development of the innovative and knowledge-based jobs ecosystem(
It is suggested that employees be sensitive to problems, incidents, and events that occur in the workplace by increasing their common understanding. The greater this sensitivity and commitment of employees, the more sensitive employees become in solving them, leading to better implementation of the organization's social policy.

Abstract Creativity and innovation and the ability to discover new opportunities are among the most obvious characteristics of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is actually a kind of human action that occurs in the field of economic activity. Competition in technology and guaranteeing and continuity of life and survival in organizations and industries requires finding new solutions and methods to deal with problems, which depends a lot on innovation, innovation, creation of new products, processes and methods. Entrepreneurship in organizations and industries includes the cultivation of entrepreneurial behaviors in this field, in which managers provide conditions so that all employees enjoy the spirit of entrepreneurship. This research aims to identify the challenges of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in Iran's Trade Development Organization and an attempt has been made to prepare a unified model of these problems under the title of barriers to entrepreneurship in this field, which include education, characteristics The managers of the Iran Trade Development Organization are the dimensions of time and technology. Also, it has been discussed about educational programs as one of the strategies for developing and promoting entrepreneurship, and an effort has been made to show the importance of the role of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial perspective in starting a business and managing large organizations. The data were analyzed with Student's t-test, Spearman's correlation coefficient (p), beta (β) significance test, and linear regression.

Abstract Abstract The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial intention on the entrepreneurial behavior of students with regard to the modifying role of fear of failure and economic literacy. The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, quantitative in terms of approach, and of descriptive-correlative type. The statistical population of the research included all undergraduate students of Shahid Beheshti, Allameh Tabatabai, Tehran and Shaahed universities, 310 of whom were selected by random sampling. Data collection tools are five standard questionnaires: entrepreneurial intention (Linan and Chen, 2009), entrepreneurial behavior (Gire et al., 2020), independence, innovation and risk-taking (Bolton and Lin, 2011), fear of failure (Cacciotti et al., 2020), and economic literacy (Soratno et al., 2021). Also, data analysis was done using structural equation modeling and SmartPLS software. The results of the research showed that the variables of independence, innovation and risk-taking of students have a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. Also, entrepreneurial intention has a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial behavior. The fear of failure variable has a negative adjustment of the relationship between intention and behavior, and the economic literacy variable has a positive adjustment on this relationship. The research findings show the important role of personality traits on entrepreneurial intention and the importance of the modifiers introduced to fill the gap between entrepreneurial intention and behavior. Extended Abstract Introduction Entrepreneurship is the most important economic activity in the economic development of a country; and entrepreneurs as economic factors, by promoting economic, technological, social and organizational development, have an important effect on economic revival (Bosma et al, 2018). Creativity, innovation and the ability to discover new opportunities are among the most obvious characteristics of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is actually a kind of human action that occurs in the field of economic activity (Mahmoudi, 2023). Therefore, it is necessary to study and understand the underlying factors of entrepreneurial orientation, because entrepreneurship serves to increase the final efficiency of any economy (Gieure et al, 2020). Due to the complexity of the emergence of investment, many people who intend to start a business cannot direct it to entrepreneurial behavior and action. Also, researches show that entrepreneurial intention is often measured several months or even several years before measuring entrepreneurial behavior and actions (Kautonen et al., 2015; Meoli et al, 2020). Therefore, there is a time gap between intentions and actual behaviors, and the longer this gap is, the higher the probability of unforeseen events; and as a result, attitudes and primary intentions change (Schlaegel & Koenig, 2014). Therefore, to fill this gap, it is possible to define suitable modifiers between entrepreneurial intention and behavior (Song et al., 2014). In this research, two factors of fear of failure and economic literacy have been used as two modifiers. Economic literacy is related to understanding the basic concept of economics and its implementation on how people behave and make economic decisions (Nurjanah et al., 2018). In relation to entrepreneurial intention, economic literacy plays a role as a basic economic behavior to achieve a person's well-being and is essential in deciding economic and entrepreneurial activities (Rustantono et al., 2020). Fear of failure is a negative emotional reaction based on cognitive evaluation of the potential of failure in the context of uncertain and ambiguous entrepreneurial performance, which is one of the important factors in not taking the form of the entrepreneurial intention-behavior relationship (Cacciotti et al., 2020). Therefore, the researchers are trying to answer this question in the form of this research: what is the effect of entrepreneurial intention on the entrepreneurial behavior of students considering the role of the modifier of fear of failure and economic literacy? Theoretical literature Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of creation, vision and change. This requires generating and implementing new ideas and solutions. In 1934, Schumpeter described entrepreneurship as a process of creative destruction (Tavakoli, 2013). In order to become an entrepreneur and start his own business, a person must go through a path that begins with the intention to do work, which as a mental state leads him to the end of the path, which is entrepreneurial action and behavior. In the meantime, he also faces challenges and problems that he must overcome with the help of knowledge, experiences, personality traits and external support. The relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behavior Entrepreneurial behavior is the approximate result of entrepreneurs' entrepreneurial cognitions and emotions (Bird & Schjoedt, 2017). Entrepreneurial intentions are often used as a proxy for behavior. Therefore, most studies have only examined the nature and antecedents of entrepreneurial intention (Kong et al, 2020). However, startup intentions do not always translate into actual startup action, especially among students who have very limited experience of actual entrepreneurship (Meoli et al, 2020). Therefore, focusing solely on entrepreneurial intentions or using intentions as a proxy for action is a severe limitation for our insight into entrepreneurial action (Adam & Fayolle, 2015). In other words, business ventures are not completed if aspiring entrepreneurs do not take actual actions despite having intentions (VanGeldern et al, 2015). Fear of failure as a modifier Fear of failure is a negative affective reaction based on the cognitive evaluation of the potential of failure in the context of uncertain and ambiguous entrepreneurial performance. It is assumed that the movement from startup intention to actual entrepreneurial action has different vulnerability depending on the entrepreneur's high or low fear of failure (Cacciotti et al, 2020). Neneh & Dzomonda (2024) investigated the gap between entrepreneurial intention and behavior among students of South African universities. For this purpose, two factors of commitment and source of internal control were placed as modifiers in the relationship between intention and entrepreneurial behavior. The results showed that entrepreneurial intention is a decisive and significant factor for actual behavior. In addition, commitment and internal locus of control moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and behavior. Duong & Vu (2023) based on the theory of planned behavior, investigated the relationship between entrepreneurial attitude and intention on entrepreneurial behavior. The research results showed that each of the factors of attitude towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intention have a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial behavior. Also, the combination of these two factors has a greater effect on entrepreneurship intention. Research methodology The current research is quantitative in terms of its approach, applicable in terms of its purpose, and descriptive-correlative in data collection and analysis. Data analysis was done using structural equation modeling and with the help of SmartPLS software. The statistical population of the research included all undergraduate students of commercial, industrial and financial trends in the field of management of Shahid Beheshti, Allameh Tabatabai, Tehran and Shaahed universities. The sample size was estimated to be at least 291 people using Cochran's formula, and to be sure, a sample of 310 people was determined and selected by simple random sampling. The questionnaire was considered as a data collection tool, which was distributed after determining its validity and reliability. The questionnaire included 34 questions related to the main research variables, which were tested for reliability and validity after preliminary distribution. To evaluate the reliability of the research structures, the composite reliability criterion and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used, and the structures were approved. To check the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha method and composite reliability were used and confirmed. Confirmatory factor analysis was also used to check its validity. Research findings In order to check and test the hypotheses or conceptual model of the research, smart pls software was used. The results of the research showed that the variables of independence, innovation and risk-taking of students have a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intention. Also, entrepreneurial intention has a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial behavior. The fear of failure variable has a negative adjustment of the relationship between intention and behavior, and the economic literacy variable has a positive adjustment on this relationship. The research findings show the important role of personality traits on entrepreneurial intention and the importance of the modifiers introduced to fill the gap between entrepreneurial intention and behavior. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of entrepreneurial intention on the entrepreneurial behavior of students, considering the role of the modifier of fear of failure and economic literacy. Research results about the effect of entrepreneurial intention on entrepreneurial behavior are aligned with research findings of Adam & Fayolle (2015); Calza et al., (2020), and Kautonen et al., (2015). Research results about the effect of fear of failure on the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and behavior are aligned with research findings of Tucker et al., (2021); Pietersen & Botha (2021), and Kong et al., (2020). Also, the results of the research about the effect of economic literacy on the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and behavior are consistent with research findings of Nizam et al., (2020) and Chuzhmorova et al., (2019). The findings of this research include practical suggestions for policy makers in the field of entrepreneurship, education managers and the Ministry of Science. The courses taught in universities have been being taught for years without revision, and due to the vast changes in the business environment, they do not provide the necessary skills for students to enter the job market. Meanwhile, the importance of teaching economic topics and financial literacy to students has been essential. On the other hand, economic problems and challenges, changes in laws, administrative bureaucracy, and the lack of necessary support to start a business have increased the fear of failure among students at the beginning, which an environment dominant on entrepreneurial ecosystem can be provided for students by management and psychology consultations and providing necessary facilities.