New Approaches in Management and Marketing

Abstract Economic freedom in Islamic economics, unlike the liberal approach, is defined within the framework of justice, ethics, and Sharia principles. However, the lack of indigenous and operational indicators for measuring this concept represents a significant research gap. This study aimed to design and validate economic freedom indicators within the framework of Islamic economics using an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis and a systematic literature review identified six main indicators and 36 sub-indicators. Content validity was confirmed by 24 experts in Islamic economics based on acceptable Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) values. In the quantitative phase, two rounds of the Fuzzy Delphi method confirmed 35 sub-indicators, while one was eliminated, indicating expert consensus. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the indicator “Application of Economic Freedom Indicators in Development Plans” had the highest factor loading (0.837), whereas “Protection of Legitimate Private Property Rights” had the lowest (0.548). Among the sub-indicators, “Prevention of Usury and Bribery,” “Company Registration Cost,” and “Enhancing Transparency in Development Programs” received the highest importance. The findings demonstrate that the proposed indicators are both valid and reliable and can serve as a Sharia-compliant tool for assessing economic freedom and evaluating development plans in Islamic countries.

Abstract The aim of the present study is to reconstruct and validate the value co-creation model in the co-contextual ecosystem of the sharing-gig economy, given that the convergence of the two realms of the sharing economy and the gig economy has placed in-depth analysis of value co-creation in a strategic position at the forefront of research, and despite the proliferation of this phenomenon, a comprehensive and localized model of co-created values has yet to be presented. In the emerging paradigm of the sharing-gig economy, value co-creation is the synergistic value generation of co-creators in the digital platform ecosystem. This study has been conducted with a mixed-methods approach of the sequential exploratory type. In the qualitative phase, through content analysis of 15 expert interviews, the three dimensions of "platform participation" and the seven dimensions of "value co-creation" were identified and conceptualized. In the quantitative phase, through a survey of 385 users with multi-stage cluster random sampling and structural equation modeling using AMOS, the impact of "platform participation" on "value co-creation" was tested. The findings revealed that platform participation has a direct, positive, and very strong effect on all seven dimensions of value co-creation; the highest effect coefficients were observed in the social, warm glow, and environmental value dimensions, and economic value ranked the lowest. The predominance of non-material values over material values in users' preference systems and a paradigmatic shift in their attitudes constitute a result of the research in the sharing-gig economy ecosystem. The findings, while presenting a localized model of value co-creation, illuminate a path toward the reconstruction of a culture of mutual assistance, and call for the redesign of platform strategies grounded in social capital, altruism, and environmental responsibility.

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 In the current competitive conditions, the proper performance of the supply chain plays a key role in the success of an organization and the achievement of its goals, especially its profitability, therefore, in recent years, the management and measurement of supply chain performance has attracted the attention of a large number of managers and researchers in this study. In line with supply chain performance evaluation, various performance evaluation methods have been introduced and the characteristics of the most famous methods and studies conducted in this field have been collected. In this article, a framework for choosing the best method of evaluation of supply chain performance, improvement and continuous evaluation is proposed, which can facilitate the evaluation process in a targeted manner. It is suggested that in the next works, a review study on each of the used supply chain performance evaluation methods is done separately and also a conceptual framework of the application of these methods for different environments is prepared.

Abstract The aim of the present study is to identify and analyze the strategies for creating and consequences of brand identification using the FCM method. The present study is applicable in terms of its purpose, and exploratory in terms of data collection. Also, this research is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) research based on the inductive deductive philosophy. The statistical population of the research is experts including university professors, food industry and restaurant managers in Lorestan and their customers, 29 of whom were selected using the purposive sampling method and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. The data collection tool in the qualitative part is an interview, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity and theoretical validity and the intra-coder and inter-coder reliability measurement method. Also, the data collection tool in the quantitative part is a questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity and test-retest reliability. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis method and MaxQDA software, and quantitative data were analyzed using fuzzy cognitive mapping method and Gaffey software. The results of this study indicate that focusing on nostalgia and memory-making with the centrality index (11/16) and creating an inspiring brand story with the centrality index (05/16) are the most important strategies for creating brand identity and forming a sustainable identity bond (4/17) and strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation with the centrality index (33/17) are the most important outcomes of brand identity.
Introduction
In today's dynamic and competitive markets, brands face numerous challenges in attracting, retaining, and interacting with customers. Increasing consumption options, rapid changes in consumer preferences and behaviors, and the influence of cultural, social, and psychological factors on purchasing decisions have forced organizations to seek innovative solutions to differentiate and strengthen their connections with their audiences (Seminari et al., 2022). Despite the increasing importance of the role of brand identification in forming emotional and lasting relationships between brands and consumers, there is still no comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of this phenomenon and its consequences, especially in sensitive and competitive industries such as the food industry. In a situation where multiple choices, increasing consumer awareness, and sensitivity to values ​​such as health, sustainability, and authenticity have made purchasing behavior more complex (DelVecchio et al., 2024), brands are forced to move beyond product functions and align with consumers' identities, values, and lifestyles in order to build trust, loyalty, and lasting preference (Van der Westhuizen, 2018). However, there is a significant gap in the domestic and foreign literature on specific and effective strategies for creating brand identity and its consequences in the food industry, while this industry needs to create trust, transparency, and emotional connection with consumers more than other areas (Li et al., 2022‌). This theoretical and applicable gap highlights the need for research that can provide a scientific and practical framework for identifying the factors affecting the creation of brand identity and explaining its effects on consumer behavior and attitudes. Therefore, the main question of this research is: What strategies lead to the creation of brand identity in the food industry and what consequences does this identity have for consumer behavior and brand performance?
Theoretical Framework
Brand Identity
Brand identity refers to a state in which a consumer sees himself aligned with the values, identity, and personality of a brand and considers it part of his personal or social identity. This phenomenon goes beyond simply purchasing a product or service and refers to the deep connection that a consumer establishes with a brand, such that the brand becomes a symbol of their beliefs, lifestyle, or even ideals (Van der Westhuizen, 2018). The importance of this concept in consumer behavior is that brand identification can lead to long-term loyalty, brand advocacy, and even influence others. When consumers identify with a brand, they feel a sense of belonging to that brand, and this feeling can strongly influence their purchasing decisions (Zafari & Nasimi, 2022). This emotional connection causes the consumer to continue to stick with their favorite brand even when faced with cheaper options or other competitors. From a psychological perspective, brand identification helps consumers to strengthen their identity or be accepted in certain social groups that are consistent with brand values. This is especially important in modern societies where consumption has become a part of individuals' social identity (Borjalilou & Emadinasab, 2025).
Abbasi Esfanjani & Basir (2025) conducted a study titled "Analytical Model of the Relationship between Brand Identification, Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility, and Digital Product Brand Preference". The findings and results showed that consumers' perception of digital product social responsibility has a significant effect on brand identification. Also, brand identification has a significant effect on brand preference for digital product products. Perception of social responsibility has a significant effect on brand preference for digital product products. Brand identification plays a mediating role in the effect of perception of corporate social responsibility on brand preference for digital product products.
Zafari & Nasimi (2022) conducted a study titled "The Effect of Brand Identity and Trustworthiness on Customer Attachment and Loyalty to Sports Brands". The results of the study show the effect of brand identity on brand attachment, product identity on product attachment, brand trustworthiness on brand attachment, product trustworthiness on product attachment, product attachment on brand attachment, brand attachment on brand loyalty, and product attachment on brand loyalty. The findings indicate that brand attachment and product attachment directly and positively affect brand loyalty.
Research Methodology
This research is exploratory in nature and is based on the inductive deductive paradigm.
Research Findings
The results of the qualitative section indicate the strategies for creating and consequences of brand identity in the food and restaurant industry. Accordingly, strategies for creating brand identity include creating an inspiring brand story, actively engaging with audiences on social media, creating personalized experiences, using relevant influencers, emphasizing social responsibility, focusing on a strong, coherent, and engaging visual identity, creating brand-centric rituals, characterizing the brand as an emotional narrator, creating interactive and playful content, and focusing on nostalgia and memory-making. Also, the consequences or downstream factors of brand identity in the food and restaurant industry are strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation, forming self-sustaining brand-centric communities, forming a sustainable identity bond, increasing the synergy rate in the brand ecosystem, creating a brand halo effect, reducing the churn rate in the customer life cycle, strengthening resilience against competitive disruptions, increasing perceived value beyond service, creating sustainable revenue streams, and enhancing brand symbolic capital. Also, the results of the quantitative part of the research include measuring the importance and prioritization of strategies for creating and consequences of brand identity in the food industry. Accordingly, the most important strategies for creating brand identity are focusing on nostalgia and memory, creating an inspiring brand story, and focusing on a strong, coherent, and attractive visual identity. Focusing on nostalgia and memory in brand identity creates a deep emotional connection with the audience. This approach strengthens brand loyalty by evoking positive emotions and shared memories. An inspiring brand story establishes a deep connection with the audience by creating a meaningful and emotional narrative. These stories strengthen customer identification and loyalty by conveying brand values ​​and identity. Also, a strong, coherent, and attractive visual identity strengthens brand recognition in the audience's mind by creating a distinctive and memorable image. This visual coherence deepens trust and emotional connection with the brand and increases identification. Also, the formation of a sustainable identity bond, strengthening competitive advantage through identity differentiation, and reducing the churn rate in the customer life cycle were identified as the most important consequences of brand identification. Brand identification plays a key role in the formation of a sustainable identity bond by creating an emotional and value connection between the consumer and the brand. This connection creates a long-term and meaningful relationship between the individual and the brand by strengthening the sense of belonging and loyalty. Brand identification strengthens identity differentiation by creating a deep emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. This differentiation creates a sustainable competitive advantage and increases customer loyalty. Brand identification also increases the sense of belonging of customers by creating a strong emotional bond. This deep connection reduces the churn rate in the customer life cycle and strengthens long-term loyalty. Overall, the research findings show that brand identification in the food industry in Iran is rooted in identity, emotional, and cultural experiences, rather than being influenced by advertising activities or direct interactions.
Conclusion
According to the results of the present study and the reviewed research background, most of the findings are in line with previous research. Most studies have emphasized that brand identification as an identity-affective construct has a significant role in strengthening brand preference, customer loyalty, brand attachment, and repurchase intention. Studies of Abbasi Esfanjani & Basir (2025), Hoseini ravesh et al. (2024), Zafari & Nasimi (2022), and Rabiei Rudsari et al. (2019) all show that brand identification and its related factors (perceived social responsibility, brand trustworthiness, actual and ideal identification) have a direct impact on brand preference, brand attachment, and customer loyalty. Findings from international studies, including Kini et al. (2024), Li et al. (2022), and McManus et al. (2022) also reinforce this path, stating that self-concept, brand personality traits, and emotional-identity bonds influence brand loyalty and preference through the mediation of brand identification. This broad alignment shows that the mechanisms for forming identity bonds between customers and brands vary across cultures and industries, and supports the current study’s view of the importance of strategies such as brand narrative, nostalgia, personalized experience, and social responsibility. On the other hand, some of the research background also highlights points of distinction that can be considered as cases of misalignment or differences in emphasis. For example, research of Kini et al. (2024) shows that self-concept alone does not lead to loyalty and only operates through customer engagement and brand identification; this finding emphasizes that identity bonds require the presence of complementary behavioral mechanisms, while some domestic research (e.g. Rabiei Rudsari et al., 2019) places a more direct emphasis on the impact of actual and ideal self-identification on purchase intention. 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 this study is to investigate the impact of customer experience of artificial intelligence on customer electronic satisfaction, customer trust in online shopping, and customer online shopping intention. The statistical population of this study consists of customers of Alborz Insurance Company throughout Iran. The sampling method was non-randomly available and the electronic questionnaire was distributed among customers through social networks (Telegram, ETA, and Instagram) by the admin of Alborz Insurance agencies. After collecting 385 questionnaires, the distribution process was stopped. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire with 18 customer-specific questions, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Frequency and frequency percentage indices were used at the descriptive statistics level; and Pearson correlation coefficient, structural equation model, and path analysis were used at the inferential statistics level. For this purpose, SPSS and LISREL software were used. The results of the analyses showed that customer experience of artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on all three research variables, namely electronic satisfaction, customer trust in online shopping, and online shopping intention. The highest effect, with a path coefficient of 0.81, was related to the effect of customer experience of artificial intelligence on online shopping intention. In general, artificial intelligence, while improving the quality of customer experience, has a significant effect on key variables in online consumer behavior. Introduction Today, with the spread of information technology in the world and its rapid entry into everyday life, e-business has replaced traditional methods. In the last few years, the growth of cyberspace and businesses that operate on the Internet has been reported to be multifold, which has also led to the expansion of Internet-based commercial activities. The Internet has become a key tool, which can be called a strategic weapon by anybody; a tool that can simultaneously increase consumer trust and answer their questions, given the current competitive environment (Scott, 2015). The Internet has created a wide horizon for business, especially electronic services worldwide. Retailer websites are an important interface between retailers (banks and insurers) and their customers (van de Ven, K., & Koenraadt, R, 2017). Internet and online businesses offer different products and services compared with traditional businesses. Because of the product choices available on the Internet, advertising on social networks is important in enabling customers to make purchasing decisions (Wang et al., 2016). Although the impact of AI in the insurance industry may not be as tangible as in agriculture, cancer diagnosis, military industries, automotive, construction, etc., it can be claimed that this technology has given speed, accuracy, and security to industries such as banking, information technology, insurance, etc. One of the biggest challenges in this field can be considered detecting complex frauds and discovering false claims in the insurance industry. These frauds include fake accidents, arson, false stolen property, multiple repair and medical bills, etc. By using AI in the insurance industry, operational efficiency can be improved, wrongly paid claims can be limited, total payments can be reduced, and the company's profits can be increased. By relying on AI, insurance companies can consider more competitive prices for their insurance products and offer more personalized services to their customers. In the past, insurers needed customer information to assess insurance risks, although in some cases, due to the dishonesty of individuals, incorrect risk assessment was not possible. But now, with the advancement of machine learning and artificial intelligence, insurers have access to more accurate information sources. For example, in the housing sector, insurance companies can use artificial intelligence to obtain information about the geographical location, marital status and the likelihood of claiming damages from individuals. Also, today, technological developments, especially in the field of telecommunications and information technology, have revolutionized the industry of providing online services such as mobile applications and smartphones. This has changed customer satisfaction from traditional satisfaction to electronic satisfaction, and companies should pay attention to electronic satisfaction in addition to physical satisfaction of customers when measuring customer satisfaction. In fact, the importance of customer satisfaction in an electronic and service environment has been confirmed by marketing studies (Al-dweeri et al., 2017). Satisfaction leads to strong repurchase behavior in the future and also leads to increased sales and profits of the organization and improves the market value for an organization. In the offline environment, customer satisfaction is defined as an emotional reaction in response to one or more cognitive service encounters (Gera, 2011). It is a reaction that occurs immediately after the point of purchase of products and services (Behjati et al., 2012). In the online context, e-customer satisfaction is defined as the consumer's perceptions of online convenience, commerce, website design, and financial security (Ilgaz, H., & Gülbahar, Y., 2015). Therefore, these days, customers are changing their behaviors dramatically in line with the technology and economic environment of the world. They are acquiring a large amount of information, are familiar with products, and are losing their trust in advertisements. They prefer customized products and services, and change their purchasing channels; therefore, businesses are forced to modify or even change their advertising strategies to cope with the changes, facts, and behaviors of their customers in order to survive (Cui et al., 2018). One of the most common beliefs that consumers have about online shopping is that this type of shopping saves time and money and helps them find products that better match their needs (Punj, 2011). Online shopping decisions are directly influenced by consumers' emotions and their online shopping beliefs about the attractiveness of the website or mobile applications and the style of communication with the e-commerce software with the customer. These emotions and beliefs are vital elements of the image of an online store or mobile application in the minds of customers and are thus able to be a stimulus for online shopping (Alnawas, I., & Aburub, F, 2016, gharibi et al., 2019). Therefore, it can be said that there is a need for research and study in the insurance industry so that insurance companies can study the impact of artificial intelligence on customer trust, attitude and behavior. Therefore, the question of the present research is: What is the impact of customer experience of artificial intelligence on customer e-satisfaction, customer trust in online shopping and customer online shopping intention in the insurance industry? Research literature Concept of artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that attempts to understand the nature of intelligence and produce new intelligent machines that think, respond and perform tasks exactly like humans based on the data given to it. Some activities related to artificial intelligence, such as robotics, speech recognition, image recognition, natural language processing and problem solving, are very technical and specialized. Artificial intelligence refers to the intelligence and capabilities used by machines and computer systems to perform intelligent activities and make decisions. This metadata allows machines to recognize patterns, analyze data, and manage problems (Umamaheswari, S., & Valarmathi, A, 2023). Artificial intelligence is concerned with building computer systems and robots that can understand and learn from their observations. The goal of artificial intelligence is to make machines act like humans. The goal of artificial intelligence in general is to build a machine that can “think” (Al-Sayyed et al., 2021). Artificial intelligence includes a set of techniques and algorithms that enable machines to examine and analyze data, identify hidden patterns in them, and make decisions based on them. Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that, inspired by sciences such as cognitive psychology, philosophy, logic, statistics and mathematics, tries to simulate a type of human intelligence and does this through software development (Poole, D. L., & Mackworth, A. K, 2010). Electronic satisfaction  High electronic satisfaction is the key to the success of any retailer operating in the competitive global e-commerce environment. To overcome the barriers to global online shopping, companies must improve satisfaction with their electronic services. Most experienced and successful companies in e-commerce have understood that the success factors are not just the company's presence on the web or low prices, but the delivery of high-quality electronic service. Recent research shows that online customers are willing to pay even higher prices for high-quality electronic services offered by electronic retailers; therefore, online retailers should focus on high-quality e-services during and after the transaction rather than on the transaction itself, in order to build customer trust, loyalty, and retention (Navimipour, N. J., & Soltani, Z, 2016). Trust in online shopping Previous studies also show that lack of customer trust is a major barrier to using online shopping. Internet users do not have sufficient trust in sharing and exchanging information and communication with online sellers (Dwidienawati et al., 2020). Perceived ease of use by the customer plays an indirect role in individuals' intentions to adopt or continue to use e-banking. Another study also found that ease of use has an indirect effect on the use of e-banking as much as initial training (Guriting & Ndubisi, 2006). If a person is familiar with the Internet and uses it regularly, they are likely to have a higher level of organizational trust than someone who has not had previous experience using the Internet. As a result, the experience of using the Internet will increase organizational trust (Eastlick, M. A., & Lotz, S, 2011). Customer Online Shopping Behavior Online shopping environments are specific types of interactions that users turn to fulfill their shopping goals. Online shopping is an activity beyond making a mere purchase and includes skills such as searching for products, working with a computer, etc. (Demangeot, C., & Broderick, A. J, 2007). Online shopping intention, as the most important predictor of actual shopping behavior, refers to the outcome of customers' evaluation of criteria such as website quality, information search, and product evaluation (Martins et al., 2023). Conclusion and Discussion The present study, which was conducted among Alborz Insurance customers across Iran, examined the effect of customer experience of artificial intelligence on customer e-satisfaction, customer trust in online shopping, and customer online shopping intention in the insurance industry. The result of the first hypothesis of the study: Customer experience of artificial intelligence has an effect on customer e-satisfaction in the insurance industry. a) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient of customer experience of artificial intelligence and customer e-satisfaction in the insurance industry is 0.75, which indicates a positive and significant effect of customer experience of artificial intelligence on customer e-satisfaction in the insurance industry. b) Considering the path coefficient of 0.78 and the t-statistic of 16.84, it can be said that at a 99% confidence level, customer experience of artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on customer e-satisfaction in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); Prentice et al., (2020); Datt (2020); and Hudong (2023). The result of the second hypothesis of the research: Customer experience of artificial intelligence has an effect on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. A) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient between customer experience of artificial intelligence and customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry is 0.73, which indicates a positive and significant effect of customer experience of artificial intelligence on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. B) Considering the path coefficient of 0.72 and the t-statistic of 11.63, it can be said: At a 99% confidence level, customer experience of artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); Prentice et al., (2020); Datt (2020); and Hudong (2023). The result of the third hypothesis of the research: Customer experience of artificial intelligence has an effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. a) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient between these two variables is 0.81, which indicates a positive and significant effect of customer experience from artificial intelligence on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. b) Considering the path coefficient of 0.81 and the t-statistic of 19.00, it can be said that at a 99% confidence level, customer experience from artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); Prentice et al., (2020); Datt (2020); and Hudong (2023). The result of the fourth hypothesis of the research: Customer e-satisfaction has an effect on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. a) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient between these two variables is 0.68, which indicates a positive and significant effect of customer e-satisfaction on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. b) Considering the path coefficient of 0.69 and the t-statistic of 12.06, it can be said that: at a confidence level of 99 percent, electronic customer satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on customer trust in online shopping in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); and Keshiri et al., (2024). The result of the fifth hypothesis of the research: Electronic customer satisfaction has an effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. a) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient between these two variables is 0.79, which indicates a positive and significant effect of electronic customer satisfaction on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. b) Considering the path coefficient of 0.66 and the t-statistic of 41.52, it can be said that: at a confidence level of 99 percent, electronic customer satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); and Keshiri et al., (2024). The result of the sixth hypothesis of the research: Customer trust in online shopping has an effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. A) Using the Pearson test, the correlation coefficient between these two variables is 0.75, which indicates a positive and significant effect of customer trust in online shopping on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. B) Considering the path coefficient of 0.64 and the t-statistic of 8.46, it can be said that at a 99% confidence level, customer trust in online shopping has a positive and significant effect on customer online shopping behavior in the insurance industry. The results of this hypothesis are consistent with the studies of Chen et al., (2021); Keshiri et al., (2024); Hemmadi (2023); and Rahmani & Nowzari Jadid (2023). Today, with the spread of internet services and service applications, people of all tastes can compare and purchase different insurance services and, depending on their personal tastes, be satisfied or dissatisfied with their purchase. This satisfaction or dissatisfaction in receiving insurance services is recorded in the form of ratings and comments on mobile applications and social networks, based on which other people purchase services from different insurance companies. Therefore, customer trust and satisfaction with receiving services and even the way in which services are received can affect the customer's intention to purchase online, as in the present study, electronic satisfaction with a path coefficient of 0.66 and online trust with a path coefficient of 0.64 had an effect on the intention to purchase online of Alborz Insurance customers. The time is over when company messages were only about services or products and information was published unilaterally by the company and only what the company wanted to share. With the increasing spread of the Internet in various aspects of life, much research has been conducted to support the encouragement of customers to shop in the electronic and online environment. Considering the characteristics of the electronic environment and the behavioral characteristics of customers, in order to facilitate the customer shopping process, the reasons that cause customer distrust or poor site design and, as a result, customers' lack of purchase in the electronic environment should be investigated and resolved. By relying on the features of challengeability, uninterrupted analysis, the possibility of receiving feedback in time, establishing system interaction, and creating mental images in the electronic and online environment, it is possible to direct the mental structure of customers towards shopping on the Internet and mobile phones and guide their purchase decision-making process. Therefore, considering the impact of customer experience with artificial intelligence on customer e-satisfaction, customer trust in online shopping, and customer online shopping intention in the insurance industry, Alborz Insurance Company offers the following solutions in this regard: Alborz Insurance Company should design a mobile application for itself with the necessary investment in innovation and quick access, and place accessible user guides as a guide to using self-service technology on its website; it is suggested that a section be set up as an online support on the Alborz Insurance website so that it can answer customer questions 24 hours a day, because some customers may work night shifts and use the Alborz Insurance website more often during these times.

Abstract The aim of this study is to evaluate the factors affecting the adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce by small and medium enterprises. This study is applicable in terms of its purpose, and is a quantitative research type. The present study proposes an integrated model based on the framework of dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, and customer-centric systems. The empirical data of this study were collected through a digital survey using a purposive sampling method from small and medium enterprises in Iran. The analysis of the collected data was performed using structural equation modeling, and the results point to the role of dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation in facilitating the adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce. The data of this study were collected by distributing an online questionnaire to a sample of 183 decision-makers and managers in small and medium enterprises in Iran working in e-commerce. This study confirms the positive impact of AI adoption on the business performance of SMEs. The findings show that AI adoption in e-commerce is significantly associated with improved business performance of SMEs. Also, this study emphasizes the pivotal role of dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation in driving AI adoption in the e-commerce sector, which in turn can help improve business performance. These results emphasize the importance of developing technological capabilities and innovative approaches in SMEs to effectively utilize AI and achieve growth and success.
Introduction
Many companies are looking to leverage e-commerce to increase sales, improve services, and achieve greater customer satisfaction. If successful e-commerce strategies and tools are effectively implemented, this technology can significantly increase the revenue and profits of SMEs (Abbas et al., 2023; Ojha et al., 2023). However, the success of using these platforms depends on the level of commitment and trust of companies in smart technologies, which are effective in improving technical services and enhancing customer experience (Mishra et al., 2023). The adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce is considered one of the key factors for the success of businesses, as this technology uses existing data to identify opportunities and improve products and services (Liu et al., 2024).
While several studies have addressed the role of artificial intelligence in e-commerce, including customer service, sales facilitation, and information gathering, research related to the adoption and enhancement of artificial intelligence tools in maintaining e-commerce performance and supporting entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises is still scarce. Therefore, this article seeks to examine the factors affecting the adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce in small and medium-sized enterprises to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen the role of these companies in the country's economic progress and development. Insufficient understanding of how SMEs effectively use AI tools in e-commerce can negatively impact their ability to gain competitive advantage. Hence, there is a need for more in-depth research to identify challenges, exploit opportunities, and improve the effectiveness of using these technologies (Salah & Ayash, 2024(.
This paper identifies the benefits and opportunities for SMEs to adopt AI systems in e-commerce and suggests various ways to implement effective strategies for entrepreneurship development and selecting appropriate AI tools. The following key research question is formulated to guide the research and provide a structured approach to understanding the various factors involved: What factors influence SMEs’ ​​adoption of AI in e-commerce?
Theoretical literature
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that aims to design systems that can automatically and intelligently process information and perform various tasks. By imitating human intelligence and abilities such as learning, reasoning, problem solving, natural language understanding, and pattern recognition; this technology helps humans solve the most complex scientific, industrial, and social challenges. Artificial intelligence has been recognized as one of the most revolutionary technologies of the modern era since its early years and has now penetrated all aspects of human life (Simone, 2018.)
E-commerce
E-commerce is defined as the electronic buying and selling of items by consumers and businesses using computerized business exchanges. In this study, e-commerce is defined as the buying and selling of transactions over the Internet (Esare et al., 2012). E-commerce allows businesses to grow more easily in the global market and opens up new ways for companies to communicate information with consumers, suppliers, and other stakeholders (Tai, 2022).
Small and Medium Enterprises
In recent years, the importance and role of small and medium enterprises have been increasing, both in industrialized and developing countries. With the advent of new technologies, there have been transformations in production and the methods of it, distribution, and organizational structure of companies. It is essential for small and medium enterprises to use AI tools to obtain maximum value and competitive advantage, which includes reducing human errors, analyzing customer data, and providing highly efficient services. AI also helps in providing new and intelligent innovations that serve both institutions and customers, such as sales forecasting and attracting more customers (David at al., 2023).
Research Methodology
This study adopts a quantitative approach using a questionnaire to obtain data from officials in small and medium enterprises. It aims to investigate the factors associated with the adoption of AI in the field of e-commerce, while considering the relevant literature to improve the study results. Data for this study were collected by distributing an online questionnaire to a sample of 183 decision-makers and managers in small and medium-sized enterprises in Iran working in e-commerce. The sample focused on store owners and supervisors regarding their main occupations. The e-store owners were contacted through visits to the small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as through phone calls, WhatsApp, and email to encourage participation in the survey.
Research Findings
Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data collected from the questionnaires and test the hypotheses. Based on the data analysis, the results of structural equation modeling showed that entrepreneurial orientation has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of AI-based e-commerce. The findings indicate that dynamic capabilities have a very positive and significant effect on the adoption of AI-based e-commerce. These findings emphasize that dynamic capabilities, such as the ability to learn quickly, adaptability, and continuous innovation in SMEs, can play a key role in the adoption and effective use of AI-based e-commerce. The results showed that the adoption of AI-based e-commerce has a positive and significant impact on the business performance of SMEs. This indicates a very strong and significant effect of this relationship. These findings emphasize that the adoption of new technologies such as AI can significantly improve the business performance of companies. In particular, companies that exploit AI-based e-commerce will be able to optimize their processes, reduce costs, and generally achieve economic advantages in competition with other companies.
Conclusion
This research shows that SMEs need to develop dynamic capabilities and strengthen entrepreneurial orientation to successfully adopt AI in e-commerce. Dynamic capabilities, as the ability of an organization to reconfigure resources, adapt to changes, and exploit new opportunities, are considered key factors in the adoption of new technologies. The results of the present study emphasize that companies with stronger dynamic capabilities are able to integrate AI into their business processes more effectively, which leads to improved organizational performance.
From a practical perspective, this research shows that in order to optimally utilize AI, small and medium-sized enterprises should focus on developing their dynamic capabilities and strengthening an entrepreneurial culture. Investing in employee training, developing agile strategies, and creating support structures for innovation can help to more effectively adopt this technology. From a theoretical perspective, this study highlights the role of dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial orientation in the adoption of digital technologies and establishes a link between the strategic management, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation literature.
The present study aimed to provide a model to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of artificial intelligence in e-commerce by small and medium-sized enterprises in Iran. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Salah et al., (2024), Wei et al., (2022), Palataeka et al., (2023), Yang et al., (2024), Stalings et al., (2024), and Cabrit et al., (2024). The findings show that small and medium-sized enterprises need to develop dynamic capabilities and strengthen entrepreneurial orientation to successfully adopt artificial intelligence in e-commerce. Dynamic capabilities, as the ability of the organization to reconfigure resources, adapt to changes, and take advantage of new opportunities; are considered key factors in the adoption of new technologies.
Finally, this study suggests directions for future research; including examining the impact of other organizational and environmental factors on AI adoption, analyzing the role of government policies and financial support in the development of digital technologies, and studying the long-term impact of AI on the sustainability of small and medium-sized businesses. Also, conducting comparative research across industries can help to better understand the structural and strategic differences in the adoption of this technology. 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 purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of artificial intelligence technology on the development of entrepreneurship with the mediating role of entrepreneurship education. The research is applicable in terms of purpose, descriptive- survey in terms of nature, and of casual type. The statistical population of the research was managers and employees of start-up business companies in Kermanshah province. The sample size is 193 people and sampling method is random cluster. The data collection method was field collection, and the tools used were entrepreneurial development questionnaires (Antonik and Hiserich, 2003), artificial intelligence technology (adapted from Rahimi and Akbari research, 1402), and entrepreneurship training (researcher-made). The method of data analysis was descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (structural equation modeling), using Spss26 and Amos24 software. Sobel's test (t-statistic) was used to investigate the mediator variable. The findings showed that artificial intelligence technology has a significant effect on entrepreneurship development by 86%; and on entrepreneurship education by 83%. Also, entrepreneurship education predicts 11% of the changes resulting from entrepreneurship development. The results indicate that artificial intelligence technology has an impact on the development of entrepreneurship with the mediating role of entrepreneurship education in the start-up businesses of Kermanshah province. Extended Abstract Introduction The development of entrepreneurship is a complex, long-term and inclusive process that plays a significant role in the economic growth and development of countries. Today, entrepreneurship has become the most important and strategic economic tool of advanced societies. In fact, economic growth and development of countries depends on entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial activities. Therefore, the need to achieve economic development and progress is to pay special attention to the development of entrepreneurship (Zali & Razavi, 2008). The development of entrepreneurship requires serious determination and necessary knowledge in businesses; many influential factors can be listed that may improve the development of entrepreneurship. One of these factors that has created a global revolution today is the use of artificial intelligence technology in start-up businesses and entrepreneurship. In today's world, technological advances are one of the most fundamental factors in shaping society's transformations in all economic, cultural, political and social fields. Human dependence on technology is such that some experts such as Max Tegmark say: "Without technology, the extinction of us humans, on a cosmic scale of tens of billions of years, will happen soon" (Tegmark, 2017). One of the factors that can increase the effect of artificial intelligence technology on the development of entrepreneurship as a mediator is entrepreneurship education. Today, it is accepted that the progress and survival of any society and business depends on the quality and efficiency of the education of that society; and educational courses have an important mission in producing knowledge and preparing new businesses to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive, complex and changing world (Escorcia et al., 2022). According to the stated contents, this research tries to answer the question: what is the effect of artificial intelligence technology on the development of entrepreneurship with the mediating role of entrepreneurship education? Theoretical framework Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field grown tremendously since the introduction of handheld computers in the 1950s. This field has the potential to transform various industries, and is defined as any theory, method, or approach that helps machines, especially computers, in analyzing, simulating, exploiting, and exploring human intellectual processes and behaviors (Lund et al, 2023). Entrepreneurship training Entrepreneurship education refers to all activities that aim to develop entrepreneurial mentality, attitude and skills in a range of cases such as idea generation, start-up, growth and innovation (Nvello et al, 2015). Entrepreneurship training is an activity that is used to transfer the knowledge and information needed to start and manage a business, and it will increase, improve, and develop the attitudes, skills, and abilities of non-entrepreneurs (Naeiji & Ebrahimi, 2017). From the viewpoint of literature, in the simplest definition, entrepreneurship can be considered as the use of skills to bring innovation to business or to develop new businesses (Shetty et al, 2021). The first issue raised in entrepreneurship research and start-up business development was the emphasis given to capacities, specific assets, and the unit of new economic activities. Ownership, capabilities and assets can be a sign of successful growth of a business. Intelligence in entrepreneurship is a technology-driven process for collecting, integrating, analyzing and presenting business information (Mehdi Sasan, Bakhshandeh, 2022). Therefore, the first emphasis is research on artificial intelligence as a technology-based software, and the use of this technology in the global economy is increasing day by day. The use of artificial intelligence allows start-up businesses to improve economic conditions and business growth (Dondapati et al, 2022). Yerevani et al, (2024) conducted a systematic review of the impact of artificial intelligence on the world's educational systems. This research has been done with a systematic review of 26 scientific research articles, 5 books and 13 reference sites. The results showed that artificial intelligence has a comprehensive role and importance in education systems. In the field of education by artificial intelligence, there are many successful projects and systems (GPT, etc.) that have facilitated the improvement of the teaching and learning process. Gofman & Jin (2024) in a study entitled Artificial Intelligence, Education and Entrepreneurship concluded that students of disadvantaged universities founded fewer AI startups and attracted less funding. Also, the departure of professors from universities reduces the knowledge of artificial intelligence of startups, which seems to be an important factor for the successful formation of startups and attracting capital. Research methodology The current research is applicable in terms of purpose, descriptive- survey in terms of nature, and of casual type. The method of collecting information is library-based, and the tool used is note-making. The statistical population of the research is managers and employees of start-up businesses in Kermanshah province. The population size was 385 people and the sample size was determined to be 193 people based on Cochran's formula. Also, the sampling method of this research was random cluster. The data collection method was field-collection, and the tools used are a) Entrepreneurship Development Questionnaire (Antonik & Hisrich, 2003), b) Artificial Intelligence Questionnaire (Rahimi & Akbari, 2023), and c) Entrepreneurship Education Questionnaire (researcher-made). Research findings Spss and Amos software were used in this section. The statistical findings showed that the research hypotheses were confirmed with a significance level of less than 0.05, and the effect of artificial intelligence technology on entrepreneurship development is 86% and on entrepreneurship education is 83%. Also, the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurship development was calculated as 11%. The results of the general hypothesis of the research were done using the Sobel test (t statistic). The results of this test are significant with a coefficient of 2.258 at a level of 1.96 and a significance level of 0.001, and it shows that artificial intelligence technology with the mediating role of entrepreneurship education has an impact on the development of entrepreneurship in start-up companies in Kermanshah province. Conclusion Artificial intelligence technology can help greatly in the process of entrepreneurship education. Artificial intelligence makes entrepreneurship education learners use the updated information and resources in this field to make proper use of it in their business process. Therefore, it can be concluded that artificial intelligence is an effective and applicable factor in entrepreneurship education. The statistical results obtained indicate that artificial intelligence has an effect of 83% on the changes resulting from entrepreneurship education. The results of structural equation modeling and the obtained fit indices are proof of this claim. The results obtained are aligned with the results of Yerevani et al., (2024), Moradzadeh (2022), Gafman & Jane (2024), Chen et al., (2024) and Kissinger et al, (2021). Today, a business is successful if it has enough information and knowledge and can develop its entrepreneurship and business through education. Therefore, entrepreneurship training is essential for start-up businesses and entrepreneurship development. The development of entrepreneurship will be faster when the necessary trainings have been implemented and the entrepreneurs have learned these trainings well and implement them in their business. The statistical results obtained indicate that entrepreneurship education responds to 11% of the changes resulting from entrepreneurship development. The obtained results are consistent with the results of Dahdahjani (2019) and Agha Mohammadi and Abdulahi (2015). The results of the general hypothesis of the research regarding the effect of artificial intelligence technology on the development of entrepreneurship with the mediating role of entrepreneurship education were confirmed with the Sobel test. According to the results obtained for the first hypothesis, it is suggested to identify the advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence in the entrepreneurial system and pay special attention to its strengths. In line with the results of the second hypothesis, it is suggested that the threats resulting from the implementation of artificial intelligence in entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development should be reduced as much as possible. And finally, in line with the results of the third hypothesis, it is suggested that artificial intelligence be considered as one of the new and practical technologies in start-up businesses.

Abstract The present study investigated improving employee performance through internal marketing and organizational learning: the mediating role of organizational innovation. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, quantitative in terms of method, and of descriptive-survey type. The statistical population in this study is 116 food exporting companies in Mashhad, and using the Cochran formula, the sample size was estimated to be 86 companies; for this purpose, a questionnaire was distributed among and completed by the managers of these companies using simple random sampling method. In order to analyze the data, structural equation modeling test and other statistical tests based on SPSS and Pls software were used. The validity of the research variables was measured through confirmatory factor analysis. Also, the reliability of the research variables has shown that Cronbach's alpha for research variables including internal marketing, performance, organizational innovation, and organizational learning has been obtained as 0.909, 0.935, 0.940, and 0.901 respectively, which indicates the desired reliability of the research tool. The research findings have shown that organizational learning and internal marketing are effective on employee performance and organizational innovation mediates its effect.
Introduction
In today's world, human resources are recognized as the most important resource of organizations and attracting and retaining efficient forces is considered a vital competitive advantage (Chaudhary & Sharma, 2024). With rapid environmental changes, traditional management tools have become ineffective and the need for flexible and learning structures to respond to changes is felt more than ever. Optimal human resource performance is a necessary condition for the success of organizations, as it allows managers to focus on macro strategies (Organ, 2020). Two key factors in improving employee performance are organizational learning and internal marketing. Organizational learning helps organizations survive in a competitive environment by producing knowledge and continuously reviewing methods. On the other hand, internal marketing, by looking at employees as internal customers, creates effective relationships and improves organizational performance by increasing job satisfaction and motivation (Ocharo & Kinyua, 2021). Also, organizational innovation, especially in times of crisis and intense competition, plays a decisive role in the success of organizations and helps managers allocate resources optimally (Quispe et al., 2024). This issue is doubly important in food trading companies that face export challenges and strict standards. Therefore, in today's dynamic and uncertain environment, organizations need a flexible, learning, and innovative structure to meet stakeholder expectations. Based on the above, this study examines the question: do internal marketing and organizational learning through innovation have a significant impact on employee performance?
Theoretical foundations
Innovation and organizational innovation
Leticia Santos et al., (2022) consideres innovation as the tendency of a company or organization to participate in and support new ideas, pioneer in technology, conduct research, development, and other creative activities aimed at developing new products, services, and processes. On the other hand, organizational innovation encompasses a wide range of actions and activities aimed at facilitating and achieving innovative results in the organization. This type of innovation can be related to a product, device, system, process, policy, program, or service (Chen & et al., 2019).
Internal Marketing
Internal marketing means that companies should seriously invest in the quality of performance and capabilities of their employees. This is especially important for people who are directly in contact with customers, and these people need to be trained effectively. Also, all support staff should work together and work as a team to satisfy customers (Corrin & et al., 2022).
Organizational Learning
Organizational learning is a dynamic process that enables an organization to adapt quickly to changes. This process involves the production of new knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Organizational learning is the main way to create knowledge work and improve the efficiency of the organization; therefore, a successful organization must be dynamic in learning (Okolie, 2024).
Research Background
Bikzadeh Abbasi & Kaneshloo (2024) conducted a study titled: Investigating the Effect of Marketing Research on Improving Organizational Innovation. The results obtained indicate that marketing research has a positive and significant effect on improving organizational innovation in the United Nations Credit Institution. Khajeh Saeed & Sattarii (2024) conducted a study titled: The Effect of Marketing Capabilities on the Financial Performance of Exporting Companies. The results of this study showed that financial resources, information resources, and relational resources have a significant effect on the financial performance of exporting companies. Patwary et al., (2022) conducted a study aimed at investigating the role of knowledge management (KM) practices on performance and innovation. The findings indicate that KM has a positive effect on innovation performance among Malaysian hospitality employees. This study also shows that organizational learning and organizational creativity significantly mediate the relationship between KM and innovation performance.
Research Methodology
The present study is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-survey in terms of method. The statistical population in this study is 116 food exporting companies in Mashhad, and the sample size was estimated to be 86 companies using the Cochran formula; for this purpose, a questionnaire was distributed among the managers of these companies and completed by them, through a simple random sampling method. In order to collect data, a questionnaire with 36 items related to the research variables was used. Also, in order to analyze the data in this study, the structural equation modeling technique and other statistical tests were used through SPSS and Smart PLS software. Face validity was used to confirm validity and Cronbach's alpha coefficient criterion was used to confirm reliability.
Findings
The findings of this study are presented in the form of 7 hypotheses, all of which were confirmed.
 Internal marketing has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
 Organizational learning has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
 Organizational innovation has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
 Internal marketing has a positive and significant effect on organizational innovation.
 Organizational learning has a positive and significant effect on organizational innovation.
 Internal marketing has a positive and significant effect on employee performance with the mediating role of organizational innovation.
 Organizational learning has a positive and significant effect on employee performance with the mediating role of organizational innovation.
Discussion and Conclusion
The present study aimed to improve employee performance through internal marketing and organizational learning: the mediating role of organizational innovation (case study: food exporting companies in Mashhad). The findings of this study are consistent with the research of Chaubey et al., (2024), Laksono (2023), Imani et al., (2015), Karimi et al., (2021), and Gholipour et al., (2021). In the following, and based on the research findings, the following suggestions are presented:
Internal marketing
Designing motivational systems to increase job satisfaction
Improving organizational communications and clarifying processes
Paying attention to the needs of employees as internal customers
Organizational learning
Holding continuous training courses
Creating an organizational knowledge bank of successful and unsuccessful experiences
Encouraging employees to share knowledge
Developing innovation
Creating a safe space for presenting new ideas
Forming cross-departmental innovation teams
Investing in new technologies
Coordinating strategies
Integrating internal marketing with innovation programs
Facilitating knowledge exchange between different units
Practical support for innovative ideas
Human resource management
Mapping a career path for employees
Promoting a culture of continuous learning
Linking individual and organizational goals


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 This research examines the barriers and advantages of using Instagram along with Eitaa or Rubika in virtual businesses. Employing a qualitative approach, data was collected from 12 virtual business owners through semi-structured interviews and purposeful sampling. The data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis, facilitated by MAXQDA software and coding methods. The results indicated that the advantages of utilizing Eitaa and Rubika include reduced internet consumption, the potential to attract governmental and religious clients, the ability to address issues related to accounts or channels, and financial support. The advantages of using Instagram primarily involve ease of building trust. Collectively, the benefits of all three messaging platforms encompass the ability to attract customers from various parts of the city and country, learning from the profiles/channels of successful individuals, gaining information, employing strategies to attract clientele, and the opportunity to connect with new collaborators. The general acceptance of Instagram among the audience and the user-friendliness of domestic messaging applications compared to Instagram are considered additional benefits of these platforms. However, businesses also face challenges, including restrictions and regulations on content creation and advertising, audience limitations, the impact of political and social crises, competition, warnings from authorities, governmental restrictions, unethical behavior from audiences and competitors, and systematic issues such as messaging app bugs, lack of financial support, insufficient features in domestic messaging applications, and ideological constraints. This study offers solutions to improve the utilization of these messaging platforms and to assist businesses in better leveraging the capabilities of Instagram, Eitaa, and Rubika. Introduction The advancement of human life from the era of mass production to the age of communications and information, as well as the movement of countries towards knowledge-based and informational societies, has transformed all aspects of economic, cultural, industrial, and social activities. Among these developments, virtual social networks have experienced significant growth (Talebpour et al., 2014), attracting many businesses due to their features such as constant access, removal of time and space limitations, global reach, flexibility, and multimedia capabilities (Karimian et al., 2017). This has led to changes in consumer buying behavior (Yang et al., 2024). One of the most popular social networks, Instagram, has more than 1.6 billion users worldwide (Kemp, 2023), with 46.89% of Iran's population using it (Statcounter, 2024). Given this popularity, many businesses have started their activities on this platform. However, alongside this, some online business owners have expanded their activities on local messaging platforms like Eitaa and Rubika, responding to audience needs and adapting to domestic conditions due to the larger user base compared to other local platforms. According to statistics from 2023, Rubika has about 40 million users and Eitaa has about 30 million users (Tasnim, 2023). Being present on local messaging platforms such as Eitaa and Rubika, in addition to international platforms like Instagram, offers businesses opportunities for growth and increased revenue. However, business owners also face challenges and barriers, and understanding these challenges and planning to optimize their use is essential. This study seeks to answer the question: What are the advantages and barriers for Iranian businesses in using local (Eitaa and Rubika) and foreign (Instagram) messaging platforms? Theoretical Framework The social marketing theory emphasizes building relationships based on shared values between businesses and customers and uses tools such as social media to improve customer experience and enhance interactions. Simultaneously using both local and international messaging platforms can increase fast feedback and communication, enhancing customer trust and sales volume (Baran & Davis, 2017; Kotler & Roberto, 1989). The Hierarchical Effects Model focuses on the customer acquisition process, from awareness to action, while McLuhan's Global Village concept highlights the role of social networks in reducing geographical borders and influencing user behavior. These networks, as tools for transmitting information and shaping culture and user behavior, provide businesses with opportunities to send targeted messages to both local and international audiences (Baran & Davis, 2017; Zolghadr & Ghasemzadeh-Araghi, 2012). Social Learning Theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling competitors. By analyzing competitors' activities on different messaging platforms, businesses learn new methods for brand and business development, and use these patterns to promote their own growth (Baran & Davis, 2017). Finally, the Technology Acceptance Model indicates that if businesses perceive the usefulness and ease of use of a messaging platform, they will be more likely to adopt it and encourage others to participate as well (Ningtyas & Kurniawan, 2024). Methodology In this study, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 online business owners active on Instagram and Eitaa or Rubika. The interviews were conducted purposively via telephone contact, and after obtaining informed consent, the interviews were recorded for analysis. Data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and MAXQDA software (version 2018). Subsequently, main and subcategories were extracted and compiled into a comprehensive report. Findings The advantages of using the Instagram, Rubika, and Eitaa platforms include their usefulness and ease of use. Local messaging platforms like Eitaa and Rubika reduce costs by offering discounted internet rates and eliminating the need for VPNs, making access to businesses more convenient. Each platform targets a specific audience; for example, Eitaa is more appealing to government employees, while Rubika attracts a younger, teenage demographic. Instagram, with features such as global accessibility, algorithms, and advertising capabilities, helps businesses widely promote their products and utilize diverse ideas for growth. On Instagram, influencer marketing is more effective, while on Eitaa and Rubika, advertisements are mainly promoted through pinned sections and broader areas, where increased monitoring builds user trust. In addition to advertising, promotional exchanges and discounts are popular customer acquisition methods. In Rubika, businesses can receive financial rewards for increased activity, but Instagram does not offer such financial support. Due to its commercial nature, Instagram easily builds customer trust, whereas local messaging platforms require more effort in this regard. Addressing issues on local platforms is easier due to the presence of related organizations within the country, while on Instagram, the only solution is typically email, which is often ineffective. Additionally, the use of these platforms, due to their lack of dependence on VPNs and simpler designs for various age groups, makes it easier for businesses to operate. Ultimately, Instagram, with features like Explore, automatic post downloads, and continuous visibility by users, provides more opportunities for businesses to be seen. Alongside the advantages, there are also various social and systemic barriers on these three platforms. Social barriers include content production limitations across all three messaging platforms. In Eitaa and Rubika, there are restrictions on certain topics, including dress codes, specific terms, and social issues like gender identity, materialism, and consumerism. These restrictions are less common on Instagram, where the focus is more on violent and disturbing content that could lead to account suspension. Additionally, Eitaa and Rubika mainly attract specific age, professional, and religious groups, which limits the target audience for businesses and reduces their revenue potential. In contrast, Instagram’s broad audience diversity offers more opportunities to sell products to different age groups and professions. Another social barrier is the challenges caused by audience behavior, such as offensive comments or inappropriate suggestions. These issues are more prominent on Instagram, especially for women in business, whereas they are less frequent on local messaging platforms due to stricter monitoring. Furthermore, operating on Instagram requires understanding complex algorithms, necessitating that business owners take various training courses. Local platforms, on the other hand, are simpler to use and do not require special training. Finally, intense competition on Instagram often leads to the creation of meaningless content and the manipulation of audience emotions, adding to the challenges faced by business owners. Such competition is less visible on local messaging platforms. Moreover, governmental restrictions in Iran have made it difficult to use Instagram, as political and social events may disrupt access to the platform, requiring the use of VPNs. Systemic Barriers: From a systemic perspective, Instagram allows business owners to receive feedback through comments on posts, a feature that Eitaa lacks. Additionally, upload speed and content size limitations on Eitaa and Rubika can affect user activity, whereas Instagram does not impose content size restrictions. Due to the lack of content editing tools in Eitaa and Rubika, users typically edit their content on Instagram before uploading it to these platforms. Instagram also has ideological restrictions related to words and topics concerning crises and social issues in Iran. If these terms are used too frequently, user accounts may be suspended. In contrast, Rubika offers more financial support to businesses, providing them with funds to prevent their activities from being halted, while Instagram does not offer such financial backing and only provides a platform for activity. Conclusion This study examines the advantages and obstacles faced by online business owners on three messaging platforms: Instagram, Eitaa, and Rubika. In terms of advantages, Instagram provides a suitable platform for business growth with its sophisticated algorithms and diverse tools, allowing business owners to reach a wide range of audiences due to its extensive user base. Additionally, Instagram offers numerous educational resources on optimizing activities and expanding businesses, which can be valuable for business owners. On local messaging platforms (Eitaa and Rubika), advantages include the absence of the need for VPNs and easier access for Iranian audiences. Furthermore, these platforms are more cost-effective compared to Instagram, as business owners do not need to pay additional costs for advertising, training, or internet usage. However, in terms of social barriers, there are significant differences between these platforms. Local messaging platforms impose more content and advertising restrictions, particularly concerning issues such as dress code, consumerism, and topics related to gender identity. Moreover, cultural and religious restrictions specific to age groups on these platforms may hinder business growth. While Instagram has fewer advertising restrictions, issues related to violence, controversy, and intense competition can create challenges for business owners. In terms of systemic barriers, similar problems exist across all three platforms. Eitaa and Rubika face issues such as slow upload speeds and content size limitations, which often drive business owners to turn to Instagram due to its better editing tools and upload capabilities. Additionally, ideological restrictions on Instagram, especially regarding social issues in Iran, may lead to account suspensions. Finally, issues like the lack of financial support on Instagram and software problems across all platforms are fundamental obstacles in the growth of businesses. Overall, operating on Instagram and local messaging platforms each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Online business owners need to choose platforms based on their type of business and audience needs in order to achieve the greatest success with the fewest challenges.

Abstract The present study sought to provide a model of persuasion in social media messages in promoting green products. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, quantitative in terms of implementation, and descriptive-correlational in terms of 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 trust-building, audience interaction, narrative, and visual design all play an effective role in strengthening the audience's environmental attitude and behavior and supporting green products. Also, technical infrastructure and new technologies facilitate the path of persuasion and acceptance of a sustainable lifestyle.
Introduction
Today's world is constantly changing; changes that are mainly the result of scientific advances and emerging technologies and have a wide impact on the individual and social lives of humans. Communication and information technologies have grown significantly in recent years (Jafari et al., 2017). Since the 1970s, with the beginning of the communication and information technology revolution, tools such as satellites, the Internet, and mobile phones have entered the field, changing the level of expectations, norms, and social interactions (Bastani et al., 2017). At the same time, social networks have provided an efficient and low-cost space for communication and interaction, which has become more effective than other media due to the possibility of access at any time and active participation of users (Mahmoud et al., 2020).
Today, citizens are able to receive and analyze information at the lowest cost and at the highest speed, and this can create appropriate or sometimes distorted perceptions (Lin et al., 2020; Hamidi Zadeh, 2019). Social networks have become large databases that increase the rapid circulation of information and decision-making power in various fields, including marketing. By producing attractive content, these media play an effective role in attracting and persuading audiences (Kim et al., 2016) and, as a low-cost platform, they provide the opportunity to reflect persuasive messages and influence customer beliefs, attitudes, and behavior (Labbafi et al., 2016).
Since networks host diverse groups with different interests, the reflection of persuasive messages can promote the acceptance and support of green products. Marketing on social networks not only strengthens customer attitudes and satisfaction, but also affects their purchase intention and repeat purchase (Ghaforian Shagerdi et al., 2016). The development of green products through these messages can increase collective perceptions and social responsibility in environmental protection (Matthes et al., 2014). Attention to the environmental impacts of products has also become an important criterion in purchasing decisions, so that price is not the only determining factor (Joshi et al., 2015). The global and Iranian situation shows an increase in environmental pollution and waste, highlighting the necessity of developing green products (Du et al., 2020).
Given the importance of environmental protection, this study seeks to investigate the role of persuasive messages on social networks in promoting support for green products, and its main goal is to explain the conceptual model of persuasion and its impact on the development of green products. In a situation where the global market is sensitive to customers' environmental demands and considerations, companies are forced to formulate their marketing strategy based on customer attitudes and perceptions and social expectations (Limk & Louizao, 2014). Creating customer-friendly values ​​and a coherent identity between the company, customers, and society are key principles for business survival and growth (Talari et al., 2018). The development of green products can increase social awareness and pave the way for positive behavioral changes in consumers (Wu et al., 2020). Despite previous research that has emphasized the importance of social awareness and persuasion in supporting green products (Ogbeibu et al., 2020), there is still a lack of research about the topic.
Theoretical foundations
Persuasion
As a multidimensional process in human communication, persuasion deals with changing the audience's attitudes, emotions, and behavior, and its success requires understanding the audience's cognitive, emotional, and cultural backgrounds so that the message has the greatest impact (Lin et al., 2020).
Trust-building and brand credibility
Brand credibility and trust are key components of marketing and brand communications that shape consumers' attitudes and behaviors. Brand trust includes assurance of the truthfulness of promises and social responsibility, and brand credibility refers to the audience's perception of the brand's reliability (Kim et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2024). Research has shown that reputable brands can increase green behaviors and customer satisfaction, and strengthen individual motivations for sustainable consumption (Ogbeibu et al., 2020; Hu et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2020).
Persuasive and interactive tactics
Interactive tactics invite the audience to actively participate and respond and include personalized content, Q&A, surveys, and creating a discussion space (Mahmoud et al., 2020). These tactics increase the level of attention, learning, and trust in the brand and, in green marketing, allow for better understanding of environmental messages (Lin et al., 2020; Ogbeibu et al., 2020).
Environmental behavior and lifestyle
Environmental behavior and lifestyle include purchasing green products, reducing energy consumption, waste management, and participating in environmental activities (Joshi & Rahman, 2015; Du et al., 2020). Positive attitudes towards the environment and external factors such as brand trust, social responsibility and social media messages can strengthen individual motivations to adopt a sustainable lifestyle (Huang et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2020; Ogbeibu et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2020).
Hu et al. (2024) investigated "The role of social media marketing on green product repurchase intention". The research method is descriptive correlational and the sample is 438 people. The results showed that social media marketing activities significantly increase green values, environmental concerns and brand image and positively affect brand involvement. Also, brand involvement mediated the relationship between green values, environmental concerns, brand image and repurchase intention.
Huang et al. (2024) studied the "Effect of Green Marketing on Repurchase Intention and Positive Word of Mouth of Residential Platform Users". The research method is descriptive correlational and the sample size is 488 people. The results showed that consumers' perception of green marketing increased consumer trust and identification with the platform, and as a result, it affected repurchase intention and positive word of mouth. Consumer trust also mediated the relationship between green marketing and repurchase intention and positive word of mouth.
Research Methodology
This research is applicable in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population includes active users of social networks and experts in the field of green product marketing who play a practical role in the process of persuasion and acceptance of messages. Given that there is no information on the exact number of the statistical population; therefore, the population is considered indefinite and according to the Cochran formula sampling method for the indefinite population, the sample size is 384 people. The statistical sample of the research will be selected randomly and by simple sampling method. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research tool are reported in Table 1. To examine the validity of the tool, content validity (expert opinion) was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, 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 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 present study showed that building trust and brand credibility, along with the use of interactive tactics and emotional narratives, plays a fundamental role in improving the environmental behaviors and attitudes of the audience. Modern messaging infrastructures and technologies and visual design in harmony with green values ​​strengthen the persuasive power of messages and increase the acceptance of a sustainable lifestyle. The findings confirm the importance of integrating trust, interaction, narrative, visual design, and technology in developing green marketing and promoting brand social responsibility, and show that these factors can strengthen individual and collective motivations for sustainable consumption.
Discussion and Conclusion
The research findings showed that trust-building and brand credibility play a central role in shaping audiences’ environmental attitudes and behaviors, such that audiences who consider the brand to be credible and trustworthy are more likely to consume green, reduce energy consumption, and participate in environmental activities (Huang et al., 2024; Meysamizad et al., 2023). Also, persuasive and interactive tactics in messaging, along with narratives and emotional messages, increase active audience participation and pave the way for improving green messaging infrastructure and channels (Antoun et al., 2023; Khalaji et al., 2022).
Other findings of the present study showed that persuasive strategies based on narrative and emotion, by enhancing interactive tactics, engage audiences more and increase their level of interaction with messages and the brand. This is consistent with the research of Antoun et al. (2023) and Meysamizad et al. (2023) who have confirmed the role of storytelling and emotional messages in increasing digital impact and participation.
Also, the infrastructure and technical platforms of green messaging are of considerable importance in creating environmental behaviors of audiences and strengthening their understanding of the brand's social responsibility. This finding is consistent with the research of Khalaji et al. (2022) and Hu et al. (2024) and shows that digital tools and channels can strengthen individual motivations for green consumption and adoption of a sustainable lifestyle.
Visual design aligned with green values ​​and the use of digital platform technologies and algorithms also enhance the persuasive power of messages and improve audience acceptance and commitment to sustainable consumption (Hu et al., 2024; Mahmoud et al., 2024). 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 This study aims to design a comprehensive and dynamic model to explain organizational resilience in Iranian small and medium-sized enterprises. Given that these companies operate in a unique ecosystem of permanent crisis, traditional resilience models based on cross-sectional shocks seem inadequate to explain their dynamics. This research is exploratory and theoretical in nature and is based on the interpretive paradigm. A mixed methodological approach including metasynthesis as the main method and bibliometric analysis as a complementary method was used, and bibliometric data were extracted from 953 articles in Scopus and analyzed with VOSviewer software. After a systematic search of reliable databases and screening, 67 key articles were selected and synthesized and integrated through a content analysis process. Qualitative data analysis led to the identification of 460 unique conceptual codes that were categorized into 15 organizing themes and 5 overarching themes including: “1. Drivers and enabling factors, 2. Multilevel capabilities (individual/entrepreneurial, organizational, network/institutional), 3. Dynamic process cycle (anticipation, exposure, learning), 4. Resilient strategies (defensive, adaptive, offensive), and 5. Heterogeneous outcomes”. The main finding of the research is “A dynamic and multilevel model of organizational resilience in a permanent crisis environment,” which conceptualizes resilience as an evolutionary meta-capability. This research presents the first comprehensive and dynamic theoretical framework to explain resilience in the Iranian perma-crisis ecosystem, and its main innovation lies in conceptualizing resilience as an evolutionary process for the strategic transition from survival to evolution and showing the mechanisms of this transition.
Introduction
The business landscape is witnessing a paradigm shift as it enters an era of constant turmoil and unpredictable disruptions. This environment, described as the “Woka world”, has seriously challenged the fundamental principles of traditional strategic management. In these circumstances, the survival and sustainable growth of organizations requires a capacity beyond short-term resistance, known in the literature as the concept of organizational resilience (Chi et al., 2025). The understanding of the concept of resilience has evolved from the traditional “go back” perspective to the new “leap forward” paradigm, emphasizing strategic learning and transformation (Hernes et al., 2025). However, the existing literature suffers from three gaps: theoretical fragmentation and lack of integrated models, a homogeneous view of resilience pathways, and a lack of sensitivity to context.
Much of the research has examined resilience in response to episodic crises and has not been able to explain it in the context of a permanent crisis (permacrisis), a structural situation in which multiple and intertwined crises have become the norm (Maalouf et al., 2025). This concept accurately describes the unique nature of the Iranian business environment. Iranian companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, operate in a multi-crisis ecosystem shaped by a combination of factors such as economic and institutional instability, international sanctions, social unrest, geopolitical tensions, and infrastructure challenges (Shabani et al., 2025). Numerous pieces of evidence, including the National Business Environment Monitoring Reports and the unprecedented rise in the Uncertainty Index, confirm this turbulent ecosystem. These conditions render resilience models developed in more stable environments ineffective.
At the heart of this ecosystem, SMEs, as the driving force of the economy, face a paradox: on one hand, they are more vulnerable due to resource constraints; and on the other hand, they have a higher potential for agility due to their flexibility (Koporcic et al., 2025). How this potential is activated in Iran’s high-risk context is a question that, despite valuable domestic research, still requires a comprehensive model based on systematic knowledge synthesis.
Accordingly, this study aims to design and present a comprehensive, dynamic, and multi-level model of organizational resilience for SMEs in Iran’s perma-crisis ecosystem. This article conceptualizes resilience as an evolutionary meta-capability for the transition from survival to evolution, moving beyond a static perspective. To achieve this goal, this research uses meta-synthesis and bibliometric analysis to systematically synthesize previous researches to arrive at a new and context-sensitive theoretical framework and answer the fundamental question: "What are the dimensions and components of a comprehensive model of organizational resilience in Iranian small and medium-sized enterprises in a permanent crisis ecosystem?"
The theoretical framework
Organizational Resilience
Hepfer & Lawrence (2022) defines resilience as “the ability of an organization to anticipate, respond to, recover from, and learn from adversity”. Organizational resilience is a multilevel phenomenon. The existing literature generally distinguishes three key levels of resilience: individual, organizational, and network/institutional (Hillmann & Guenther, 2021). 1. Individual level: This level focuses on the psychological resilience of employees, managers, and especially entrepreneurs (Hartmann et al., 2022). In the context of small and medium-sized enterprises, the individual resilience of the entrepreneur plays a vital and pivotal role in guiding the entire organization’s response to a crisis (Leonelli et al., 2024). 2. Organizational level: This level, which is the main focus of this research, addresses the resources, processes, capabilities, and structures that allow the entire organization to cope with disruptions (Barasa et al., 2018). 3. Network/Institutional Level: This level examines resilience beyond the boundaries of an organization and focuses on the quality of the institutional environment, supportive policies, and the organization’s relationships with external actors and stakeholders (Koporcic et al., 2025).
Koporcic et al. (2025) in a comprehensive umbrella review, identified key barriers to resilience in SMEs as constraints related to firm size and greater vulnerability to shocks, financial constraints and ineffective leadership and lack of crisis management skills; and key coping strategies included business continuity planning, organizational culture, technology adoption, proactive manufacturing, and strategic cooperations.
De Waal et al. (2025) identified four heterogeneous resilience paths (incomplete recovery and survival, performance recovery, leapfrogging, explosive leap) in a longitudinal study of Ukrainian companies in war conditions, which shows that survival in critical conditions is itself a form of resilience.
Research Methodology
This research is exploratory and theoretical in nature, based on an interpretive paradigm, and uses the meta-synthesis and bibliometric analysis methods.
Research Findings
Data analysis was conducted using the meta-synthesis method as the main method and bibliometric analysis as a complementary method. Also, bibliometric data were extracted from 953 articles in Scopus and analyzed with VOSviewer software. After a systematic search of reliable databases and screening, 67 key qualitative and conceptual studies were finally selected and synthesized and integrated through a content analysis process. The results showed that 460 conceptual codes were classified into 15 organizing themes and 5 overarching themes including “drivers and enabling factors, multilevel capabilities, dynamic process cycle, resilient strategies, and heterogeneous outcomes.” The main finding of the research is “A dynamic and multilevel model of organizational resilience in a permanent crisis environment”. This model conceptualizes resilience as an evolutionary meta-capability that emerges from the dynamic interaction between the reservoir of multilevel capabilities and the flow of a continuous learning cycle and includes the following elements: 1) drivers and enabling factors (permanent crisis context); 2) the core of resilience including multilevel capabilities (individual/entrepreneurial, organizational, and network/institutional) and a dynamic process cycle (anticipation, exposure, learning); and 3) heterogeneous outcomes (from survival to explosive mutation). This model operates through strategic choices (defensive, adaptive, offensive) and evolves over time with feedback loops and an “evolutionary learning spiral”.
Conclusion
The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive and dynamic model of organizational resilience in Iranian SMEs in a permanent crisis ecosystem using a meta-synthesis method. The findings of this study are fully consistent with studies that emphasize the pivotal role of the leader in SMEs (Leonelli et al., 2024; Branicki et al., 2018). However, this model goes further and shows that leader resilience (including strategic intelligence and managerial competencies) is not only a driver, but also the main catalyst for activating capabilities at other levels. At the organizational level, this model is consistent with the main literature by highlighting capabilities such as agility, learning culture and digital transformation (Georgescu et al., 2024; Dowlatabadi, 2025) and shows that organizational capabilities are a platform for institutionalizing individual-level experiences and intuitions and transforming individual learning into organizational memory. At the network level, this model is also consistent with the findings of researchers by emphasizing strategic partnerships and resource dependency management (Koporcic et al., 2025). In the Iranian context, where formal institutions are weak and unreliable, informal and trust-based networks (social capital) become an alternative infrastructure for business. At the macro level, the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises affects the resilience indicators of society, and supportive government policies can lead to strengthening the country's business ecosystem. This research, by moving beyond simplistic models, attempted to open the black box of resilience in the unique context of Iran's permanent crisis. 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 this study is to investigate the effect of strategic flexibility on the export performance of companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park through international marketing capability. It also examines whether the adoption of digital technology by these companies moderates the effect of strategic flexibility on international marketing capability. This study is applicable in terms of its purpose, and survey in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the present study is all managers of companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park, as many as 160 people; among whom 141 samples were selected using non-random sampling method. The data collection tool was the standard questionnaire of Zohur and Liu (2023) with 19 items. The experts' point of view, convergent and divergent validity, and factor analysis were used to assess face validity. Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were used to measure reliability. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and SmartPLS 3 software. The results showed that strategic flexibility has a significant effect on international marketing capabilities and export performance of knowledge-based companies. Also, strategic flexibility has a significant effect directly and indirectly, through the mediating role of international marketing capabilities, on export performance of knowledge-based companies. The moderating role of adaptation to digital technologies in the effect of strategic flexibility on international marketing capabilities was not confirmed.
Introduction
Strategic flexibility acts as an organization's agility in identifying and adapting to sudden and significant environmental changes (Vorhies et al., 2009). These changes include events in the organization's environment that have a significant impact on its performance. Any organization that has more diversity in its resources and programs will be more flexible compared to the environment in which it operates. This flexibility is important for organizations as a competitive advantage, along with factors such as cost, quality, and innovation (Khodami et al., 2012). Flexible organizations can use environmental changes as an opportunity for progress. Flexibility management is a delicate skill that balances the allocation of resources necessary for timely decisions and avoiding risky investments (Vorhies et al., 2005). In international marketing, the suitability of decisions with the cultural criteria of societies is the key to success. In fact, these criteria are considered the criteria for accepting or rejecting marketing strategies in each country (Faiz et al., 2012). Despite its numerous advantages, strategic management also has disadvantages; it reduces the organization's flexibility: focusing on strategy can prevent the organization from reacting quickly to environmental changes (Ravichandran & Lertwongsatein, 2015). Given Iran's shared borders with its neighbors and the size of its neighbors' populations, there will be a very high potential for companies active in the field of producing goods or services to achieve the expected figures in exports. The expansion of knowledge-based companies active in the field of exports, in addition to earning foreign exchange for the country, will lead to the growth of manufacturing companies, increase the gross domestic product, and also significantly increase the country's employment rate. Therefore, in this study, the aim is to clarify the effect of strategic flexibility on export performance through the mediating role of international marketing capabilities and the moderating role of adapting to digital technologies in knowledge-based companies in the Khorasan Science and Technology Park. Therefore, the above points clarify the importance and necessity of the upcoming research.
Theoretical Framework
Strategic Flexibility
Strategic flexibility is an arsenal of capabilities that gives firms the power to adapt and change. This ability helps and empowers firms against environmental changes and enables them to adapt to changes in large competitive markets. The power of international strategy lies in its flexibility, which allows companies to take advantage of environmental uncertainties, exchange rate fluctuations, government policies, and competitors' actions (Protogerou et al., 2018). Analyzing strategic flexibility is of great importance in the process of company internationalization (Xu et al., 2018).
Firm Export Performance
The global growth of markets and the increasing participation of organizations in the global arena over the past years have created a significant trend in recent research to study the export performance of firms (Di Fatta et al., 2019). The purpose of export performance is to determine the extent to which the company was able to achieve its desired goals in the field of exports and international trade and to what extent it achieved the predicted outlook (Alteren & Tudoran, 2016).
International Marketing Capability
In today’s interconnected world, a thorough understanding of each country’s issues and challenges is essential for successful entry into global markets. Adopting strategies tailored to each country’s and market’s conditions and taking specific actions in high-risk environments will be the key to success in international trade (Vorhies & Morgan, 2013). In order to survive and outperform competitors, organizations have no choice but to equip themselves with an arsenal of powerful marketing tools. Marketing capabilities serve as a roadmap for developing effective business strategies and play a vital role in the performance and success of businesses. These capabilities act as catalysts that bring about appropriate behaviors to improve marketing performance (Morgan et al., 2018).
Digital Technologies
Information and communication technologies are recognized as one of the main fields of entrepreneurship in today’s world (Del Giudice et al., 2019). In addition to transforming structures and procedures, these technologies have enabled companies to achieve economic growth (Rashidi et al., 2023). Digital technology with a social media approach can play a role in guiding various factors and areas to create new businesses. To achieve efficient entrepreneurship in this field, we must carefully consider all the environmental threads that affect our work, like a skilled weaver, and delicately weave them into the threads of our ideas and creativity (Salamzadeh et al., 2019).
Research Methodology
The present study is applicable in terms of purpose, and survey in terms of implementation method. The statistical population of the present study is all managers of companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park; 160 persons among whom 141 samples were selected using non-random sampling method. The data collection tool was the standard questionnaire of Zohoor and Liu (2023) with 19 items.
Research findings
Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method and SmartPLS 3 software. The results showed that strategic flexibility has a significant effect on international marketing capabilities and export performance of knowledge-based companies. Also, strategic flexibility has a significant effect directly and indirectly, through the mediating role of international marketing capabilities, on the export performance of knowledge-based companies. The moderating role of adaptation to digital technologies in the effect of strategic flexibility on international marketing capabilities was not confirmed.
Conclusion
The first objective of this study was to investigate the effect of strategic flexibility on the international marketing capabilities of export companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park. The results confirm the significance of this effect. The second objective of this study was to investigate the effect of strategic flexibility on the export performance of export companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park. Accordingly, the results indicate that this effect is significant and the second hypothesis is confirmed. The third objective of this study was to investigate the effect of international marketing capability on the export performance of exporting companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park. The results confirm the significance of this effect. The fourth objective of this study was to investigate the effect of strategic flexibility on export performance through the mediating role of international marketing capabilities in exporting companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park. Accordingly, the results confirm the significance of this effect. The fifth objective of this study was to investigate the moderating role of adaptation to digital technologies in the effect of strategic flexibility on the digital marketing capabilities of companies in Khorasan Science and Technology Park. It can be concluded that the adaptation to digital technologies variable does not moderate (strengthen or weaken) the relationship between strategic flexibility and international marketing capabilities. These results were in line with the results of Sharafi & Mombeyni (2023), Behboodi et al., (2022), Amooamooha & Yazdani (2021), bashir khodaparasti et al., (2020), Nowrozi & Masum (2018), Evanthi & Azhar (2023), Navarro-Garcia et al., (2024), Zahoor & Lew (2023), Ling-Yee & Ogunmokun (2014), and (Joseph (2020).
According to the research results, the following suggestions were made:
Managers of Khorasan Science and Technology Park companies should pay attention to the tastes of consumers in the destination market and the quality of products in order to improve international marketing capabilities.
Managers of Khorasan Science and Technology Park companies, with the help of government organizations (such as the Export Development Center), should form a committee or union to conduct marketing research and exchange information.
Managers should reflect more on decisions about the marketing mix in the field of exports and examine target markets more and better.
Managers of Khorasan Science and Technology Park companies should consider the differences in their company's communication infrastructure, marketing, and legal systems with the target market.
Managers of Khorasan Science and Technology Park companies should invest in adopting digital technologies that can provide timely access to information and identify market opportunities.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to provide a comprehensive model for international entrepreneurship in ECO member countries. A mixed research method was used: in the qualitative part, data were collected and analyzed using systematic data-based theory and interviews with 15 academic and executive experts (until theoretical saturation). In the quantitative part, 323 managers were selected from 2035 managers of knowledge-based companies in the Export Development and Technology Exchange Corridor by random sampling. The data collection tool included semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire based on qualitative findings. The validity of the tools was confirmed by experts and reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha. Qualitative data were analyzed with MAXQDA software and three-stage coding, which resulted in the extraction of 356 primary codes, 79 open categories, 16 axial categories, and 5 selected categories. In the quantitative part, factor analysis and structural equations were conducted with AMOS. The findings showed that the international entrepreneurship model in ECO is based on multi-level convergence (macro, meso, and micro). Its main components include contextual factors (regional capacity building), causal factors (strategic context building), intervention factors (challenge management), strategies (operational framework), and consequences (sustainable development). This model can help policymakers, economic institutions, knowledge-based companies, and small, medium, and large companies enter global markets and pave the way for creating a sustainable competitive advantage and transforming ECO into an Asian innovation hub.
Introduction
International entrepreneurship, as the process of forming and expanding innovative economic activities across national borders and taking advantage of global opportunities, has become one of the main engines of economic growth in the world in recent decades (Chukwuka et al., 2024). The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), as a regional pact consisting of countries with common historical, cultural and geographical ties, has extensive capacities in the fields of trade, investment and knowledge transfer. With a population of over half a billion people and rich natural and human resources, these countries can provide an important platform for the expansion of international entrepreneurship. However, existing studies show that despite the existence of many opportunities, obstacles such as weak institutional coordination, limited access to capital, ineffective support policies, insufficient use of new technologies, and lack of regional entrepreneurial networks have prevented the full realization of the international entrepreneurial potential in the ECO region (khan, 2024). The ECO organization was initially founded in 1985 by Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan, and with the accession of seven other countries in 1992, it became a regional institution with the prospect of economic cooperation, infrastructure development, and facilitation of trade exchanges (abbas, 2024).
Despite such capabilities, the growth of international entrepreneurship in ECO has faced serious obstacles; Complex bureaucracy, financial constraints, difficulty in accessing global markets, and sanctions have prevented the full use of potential (Montiel, 2023). Past research also shows that factors such as a strong business environment, effective support policies, the use of new technologies, and the capabilities of entrepreneurs are essential conditions for success in this direction (Deakins et al., 2024). However, the role of local culture and values, the effect of national policies, and how to integrate new technologies in a regional framework have still received less attention (Nazari et al., 2024).
On the other hand, the geopolitical and economic conditions of these countries are such that entrepreneurial cooperation can not only improve the level of economic interactions in the region, but also play a role in increasing their economic resilience and socio-political convergence. Thus, providing a comprehensive and localized model for the development of international entrepreneurship in ECO member countries is an undeniable necessity; a model that can encompass both structural factors (such as policies, laws, and infrastructure) and behavioral factors (such as entrepreneurial culture, innovation, and risk-taking) and provide practical and efficient solutions by considering common characteristics and differences between member countries. Examining these obstacles and identifying key success factors can pave the way for providing a local and efficient model for the development of international entrepreneurship in the ECO region. Therefore, the research question is: What model can explain the key and effective dimensions of international entrepreneurship in ECO member countries and pave the way for the sustainable development of the region?
Theoretical foundations
Entrepreneurship and economic growth
Entrepreneurship is recognized in the economic development literature as one of the most important engines of growth and innovation. This phenomenon creates economic and social value by identifying new opportunities, organizing resources, and creating innovative businesses, and provides a platform for the dynamics of economic systems (Callegari, 2024). At the international level, entrepreneurship takes on more complex dimensions, because entrepreneurs are forced to face institutional, political, and cultural diversity in addition to economic factors. Accordingly, “international entrepreneurship” as an interdisciplinary field in management, economics, and social sciences, focuses on the process of identifying and exploiting cross-border business opportunities (Zahra & George, 2017). In other words, at the international level, this concept becomes important when entrepreneurs operate in diverse political, economic, and cultural environments and are forced to adapt to the institutional and structural differences of different markets (Zahra and George, 2017). Having its roots in internationalization discussions (Tolstoy, 2024), international entrepreneurship, is known as a tool for exploiting cross-border opportunities and creating competitive advantage. Doozandeh Ziabar et al., (2024) studied the presentation of a social entrepreneurship model in rural tourism development in a tourism target village in Guilan province. The statistical population of the study included 10 managers, experts, and university professors in the field of tourism, selected through purposive sampling. The results of the qualitative questionnaire and open interviews with sample members were analyzed after taking notes and transferring them to the system using the data-driven method and through coding and Max Quda software, and the output and final model were reported. The results showed that traditional tourism entrepreneurship follows a capitalist approach.
Shahzad et al. (2024) studied "International Entrepreneurship Antecedents and the Role of Emerging Technologies in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals". This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and quantitative in terms of approach; the data were analyzed using PLS-SEM techniques in SmartPLS 4 software. The findings showed that key antecedents of international entrepreneurship significantly affect sustainable development and emerging technologies play a mediating role between antecedents and sustainable development.
Research Methodology
This research was conducted with a mixed approach (modern hybrid) and in two qualitative and quantitative stages. In the qualitative part, systematic data-based theory was used and the statistical population included academic and non-academic experts in the field of international entrepreneurship. Purposive sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached, and a total of 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and review of scientific documents, and then analyzed. In the quantitative part, the data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha test and its validity was confirmed through content validity and construct validity. Finally, structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses using Amos software.
Research findings
By presenting a local model of "entrepreneurship development based on multi-level convergence", the present study showed that institutional coordination, regional networking, and empowerment of entrepreneurs at three macro, intermediate, and micro levels connect regional capacities in an integrated manner. Contextual factors such as policies, entrepreneurial culture, technological infrastructure and international cooperation provide the foundation for entrepreneurial development, while administrative barriers, legal restrictions and cultural differences pose challenges. Research innovations include the “interactional model of natural resources”, the “dual role of family relationships”, and the “multi-layer model of administrative barriers”. Proposed strategies target the development of infrastructure, cross-border cooperation networks, and the promotion of individual capabilities. The consequences include increased innovation, economic growth and the creation of job opportunities, and social welfare.
Conclusion
The present study, with the aim of analyzing the development of international entrepreneurship in the ECO region, has presented an indigenous model called “Entrepreneurship Development Based on Multilevel Convergence”. The findings show that multilevel convergence, including institutional coordination, regional networking and empowerment of entrepreneurs, plays a central role in strengthening international entrepreneurship and connects regional capacities in an integrated manner at three levels: macro (regional policy-making and governance), meso (inter-organizational networks) and micro (individual skills and capabilities). These results are consistent with the findings of Morris (2024) and O’Connor (2023), who have emphasized the importance of institutional frameworks and cooperation networks in the growth of regional entrepreneurship.
The analysis of the research context showed that contextual factors including supportive policies and laws, entrepreneurial culture, technological infrastructure and international cooperation are the foundation for the formation of international entrepreneurship in the ECO region. Cultural and historical commonalities, shared natural resources and economic diversity of countries, especially in the completion of the value chain, play both facilitating and challenging roles. Innovative findings of the research include the “interactive pattern of natural resources” and the “dual role of family relationships” that simultaneously act as an advantage and a constraint in the entrepreneurial process. These results are in line with the studies of Khan et al. (2024) and Zocchla (2024) that have highlighted the importance of contextual capacities in regional entrepreneurship. On the other hand, intervening conditions including administrative and bureaucratic challenges, legal and policy constraints and cultural and social barriers were identified. Lengthy company registration processes, lack of legal transparency, sudden policy changes, language differences, and limited role of women are examples of the main barriers. By introducing the “multi-layered model of administrative barriers” and providing an integrated framework for managing these challenges, this study has provided practical solutions to reduce their negative effects, and is consistent with the findings of Esmaeilpour et al. (2020), Khosravi (2023), and Navi (2025).
Entrepreneurship development strategies in the ECO region focus on three main axes: strengthening legal frameworks and supportive policies, developing common technological and economic infrastructure, and expanding cross-border cooperation networks. Tools such as tax exemptions, joint technology parks, digital platforms, and holding regional conferences facilitate entry into entrepreneurial activities and increase the capacity for synergy among entrepreneurs in member countries. Research innovations include the design of a “regional entrepreneurship policy model at three levels”, a framework for measuring the effectiveness of shared technological infrastructures, and the development of a “smart networking model among regional entrepreneurs.”
The consequences of international entrepreneurship development in the ECO region include two dimensions: economic and social. From an economic perspective; increased innovation, GDP growth, and technological export promotion are observed, and from a social perspective; the creation of job opportunities for youth and women and the improvement of general welfare indicators are significant. These results are in line with the findings of OECD (2023) and Economic Development Bank (2022), which have emphasized that regional entrepreneurship can lead to sustainable economic and social growth. 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.