Introduction
Currently, the concept of networks is widely recognized and extensive research has been conducted to explore the correlation between entrepreneurs' networks and business growth. Consequently, networks are regarded as a crucial asset for business and entrepreneurship. Companies employ networks and engage in network activities as an entrepreneurial strategy to enhance product development, attract new customers, expand resources, and optimize pricing structures. A business network is a intricate web of connections among individuals, companies, universities, government agencies, and other organizations with the aim of generating and sharing knowledge, capabilities, and resources to expedite the innovation process, achieve successful commercialization, and gain competitive advantages. A network approach involves identifying actors, their ongoing relationships, and the structural outcomes of these relationships. Networks, rather than individuals, firms, or nation-states, are the fundamental unit of analysis for understanding the global economy. Powerful actors are those who direct networks and exert influence. Their ability to do so depends on their control over key resources (physical, political, economic, social, and technological). In the network literature, it is commonly suggested that power in a network is determined by position (e.g., centrality) or the strength of connections between actors. Network relations must be both structural and relational. Networks are structural because the composition and interrelationship of different networks create power relations. They are relational because they involve interactions among powerful social actors. These relationships can take various forms such as laws, contracts, values, regulations.
Materials and Methods
This applied study provides valuable insights for various institutions, such as agricultural jahad and agricultural cooperatives. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using a combination of library research and field methods. The statistical population consisted of 68 members of Shazand poultry farms, all of whom were interviewed individually. Each interview lasted approximately one hour, during which notes were taken and issues raised by the poultry owners were recorded. The study employed the social network analysis method to examine the interactions and connections among Shazand poultry businesses. The process involved conducting field interviews and observations with poultry business owners in Shazand city, coding the data and entering it into UCINET software as a matrix, identifying and categorizing the types of relationships between poultry business owners, and finally analyzing the network using software to explain the interactions between these businesses.
Results and discussion
By utilizing a network analysis method and exploring questions such as the nature of relationships, the formation patterns, the relationship between these patterns and behavior, and their connection to other social factors, this research aims to understand how individuals can access resources through communication with others. The network analysis results indicate that approximately 14% of poultry are interconnected, suggesting a weak and fragile network.
Conclusions
The findings suggest a direct correlation between communication components within the poultry network and educational attainment. Poultry farms with lower levels of education tend to engage in inter-group communication, and whereas education levels increase, there is a greater tendency to outsource communication, resulting in enhanced social cohesion. However, there are exceptions to this trend, such as poultry farms that have no connections to other farmers due to factors like non-indigenous status, limited resources, economic constraints, or lack of support from trustees. Some farms also maintain geographical ties with relatives and acquaintances in other villages, indicating familial relationships within the poultry network. Membership in business networks for agricultural enterprises facilitates information exchange, procurement of cost-effective raw materials, and access to larger markets. Social networks enable skill acquisition, knowledge sharing, collaboration in production processes, increased sales potential, cost reduction measures, innovation, and ultimately contribute to improved performance and competitive advantage for agricultural businesses.