Analyzing and Measuring the Entrepreneurial Mentality among Employees of Agricultural Sector in Rural Areas: A Case Study Sub-districts in Khaf County of Iran

   Hamdollah SOJASI QEIDARY [1] and Yaser ARABTEIMURI [2]   Received: 2 August, 2015 Accepted: 11 June, 2016     This study aimed at measuring the entrepreneurial mentality among agricultural employees. It was conducted in 2015 in a descriptive-analytic methodology through desk resources and a field study (questionnaire). Statistical society included 197 household heads employed in agricultural sector in four sub-districts of Khaf county of Iran, chosen by modified Cochran formula. For data gathering, a random-classified sampling was used through a scholar-made questionnaire based on 9 criteria extracted from theoretical literature. Study results showed that the studied employees were weak in respect to risk-taking, challenging, and practical mentality and strong in control focus, needing to success and mental flow, among other components. Based on the results, the entrepreneurial mentality of farmers in the studied area was found to be in a weak and low level. In addition, other results showed that there were significant differences among farmers of different rural areas in some criteria of entrepreneurial mentality including risk-taking, challenging, practical mentality, bearing the ambiguity, and mental flow. Finally, as shown by VICOR technique, 'Chohardah' and 'Mazraeh Sheikh' villages were respectively placed in the first and second ranks in entrepreneurial mentality.       [1] . Corresponding Author and Assistant professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran (ssojasi@um.ac.ir).   [2] . MA Student in Geography and Rural Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.