Program and Development Research

Program and Development Research

Presenting a multi-level model of factors affecting the improvement of the Business environment of Isfahan province: A sociological approach

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD student, Department of Sociology, Islamic Azad University, Dehaghan Branch, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Islamic Azad University, Dahaghan Branch, Iran.
3 PhD in Economics, Head of the Management and Planning Organization of Isfahan Province, Iran.
10.22034/pbr.2024.210264
Abstract
This research aims to develop a multi-level model of sociological factors to enhance the business environment in Isfahan province. The study is applied in purpose and employs a mixed-methods approach, specifically a sequential-exploratory design.
The statistical population includes 6 experts from the provincial management and planning organization, who collaborated on the project, and 17 provincial-level experts. These experts include university faculty members, representatives from the local chamber of commerce, the science and technology corridor, the chamber of trades, the economic and financial affairs sector, business owners, and professionals from the management and planning organization. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling.
Using the fuzzy Delphi technique, 28 factors were identified and grouped into 8 key categories. Structural-interpretive modeling was then applied to organize these factors into a four-level hierarchical model. The results highlight "good governance" as the foundational factor for improving the business environment, with the remaining factors distributed across subsequent levels.
Keywords

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