Impact of Social Networks on Digital Entrepreneurship with the Role of Mediating Opportunity Recognition (Case Study: Knowledge Base Companies at Technology and Science Park in Kerman)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor University of Sistan and Baluchestan

2 MSc Student in Information Technology Management, University of Sistan and Baluchestan

3 phd student in Public Administration, University of Sistan and Baluchestan

Abstract

Abstract
One of the digital business trends is the use of business-based networking. Social networks provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to find better ideas for creating a digital business. The purpose of this study was investigating the impact of social networks on digital entrepreneurship with the role of mediating opportunity recognition. The study is applied research and data collection is a descriptive and survey method. The statistical population of the study was directors and experts of 35 knowledge-based companies based in Kerman Science and Technology Park, In each company, two or three depend on number (managers, experts and topic experts) were questioned. By combining questionnaires, 35 questionnaires were selected as samples. SPSS and SMART PlS have been used to analyze the data. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha and its combined reliability and its validity through congruent and divergent validity method.The results of the research showed that social networks have a positive and significant effect on the creation of digital entrepreneurship. Among the dimensions of social networks, the content of social relationships (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 0.445), information transfer (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 0.214) and social information resources (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 182.0), had the greatest impact on entrepreneurship Have digital. Regarding the variable of opportunity recognition, among the dimensions of social networks, the content of social relationships (with impact intensity coefficient of 0.339) had the greatest impact on opportunity recognition.
Introduction
With the arrival of the era known as the Information Society, the theme of entrepreneurship in the digital environment has become prominent among service activists and producers. Digital entrepreneurship is the use of opportunities created through the Internet, mobile technology and new media and facilitates the exchange, transfer and acquisition of knowledge. Nowaday discovery product production is a requirement in a society and requirement identification has a close relationship with chance discovery. So what is important in entrepreneurship is the recognition of opportunity. Opportunity detection. is the ability to identify an idea and turn it into a commercial-economic concept. Access to relevant information plays an essential role in recognizing the opportunity, and those who have more access to information discovery find more opportunities than those who are deprived of information. Social networks are all the people with whom the entrepreneur has a direct relationship, such as family members, partners, suppliers, customers, investors, and other creditors and distributors. One of the motivations for using these networks is the sharing of knowledge, new ideas and, ultimately, the dynamics of the economy.
Case study
The statistical population of the study was directors and experts of 35 knowledge-based companies based in Kerman Science and Technology Park, In each company, two or three depend on number (managers, experts and topic experts) were questioned. By combining questionnaires, 35 questionnaires were selected as samples.
Research Methods
The purpose of this study was with investigate the impact of social networks on digital entrepreneurship with the role of mediating opportunity recognition. The statistical population of the study was directors and experts of 35 knowledge-based companies based in Kerman Science and Technology Park, In each company, two or three By number (managers, experts and topic experts) were questioned. By combining questionnaires, 35 questionnaires were selected as samples. SPSS and SMART PlS have been used to analyze the data. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha and its combined reliability and its validity through congruent and divergent validity method
Discussion and Results
The results of the research showed that social networks have a positive and significant effect on the creation of digital entrepreneurship. Among the dimensions of social networks, the content of social relationships (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 0.445), information transfer (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 0.214) and social information resources (with a coefficient of impact intensity of 182.0), had the greatest impact on entrepreneurship Have digital. Regarding the variable of opportunity recognition, among the dimensions of social networks, the content of social relationships (with impact intensity coefficient of 0.339) had the greatest impact on opportunity recognition.
Conclusion
The overall results of the research showed that the four dimensions of social networks (Content of social relationships, social information resources, social relations structure, information transfer) In the development of digital entrepreneurship (Opportunity analysis, Website creation and development, E-marketing program, Performance, E-commerce development) By mediating variable opportunity recognition. The results of the research on the first hypothesis of research show that social networks have a direct and significant effect on digital entrepreneurship; So membership in these networks and the using the virtual social networks are effective in developing digital entrepreneurship. The results of the second hypothesis show that social networks have a significant effect on the recognition of entrepreneurial opportunities. Between dimensions of social networks, the content of social relationships (with a coefficient of effect intensity of 0.33) had the greatest impact on the recognition of the opportunity. The results of the third hypothesis showed that the recognition of entrepreneurship opportunities has a significant effect on digital entrepreneurship. The fourth hypothesis shows that social networks have a direct and significant impact on digital entrepreneurship. According to the findings of the research, suggestions are made to improve the performance of companies. 1. Using the capacities and capabilities of virtual social networks, the Internet and social media in identifying entrepreneurial opportunities.2. Using the information and knowledge of coaches, informal social networks and participation in specialized meetings to identify entrepreneurial opportunities. Using the virtual social networks and the Internet in electronic marketing.

Keywords


1-Abdi, A., Hosseini, A., & Narayat, M. (2017). Investigating the Opportunity Detection Model in the Entrepreneurship Process. Research in the Arts and Humanities, 2 (3), 79-88, (In Persian)
2-Adel, G. (2017). Entrepreneurship Philosophy in Economic Thoughts. Development Strategy, 49, 61-77.
3-Aghajani, H. (2014). Creativity and Competitiveness The most important features of knowledge-based companies. The second National Conference on Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness, (In Persian).
4-Akbari, M., Milad, H., & Besharati, F. (2013). Effect of course content on entrepreneurial orientation. Educational Sciences, 30, 109-131, (In Persian)
5-Anckar, R. (2016). Digital Entrepre Neurship In Finland. A Narrative Of A Finnish Digital Entrepreneur. Technology, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development. Conference proceedings, 36-42.
6-Aryany, A., Zahid, A., Moini-Kiya, M., Khaleqkhah, A.; Soroush, M. & Mousavi, T. (2016). The role of virtual social networks in developing entrepreneurial capabilities. Welfare and Development Planning, 29, 42-68, (In Persian)
7-Azimi-zadeh, S. M., Amini Roshan, Z., Madhad, M. & Azimzadeh, T. (2018). Investigating the Relationship Between Intent and Motivation of Entrepreneurship with the Competence of Creating Business among Students. Physical Education Studies and Sport Sciences, 3 (1), 58-68, (In Persian)
8-Bhowmick, Sanjay. (2018). How psychic distance and  opportunity perceptions affect entrepreneurial firm internationalization. Administrative Sciences, 1-16,
9-CheMat, S., Mistima Maat, S., Mohd, N. (2015). Identifying Factors that Affecting the Entrepreneurial Intention among Engineering Technology Students. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 211, 1016-1022.
10-Cohen, B., Amorós, J. E., Lundyd, L. (2017). The generativepotential of emerging technology to support startups and new ecosystems. Bus. Horiz, 60 (6), 741–745.

11-Dong, J. Qi. (2018). Moving a mountain with a teaspoon: Toward a theory of digital entrepreneurship in the regulatory environment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 1-8.

12-Esani, M. (2011). Electronic Entrepreneurship (Digital) Knowledge-Driven Economics Engine. National Conference on Information Technology and National Economy, 1209-1209, (In Persian)
13-Eskandari, A. & Jahaniyan, R. (2017). The role of higher education institutions in entrepreneurship. New Research in the Humanities, 35, 267-275, (In Persian).
14-Fuentelsaz, L., González, C., & Maicas, J. P. (2018). Article Formal institutions and opportunity entrepreneurship. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 92, 1-20.
15-Garcia, L. S., Martín, L., Mangues, R. (2016). Recombinant pharmaceuticals from microbial cells: a 2015 update. Sanchez‑Garcia et al. Microb Cell Fact, 15(33), 1-7.
16-Gayyran, A., Hasani, A., Moghadam, A. and Ghasemlu, M. (2017). Individual Factors Affecting the Recognition of Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Applied Studies in Management and Development Sciences, 2 (3), 69-80.
17-Geissinger, A., Laurell, Ch., Sandström, Ch., Eriksson, K. & Nykvist, R. (2018). Digital entrepreneurship and field conditions for institutional changeInvestigating the enabling role of cities. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 1-10.
18-Giones, F. & Brem, A. (2017). Digital Technology Entrepreneurship: A Definition and Research Agenda. Technology Innovation Management Review, 4 (7), 5-14
19-Golgard, P. & Kashani, A. (2017). The Influence of Intellectual Capital on Strategic Entrepreneurship with the Role of Mediator of Organizational Intelligence. Resource Management in Police, 5 (2), 65-84.
20-González, M. F., Husted, B. & Aigner, D. J. (2018). Opportunity discovery and creation in social entrepreneurship: An exploratory study in Mexico. Business Research, 81, 1-9.
21-Grinstein, A. & Ofek, E. (2016). Social Network Utilization and the Impact of Academic Research in Marketing. Research in Marketing, 17, 1-48.
22-Haghighi, N., Haji Hosseini, H., Ramezan Pour, Q. & Davari, A. (2017). Identifying and analyzing factors influencing entrepreneurship development in the field of information and communication technology. Technology Development Management, 4 (4), 65-92.
23-Hanell, S. M. & Ghauri, P. N. (2015). Internationalization of Smaller Firms: Opportunity Development through Networks. Thunderbird International Business Review, 58 (5), 465-477.
24-Hasani Sadr Abadi, J. (2017). Entrepreneurship and the Effectiveness of Human Resource Management. Management and accounting studies, 3 (1), 93-10, (In Persian).
25-Hou, R., Wu, J. & Du, H. (2017). Customer social network affects marketing strategy: A simulation analysis based on competitive diffusion model. Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 469 (1), 644-654.
26-Howells, K. & Ertugan, A. (2016). Applying fuzzy logic for sentiment analysis of social media network data in marketing. 9th International Conference on Theory and Application of Soft Computing Internetlivestats, 2017.Twitter Usage Statistics, http://www.internetlivestats.com/twitter-statistics/, accessed.
27-Ismaili, A. & Taheri, F. (2014). Assessing the impact of online communities on customer loyalty to brand on social networks. First International Conference on Accounting, Business Management and Innovation, (In Persian).
28-Imani, A. M., Hosseinifar, A., & Mubarak, M. (2017). Influence of social networks on digital business in knowledge-based companies. Smart Business Management Studies, 6 (22), 1-22, (In Persian)
29-Imani, A. M., Sheyhaki Tash, M., & Karachi Esfahani, M. (2018). The Effect of Organizational Reward Dimensions on Identifying, Assessing and Exploiting Small and Small Business Opportunities in Women's Garment Areas in Zahedan City. University of Sistan and Baluchestan, (In Persian)
30-Jalali, A. A., Rouhani, S. & Zare, M. A. (2014). Digital Entrepreneurship: A New Approach to Work at the Electronic Municipality. Proceedings of the Second Conference of Electronic City, (In Persian)
31-Jamali, B., MohammadKazemi, R., Yadollahi Farsi, J. & Mobini, A. (2018). Theories of opportunity creation and effective entrepreneurial actions in opportunity creation context. Decision Science Letters, 7, 443–454, (In Persian)
32-Gamayran, A., Hasani, A., Moghadam, A. & Ghasemlu, M. A. (1396). Individual Factors Affecting the Recognition of Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Applied Studies in Management and Development Sciences, 2 (3), 69-80.
33-Kavosy, S. (2014). Investigating the Role of Social Networks in Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Master Thesis, (In Persian)
34-Khojir, Y. (2017). Virtual social networks, opportunities and threats. Review of Information and Communication Book, 16, 133-146, (In Persian)
35-Khoshmaram ,M., Zarafshani, K.; Khosh Khoy, Sh., Ali Beigi, A. H. & Mirkzadeh, A. A. (2017). Identifying Entrepreneurial Agricultural Opportunities: A Critique of Existing Definitions and Introducing a Scale to Measure It. Entrepreneurship in agriculture, 4 (3), 55-70, (In Persian)
36-KhoshSafa, H. & Kafashi, M. (2017). Investigate the relationship between virtual social networks and family values. Social and Cultural Strategy, 23, 173-200, (In Persian).
37-Khosrowpour, I. & Khosravi Pour, B. (2017). The Relationship between Agility and Entrepreneurship in Organizations. Study of Management and Entrepreneurship, 3 (3), 27-41, (In Persian)
38-Labafi, S.; Roshandel, T. & Mohammadi, D. (2018). Investigating the Role of Social Networks in Marketing Using the Taylor & Opazaki Framework. Media studies, 12, 104-114, (In Persian)
39-Lehner, O. M., & Kansikas, J. (2012). Opportunity recognition in social entrepreneurship: A thematic meta analysis. Entrepreneurship, 21(1), 25-58.
40-Leong, C., Pan, Sh. & Liu, J. (2016). Grown Digital Firms: Comparing the Effectuation Process of Yihaodian and Suning. Thirty Seventh International Conference on Information System.
41-Mashdai, A. (2011). Analyzing the Effects of Social Networks on Identifying Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Industrial Management, 6 (15), 65-78, (In Persian)
42-Mehrabi Devadzai, P. & Hejazi, S. N. (2017). The Impact of Social Networking on Business. Management Studies and Entrepreneurship, 3 (2), 48-61, (In Persian)
43-Mc Dermott, K., Kurucz & Colbert, B A. (2018). Social Entrepreneurial Opportunity and Active Stakeholder Participation: Resource Mobilization in Enterprising Conveners of Cross-Sector Social Partnerships. Cleaner Production, Cleaner Production, 18, 30314-7.
44-Michael Zisuh, N. (2015). Digital Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies: The role of ICTs and local context. The second AIB-UKI Conference, 1-27.
45-Misagh, M. J. & Azadvar, M. (2015). Entrepreneurship and Opportunity. National Conference on Resistance Economics. Razi University, (In Persian)
46-Mirshamshi, F. & Kurd, B. (2011). Digital entrepreneurship in the context of developing business venture. The second and current IT technology conference, (In Persian)
47-Mohammadi Eliasi, Gh., & Rokni, N. (2011). The role of social networks in identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurship Development Quarterly, 3 (11), 7-26, (In Persian)
48-Mohammadian, M. Rouhani, A. R., Hashemzahi, A. & Karimian, M. (2015). Factors Affecting Small and Medium Business Electronic Models in Iran. Information Technology Management Studies, 3 (12), 97-122, (In Persian)
49-Mohammadzadeh, P., Abdi, H., Recovery, D. & Beheshti, M. B. (2018). Identifying determinants of entrepreneurship using discrete models. Economic Research, 123, 409-436, (In Persian)
50-Mousavi, S. M. & Shabgo Mousif, S. M. (2018). Investigating the Role of Technical Knowledge in the Detection and Utilization of Entrepreneurial Factors. New Research in Management and Accounting, 5, 125-125, (In Persian)
51-Mousavi, M., Taheri, S., & Nezam Bekai, M. (2013). Presentation of a model for identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. A national congress of entrepreneurship, a knowledge-based industry, Mazandaran University, (In Persian)
52-Muro, P. & Turner, J. R. (2018). Entrepreneurial opportunity pursuit through business model transformation: a project perspective. Project Management, 36, 968– 979.
53-Murphy, P. J. (2011). conceptual foundation for entrepreneurial discovery theory Entrepreneurship. Theory and Practice, 35 (2), 359-374.
54-Nambisan, S. (2017). Digital entrepreneurship: toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship. Enterp. Theory Pract, 41 (6), 1029–1055,
55-Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K., Majchrzak, A., Song, M. (2017). Digital innovation management: Reinventing Innovation Management Research in a Digital World. MIS Quarterly, 41 (1), 22-238
 
56-Raghfar, H.; Shahabadi, A and Alizadeh, S. (2018). The Effect of Knowledge Economy Components on Entrepreneurship in Selected Countries. Economic Research, 123, 323-344, (In Persian).
57-Rodsaz, H., Zarifian, M. R. & Sufi, J. (2012). Entrepreneurship in Technology. Tehran: Publication of the Look, (In Persian)
58-Saberi, A. (2017). Graph on social networks. Elite of Science and Engineering, 2 (5), 445-449, (In Persian)
59-Shafiei, M. & Zarei, A. A. (2017). Effectiveness of Social Networking Ads. Business Investigations, 9 (17), 150-173, (In Persian)
60-Shane, S. (2003). A general theory of entrepreneurship: The individual-opportunity nexus; Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
61-Shu, R., Ren, Sh. & Zheng, Y. (2018). Building networks into discovery: The link between entrepreneur network capability and entrepreneurial opportunity discovery. Business Research, 85, 197–208.
62-Stern Neill, L. E. & Metcalf Jonathan, L. Y. (2017). Distinguishing entrepreneurial approaches to opportunity perception, 23 (2), 1-43.
63-Tang, J., Kacmar, K. M. M., & Busenitz, L. (2012). Entrepreneurial alertness in the pursuit of new opportunities. Journal of Business Venturing, 27(1), 77-94.
64-Tumasjan, A., & Braun, R. (2012). In the eye of the beholder: How regulatory focus and selfefficacy interact in influencing opportunity recognition. Business Venturing, 27(6), 622-636.
65-Vali Nafas, A. & Ghazi, E. (2016). Identify Entrepreneurial Opportunities. Management Studies and Entrepreneurship, 2 (2), 131-141, (In Persian)
66-Yaqoobi, A; Motaghed, M. & Karimi. S. (2016). The role of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills in the development of digital entrepreneurship intent. Processing and Managing Information, 31 (3), 785-802, (In Persian)
67-Zali, M. R., Razavi, S. M. & Kaboli, E. (2012). The Effects of Executive Managers' Social Network on the Performance of New Businesses in Iran. Executive Management Research Journal, 4 (8), 41-62, (In Persian)
68-Zali, M. R; Kornaich, Sh. T.; Najafian, M. (2012). The Effect of Social Network on Business Performance: Moderating Effects of Role Model and Employer Motivation. Management Research in the World, 16 (2), 91-112, (In Persian)
69-Zare Mirkabadi, Z. & Nouri, R. (2015). Electronic Entrepreneurship Process in Iran. Technology Development Management, 3 (3), 165-188, (In Persian)
70-Zhao, F. & Collier, A. (2016). Digital Entrepreneurship: Research and Practice. 9th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business, 2173-2182.
71-Zinati, Z. & Jalali, M. M. (2015). Digital Entrepreneurship with Internet Business Approach. National Conference on Management Research, (In Persian)
72-Zolfaghari, F. & Zamani, M. (2015). Opportunity Detection, Strategic Ring of Entrepreneurship Chain. International Conference on Management and Economics in the Twentieth Century, (In Persian)
73-Zubarieva, M. A. & Shturkhetskyy, S. V. (2018). Marketing features of promotions tactics of social business in social networks. Marketing Features Of Promotion Tactics Of Social Business In Social Networks. Scientific Bulletin Of Polissia, 1 (13), 205-209, (In Persian)