A conceptual model of intrapreneurship in the Iranian agricultural extension organization: Implications for HRD

Abstract

Purpose

This study seeks to build a conceptual model of agricultural extension intrapreneurship that discusses the concept and phenomenon of intrapreneurship as well as its prerequisites and outcomes. The proposed model is intended to depict the main factors that affect the phenomena of intrapreneurship within the agricultural extension organizations and the impact of intrapreneurship on agricultural extension organizational outcomes, as well as factors influencing its continuous outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper identifies and describes the existence and past literature on prerequisites, phenomena and outcomes of intrapreneurship in organizations as a basis for analysis and developing an appropriate model of agricultural extension intrapreneurship. This is a conceptual paper selecting targeted scholarly works that provide support for the proposed model.

Findings

The paper presents a model of Iranian agricultural extension in which the organizational, behavioral and environmental factors influence intrapreneurship and the construct of intrapreneurship influences organizational outcomes. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis that develops an existing model for a systematic approach to the agricultural extension intrapreneurial process. The proposed model of agricultural extension intrapreneurship joins a growing number of works that explore how intrapreneurship contributes to organizational outcomes in an Iranian agricultural extension organization. It is suggested that the framework may help scholars identify potential strategies of intrapreneurial activity that could help extension organization position intrapreneurship as a vehicle for improving organizational outcomes.

Originality/value

Based on this exploration, new insights about agricultural extension intrapreneurship are developed, practical implications for agricultural extension intrapreneurs on how to approach agricultural extension entrepreneurship more systematically and effectively are presented and opportunities for further research are identified.

Citation

Karimi, A., Malekmohamadi, I., Ahmadpour Daryani, M. and Rezvanfar, A. (2011), "A conceptual model of intrapreneurship in the Iranian agricultural extension organization: Implications for HRD", Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 35 No. 7, pp. 632-657. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090591111160779