The Role of Entrepreneurial Thinking Mediated by Social Media on the Sustainability of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Iran

Mehdi Tajpour (), Elahe Hosseini, Vanessa Ratten, Behrooz Bahman-Zangi and Seydeh Mersedeh Soleymanian
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Mehdi Tajpour: Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, North Kargar Avenue, Tehran 1411713114, Iran
Elahe Hosseini: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics, Management & Accounting, Yazd University, Yazd 8915818411, Iran
Vanessa Ratten: Department of Management, La Trobe Business School at La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Behrooz Bahman-Zangi: Department of Technology Transfer, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Science and Research Branch Islamic Azad, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
Seydeh Mersedeh Soleymanian: Department of Entrepreneurship, Kish International Campus, University of Tehran, Niyayesh St., Mirmohanna Blvd., Kish Island 7941655665, Iran

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-26

Abstract: This study lends new insights into the hitherto-unexplored relationship between entrepreneurial thinking and the sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iran, mediated by social media. The goal was to investigate the effect of entrepreneurial thinking, mediated by social media, on the sustainability of SMEs in Iran from January to February 2022. The statistical population comprised 407 SME managers based in the Pardis Technology Park and the Science and Technology Town (Iran). Using Cochran’s formula, a sample of 197 SME managers was selected via the simple random method. The data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire with 25 questions, the reliability and validity of which had been examined and confirmed. The data were analyzed in SmartPLS 3. The results revealed that entrepreneurial thinking plays a pivotal role in managerial decisions and is a crucial factor in the sustainability of SMEs in Iran. Managers, as creators and reformers of the internal business environment, can establish and enhance a strong link between business sustainability and employees’ ability to acquire entrepreneurial thinking.

Keywords: entrepreneurial alertness; entrepreneurial intuition; entrepreneurial turn; social media; SME sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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