Causal-Comparative Analysis of Factors Affecting Psychological Capital of Knowledge-Based Companies: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Social Capital

Nowadays, entrepreneurship and knowledge-based companies are highly considered. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in two groups of agricultural and non-agricultural knowledge-based companies from Science and Technology Park (STP) of Fars Province, Iran. The population included the companies located in the STP incubators in Fars Province. The data were collected by a questionnaire from ۲۳۸ participants (۱۰۰ from agricultural companies and ۱۳۸ from other companies). The difference between agricultural and non-agricultural companies was remarkable in the effect of services provided by the incubators on the other variables. For the agricultural companies, the services provided by the park had no significant effect on entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and product development process, indicating a direct significant effect on PsyCap. Regarding the non-agricultural companies, the services provided by the park had a significant effect on entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and product development process, but had no direct effect on PsyCap. Due to the objectives of incubators` establishment as well as the cost and investment in this regard, the lack of appropriate efficiency was completely obvious in these centers, especially about agricultural companies that could be effective in providing food security using new technologies. Regarding the effect of services and facilities provided by STPs on the performance of companies at incubators, it is suggested that such services and facilities become more specialized and reinforced. In addition, it is emphasized to consider the necessity of educational and operational strategies in order to strengthen the entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and PsyCap among the members.

کلیدواژه ها:

Entrepreneurial orientation ، Fars Province ، Product development process ، Resilience