The Role of Digital Platforms in Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Generation Z in Iran A Conceptual Framework Integrating Platform Ecosystems and Digital Entrepreneurship

Digital platforms have become critical infrastructures enabling low-capital forms of entrepreneurship worldwide, particularly among Generation Z—the first fully digital-native cohort. In Iran, structural barriers in the labor market, high youth unemployment, and rapid technological adoption have positioned platforms as central pathways for young people to enter the economy through content creation, micro-commerce, gig services, and freelance digital work. However, despite the rapid rise of the Creator Economy, scholarly understanding of how platforms generate entrepreneurial opportunities for Gen Z within Iran’s unique socio-economic and regulatory environment remains limited. This conceptual paper synthesizes global literature on platform ecosystems, digital entrepreneurship, and youth labor transitions, and integrates four theoretical lenses—Effectuation Theory, Platform Ecosystem Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Technology Acceptance Models (TAM/UTAUT)—to develop a unified conceptual framework. The proposed model illustrates how individual capabilities, platform-level affordances, and contextual factors interact to shape entrepreneurial behavior and economic outcomes for Gen Z in Iran. The study contributes theoretically by bridging platform studies with youth-centered entrepreneurship research and offers practical insights for policymakers, universities, and domestic platforms seeking to strengthen Iran’s digital economy.

کلیدواژه ها:

Digital Platforms ، Generation Z ، Digital Entrepreneurship ، Platform Ecosystems ، Creator Economy ، Entrepreneurial Opportunities ، Iran