Explaining the Barriers and Limitations of International Entrepreneurial Marketing from the Perspective of Greenhouse Growers in Tehran Province

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

M. Khorasani

F. Razzaghi Borkhani

T. Azizi-Khalkheili

Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jead.2026.96614.1403

Abstract

Introduction
Despite its vital importance, the agricultural sector in Iran faces structural challenges and weaknesses in an efficient marketing system. The issue of gaining competitive advantage and higher profitability must be accompanied by a full understanding of international and export markets. The development of greenhouse cultivation is expanding owing to water-saving policies under climate change conditions. The international entrepreneurial marketing (IEM) approach, as an innovative and opportunity-oriented strategy for creating value in foreign markets, is a strategic necessity for greenhouse units in Tehran Province. However, in practice, numerous obstacles, such as structural and operational barriers, have limited the ability of these entrepreneurs to transform global opportunities into economic value and sustainable economic development and have negatively affected the key dimensions of IEM, namely, risk-taking and innovation at the international level. The main objective of this study was to identify, analyze, and prioritize the barriers and limitations of international entrepreneurial marketing of greenhouse products from the perspective of greenhouse producers in Tehran Province.

Materials and Methods
This study was applied in terms of its objective and employed a descriptive–survey (quantitative) research design. The statistical population comprised 1,934 greenhouse producers across four counties in Tehran Province. A sample of 322 producers was selected using stratified simple random sampling. The main data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire, the face and content validity of which were confirmed by an expert panel. To conduct an overall evaluation of the measured indicators, the preliminary draft of the survey and questions prior to the interview stage with rural respondents were reviewed by an expert panel consisting of faculty members in agricultural extension and education, environmental sciences, psychology, social sciences, sociology, and rural planning. Based on their views, the necessary revisions were applied until final approval was obtained. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to assess the internal reliability of the research instrument, which ranged from 0.7 to 0.9. The barriers to international entrepreneurial marketing were measured using seven latent variables (economic-financial, supportive-legal, infrastructural-institutional, policy-planning, green marketing, educational-informational, and socio-cultural) and 28 observed variables. To analyze the barriers, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using SmartPLS v.3.

Results and Discussion
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicated that the seven-factor structure of the barriers demonstrated satisfactory model fit, validity, and reliability, and all components were statistically significant at the 99% confidence level. Economic and financial barriers (path coefficient = 0.848), supportive-legal barriers (0.820), infrastructural-institutional barriers (0.819), green marketing barriers (0.766), educational-informational barriers (0.753), socio-cultural barriers (0.627), and policy-planning barriers (0.607) were ranked first to seventh, respectively. Among all dimensions, economic and financial barriers emerged as the most critical constraints in international entrepreneurial marketing. Within the economic and financial dimensions, factor loadings highlighted that the lack of adequate capital for standardizing and equipping greenhouse production units, coupled with insufficient governmental support in providing loans and financial incentives, particularly the high interest rates of bank loans, represented the most significant challenges. Following this, supportive-legal barriers were strongly characterized by government-imposed sanctions, restricted access to high-quality and authorized production inputs, and procedural difficulties in obtaining permits for exports and international marketing. The infrastructural-institutional dimension ranked next, primarily due to the absence of smart digital infrastructures for global and online marketing and persistent weaknesses in the transportation systems. Green marketing barriers ranked fourth, influenced by global market threats such as inflation, economic sanctions, and geopolitical conflicts, alongside the lack of governmental support for guaranteed purchasing of certified green or healthy products. The fifth-ranked dimension, educational-informational barriers, was driven by shortages of specialized human resources in market management and international trade and the absence of effective training and extension programs related to export procedures. Socio-cultural barriers were also notable, including insufficient cultural and educational foundations for entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation, and low levels of public trust in online purchasing platforms. Finally, the policy and planning barriers, characterized by weaknesses in agricultural insurance systems and limited awareness of national strategies for regional and international markets, were ranked last but remained significant barriers to international entrepreneurial marketing from the perspective of greenhouse producers in Tehran Province.

Conclusion
The results further indicate that macro-level environmental and institutional barriers, particularly economic and financial constraints, constitute the most fundamental and influential challenges limiting international entrepreneurial marketing. The prominence of economic and financial barriers as the highest-priority constraint suggests that the primary obstacles originate from the external business environment rather than from entrepreneurs themselves. As long as stable access to credit, investment support, and relief from sanctions are not available to facilitate production standardization, innovation, and risk-taking, progress along the export pathway will remain constrained. Furthermore, the findings indicate that these barriers have direct negative effects on the key dimensions of international entrepreneurial marketing (IEM). Therefore, overcoming these constraints requires substantial government intervention in export financing, administrative facilitation, and the development of smart infrastructure and cold supply chains. In this regard, designing a mechanism for targeted export investment facilities with low interest rates-aimed at standardizing and mechanizing cold storage and packaging equipment in greenhouse units-is recommended. In other words, addressing or reducing a single barrier alone cannot lead to a significant improvement in the performance of international entrepreneurial marketing. Instead, a comprehensive and coordinated approach is required that simultaneously considers economic, legal, infrastructural, and human capacity dimensions. These findings highlight the importance of designing and implementing integrated policies and programs by the government, supporting institutions, and the private sector to enhance export capacity and increase the international market share of greenhouse units.

Keywords

Barriers and constraints

Confirmatory factor analysis

Export

Greenhouse units

International entrepreneurial marketing

Subjects

• Marketing and Trade of Agriculture Production

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Authors retain the copyright. This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

 

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