Comparative comparison of the view on the environment and rural entrepreneurship in Iran and the world with emphasis on scientific research

.ABSTRACT

Objective:

In recent years, rural entrepreneurship has emerged as a key mechanism for addressing persistent economic, social, and demographic challenges in rural areas. Rural enterprises play a pivotal role in employment generation, income diversification, poverty reduction, and improving living standards, while also serving as important drivers of sustainable regional development. However, the expansion of rural entrepreneurial activities is often accompanied by significant environmental challenges. competitiveness, and social legitimacy. Nevertheless, compliance with environmental regulations often increases production costs, reduces short-term profitability, and weakens entrepreneurial motivation, especially among small rural enterprises. The strong reliance of rural businesses on natural resources—including land, water, forests, and agricultural inputs—heightens ecosystem vulnerability and intensifies economic and social risks. Without effective environmental management, rural entrepreneurship may lead to resource depletion, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and long-term ecological threats. Consequently, integrating sustainability principles, environmental ethics, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into rural entrepreneurial practices is essential. Such integration mitigates negative environmental impacts while enhancing long-term economic viability, competitiveness, and social legitimacy. Nevertheless, compliance with environmental regulations often increases production costs, reduces short-term profitability, and weakens entrepreneurial motivation, especially among small rural enterprises. competitiveness, and social legitimacy. Nevertheless, compliance with environmental regulations often increases production costs, reduces short-term profitability, and weakens entrepreneurial motivation, especially among small rural enterprises., competitiveness, and social legitimacy. Nevertheless, compliance with environmental regulations often increases production costs, reduces short-term profitability, and weakens entrepreneurial motivation, especially among small rural enterprises. education, community participation, and context-sensitive regulatory frameworks. Using a scientometric approach, this study examines the ethical and legal dimensions of rural entrepreneurship, highlighting similarities anddifferences between domestic (Iranian) and international research perspectives.



Method:

This study adopts a scientific research design based on a systematic qualitative–descriptive–analytical approach. Data were collected from peer-reviewed Persian- and English-language articles published between 2010 and 2025. Reputable national and international databases were searched using keywords related to rural entrepreneurship, rural business development, environmental considerations, sustainability, environmental ethics, and sustainable development. A three-stage screening process ensured rigor and relevance: (1) title and abstract review, (2) full-text examination, and (3) methodological quality assessment. Inclusion criteria required relevance to rural entrepreneurship and environmental issues, explicit focus on sustainability, and the use of robust scientific methods. Articles with weak methodology, limited relevance, or insufficient depth were excluded. From 61 initial publications, 29 articles (7 Persian, 22 English) were selected. Scientometric analysis using VOSviewer included keyword co-occurrence, author collaboration networks, and thematic clustering across environmental impacts, sustainability strategies, policymaking, and social responsibility. This enabled systematic comparison of domestic and international trends and supported an integrated framework for balancing rural entrepreneurship with environmental protection.

Results:

Findings indicate that neither strict regulatory (hard) nor voluntary ethical (soft) approaches alone sufficiently address environmental challenges in rural entrepreneurship. Hard approaches, based on binding regulations, reduce pollution (65–75% success) and provide rapid outcomes, but impose heavy financial burdens on small enterprises, often exceeding 10% of annual budgets, and are less effective in regions with limited institutional capacity or weak monitoring. Soft approaches emphasize education, awareness, voluntary participation, and intrinsic motivation, achieving high engagement (72–75%), notable energy savings (~30%), and long-term cultural change, social trust, and community cohesion. Their success, however, depends on environmental literacy, social capital, and institutional support.

Longitudinal analysis reveals distinct trajectories between domestic and international studies. During 2010–2015, Iranian research focused on ethical awareness and managerial conscience, while international studies emphasized regulations, CSR, and technology-driven solutions influenced by global agreements. Between 2015–2020, Iranian research targeted regulatory strengthening, though implementation gaps persisted, whereas global studies expanded toward sustainable development, citizen participation, and green innovation. From 2020–2025, Iranian studies increasingly incorporated individual responsibility, emerging technologies, and supportive legislation, while international research highlighted cross-border cooperation, integrated governance, and stricter compliance standards. competitiveness, and social legitimacy competitiveness, and social legitimacy. Nevertheless, compliance with environmental regulations often increases production costs, reduces short-term profitability, and weakens entrepreneurial motivation, especially among small rural enterprises. These differences reflect variations in institutional capacity, enforcement effectiveness, and integration into global sustainability frameworks.

Conclusion:

The findings indicate that the most effective strategy for enhancing environmental performance in rural entrepreneurship is a context-sensitive hybrid model that integrates hard and soft approaches. Early investment in education, awareness-building, and community engagement strengthens cultural readiness and social acceptance, followed by gradual, locally adapted regulatory enforcement supported by financial incentives and technical assistance. Actively involving local communities in decision-making and implementation is essential. To promote sustainability in Iran’s rural sector, policymakers should reinforce legislation, enhance transparency and reporting, promote CSR, support technological innovation, expand international cooperation, and maintain long-term public education and civil-society engagement