Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Management and Economics, Faculty of Financial Sciences, Management and Entrepreneurship, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran
2
assistant professor of financial science , management and entrepreneurship of university of KASHAN
Abstract
Abstract
This study aimed to design a native and conceptual framework and model for entrepreneurship in the field of digital health in Iran. Given the rapid growth of emerging technologies and their increasing role in transforming healthcare systems, this research sought to identify and analyze the factors influencing the formation and development of digital health startups. The study adopted a qualitative research approach based on grounded theory, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with experts in the fields of health and entrepreneurship. The qualitative study population consisted of experts and specialists active in digital health, including managers of knowledge-based companies, university faculty members, and experts from the Ministry of Health. Sampling was conducted using purposive and snowball methods, and semi-structured interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. In total, 17 interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2024 software through three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. Data analysis resulted in the extraction of 865 codes. To ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, the four criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba—credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability—were applied.
The final research model consists of six main dimensions, including key components of entrepreneurship, causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and outcomes. The causal conditions include technological advancements, emerging societal needs, economic pressures, and social requirements. Contextual conditions such as government support, entrepreneurial culture, level of technological maturity, and intersectoral collaboration provide the necessary foundation for entrepreneurial activities. In contrast, intervening conditions—including legal constraints, weaknesses in technical and financial infrastructure, shortages of skilled human resources, and cultural and acceptance-related challenges—represent significant barriers to the development of this field. In response to these conditions, strategies were identified at two levels: the organizational level (such as innovation in business models, human resource development, market analysis, and agile structures) and the macro level (including digital governance policymaking and effective regulation). The interaction of these dimensions explains a native model of digital health entrepreneurship in Iran.
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