The Effect of Digital Marketing Adoption on the Sustainable Growth of Agricultural Industries: Empirical Evidence from Iran

Subject Areas : Agricultural Extension

Jahanbakhsh Rahimi Bagmalek ¹ , Mohsen Moosaei ²

1 -
2 -

Received: 2024-08-04 Accepted : 2024-11-10 Published : 2025-12-25

Keywords: Digital Marketing, Sustainable Growth, Agricultural Industries, Khuzestan Province.,

Abstract :

In recent decades, digital marketing has been recognized as one of the key tools for increasing productivity and accessing new markets in various industries. The agricultural industry is no exception to this rule and digital marketing plays a vital role in its development and progress. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to investigate the impact of digital marketing adoption on the sustainable growth of Iran's agricultural industries through a case study of Khuzestan province. The research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-causal in terms of nature. The statistical population was employed in agricultural industries in Khuzestan province. The sample size was estimated using Morgan's table to be 384 people, taken by simple randomization. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was determined by a panel of experts and whose reliability was determined by estimating Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which was estimated to be more than 0.7 for all sections of the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency distribution, percentage, and mean in the descriptive section and structural equation model in the analytical section. The results of the research showed that the attitude towards digital marketing has a positive and significant effect on the behavioral intention to use digital marketing, and the attitude towards digital marketing has a significant effect on sustainable growth. Also, the results showed that mental norms have a positive and significant effect on the behavior intention to use digital marketing and the actual use of digital marketing. In addition, the perceived behavioral control has a positive and significant effect on the behavioral intention to use digital marketing. Finally, the use of digital marketing has a direct and positive effect on the sustainable growth of agricultural industries. The study’s results serve as guidelines for prospective adopters of digital platforms as they develop their sustainability strategies.

References:

1. Abbas, A., & Mahmood, K. (2021). Understanding Digital Marketing Adoption in India: Integrated by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) Framework. J. Manag. Sci. 8, 70–87.
2. Abraham, I., Howard, E.K., & Acquaye, R. (2022). Technological Innovation: An Assessment of Operational Practices of Small and MediumTextile Enterprises in Ghana. J. Text. Sci. Technol. 8, 123–132
3. Afifah, A.N., & Najib, M. (2022). Digital marketing adoption and the influences towards business successes of MSMEs creative sector inIndonesia and Malaysia. J. Apl. Manaj. 2022, 16, 377–386.
4. Ahene Djan, V. (2021). The Effect of Digital Marketing on Consumer Buying Behaviour: A Case Study of Fan Milk Ghana Limited; Ghana Instituteof Journalism: Accra, Ghana.
5. Ajzen, I. (2020).The Theory of Planned Behaviour: Frequently Asked Questions. Hum. Behav. Emerg. Tech. 2, 314–324.
6. Alalwan, N. (2022). Actual use of social media for engagement to enhance students’ learning. Educ. Inf. Technol. 27, 9767–9789.
7. Alzubaidi, H., Emma L. Slade., & Yogesh K. D. (2021). Examining antecedents of consumers’ pro-environmental behaviours: TPB extended with materialism and innovativeness. Journal of Business Research 122, 685–99.
8. Al-Raji, A. (2022). The effect of digital marketing capabilities and market sensing on organizational performance, Accounting and Management Perspective Quarterly, 5(55), 148-154.
9. Apau, R.; & Koranteng, F.N. (2019). Impact of cybercrime and trust on the use of e-commerce technologies: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Int. J. Cyber Criminol. 13, 228–254.
10. Azad, N., Kamili Birjandi., K. (2022). The impact of digital marketing on sustainable competitive advantage through the mediation of customer attraction, the 7th National Conference on Modern Researches in Management, Economics and Accounting in Iran, Tehran.
11. Bashkoh, M., Bahadrinejad, M. & Shafii, N. (2023). Presenting a model for sustainable marketing development using digital marketing. Marketing Management, 18(58), 183-198.
12. Bruce, E., Shurong, Z., Ying, D., Yaqi, M., Amoah, J., & Egala, S.B. (2023). The Effect of Digital MarketingAdoption on SMEs SustainableGrowth: Empirical Evidence fromGhana. Sustainability 2023, 15, 4760.https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064760.
13. Chaveesuk, S., Khalid, B., & Chaiyasoonthorn, W. (2021). Digital payment system innovations: A marketing perspective on intention and actual use in the retail sector. Innov. Mark. 17, 109.
14. Esmailkhanlu, B., Dejahang, M., & Naghi Lu, Z. (2022). Investigating the relationship between digital marketing and the trust and online purchase intention of sports customers, the 8th National Conference of Sports Sciences and Physical Education of Iran, Tehran, 1-19.
15. Eze, S.C., Chinedu-Eze, V.C., Okike, C.K., Bello, A.O. (2020). Critical factors influencing the adoption of digital marketing devices byservice-oriented micro-businesses in Nigeria: A thematic analysis approach. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 7, 90.
16. Frimpong, S.E., Agyapong, G., Agyapong, D. (2022). Financial literacy, access to digital finance and performance of SMEs: EvidenceFrom Central region of Ghana. Cogent Econ. Financ. 35-75.
17. Gupta, S., & Chopra, C. (2020). Impact of social media on Consumer Behaviour, DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.26927.15527.
18. Hosseinzadeh, M., Vahabzadeh Menshi, Sh., Abbasi Nami, H., Mehrani, H., & Shahrabadi, A. (2022). Presenting the conceptual framework of the use of digital marketing in the capital market based on the theories of planned behavior and technology adoption - case study: stock brokerage companies in Tehran, Financial Economics Quarterly, 16, 129-154.
19. Khosravi Qaqeb, Z., Siavashi, R., & Basir, L. (2022). Investigating the impact of digital marketing on consumer buying behavior (case study: Digikala online store customers), 12(2), 21-42.
20. Dehghanpour, H., & Sebet, M. (2019). Investigating factors influencing farmers' motivation in using water and soil protection technologies. Agricultural Economics and Development, 28(110), 146-121.
21. Li, Q., Liu, Q., Guo, X., Xu, S., Liu, J., & Lu, H. (2019). Evolution and Transformation of the Central Place Theory in E-Business: China’s C2C Online Game Marketing. Sustainability; 13-27.
22. Low, S., Ullah, F., Shirowzhan, S., Sepasgozar, S.M., & Lin Lee, C. (2020). Smart digital marketing capabilities for sustainable propertydevelopment: A case of Malaysia. Sustainability; 12, 5402
23. Mahdavizadh Ardestani., A. (2021). Investigating factors affecting the adoption of digital marketing and its impact on sustainable performance (case study: one of Tehran's private banks), 14th International Conference on Information Technology, Computers and Telecommunications, https://civilica.com/doc/1444917.
24. Mujahid, M.S., & Mubarak, M.S. (2021). The bright side of social media: Social media platforms adoption and start-up sustainability. Front.Psychol. 12, 2104
25. Nguyen, N., Nguyen, H.V., Nguyen, P.T., Tran, V.T., Nguyen, H.N., Nguyen, T.M.N., Cao, T.K., & Nguyen, T.H. (2019). Some key factorsaffecting consumers’ intentions to purchase functional foods: A case study of functional yogurts in Vietnam. Foods 9, 24-45.
26. Pollák, F., & Markovi C. P. (2021). Size of Business Unit as a Factor Influencing Adoption of Digital Marketing: Empirical Analysis of SMEsOperating in the Central European Market. Adm. Sci. 11, 71.
27. Pradhan, P., & Nigam, D., Ck. T. (2018). Digital marketing and SMES: An identification of research gap via archives of past research. J. Internet Bank. Commer. 23, 1–14.
28. Razzaghi Burkhani, F., & Mirtrabi M.A. (2021). Modeling willingness to accept protective agricultural technologies by adapting the TPB model. Ali Educational Quarterly of Environment and Sustainable Development, 9(3), 63-80.
29. Saeedi, H., & Hosseinzadeh, N. (2022). Presenting the model of acceptance and application of digital marketing by managers in order to promote brand equity for small businesses, Quarterly Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship Studies, 8(1), 25-1.
30. Sanders, J., & Galloway, L. (2013). Rural small firms’ website quality in transition and market economies. J. SmallBus. Enterp. Dev. 20, 788–806.
31. Saura, J.R., Pedro P.S., & Beatriz R. H. (2022). Digital Marketing for Sustainable Growth: Business Models and Online Campaigns Using Sustainable Strategies, Sustainability, 1-5.
32. Selase, A.M., Selase, A.E., Ayishetu, A.R., Comfort, A.D., Stanley, A., & Ebenezer, G.A. (2019). Impact of technology adoption and its utilization on SMEs in Ghana. Int. J. Small Medium Enterp. 2, 1–13.
33. Stieglitz, S., Mirbabaie, M., Ross, B., & Neuberger, C. (2018). Social media analytics–Challenges in topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 39, 156–168
34. Stieglitz, S., Mirbabaie, M., Ross, B., & Neuberger, C. (2018). Social media analytics–Challenges in topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 39, 156–168
35. Su, L., Peng, Y., Kong, R., & Chen, Q. (2021). Impact of E-Commerce Adoption on Farmers’ Participation in the Digital Financial Market: Evidence from Rural China. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 16, 1434–1457.
36. Venkat, N., Devi P., Banavathu C., Inti Prabhakara, R., & Ramaswamy, P. (2022). ImpactOf Digital Marketing Practices on Sales Growth and Sustainability of Msmes, ournal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results¦ Volume13, 3571-3578.
37. Wilson, V., & Makau, C. (2018). Online marketing use: small and medium enterprises (SMEs) experience from Kenya. Orsea J. 7, 63–77.
38. Zhuang, W., Luo, X., & Riaz M.U. (2021). On the Factors Influencing Green Purchase Intention: A Meta-Analysis Approach. Front. Psychol. 12:644020. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.644020
39. Ziółkowska, M.J. (2021). Digital transformation and marketing activities in small and medium-sized enterprises. Sustainability, 13, 2512.
40. Zolait, A.H.S. (2014). The nature and components of perceived behavioural control as an element of theory of planned behaviour. Behav.Inf. Technol. 33, 65–85.