Driving and Inhibiting Factors of Modern Rural Management: A Case Study of the Central District of Ardabil County

Introduction
Given the available tools, including management laws and sciences, it seems that the modern rural management system has not been able to achieve the expected progress and desirable development. However, some believe that the trend of change and evolution has been acceptable, and there is hope for the continuity of the new approach. But the reality is that the existence of some civil and economic problems has prevented the efficiency of modern rural management from being as prominent as it should be.
Today, it is rare to find a society that does not show a tendency for progress and development, so community managers make every effort to achieve this goal. However, each community has its own unique structure, and a fixed model cannot be considered for all societies. In this regard, attention to modern rural management can bring multiple positive consequences for the rural community, provided that the rules of rural management are not based on the taste of decision-makers, and decisions are made based on scientific and experimental support.
Ardabil province, due to its geographical location and some characteristics such as suitable agricultural climate, topography, angle of light incidence, and air currents, has the potential for progress and development in rural areas. However, by examining the structural condition of the villages, it can be concluded that, due to various factors, the villages have not been able to fully follow the path of rural development. Considering the above, the aim of this study is to identify the driving and inhibiting factors of modern rural management in the central villages of Ardabil city and to provide appropriate solutions for the growth and development of modern rural management.
 
Methodology
This research is theoretical in nature and quantitative-qualitative in its descriptive-analytical approach. Data were collected using both library and field methods. The statistical population of this study consists of two groups: the first group is the local residents of the villages in the central part of Ardabil city, numbering 48,250, and the second group is 40 rural management experts. The sample villages were determined based on the criteria of having a population of more than 20 households and having a management institution (council/village head). According to the available statistics (2016), there are 86 villages in the central part of Ardabil city, so a multi-stage stratified sampling method was used. The sample size is 360 households, and the questionnaires were distributed among the households proportional to the population and number of households in the studied villages. The questionnaire items are closed-ended and based on a five-point Likert scale.
For data analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the frequency, mean, and standard deviation of the data. In the inferential statistics, the structural equation modeling method in the LISREL software was used. In the present study, four indicators were used to examine the driving and inhibiting factors of modern rural management: management factors, economic factors, social factors, and environmental factors.
 
Findings
All the driving and inhibiting elements of rural management in the central villages, from the perspective of villagers and experts, consist of managerial, economic, social, and environmental factors, which are considered as the effective elements in the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages.
 From the villagers' perspective, the effect size of managerial, economic, social, and environmental factors on the driving elements is 0.83, 0.87, 0.97, and 0.85 respectively, and on the inhibiting elements is 0.83, 0.79, 0.76, and 0.75 respectively. From the experts' perspective, the effect size of managerial, economic, social, and environmental factors on the driving elements is 0.74, 0.94, 0.72, and 0.98 respectively, and on the inhibiting elements is 0.97, 0.94, 0.96, and 0.97 respectively.
Based on this, it can be concluded that all the effective elements in the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages, from the perspective of villagers and experts, are part of the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages. If the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages, as identified from the perspective of villagers and experts, are optimized, this effect will be stronger, and if the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages, as identified from the perspective of villagers and experts, are reduced, this relationship will certainly be weaker.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
Based on these findings, it can be said that all the effective elements in the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in the central villages, as identified in this research, are part of the driving and inhibiting factors of rural management in these villages. If the driving factors of rural management in the central villages are improved and the inhibiting factors are controlled, the rural management in these areas will be enhanced.
The results of this study are consistent with the findings of Mahdavi and Karimipour (2012), Naderi Mahdi (2015), and Ataei et al. (2020), which have emphasized the importance of increased cooperation between villagers and the village administration for improving rural management.