Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Abstract Desert and merit are always related to social and natural talents and assets. Each person or organization is morally permitted to benefit from its reserves and capacities from the standpoint that justifies and grants deserve. However, an opposing viewpoint claims that one should benefit from each other's good in a well-ordered society. Rejecting or accepting moral desert in the entrepreneurial environment drives distinct economics and cultural behaviors. As such, the idea of the moral desert is reflected by the behavior of the human resources department of entrepreneurial organizations, the logic of profit, and the distribution of resources. This research aimed to investigate and describe the viewpoints of several actors of the entrepreneurship ecosystem on desert-related issues using the duoethnographic method. These empirical data indicated that the justice concept is often understood, described, and reproduced in meritocratic and libertarian frameworks within the culture of the Iranian startup ecosystem. In this field, the insights of communitarians and theoreticians of liberal equality and deontological liberalism do not have a compelling future. The rethinking and doubts expressed by the parties involved in the research indicated that there is not a significant diversity of opinions on justice in this ecosystem, and there are also challenges to the settlement of justice as a remedial virtue.

Abstract It is not simple at all to answer as why some people become entrepreneurs while others don't. Most researchers have accepted this puzzle and defined entrepreneurship in various ways, thus, making it a controversial term to develop theories around it. In the midst of contradictory ideas in the field of entrepreneurship, the contribution of social sciences such as sociology and economics is significant. However, their perspectives on the subject differ. Sociology sees individual agency as more significant than social factors, while economics assumes the opposite. This has led to the dual perception of under-socialized and over-socialized, with both being incomplete. This duality can be compared to the blind description of an elephant in the dark - each person touches the elephant from different angles and presents own point of view to refute the other. This article aims to explain this duality and approaches of sociology and economics towards the issue of entrepreneurship. It is theoretical in nature and explores the path that flows between the two opposite poles, using the new economic sociological paradigm. This approach aims to go beyond the duality of under-socialized and over-socialized perceptions, allowing for a better understanding of entrepreneurship in its social and historical contexts.

Abstract Entrepreneurship is among the most important outcomes of university development and requires novel management approaches such as "organizational ambidexterity," which refers to the simultaneous pursuit of exploiting existing capacities and exploring knowledge for the future. This paper aims to design and validate a balanced ambidextrous university model for entrepreneurship development. The research method is mixed-methods with a sequential exploratory design. The target population in the qualitative phase consisted of higher education management experts, with whom 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted purposefully. The statistical population in the quantitative phase included managers and relevant faculty members of Iranian public universities, of whom 256 were selected through stratified random sampling and responded to a researcher-developed questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, while structural equation modeling was employed in the quantitative phase to validate the model. Instrument validity was confirmed using convergent (AVE>0.5) and discriminant validity indices, and reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. The findings in the exploitation dimension include components such as university policies and structures, university-industry interaction, education-research development, budget, and university culture. In the exploration dimension, components include needs assessment and training, forward-looking structure, financial resources, innovative policy and culture, future-oriented management, and strategic innovation. Furthermore, ambidexterity balancing strategies were identified in the form of policy and evaluation - resources and structure components. Factor analyses confirmed the validity of the components, and fit indices confirmed the overall validity of the model. The proposed ambidexterity model, by preventing unproductive stagnation and fruitless innovation, paves the way for university-centered entrepreneurship development and, through establishing an effective linkage between university and industry, lays the groundwork for the formation of entrepreneurial ecosystems within universities.