Designing a Model for Professional Competencies of Greenhouse Production Unit Managers in South Khorasan, Iran

The present study aimed to design a model for the professional competencies of greenhouse production unit managers in South Khorasan, Iran. The research was of applied type in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection, which was conducted by survey method. The statistical population consisted of 117 managers of greenhouse production units, who were surveyed through census because of their limited population. A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. SPSS and Smart PLS software were employed for data analysis. For all competencies, Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were estimated to be greater than 0.7. The analysis of structural equations with partial least squares (PLS) supported all hypotheses. Finally, the model of professional competencies was identified with seven competencies including managerial, individual, business environment, theological-ethical, technical and professional, academic, and general agriculture competencies, among which the managerial and individual competencies were the most important ones from managers' viewpoints. It is, therefore, suggested that managers need to continually update and modify their management skills and information in order to make right decisions in dealing with new and different issues and reach the ultimate goal of production.