نشریه تعاون و کشاورزی
سال بیستم شماره 208 (آبان و آذر 1388)

The research, introducing the basics of the Total Quality Management System (TQM), proceeds to study the feasibility of its application in the Cooperative Administration of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province in 2007. Being of a survey type, it uses questionnaire as data-collection instrument which comprises five-choice Likert Scale. The statistical population includes all senior and middle-level managers, experts and employees of the Cooperative Administration out of whom Random Stratified Sample of 31 persons was taken. T- Student test was employed to compare mean figures with the total mean in view of the scale being an interval one. Findings show that senior and middle-level managers, unlike employees, do not strongly approve of TQM system. Also, not many experts familiar with TQM are available. All the three groups included in the sample, have shown a reluctant stance towards problem-solving through group-building and collective action or Team-work. The managers not taken into consideration the motivational mechanisms to encourage participation by the employees; and lastly to encourage participation by the employees, no significant financial support has been devoted to setting up TQM.

Today, Training is considered to be a main policy of cooperative sector in view of its undisputed necessity for managers. Considering some shortcomings observed in the performance of the managers of poultry cooperatives, the current research paper is an attempt to identify their training needs as well as the variables involved during 2009. The statistical population consists of 96 functional poultry cooperatives which were fully included with no sampling required. Data were gathered using questionnaire and interview and were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical techniques (Spearman and Kruskul Walis). According to descriptive results, the average age of the managers was 40; the effectiveness of the trainings previously held was evaluated as "very poor". Also, literacy of members and profitability of the cooperatives were found to be "average" and "poor" respectively. The prioritization of the manager's training needs indicated the extra significance of specialized training over general one. In terms of inferential statistical information, significant correlation was discovered at the confidence level of 95% between the literacy level of members and the effectiveness of the previously held training courses. However, no statistically significant correlation was found between years of managerial experience, profitability of the cooperative, being of local background, being a dual-career from one hand and training needs on the other.

In developing countries privatization is regarded as a major means to implement structural reform program with the aim of downsizing the state. With respect to the national policies and based on the Article 44 of the Constitutional Law, the privatization of public companies is given priority with emphasis on cooperative enterprises. The purpose of this research is to study the scenarios by which, in the course of privatization, the cooperative sector's share in national economy may be increased. The research is a survey using questionnaire as data collection instrument. Cronbach alpha coefficient calculated in a pilot study for the questionnaire was 0.881, indicating its high measurement reliability. Sample size was calculated according to Cochran Formula and Random Stratified type was the sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. One-Sample T Test, Independent T Test, One-Way ANOVA were calculated using SPSS software. Findings suggest that factors such as enabling cooperatives for competing with other sectors to take on significant projects; enjoying government and legal supports as well as creating regional and comprehensive cooperatives based on relative advantages would be effective in increasing the cooperative share in privatization process.

Outsourcing as a process to improve the quality of the products has won managers’ and supervisors’ attention in recent years. This means some organizations and institutions cede their ancillary activities to other organizations and experts outside the organization, in order to save cost and time. As a result, outsourcing educational activities among organizations and institutions has gained special importance. Most of these organizations tend to cede training of staff and managers to educational institutions; as they economize the costs beside producing better academic quality. Cooperative Administration of East Azerbaijan Province has decided to conduct its required courses through other educational institutions. In this respect, the current survey provides scientific and practical approaches for it, answering these two questions: a) Is it possible to get necessary training courses done by educational institutions outside the organization? 2) If yes, which of these institutions are most qualified to hold the courses? In order to answer these questions, after determining the educational needs of Cooperative Department, first qualified educational institutions in charge of training courses are identified and the required data is obtained through questionnaires and interviews. Methods such as Preferred PM Criteria and Likert Scale are used in data analysis. The results show that there are educational institutions which meet the requirements for holding training courses for Cooperative Administration; and that there is variation in the score of different institutions based on their possibilities and facilities.

Although in recent years there has been an enhancement in women cooperatives, as member-driven entities, in both qualitative and quantitative terms, this has not been quite the case with some in a number of provinces in view of socio-economic barriers. The current study aims at examining problems and difficulties of women cooperatives in Khouzestan Province. The statistical population comprises 1035 cooperative members out of which a sample of 257 persons was taken. Questionnaire was the data gathering instrument with SPSS being the data analysis software. Descriptive results point to women's less physical strength then men's as the most significant barrier to their coop's activity and "consultation and human relations development" as the most important factor in charge of grounds for member participation. Meanwhile, analytical results show significant correlation between "progress & promotion" and variables "years of membership" and "managerial qualities", "level of education" and "amount of capital contributed". However, no statistically significant correlation was found between "progress & promotion" and variables "age" and "income".

In view of the fact that fishery is usually regarded as an important pivot of economic activity in coastal villages, its development could equally be a driving force to other economic subsectors. Being located near river and sea, Dhaka rural district is significant in terms of fishing products. However, fishery is facing problems due to inefficiency. In this study, four independent variables i.e. nutrition pattern, consumer's and durable goods, housing status, land farm ownership, training and treatment expenses, non- agricultural activities and their relation with the independent variable (the significance of fishing cooperatives) have been examined. The data were gathered from fishing cooperative's members and managers through questionnaire and were analyzed by Kuruskal - Walis and McNamara tests. Correlations were statistically significant in both the hypotheses.

This research paper is an attempt to study Ehsan Qarzol-Hasane Cooperative Fund (Ehsan Popular Good-Loan Fund) in Javanrood City as a model self-help organization to learn about its member's collective behaviors and motivations for creating the mentioned fund. The research is of a descriptive kind using available documents plus interviews with 28 active members during March and April 2007. The results conclude that factors such as awareness of the financially hard conditions that people live in and of their social needs and believing in the usefulness of borrowings from the Fund in solving their problems have been so important in the creation of such an informal cooperative society especially when functioning in a kinship network because such a network brings on more synergic effect.

A glance at the world history of cooperatives reveals the fact that cooperatives as an undeniable global phenomenon which has successfully dealt with human needs, has demonstrated huge growth during the past couple of decades. Cooperatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are no exception, being further supported by the reemphasis on the Article 44 of the Constitution according to “Iran's 20-year Vision”. The present piece is an extract of the book "enabling cooperative development" compiled by Sean Flynn & Kate Boudoris which I translated and was published by the Ministry of Cooperatives. The book including the results of "cooperative legislation amendment" under the thematic name "clarity" stresses transparency which was a basic of collaboration of eight organizations involved in overseas cooperative development. The contributors to Clarity Project believe to have managed to create a set of pivotal percepts for cooperative legislation. The contents of the book, beside the data and links available at the project's website, are expected to prove quite helpful in rendering cooperative laws more enabling. It discusses the process of cooperative legislation amendment in seven nations i.e. Nicaragua, Ghana, Mongolia, the Philippines, the Republic of Dominicans, South Africa, and Uzbekistan.