Investigating the Social Factors that Influence Participation in Agricultural Cooperatives and Comparison with Industrial Cooperatives in Tehran Province

This main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the participation in agricultural cooperatives and comparing with industrial cooperatives in Tehran province. Using survey method the data collected by administrating self- constructed questionnaire. The population of this study included all the members of the cooperatives in Tehran province 16،960. Using Multi-stage cluster sampling 400 members were randomly selected to answer the questionnaires. Findings indicated that the mean average of participation for all respondents were 46 on a scale from zero to hundred. Also، mean average of participation for members of agricultural cooperatives was 37. Also it was found that the social capital، the shared beliefs of members of cooperatives، the amount of dividends received from cooperatives، the amount of awareness from cooperative principles، the amount of mental dependence to state union and the social statues had significant relation with participation of all members of productive cooperatives. Also، regression analysis showed that all independent variables had significant effect on the variance of participation for all members of productive cooperatives with 39% coefficient. The results were explained by applying implications of sociological theories of participation and theories of social capital.