Analyzing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of Rural Development Cooperatives in Golestan Province

The purpose of this study was to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of rural development cooperatives in Golestan Provinceusing SWOT analysis. Statistical population was all of board director’s members of 25 active cooperatives in Golestan province that 124 of them selected as the sample of the study using census method. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire that its face validity was confirmed by experts. Its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and was 0.83, 0.943, 0.702 and 0.911, respectively. The results showed thatbased on the final coefficients, increased participation and cooperation among members of cooperatives through public assemblies (0.389), optimal use of existing facilities at the village level for employment (0.379) and providing favorable conditions for paying out credit facilities (0.376), were the most important strengths. Low capital of cooperatives (0.242), their inability to supply the security of loan (0.236) and lack of physical and infrastructure facilities of the cooperative for playing a proper role (0.234), are the most important weaknesses. Exemption of cooperatives from the tax (0.393), the possibility of their investing and participating in agricultural, developmental and educational activities (0.376) and the possibility of using experts and graduates of the university to implement cooperative projects (0.365), were the most important opportunity. Problems with access to loans at the right price (0.286), weak support of banks and cooperative unions (0.280) and problems with timely access to financial resources (0.274), were the most important threat.