Participation in the Consumer Staff Co-operatives:

At the beginning of the 21st century, the consumer co-operatives, like other forms of co-operatives are in crisis. The consumer co-operatives areconsidered to be the pioneers of international co-operative movement and the first formal co-operatives in the world. Cooperatives suffer from crises of capital, ideology, legitimacy and management. The overall crisis is so serious that it has deeply affected their philosophy of existence (Macpherson, 2000:37). These crises are contagious, spreading worldwide. Then, Iran cannot be an exception. International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), as the apex of the movement and the most formal referee of co-operatives in the world, has recommended that membership acquisition is the ultimate solution to overcome the crisis. It has conducted much worldwide research on the issue and has asked the members to do the same. This research is conducted in pursuit of the ICA's recommendation. The research, adopts theoretical framework, concepts and theories to deal with participation, focusing on social capital. With respect to the critical affect of ground factors on participation and the necessity of flexibility in methodology, the dominant method is qualitative but the quantitative method has also been used. Gathering data has been carried out through explanatory and instrumental case study, systematic observatory and non-interfering tools, the questionnaire, planned interviews and document review. Regarding the members, sampling is random but all the members of the board of directors have been interviewed. Data analysis has been performed through a descriptive approach utilizing content analysis and deductive use of categories to lead to a ground theory, a theory that would result in an increase of member's participation. It is toward this end that suggestions have been presented, namely to increase member's participation in the staff consumer cooperatives. Such an increase is hoped to come by through a social capital based approach in its both forms; cognitive and structural, in the fields implying potential member's participation.