Factors Affecting the Success of Rural Cooperatives in Kermanshah County of Iran

The main aim of this study is to assess the factors that influence the success of rural cooperatives in Kermanshah county using descriptive-correlational design. The required data collected at micro level from all 126 cooperative managers and the 246 members of the cooperatives. The results indicated that achievement of economic targets were low, medium, high and very high for 10.5%, 42%, 26.5% and 21% of rural cooperatives respectively. The findings from discriminant analysis showed the cooperative linkages with government and non government organizations, the performance of rural cooperatives with respect to control, monitoring and training, and manager's and cooperative member's capital were among the factors that differentiate successful from unsuccessful cooperatives. The factors that contribute to the success of rural cooperatives with their respective coefficients include linkage of cooperatives to government and non government organizations (6.024), the performance of rural cooperatives (4.34), manager's capital (3.287), and member's capital (1.531).