Solutions for Training Efficient Managers in Cooperative Sector

The objective of the current study (sponsored by the Ministry of Cooperation) was to present an appropriate framework for training efficient managers in cooperation sector by relying on three aspects of education, research and extension. The research methodology was descriptive (survey) and the required statistical data were collected using questionnaires with stratified random sampling method among 200 managers of cooperative sector of Tehran Province. The distance between the current status and desirable condition of main components resulted from researches about efficient management (participative management, human resources development, empowerment, ICT, organizational learning and entrepreneurship) was determined with descriptive and inferential statistics from the aspect of the manager and through factorial analysis of their prioritization. The research findings show that human development and entrepreneurship components respectively have the most deviation from the mean compared to other components. The results of grading efficient management components shows that entrepreneurship, IT, human resources development, empowering, organizational learning and participative management components respectively rank 1st to 6th in efficiency. The results of analyzing the current status of education, research and extension in three levels of management demonstrated that the current status of education, research and extension is not desirable and requires revision in type, quality and quantity of courses in the cooperation sector. Studying the current and desirable conditions of cooperation management status of Iran implies that there is a significant difference between the current status of all efficient management components and the desirable one form the aspect of managers. With regard to the findings of the study, a conceptual framework for management of cooperatives was presented.