Comparative Study of Member Viewpoints about Effective Socio- Economic Factors on the Range Management Cooperatives Success (Golestan Province)

Abstract

Renewable natural resources are the wealth that not only belongs to the current<br />generation but also to future generations. Diversity in rangeland user viewpoints and policy<br />makers has caused these lands to face some damages. This study was conducted to compare<br />viewpoints of ordinary members as rangeland users, and board of directors as executives of<br />management plans. Statistical population of the study involved ordinary members and board<br />of directorsof 28 range management cooperatives in Golestan province. According to the<br />Krejsi- Morgan Table, 308 and 78 individuals were randomly selected for ordinary members<br />and board of directorsas sample size, respectively. Main material of this study is based on<br />utilizing question naires that their validity and reliability were checked based on a guide study.<br />To analyze data, qualitative methods, descriptive statistics and T-test were used. The results<br />showed that there was a significant disagreement between ordinary members and board of<br />directors about effective social-economic factors on range management cooperatives success.<br />Based on the results, providing loans to the cooperative members with low interest and long<br />term payback and betters cheming for more attraction of members participation in decisionmaking<br />and cooperatives plansare recommended.