Comparison of Cooperatives’ Members and Experts’ Views on Public Participation in Forestry and Rangeland By-Products (Case Study: Cooperative Companies, Lorestan Province, Iran)

Abstract. This research was conducted to investigate the factors contributing to the failure in the forestry and rangeland by-product cooperative companies in Lorestan province, Iran. A descriptive-correlative research design was used. The statistical populations were 1100 people divided into two groups of experts from natural resource agency in Lorestan province and members of cooperative companies. The sample size was 183 persons. Sampling method was simple random type using Neyman–Pearson model. Data were analyzed based on descriptive statistics (T-Test) and Pearson correlation method. Single-sample t-test results showed that the views of the two groups on the effects of technical and economic barriers causing failure in cooperatives companies were the same, but the expertʹs views were different for managerial, educational, cultural, social, and legal indicators. Also the results of independent t-test between the two groups showed that the views of both experts and members for economic, managerial, educational, and legal barriers were the same, but their opinions for cultural, social and technical barriers were different. The results of cooperatives’ member’s views ranked indicators as managerial, legal, educational, cultural, social, economic, and technical barriers. For the views of experts they were ranked as cultural, social, managerial, economic, legal, technical, and educational barriers.