A research on the perception analysis of fisheries and agricultural credit cooperative partners on cooperativism: Sinop sample

The research aimed to determine the perception of cooperatives by the members of Fisheries Cooperatives and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives operating in Sinop from the data obtained by the survey method. In the research, a field study was carried out to evaluate the characteristics of cooperatives, basic cooperative values, cooperative legislation, expectations from cooperative management, and how they are perceived by the members. Within the scope of the research, face-to-face interviews were conducted voluntarily with 308 cooperative members, 125 of whom were members of Fisheries Cooperatives. The data obtained through the field survey were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the Logistic Regression method. Cooperatives are referred to as the economic organization of civil society and are seen as a means of economic defense for farmers, tradesmen, and workers. In short, cooperatives are civil society organizations engaged in economic activities. In this sense, it is the structure of civil society that can provide support to the sector, especially the rural areas, a sense of belonging, shared responsibility, and a strong horizontally integrated organization by disseminating feedback through scientific studies instead of a vertically functioning hierarchical model. As a result of the Logistic Regression analysis, it was determined that education level, years of cooperative membership, purpose of using the internet, and additional income were effective in defining the economic status of cooperative members in line with the statement "How would you describe your financial situation". Education level was found to be a negative factor at a 5% significance level. In other words, with a 95% probability, it was understood that as the level of education increases, the partners state that their financial needs increase and that they have insufficient material resources. As the level of additional income increased, it was understood that with a 95% probability, they will interpret their economic situation as better. The analysis also revealed that there was a negative correlation between the age of the members and the fact that the main purpose of cooperatives is not to make a profit. Likewise, there was a negative and statistically significant relationship between "reading the cooperative agreement" and "additional income". It was found that the "age" of the members negatively affected the idea that bureaucracy negatively affects cooperative activities. Considering the importance of members' participation in cooperative management, this research is also important in terms of contributing to national cooperative activities by analyzing the participation of members in cooperative management and the factors affecting it and identifying the deficiencies related to cooperatives in Turkey. Keywords: Cooperative, Logistic Regression, Sinop