Cooperative Governance or Corporate Governance: Lessons Learned from the Cooperative Laws of Other countries to Apply Cooperative Governance in Iran

A cooperative, a social enterprise owned and managed by its members, has yet to fully integrate corporate governance principles into its management practices, despite the incorporation of corporate governance theories into the scientific management literature of the country in recent years. The question arises as to whether theories of corporate governance can be effectively extended to cooperative administration. To facilitate the collective utilization of this literature for enhanced management, this article explores the necessary legal infrastructure required for the implementation of corporate governance. Through document studies and a comparative analysis of cooperative laws in Iran and ten selected countries, we address these inquiries. Finally, we offer recommendations to enhance legal alignment with corporate governance literature, promoting improved governance within cooperative structures.