Introduction
Institutional collaboration is one of the key strategies for reducing costs, sharing information, improving efficiency, and thus increasing competitiveness. Despite having collaboration links, many institutions lack a coherent and efficient network structure for exchanging resources and sharing information. Therefore, without awareness of structural weaknesses, they will not be able to manage network relationships. Despite extensive studies on collaboration networks, research related to the structure and function of collaboration networks in the cooperative sector is limited. Therefore, the current study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the collaboration network of livestock cooperatives in Tehran province in terms of exchanging information and resources.
Materials and Methods
In this study, the relationships of CEOs in 18 livestock cooperatives/unions in Tehran province were collected in the form of a weighted matrix. The data from this matrix were analyzed based on the assumptions and measures of social network analysis. The network was analyzed based on measures including size, density, interconnectedness, geodesic distance, degree, betweenness, closeness, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, and constraint.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the collaboration network in the cooperatives had little internal cohesion and the actors interacted with each other through long communication paths. Also, the union, as a key actor, plays an active role in guiding collaboration relations and has formed a coherent tie in relation to some cooperatives. According to the research findings, most cooperatives are in a limited and saturated communication structure and the development of their communication network requires diversification of opportunities and areas of joint collaboration.
Conclusions
Although the union plays a key role in strengthening network cohesion, the over-concentration of relationships around this actor has led to structural dependency and reduced network dynamics. Overall, the distribution of power and influence within the network is highly centralized, concentrated among a few key actors, while most cooperatives possess only limited capacity to shape network dynamics and decision-making processes. Accordingly, strengthening horizontal linkages, developing local clusters, empowering smaller cooperatives, and utilizing digital information exchange platforms can lead to increased cohesion, balance of power, and sustainability of institutional connections in the livestock cooperative cooperation network.