Member influence in cooperatives: Contributions of Scandinavian studies to the research conducted in the United States

Authors

• Petri Ollila Department of Agricultural Economics at The University of Helsinki, SF-00710 HELSINKI 71, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72162

Abstract

This literature review summarizes research on member influence in cooperatives conducted in Scandinavia and some of the research conducted in West Germany. The review divides the contents of member influence into three components; individual factors, the cooperative organization’s internal factors and the organization’s external factors. As individual factors, participation, representation and representativeness are considered. Conflicts in cooperative organizations, the effect of the growth of the organization and the rules of decision making are discussed as organizations internal factors. The major interest groups in addition to members (the market, personnel and the society) are presented as external factors. The external factors are increasingly challenging the nature of cooperatives as member interest organizations.