Cooperatives (Development Studies)

Partnerships have long been manipulated by the international community as a compact of commitments for promoting development effectiveness. These partnerships have pursued policies for more enabling domestic environments, so that increased opportunities would translate into outcomes for development effectiveness.This analogy puts to the fore how partnerships for aid and development effectiveness can result in meaningful development cooperation. It notes that for Mozambique, genuine partnerships with the donor community has been built over a long period of time. Donors have financed the country using priorities set by the Mozambique government. For a partnership to be effective both parties should ensure that they both adhere to the agreements made in the Memorandum of Understanding. Partner countries should take leadership in these partnerships as they are the ones to benefit the most from effective partnerships. Measures and indicators for success of partnerships at the global and national level are presented together with Mozambique's partnership model with the private sector, civil society and development partners.

The cooperatives play a vital role in development. A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. However, cooperative organisations face diverse problems that are power-related ones in regard to control and influence cost. This paper sought to analyse the use of power by the leaders, and its impact in cooperative leadership and followership in Kenya. The study was done on Kiambu Bunge SACCO Society Limited in Kenya. The study established that, in cooperatives there is no notable relationship between hierarchical position and power of individuals – leader or follower-but there is concentration of power in the hands of a few select individuals, especially the executive and credit committee member; and thus, the existence power bases among leaders and followers has a corresponding effect on the cooperative performance. The relationship in the cooperative is based on how leaders and followers behave when power is exercised over them. Both the leaders and followers show resistance or agreement when the power is exercised over them in varying situations and seasons. In a cooperative environment it is logical that both the leaders and followers hold powers to influence each other almost equally to achieve a common goal. In an organizational environment where the legitimate power is very key it is expected that both the leaders and followers accept the power that is exercised over them. The study is significant to leaders in consolidating the working relationship with their followers for positive leadership and governance in cooperative organisations, hence organisational performance.

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been widely established and most applicable to be used in any research dedicated to predict intention and behavior. Though it is one of the most cited theory in predicting intention, however recently, this theory has evidenced many attempts to deliberate and diversify its three main constructs of Attitude, Subjective Norms and Perceived Behavioral control. This article discusses on the evidence of the extension of the theory, invented by many researchers in an effort to better predict and understand intention by using additional relevant external factors

ABSTRACT

The study examined the contributions of microfinance programs channelled through cooperatives for the government’s poverty alleviation thrust particularly among microcredit beneficiaries. We implemented the study through personal interviews with management representatives from sample cooperatives and randomly selected cooperative members who were microfinance program beneficiaries. The study used qualitative-quantitative descriptive survey design utilizing primary and secondary data from sample cooperatives and their members. Majority of the interviewed respondents were women. Government microfinance program have led to improved assets, capital build-ups and profits of cooperatives. As noted, income levels increased among microfinance program beneficiaries. Augmentation of family and household incomes subsequently improved the living standards of member recipients. There was expanded access to microcredit and education by children of program beneficiaries. Women empowerment was evident with strong participation of wives in leading micro-entrepreneurial activities. However, with relatively large household size, exits from the poverty threshold among member households were not substantial. The study also found that many member beneficiaries keep renewing their loans becoming habitual/perennial borrowers from micro-credit lending with availed loans not used anymore for microenterprise activities. We recommend that access to microfinance program should be strengthened and sustained especially for cooperative members in the low income groups.

Keywords:  poverty alleviation, microfinance program, cooperatives, credit assistance, cooperative member-borrower, women’s participation

ABSTRACT
Agriculture is a key sector to the Malawi’s economy. Smallholder farmers who contribute immensely to agriculture sector itself have been circumvented in the vicious cycle of poverty as they, individually, face various agricultural production and marketing challenges.  In this, regard smallholder farmers across the country have been encouraged to embrace agribusiness through formation of agricultural cooperatives between various political and economic eras.  Agricultural cooperatives in Malawi have long history beginning in mid-1940s, but it was not until 1990s that critical national strategies, policies and legislation, programmes and projects were initiated to support cooperatives development in the country. This has been exhibited by the increased number of agricultural cooperatives in the country to date. However, various national and international statistics and studies have shown alarming minimal contribution of Malawian cooperatives to private sector development; and specifically, of agricultural cooperatives to agricultural sector development. This is an indication of ‘dark and silent’ cooperatives development’s periods, agricultural cooperatives have in one way or the other have lived through.

This study explores institutional and governance factors affecting agricultural cooperatives’ performance and eventual sustainability in Malawi, in respect to comparisons and contrasts of cooperatives principles, values, roles, problems and theoretical perspectives. Agricultural cooperatives play an important role in agricultural production and marketing. However, most of the smallholder agricultural cooperatives in Malawi are not performing this role as they are faced with weak capacity of cooperatives management and poor coordination of cooperative stakeholders; exacerbated by political, social and economic institutional weaknesses.

Even though Malawian smallholder farmers in agricultural cooperatives have confidence in the cooperative model in improving their livelihoods, they are still disgruntled with their own poor performance and worried of the high probability of their un-sustainability.  Specifically, agricultural cooperatives’ worsening performances depict that: cooperatives’ members have little control of management; investments are short-term; and accumulated investments are below the economic optimum. In essence, the relevance of cooperatives cannot be overemphasized in Malawi, but their full potentials have not been unlocked to necessitate their growth and vibrancy.
In order for agricultural cooperatives in Malawi to improve their organizational and business performance and be sustainable; to enhance the ‘doing capacity’ among the cooperators, promoters and facilitators; to optimize the stakeholders ‘cooperative consciousness’; to rejuvenate fully the cooperative movement (having experienced almost a half century of darkness and/or silence), there need for turn-around strategies to address the governance and institutional problems identified. This study, therefore, makes three major recommendations in respect to strengthening the capacities of cooperators and stakeholders to: adherence to the cooperatives legal and regulatory framework; implementation and enforcement of the cooperative development policy and legal and regulatory framework; and review of cooperatives development policy and amendment/repeal of Cooperative Societies Act, 1998 and Cooperative Societies Regulations, 2002 in respect to ILO Recommendation 193, 2002. These recommendations are meant to: strengthen agricultural cooperatives’  internal and external legitimacy to support self-determination; to promote the leadership, vision, and goals as well as multiple bottom lines of cooperatives; to enhance the agricultural cooperatives’ organizational, financial, and business capacity; to enhance farmers active participation and committed involvement in cooperatives formation and operations; to communicate more broadly to the agricultural cooperatives’ stakeholders; and to strengthen agricultural cooperatives’ partnerships with community and other stakeholders. In this respect, transformation of cooperatives from conventional forms to non-congenial structures and systems of cooperatives that would encourage: proportionate patronage to investment; appreciable and transferable share values; and allowance of non-patron equity participation.

Significantly, the study is to help cooperatives’ promoters, policy makers, legal and regulatory institutions, academicians and the cooperators in general to; understand institutional and governance issues related to cooperatives’ philosophy, values and principles;  make use of or build upon as they find helpful; to present ideas for the strategic guidance of cooperatives development – the ideas based on reflection about experience and practice within cooperatives, as well as cooperative theory, relevant to contemporary discussions of cooperative strategies;  understand cooperative related policy and legal and regulatory frameworks that need redress; and, coordinate efforts to improve cooperatives’ performances and eventual sustainability.

Key Words: Cooperatives, agriculture, farmer, governance, institutions, new institutional economics theory, policy, legal and regulatory framework, performance, sustainability, Malawi.

This study outlines the evolution and impacts of the Inuit co-operative movement in Canada's North from its beginnings in the late 1950s through to 1968.  In 2009, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, through the Minister of Environment, designated the movement as an event of national historic significance.

ABSTRACT
Agriculture is a key sector to the Malawi’s economy. Smallholder farmers who contribute immensely to agriculture sector itself have been circumvented in the vicious cycle of poverty as they, individually, face various agricultural production and marketing challenges.  In this, regard smallholder farmers across the country have been encouraged to embrace agribusiness through formation of agricultural cooperatives between various political and economic eras.  Agricultural cooperatives in Malawi have long history beginning in mid-1940s, but it was not until 1990s that critical national strategies, policies and legislation, programmes and projects were initiated to support cooperatives development in the country. This has been exhibited by the increased number of agricultural cooperatives in the country to date. However, various national and international statistics and studies have shown alarming minimal contribution of Malawian cooperatives to private sector development; and specifically, of agricultural cooperatives to agricultural sector development. This is an indication of ‘dark and silent’ cooperatives development’s periods, agricultural cooperatives have in one way or the other have lived through.

This study explores institutional and governance factors affecting agricultural cooperatives’ performance and eventual sustainability in Malawi, in respect to comparisons and contrasts of cooperatives principles, values, roles, problems and theoretical perspectives. Agricultural cooperatives play an important role in agricultural production and marketing. However, most of the smallholder agricultural cooperatives in Malawi are not performing this role as they are faced with weak capacity of cooperatives management and poor coordination of cooperative stakeholders; exacerbated by political, social and economic institutional weaknesses.

Even though Malawian smallholder farmers in agricultural cooperatives have confidence in the cooperative model in improving their livelihoods, they are still disgruntled with their own poor performance and worried of the high probability of their un-sustainability.  Specifically, agricultural cooperatives’ worsening performances depict that: cooperatives’ members have little control of management; investments are short-term; and accumulated investments are below the economic optimum. In essence, the relevance of cooperatives cannot be overemphasized in Malawi, but their full potentials have not been unlocked to necessitate their growth and vibrancy.
In order for agricultural cooperatives in Malawi to improve their organizational and business performance and be sustainable; to enhance the ‘doing capacity’ among the cooperators, promoters and facilitators; to optimize the stakeholders ‘cooperative consciousness’; to rejuvenate fully the cooperative movement (having experienced almost a half century of darkness and/or silence), there need for turn-around strategies to address the governance and institutional problems identified. This study, therefore, makes three major recommendations in respect to strengthening the capacities of cooperators and stakeholders to: adherence to the cooperatives legal and regulatory framework; implementation and enforcement of the cooperative development policy and legal and regulatory framework; and review of cooperatives development policy and amendment/repeal of Cooperative Societies Act, 1998 and Cooperative Societies Regulations, 2002 in respect to ILO Recommendation 193, 2002. These recommendations are meant to: strengthen agricultural cooperatives’  internal and external legitimacy to support self-determination; to promote the leadership, vision, and goals as well as multiple bottom lines of cooperatives; to enhance the agricultural cooperatives’ organizational, financial, and business capacity; to enhance farmers active participation and committed involvement in cooperatives formation and operations; to communicate more broadly to the agricultural cooperatives’ stakeholders; and to strengthen agricultural cooperatives’ partnerships with community and other stakeholders. In this respect, transformation of cooperatives from conventional forms to non-congenial structures and systems of cooperatives that would encourage: proportionate patronage to investment; appreciable and transferable share values; and allowance of non-patron equity participation.

Significantly, the study is to help cooperatives’ promoters, policy makers, legal and regulatory institutions, academicians and the cooperators in general to; understand institutional and governance issues related to cooperatives’ philosophy, values and principles;  make use of or build upon as they find helpful; to present ideas for the strategic guidance of cooperatives development – the ideas based on reflection about experience and practice within cooperatives, as well as cooperative theory, relevant to contemporary discussions of cooperative strategies;  understand cooperative related policy and legal and regulatory frameworks that need redress; and, coordinate efforts to improve cooperatives’ performances and eventual sustainability.

Key Words: Cooperatives, agriculture, farmer, governance, institutions, new institutional economics theory, policy, legal and regulatory framework, performance, sustainability, Malawi.

The paper examined the performance of cooperative management committee in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna. The lack of clear rules and credit rationing is appears to characterize the administration of many cooperatives. Hence, governance problems become crucial as there is excessive and improper manipulation of credit granting procedures by managerial committees. Survey design was adopted and a sample size of 308 was generated out of 1,339 population. Questionnaire and secondary sources were utilized in data collection. Data were analysed using table of descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages, through the aid of SPSS on a threshold of 5-point Likert-scales. The result revealed amongst others that management committee of the cooperatives supervise or control the affairs of the cooperatives, conducts elections, makes donations for the social welbeing of its members and association etc. It was also found amongst others that inadequate funds, poor managerial or leadership skills, lack of well defined operational guidelines and unaccountability of offices were challenges militating against the smooth performance of the cooperatives. Therefore the paper recommended amongst others that management committee of cooperative societies should continue to conduct elections and imbibe the culture of accountability at the end of every tenure. Cooperatives should have and enforce punishment on every leadership that does not work in line with the operational guidelines.

This project work is aimed at showing the use of cooperative society as a measure to improving the economic activities of the society a case study of Eziniihitte LGA of Imo state. The objectives are geared towards evaluating the roles of cooperative societies in evaluating the lacks in the societies and providing the immediate solution and helping them improve by creating additional wealth to their pockets. Cooperatives are expected to serve its members by providing agricultural inputs, output marketing and mobilizing savings and providing credit services to their members. The literature review encompasses various literary works on the subject matter which affects and influences channels of distribution. The data for the study are gotten through questionnaires administered on sample size of five cooperative societies. The data are tabulated and analyzed. Also two hypotheses are formulated and tested statistically to confirm or reject the hypotheses. It is established in hypothesis one that one of the major reasons for joining cooperative societies depends on their insufficient financial positions individually. The second hypothesis also establish that cooperatives societies have much effect on its members’ economic welfare. The project on completion will bring to open the importance of cooperative societies and how their activities uplifts the economic activities of their members.

This paper provides an overview of the role and functions of a District Central Cooperative Bank (DCCB) and its important place in the Indian Banking System. It also highlights the key areas in a DCCB that are determinants of its effective functioning.

The importance of cooperative organization for rural community development has been declared highly important by many scholars in the developed countries. It is on the basis of this, that the objective of this paper is to examine the role of cooperative organization towards poverty alleviation in rural community in Nigeria. It goes further to assess the effort made by the cooperative organization in Nigeria, more specifically in ideato local government area of Imo State to bring about real development at the grassroots level. In attempt to do this, clarification of concepts like development, community development, cooperative organization was carried out. The study employed collective active theory and Talcott Parson's Theory of AGIL (social needs) as well as some empirical review. Primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed with descriptive statistics. At the end, the study recommends that the cooperative organizations in the rural community areas should be accorded more recognition in terms of budgetary provisions and provision of social and economic amenities by the Nigerian government so as to enable them function adequately and attain their objectives, mission, and vision on rural community development since over 70% of Nigerian population live in the rural community areas and produce the greatest wealth of the nation through agricultural production.

This research was carried out with the intention of examining the relationship between leadership behaviour and organizational commitment in co-operative societies. Various
past literatures supported the relationship between leadership and commitment where leader’s style do have influence on employee’s commitment. 360 samples were collected from various co-operatives located in Peninsular Malaysia. Walk in was done in selective co-operatives to have some guidelines and discussions with employees and leaders.

Apart from Autocratic and Participative Leader’s behaviour, this paper is also intended to examine if nurturant task leadership developed by Sinha (1980) can be applied in cooperative
societies. The nurturant – task has been found suitable for Indian organizations (Ansari, 1986, 1990; Sinha, 1980, 1994) and due to the similarities between Indian and Malaysian organization, the nurturant task can be applied in Malaysia.
The dependent variables of employees commitment was examined using Meyer and Allen’s (1997) Three Component Model of employee commitment (affective, normative
and continuance).

Factor analysis was carried out prior to the analysis to suit the Malaysia setting. Respondents have similar understanding of Nurturant Task and Participative where these two variables are later merged in the analysis part to become one. These variables were name as Nurturant Task + Participative (NTP).8
Regression analysis was analyzed that showed mixed results of leadership style. NTP has inverse relation with Affective Commitment, while autocratic leaders showed no significant relationship. However, NTP and Autocratic leaders both showed positive significant results with normative and continuance commitment of employees.

Tenure was found to be high among new and experienced employees if the leaders adopted high level of NTP behaviour. Experienced employees possessed more stable high commitment regardless of leaders behaviour, however new employees commitment are totally dependent on the leader’s NTP behaviour.

Overall findings from this study suggest, autocratic and NTP do play important roles in determining the levels of employee’s commitment. Leaders should consider in matching
both leadership styles based on the situation of their subordinate. NTP was also found to be significant in promoting new employees commitment. Since no similar research has
been done in co-operatives, this finding may contribute to the understanding and improvement of employee’s commitment in co-operative societies in Malaysia.

This study investigated the effect of agricultural cooperative societies on rural development in Anambra state. The specific objectives include to ascertain the effect of socioeconomic characteristics of agricultural cooperative members on rural development in the study area and to compare rural development indicators (output, income and value of productive assets) of cooperative members before and after joining cooperative. Two hypotheses were formulated to buttress the objectives of the study. The study was anchored on the theory of the Cobb-Douglas production function. A descriptive survey design guided the study and questionnaires were administered as the instrument for data collection. The study revealed that there was a significant difference in the annual output, annual farm income and value of productive assets of farmers before and after joining cooperatives. All the indicators were significant at 0.05 level of significance with F-value of 6.5888.The estimates of R 2 and Adj. R 2 suggested that all the variables in the model collectively accounted for more than 81% of the variations in farm income. The F ratio value of 8.774 was significant at 5% level. Therefore, the following recommendations were made; rural poor should be encouraged to join cooperatives and there should be stronger collaboration between cooperatives and the Ministry of Agriculture so that they will understand each others' viewpoints and challenges.

The main object of this paper is to assess the role of co-operative societies as a development strategy. The study was conducted in Edo State of Nigeria. One hundred and fifty respondents were selected using a convenient sample technique. They were drawn from three local government areas of the State. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Statistical analysis was accomplished by means of frequency distribution, percentages and Chi square. The result of the analysis showed that the co-operative society strategy is successful and should indeed be encouraged in the development of the rural communities. The study showed that there is a significant relationship between the co-operative society and the growth in size of the rural business in the rural community and that there is also a significant relationship between the growth in the co-operative society and the creation of employment in the rural community. The study may lack generalization due to the small number of co-operatives used for the study and the convenient sample nature of the selected respondents.

It has frequently been presumed that the ability of the Mondragón group of co-operatives to achieve a remarkable degree of trust and loyalty amongst its members while maintaining relatively bureaucratic workplaces is due to the uniquely solidaristic traits of Basque culture, implying that the same feat will be unattainable amidst less favourable cultural milieus. This article argues that, on the contrary, Mondragón’s organisational culture is embedded in its organisational structures — such as its systems of governance, education, ownership, remuneration, and inter-co-operation — and should therefore be widely applicable, even if not identically replicable, in other regions. To this effect, the article provides evidence that the key features of ‘the Mondragón Model’ have indeed been emulated elsewhere — namely in Valencia and the United States — and moreover has significant parallels around the world.

The study aimed to appraise members’ participation among farmers cooperative society in Awka South LGA of Anambra State. One hundred and twenty (120) members were randomly selected from 11 functional farmers cooperative societies across communities in the local government area of study. Data were collected and analysed through both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result indicated that the level of illiteracy among the farmers is relatively high and they lacked quality and timely extension services that will diffuse modern means and technology of farming. The study also revealed that there is a strong existence of motivational factors that facilitate members’ participation in cooperative. Therefore, among other things the study recommended that, basic cooperative education should be made compulsory to members in order to enhance their participation, also urgent attention should be given to extension service delivery to farmers so as to boost their productivity and participation in cooperative. Finally, identified motivational factors such as solidarity and unity, opportunities for development assistance, democratic nature of cooperatives and members welfare should be maintain so as to sustain members’ participation in cooperative.

The fishermen cooperative is as part of the institutional system of the local economy of coastal communities, its role is expected to make corrections to the economic injustices there. As a joint venture container for fishermen, cooperatives
should be able to be "pandiga" in the system of economic institutions of fishermen communities. The objective of research was to determine the performance effect of fishermen cooperatives on the welfare of its members.
The research was conducted from May to August 2010. While the location of the survey and observation were: (1) Cooperative of Makaryo Mino operating in Nusantara Fishery Port and surrounding areas in Pekalongan of Central Java, (2)
Cooperative of Fishery Products Industry in the City and County of Pontianak of West Kalimantan and (3) Cooperative of Fishery and ponds in Gresik, East Java. The data were analyzed using descriptive qualitative methode. From the results of the discussion is concluded that the primary capital to the success of a cooperative to improve the welfare of its members is on the idealism and courage of acting administrators or managers to establish cooperatives. The
other factors such as amenities (facilities) of effort will follow on a par with the level of development of the cooperati
ve. Local government support is not absolute, the business experience of managers can be learned on the job, and the
competitors will be able to overcome if cooperative consistent to establish competitive market system.
Keywords: Fishermen cooperatives, The Welfare, The coastal communities

Cuba’s still-emergent economic reforms promise to open the way for an expanded ‘non-agricultural’ cooperative movement to flourish on the island. But Cuba is still at a crossroads. While an expanded cooperative economy has the potential to both protect the gains of Cuba’s Revolution and reimagine its socialism as a more inclusive and participatory one, there are also pressures to privatize its economy. Alongside cooperatives and state-run enterprises, the economic reforms also promote foreign direct investments and permit private businesses using wage-labour. This means that some form of competitive market economy will bring tensions to Cuban socialism and its new cooperative sector, hastened by foreign capitalist interests encouraged by the end of the US embargo in 2014-2015 and the expansion of Cuba–US trade.
In this chapter I explore the possibilities and challenges of Cuba’s economic reforms with a focus on its new cooperatives. I consider what Cuba can draw from the radical roots and historical evolution of cooperatives and, most pertinently, what its emergent cooperative movement can learn from new forms of cooperative organizing in Latin America that contest neoliberalism and, at the same time, move beyond it.

This article homes in on the recuperative and learning dimensions of Argentina’s empresas recuperadas por sus trabajadores worker cooperatives (ERTs, worker-recuperated enterprises). Drawing on the author’s sociological, ethnographic, and political economic work with Argentina’s ERTs since 2005, the article theorizes autogestión – the collective self-management of associated labour – from its take up by ERT movement protagonists. The article explores and theorizes how ERT workers come to practice autogestión, what they actually take back in the process of occupying and controlling the formerly capitalist workplaces that had employed them, and how their projects of cooperative production are ensconced in a ‘language of autogestión’ – recuperating and (re)learning other economic notions and practices against and beyond capitalocentric discourses. Grounded in a class-struggle Marxist perspective, the paper ultimately proposes that ERT workers collectively recuperate three overarching dimensions of productive life from capital: (1) the self-valorization of living labour, (2) cooperation in the labour process, and (3) the socialization of surpluses and wealth. These recuperations of autogestión, the article concludes, (their ‘language of autogestión’) offer evocative suggestions for envisioning less-exploitative forms of work, more socially just and democratic workplaces, and for challenging and beginning to move beyond neoliberal logics.

This paper argues that the predominant economic theories of the firm neglect the importance of cooperation based on trust and loyalty, and that as a result, their criticisms of worker cooperatives are incomplete. While competence-based theories tend to focus exclusively on coordination and thus fail to acknowledge that the development and application of productive knowledge also involves cooperation, contract-based theories cling to a rigid model of behaviour that does not account for the type of cooperation thus involved. Thus, although contract-based theories denigrate cooperatives for failing to achieve cooperation, cooperatives may in fact be more propitiously situated than conventional firms to achieve the cooperation involved in the development and application of productive knowledge. Meanwhile, although competence-based theories imply that cooperatives are incapable of achieving coordination, cooperatives may in fact be more propitiously situated than conventional firms to achieve coordination without incurring potentially adverse effects on cooperation. This ability, however, may be suppressed by a hostile institutional environment, which biases both the options available to individuals and the way they perceive those options against cooperatives. Although inter-cooperative associations can alleviate this institutional bias, they involve structural and cultural obstacles of their own.

As sociedades cooperativas distribuem sobras diferentemente das demais sociedades, proporcional à produção/serviços prestados aos associados. Assim, há diferença de tratamento quando não atualiza monetariamente seu capital social, transferindo patrimônio de um para outro sócio. Para elimina-la, a Contabilidade deve adotar procedimentos alternativos que propomos neste trabalho, que não é definitivo, mas o tiro de partida.

Consumer behaviour refers to the behaviour that consumers display searching for purchasing, using evaluating and disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their needs. The study on consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumption related items. It includes the study of what they buy, why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it, and how often they use it. Cooperative dairies needs to understand this concept in deep mode as the private players a posing a stiff competition to them. The present study attempts to explore the consumer behaviour of the customers towards the Aanchal milk daily which is member milk union of Uttarakhand cooperative dairy federation. Customer satisfaction was measured across different attributes of the Aanchal milk and the customer's preference was checked across different parameters.

In many riverine areas, fish farming is not a new venture, but the challenge is to meet the fish demand for people. The study examined profitability of fish production among members of cooperative societies in Okrika Local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Two hypotheses that were formulated in line with the study specific objectives and research questions guided the study. The theoretical anchor of the study is on collaboration theory. The descriptive survey design guided the study and questionnaire was the major instrument of data collection. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive analytical tools like frequency tables, averages, percentages, scale analysis. The findings revealed that there was a weak but significant correlation (r=0.219; significant @ .001) between years of cooperative membership and fishing investments. Again, there was a modest correlation (r=0.513; significant @ .001) between fish revenue and net returns. The study concluded that there is a significant relationship between years of cooperative membership and investments in fishing years by fishers, as well as between fish revenue and net returns. Therefore, the study recommends amongst others, that cooperatives should assist members in the marketing and/or disposal of the fish caught so as to obtain competitive bargains from fish consumers, especially in the urban centres.

The study evaluated the determinants of farmers’ inclination towards membership of cooperative societies in Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined the influence of farmer socio-economic background; the influence of farmer awareness of agricultural cooperative benefits; and influence of farm input, credit, and marketed farm produce on cooperative membership inclination. Primary data were obtained from a sample of 368 farmers from four communities in the four agricultural zones of Anambra State. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution tables, percentages, mean and standard deviation were employed to present data. Multiple regression analysis was adopted in the analysts and tests of three formulated hypotheses. The study outcome revealed that: farmer’s socio-economic background had a significant influence on cooperative membership inclination (F ratio of 28.502 was Significant@ 0.000); farmer’s awareness of benefits of
agricultural cooperatives constitutes significant influence on cooperative
membership inclination (F ratio of 900.231 was Significant@ 0.000); quantum of farm input, credit, and marketed farm crops by farmer constitutes significant influence on cooperative membership inclination (F ratio of 5.354 was Significant @ 0.001). The study recommends, among others, that government can improve the awareness about the benefits of agricultural cooperatives in the area region by giving more focus to knowledge- and awareness-based instruments like education, information center, rural associations, communication services and roads.

This article traces how contemporary funerary practices – foodways, prayer and burial co-operative participation – configure a Christianised public culture in Swaziland that draws from ordinary citizens’ religious, ritual and political work and membership in diverse Christian churches. This kind of grassroots ecumenism importantly challenges the potency of orthodox institutional ecumenical projects of religious elites in the kingdom. These projects include attempts to legislate Christianity as an official religion and the building of a national interdenominational church, both of which have failed to materialise. Exploring this emergent tension between religious institutions’ ideological goals versus communities’ practical engagement on pressing social problems invites a rethinking of how citizens produce public cultures. Research is based on intermittent fieldwork at funerals, burial co-operatives, family ceremonies and churches, interviews with local church leaders and theologians, and document research in Swaziland between 2008 and 2015.

This brief paper, entry "B" in the edited book "The Cooperative Firm: Keywords" (Bernardi & Monni, 2016) reviews the particularities of the phenomenon of "workers' buyouts" -- a business restructuring, rescue, or conversion process whereby employees purchase an ownership stake in the business that employs them.