The structure of marketing cooperative : A members perspective

This paper examines marketing cooperatives’ (MCs’) structure from a members’ perspective. We support the notion that the utility that members derive from the attributes of MC’s structure enhances our insight in members’ commitment. Using a conjoint experimental design, we elicit the utility that producers attach to attributes of a MC. These attributes are related to the cooperative’s internal organizational structure and strategic behavior. The results of 120 producers of a Dutch horticulture cooperative show that the selected cooperative attributes are significant drivers of members’ utility. In particular, members attach high importance to strategic attributes and prefer a more individualized cooperative structure