Cooperative and Investor-Oriented Firm Efficiency: A Multiproduct Analysis

A multiproduct variable cost function was used to compare the efficiency of Midwestern cooperative and investor-oriented grain and farm supply firms. Results suggest that cooperatives are no less efficient in a variable cost sense than their investor-oriented counterparts. Concerning fixed input-variable cost elasticities, investor-oriented firms may be more effective in their use of plant and equipment, but cooperatives make more efficient use of other fixed inputs