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Co‐operative Life Cycle and Goals
Author(s) -
Hind Abigail M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.157
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1477-9552
pISSN - 0021-857X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-9552.1999.tb00897.x
Subject(s) - stakeholder , business , order (exchange) , life cycle hypothesis , product life cycle management , marketing , industrial organization , economics , finance , management , macroeconomics
Ten case study businesses were assessed in relation to sixteen criteria in order to test the application of an hypothesised life cycle. Analysis of stakeholder aspirations for each of these ten businesses was also undertaken. On the basis of the empirical evidence, it was demonstrated that stakeholder groups favour diverse goals, that the level of goal coherence between major stakeholder groups declines as a co‐op progresses through the co‐operative life cycle and that in the later stages of the life cycle, the aspirations of the managers, rather than those of the farmers, are realised. Furthermore, the managers' preferred goals are reflected in the organisational and financial structures and trading practices of individual late stage businesses, which are more akin to investor oriented firms than traditional co‐operatives.