This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
This study comprises a qualitative analysis of the governance structures within the two largest agricultural cooperatives in Sweden, both of which have large and heterogeneous memberships, as well as sizeable and complex business operations. Interviews were conducted with district council members and representatives from the boards of directors. The data from both case cooperatives indicate a genuinely traditional democratic member governance structure. There is a great deal of social capital in the governance system. A tentative explanation of the member involvement is that the cooperatives’ equity capital is owned by the individual members, and the members are free to sell and buy their shares at a market rate. The members are satisfied with the return on the capital they have invested in the cooperatives. They receive bonus shares and dividends above what most members would get in other investments. A conclusion is that very large cooperatives may succeed well with a member-democratic governance system of the traditional cooperative type, which in this case is probably due to the members’ satisfaction with the individualized ownership of the cooperatives.
Karin Hakelius; Jerker Nilsson. The Logic behind the Internal Governance of Sweden’s Largest Agricultural Cooperatives. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9073 .
AMA StyleKarin Hakelius, Jerker Nilsson. The Logic behind the Internal Governance of Sweden’s Largest Agricultural Cooperatives. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):9073.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarin Hakelius; Jerker Nilsson. 2020. "The Logic behind the Internal Governance of Sweden’s Largest Agricultural Cooperatives." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 9073.
This study gathered and examined empirical evidence concerning the extent to which the performance of cooperatives is related to board composition and interaction patterns – more specifically board size, number of external directors, director tenure and attitudes, frequency of board meetings, education of directors, and degree of consensus between the board and the chief executive officer (CEO). Theories of corporate governance provided propositions that were used as a starting-point for interviews held with board chairmen in thirteen Swedish agricultural cooperatives. The results show that cooperatives benefit from larger boards than suggested by most governance literature. External directors do not improve the overall performance, but having well-educated directors and CEOs who recognize the specificities of cooperative governance are crucial.
Karin Hakelius. Understanding the board of Swedish farmer cooperatives – Cases focusing on board composition and interaction patterns. Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management 2018, 6, 45 -52.
AMA StyleKarin Hakelius. Understanding the board of Swedish farmer cooperatives – Cases focusing on board composition and interaction patterns. Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management. 2018; 6 (2):45-52.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarin Hakelius. 2018. "Understanding the board of Swedish farmer cooperatives – Cases focusing on board composition and interaction patterns." Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management 6, no. 2: 45-52.
This study examines whether and how members’ perceptions of agency problems, in terms of the decision problem and the follow-up problem, shape their attitudes to agricultural cooperatives. The study is based on empirical data collected through a postal questionnaire sent to 2,250 Swedish farmers in 2013 (response rate ~40%). Exploratory factor analysis of a set of attitudinal measurement items was used to assess members’ attitudes to agricultural cooperatives. Seemingly unrelated regression analysis was used to identify the impact of members’ perceptions of agency problems on the attitude measures obtained from the exploratory factor analysis. The results suggest that perceived agency problems significantly explain members’ attitudes to their cooperatives. Therefore, working with these problems can be a way for directors of cooperatives to influence members’ attitudes and, in continuation, behaviors to these. This would be one way of developing more sustainable member-director relationships in these cooperatives.
Karin Hakelius; Helena Hansson. Members’ attitudes towards cooperatives and their perception of agency problems. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 2016, 19, 23 -36.
AMA StyleKarin Hakelius, Helena Hansson. Members’ attitudes towards cooperatives and their perception of agency problems. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. 2016; 19 (4):23-36.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarin Hakelius; Helena Hansson. 2016. "Members’ attitudes towards cooperatives and their perception of agency problems." International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 19, no. 4: 23-36.
This study assessed changes in farmers’ attitudes to agricultural cooperatives by developing a behavioral framework based in psychological and psychometric theory for measuring attitude change. The assessment focused on a unique dataset that allowed attitude coverage and strength of evaluation derived from data collected in 1993 and in 2013 to be evaluated. Explorative factor analytical methods revealed the attitude construct to be two-dimensional in both datasets, covering the domains named “Commitment” and “Trust” in both cases. Thus, the coverage of the attitude construct seemed unchanged. However, the strength of evaluation of both attitude dimensions was significantly increased. These findings have clear policy implications for agricultural cooperatives, since understanding the nature of changes in attitudes to these organizations is important for their successful development. [EconLit citations: P13; Q13].
Karin Hakelius; Helena Hansson. Measuring Changes in Farmers’ Attitudes to Agricultural Cooperatives: Evidence from Swedish Agriculture 1993-2013. Agribusiness 2016, 32, 531 -546.
AMA StyleKarin Hakelius, Helena Hansson. Measuring Changes in Farmers’ Attitudes to Agricultural Cooperatives: Evidence from Swedish Agriculture 1993-2013. Agribusiness. 2016; 32 (4):531-546.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarin Hakelius; Helena Hansson. 2016. "Measuring Changes in Farmers’ Attitudes to Agricultural Cooperatives: Evidence from Swedish Agriculture 1993-2013." Agribusiness 32, no. 4: 531-546.
The paper identifies the phenomenon of cooperative beehiving. Members de-associate themselves from large cooperatives and form smaller entities, just as bees swarm out of the old crowded beehive in search for a new one. We show in the framework of transaction cost theory that the exiting farmers are those who have experience and advantages in organizing cooperatives and are willing to take risks as entrepreneurs. The new beehives, organized also as cooperatives, rely heavily on outsourcing and start-up assistance plans. Two cases from the Swedish agrifood industry illustrate our claims.
Karin Hakelius; Kostas Karantininis; Li Feng. The Resilience of the Cooperative Form: Cooperative Beehiving by Swedish Cooperatives. Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment 2013, 127 -147.
AMA StyleKarin Hakelius, Kostas Karantininis, Li Feng. The Resilience of the Cooperative Form: Cooperative Beehiving by Swedish Cooperatives. Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment. 2013; ():127-147.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarin Hakelius; Kostas Karantininis; Li Feng. 2013. "The Resilience of the Cooperative Form: Cooperative Beehiving by Swedish Cooperatives." Development and Implementation of Health Technology Assessment , no. : 127-147.