Issues in cross-border mergers between agricultural co-operatives

A merger between agricultural co-operatives involves two mutually dependent merger processes – one concerning the co-operative business firms and the other concerning the co-operative societies, i.e., the ownership organisations. If a merger involves co-operatives in different countries, each with its own institutional structure and legal framework, the merger between the co-operative societies is likely to be especially difficult. The driving force behind a merger is the top management teams, and these persons have weak connections to the cooperative societies and limited knowledge about the social networks within the memberships. Hence, cross-border mergers between agricultural co-operatives are extremely challenging