The impact of cooperative structure and firm culture on market orientation and performance

Building on recent advances in cooperative literature and practice, we conceive two key organisational features of cooperatives: cooperative structure (in terms of control, ownership, and cost/pricing policies resulting into traditional and re-engineered co-ops) as well as entrepreneurial cooperative firm culture. Then we conceptualise and test the effect of these organisational features on the market orientation and performance of the cooperative firm relying on a sample of Dutch co-ops. We cannot establish a systematic influence of the cooperative structure though a significant influence of individualized member ownership on performance and of cost/benefit sharing policies on market orientation has been found. Entrepreneurial firm culture, however, has a significant effect on both market orientation and performance