What Determines Membership in Co-operatives? A New Framework and Evidence from Banks

摘要: We construct a conceptual framework to study the determinants of membership in consumer co-operatives. Both economic and non-economic motivations join cooperatives are identified as well individual collective motivations. Our empirical work analyzes data for 2005 over 200 Finnish co-operative banks. compare two concepts ratio: 1) relative attractiveness (members/potentially eligible persons) 2) recruiting success (members/customers). find: (a) negative relationship between size pool members with both types rates; (b) positive loan deposit interest rates co-operative; (c) association individual’s financial involvement; (d) that competition is negatively associated co-operative, but has no (e) neither ratio responsive social capital, measured by participation municipal elections. Overall our findings provide support co-operatives, we find evidence collectivistic associational impulses join.