Dairy cooperatives in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil: A sociometric study

Abstract

Cooperation has always existed in human societies. In fact, humans cooperate to survive and to overcome economic, political or social crisis. Cooperativeness emerged for a better life quality in the face of adversity. Factors such as marketing, cost control, diversified portfolio, management, associations, partnerships, attention to consumer market and to cooperative members have become a winner strategy when it comes to competition in domestic and foreign markets to ensure human survival. Current study constructs a sociogram of dairy cooperatives of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Results reveal low density, centralization degree and cohesion index, or rather, most relationships are weak ties. The essay's main contribution is the identification of a pattern of relationships between dairy cooperatives. As managerial contribution, the development of a plan to strengthen ties between cooperatives, led by state cooperatives organization, is proposed.