EXPLORING THE CATALYST AND CONSTRAINT FACTORS OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVE PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Performance can be affected by various factors that differ across organisational contexts. This study aims to identify and describe the catalyst and constraint factors for agriculture cooperative performance based on top management perspectives. Structured interviews were used to gather data from six informants, who were board members of their respective cooperatives. Thematic analysis was used to extract significant patterns from the interview transcripts. The findings indicated the themes of catalyst factors, namely, members’ support, internal commitment and cooperation, obeying rules and maintaining good reputation with the responsible authority, the management team's integrity and the management's determination to achieve the desired objective(s). Meanwhile, the constraint factors for cooperative performance include high-risk avoidance amongst cooperative board members, disagreement amongst board members, market competition and uncertainty of the fresh fruit bunch produce. The originality of this study lies in its qualitative approach, which provides a rigorous understanding of the examined topic based on the cooperative practitioners’ experiences.