Contribución de las cooperativas agrarias de segundo grado a la orientación al mercado de sus cooperativas asociadas: efectos en el desempeño de la relación

This study analyses the degree in which second level co-operatives contribute to their member co-operatives’ market orientation and achievement of their business objectives. To do this, a theoretic framework is proposed enabling us to evaluate this contribution and an empirical study is carried out with the information obtained from a survey of 190 Spanish fruit producer co-operatives who market all or a part of their products through a second level co-operative. In the study, we conclude that the relationship with a second level co-operative facilitates first level co-operatives’ market orientation, which in turn favours the second level contribution to achievement of the first level objectives. These findings are of great interest as they help explain the motives leading agricultural co-operatives to become involved in mergers, as well as the determinant factors for successful merger.