Assessment of the Performance of Saving and Credit Cooperatives: The Case of Hawelti Sub-city, Mekelle, in Northern Ethiopia (Published)
The main objective of the study was to assess the performance of Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) in Hawelti Sub-city. Various methodologies were used to conduct this research. A random sampling technique was used to take 214 respondents from the sample population. Both questionnaire and interview instruments were used to collect reliable data. The primary data was gathered from members of a sample SACCOs via a questionnaire. The mixed quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed. The secondary data was used and collected from the SACCOs’ audit records. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and Microsoft Excel and results were analyzed using descriptive statistics to generate tables, frequency, percentages, and graphs. To analyze the financial performance of SACCOs the PEARLS model was employed. The study results exhibited that the services’ delivery on diversified products of saving, and loans were decent and through the provision of loans, members got a significant change in their living standards. SACCO’s membership was raised, but not to the standard, and the promotion was determined to be inefficient and ineffective. The governance perspective of SACCO was found that members have trust, clarity, transparency, and discuss freely in their general assembly meetings. Regarding the financial performance, the saving deposit and total assets of SACCOs achieved tremendous growth. However, the net loan portfolio was found to be below the standard and has come across serious liquidity problems. The key challenges hampering the SACCOs are lack of governance, weak financial monitoring system, lack of financial regulation and proper financial records, poor saving culture, lack of hiring professional manpower, and the absence of training and education. The possible recommendations are creating awareness among members regarding their rights, and by-laws, hiring the required professionals, training based on need and gap assessment, and developing and introducing financial regulatory and monitory systems.
Keywords: Cooperatives, Financial Performance, Performance assessment, SACCOS, saving
Women Leadership and Governance of Cooperatives: The Case of Dire Dawa City Administration (Published)
Women continue to aspire for leadership positions in all spheres of governance in both the public and private sector. Increasing the level of women’s cooperative leadership and governance is an important objective internationally and domestically. The main objective of this study was to investigate factors affecting women leadership performance and governance of cooperatives in Dire Dawa City Administration. This study employed explanatory research design. 239 women leaders and committee members were selected using census method and 233 questionnaires were returned. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, and standard deviation and analytical statistics in terms multiple liner regression model was employed. The study found that women are effective in leadership and ensuring good governance of cooperatives. Self-efficacy, social status, economic independency and organizational flexibility positively affect the women leadership performance. This study implies that formulation of comprehensive policy and women empowerment will ensure their ascendency to leadership on co-operative societies and cooperatives should design flexible organizational structure and administration system to suit the conditions of women members participating in cooperatives so as to improve their leadership performance.
Keywords: Cooperatives, Governance, women leadership
The Role of Cooperatives on the Socio-Economic Development of Ethiopia (Published)
This paper presents the role of cooperatives on the socio-economic development of Ethiopia. It is based on a national survey where 173 cooperatives and 831 cooperatives members were taken as a sample and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) at eight different regions of the country were considered. The study was based on semi-structured questionnaire. It included a period of ten years (2001-2011). Results of the survey reveal that cooperatives have contributed a lot in the country’s economic development besides supporting their members by providing different products, services, as well as variety of benefits such as securing their food, increasing their income, improving life style and social participation, and inputs for their agriculture activities. Moreover, on the average cooperatives support nearly 15.00 to 29.68 descent jobs and spent 28,032.29 up to 122,297.7 birr as wage and salary per cooperative per year. The average contribution of cooperatives to the Ethiopian GDP for the last ten years is found to be relatively less which ranges 1.21% to 12.27%. The overall findings showed that, cooperatives have struggled to impact the socio-economic development of the country and support their members to improve their livelihood with the unpaved economy and policy of the country.
Keywords: Cooperatives, Ethiopia, Socio-Economic, empowerment of women and youth
Emergence of Cooperatives and the Future of the Social Enterprises Sector in Botswana (Published)
The concept of integrating social aims with profit-making is an emerging trend in the world today, especially in the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis which shone the spotlight on the problems of pure profit maximisation. Social enterprise is at the very core of this new movement to integrate social aims with profits, taking root in an increasing number of circles. The Botswana situation is marked by social enterprise being almost non-existent as a concept in the general consciousness. In spite of this conceptual absence, it can be argued that the main ingredients of social enterprises have played a substantial role in the historic formation of the Botswana welfare state in the form of cooperatives. In the first period the workers’ and farmers’ cooperative movements were the most influential actors concerning improvement of livelihoods. As such, this paper will seek to understand the emergence of social enterprises globally and how Botswana as a country can increasingly apply the tool of social entrepreneurship to address a plethora of differing social issues, such as extreme poverty and unemployment, in ameliorating and improving the condition of the people.
Keywords: Botswana, Cooperatives, Poverty Alleviation, Social Enterprise
A Comparative Study of the Role of Men and Women in Cooperative Development in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria (Published)
The actualization of Cooperatives development is one of the most common traits of the emerging economies. Government at all levels in different occasions has adopted one developmental strategy or the other, all aimed to successfully install cooperative development. This study had the objective of assessing the role of men and women in cooperative development in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State in Nigeria. The study employed primary sources of data. The primary data were collected through questionnaires using descriptive statistics. The results of the study indicated that the male cooperators contribute more to cooperative development than their female counterparts. The study concludes that cooperative societies in Udi should be properly and effectively managed. It was also recommended that cooperative societies should endeavour to improve their management skills, balance gender inequality and enhance the personal welfare of members so as to facilitate cooperative development in Udi Local Government Area.
Keywords: Cooperatives, Descriptive, Development, Gender Inequality, Government, Skills
A Survey on the Perceptions of Co-Operators on Gender Disparity and Financial Viability of Agricultural Cooperative Societies in Rivers State, Nigeria (Published)
Gender disparity has been a highly debated topic in many discusses and opinion circles for a very long time, yet ,this contentious topic continue to re-vibrate every now and then in many debates. How this topic has affected agricultural cooperative activities in Rivers State has not yet been captured in any literature. More so, the viability of these cooperatives has never been a front burner in the government’s agricultural policies over time. This research work aims to deliberately draw the attention of stake holders to the contentious topic of gender disparity and financial viability of the agricultural cooperatives that may have retarded its growth and development. 30 agricultural cooperative societies were randomly sampled from the council of Nigerian farmers and some unregistered cooperative societies of agric bias using structured questionnaire. The result showed evidences of gender disparity and financial insolvency. The injection of credit and elimination of gender disparity were suggested as the way forward.
Keywords: Agriculture, Cooperatives, Gender, Viability
The Ideal Leadership for Cooperatives: A Proposal for Community Collective Model (Published)
This study tried to observe the ideal leadership model for co-operatives. By positing two folds of questions (1) how leadership had been developed in the organization and (2) what should be the ideal model. In order to provide clear evidence to the first problem, the study uses cross case analysis from six selected Credit Unions in Indonesia. Having considered the characteristic of each unit, the study developed two categories: complex organization and simple organization. The common model found in the two categories in which leadership must be seen as mechanistic process which encompasses from individual to community leadership. Therefore the study posed the needs for community collective leadership model by proposing a firmly framework. After identifying several dimensions from the model, the study used Dematel method to identify the most considerable dimension. Finally, the study appointed visionary, communicative and popular leader as dimensions to the model, thus preparing future research agenda.
Keywords: Collective leadership model, Cooperatives, Leadership
Assessing the Performances of Coffee Marketing Cooperatives in Yirgacheffe Woreda, Gedeo Zone, Snnprs, Ethiopia (Published)
In the coffee industry, coffee marketing cooperatives are anticipated to play an innermost role in the efforts to develop the sector. Meanwhile, the contributions of these cooperatives in the developing countries are limited to the smallest margin. Besides to that, the performance of coffee cooperatives in these countries is not yet well studied. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the performance of coffee marketing cooperatives in Ethiopia with a special focus on Yirgacheffe woreda. To meet the objective of the study, descriptive types of research techniques were utilized. The results of the study revealed that coffee cooperatives in the study area are moderately progressing so far as strengthening their financial positions and serving their members is concerned. However, they are still challenged by different impinging factors.
Keywords: Coffee, Cooperatives, Ethiopia, Performance, Yirgacheffe