Does the imprinting theory hold for cooperatives?

Details

Supervisors

Dufays, Frédéric ; Lejeune, Christophe

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The imprinting theory focuses on the effects of initial factors at the founding stage of traditional firms without any nuances applied to different forms of organization. What about cooperatives? We carried out statistical analysis to assess the influence of founding factors on the perennity of Belgian recognized cooperatives. We noticed that discrepancies existed between the three Belgian regions; Walloon cooperatives are more sensitive to social economy than other regions. As regards the decade, the seventies seem like a very opportune time to survive over 5 and 20 years. Regarding the time interval for obtaining the NCC’s approval, the cooperative is more likely to be sustainable if it waits more than one year after its creation to request it. The size of membership at the creation is negatively correlated to the cooperative’s longevity and has an impact on a firm's ability to survive over 5 years but not over 20.