FACTORS AFFECTING MEMBERS’ PARTICIPATION IN THE BUSINESS OPERATION OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE IN THAILAND.

Mullika  Phanthiam; Phurichchaya  Taeporamaysamai

Mullika Phanthiam Graduate Student of Kasetsart University, Thailand
Phurichchaya Taeporamaysamai Department of Business Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Management Science, Kasetsart University, Thailand.

Keywords: Agricultural Cooperative, participation

Abstract

The specific objective of this study is to investigate the factors affecting member’s participation in the business operation of Sawang Daen Din Agricultural Cooperative Limited (SDDACL), Sakon Nakhon province (1). It also attempts to explore the members’ level of participation in the business operation of SDDACL, Sakon Nakhon province (2). Participants were recruited from 360 members of SDDACL, Sakon Nakhon province. The study was conducted in the form of a survey, with data being gathered via a questionnaire. Data for this study were collected using percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation (SD), t-test, F-test, including multiple linear regressions.
The current study found that most of the participants were female, and their age was ranged from 50 – 59 years old. Their educational level was at the elementary level and they have been the member for more than 21 years. In terms of their occupation, they are agriculturalist and have approximately earned 5,000 Baht for their monthly income. The results of this study show that there are factors that have an influence on the member’s participation in business operation of SDDACL: source of the loan (
= 4.39), stability of the cooperative (
= 4.28), appropriateness of the SDDACL’s location (
= 4.25), convenience in business operation with SDDACL (
= 4.19), the staff’s service mind (
= 4.06), the committees’ reliability (
= 4.02), benefits i.e. dividend, refund (
= 4.02), the sense of ownership (
= 4.01), and distribution of information of SDDACL (
= 3.93), respectively. With respect to the level of members’ participation in the cooperative, it was found that the level of SDDACL members’ participation in cooperative was somewhat moderate. The level of members’ participation in the benefits of the SDDACL and involvement in members’ perception and decision making was considerably low. Involvement of the SDDACL members in SDDACL’s business operation and SDDACL’s controlling and checking appeared to be unaffected by the level of members’ participation.
In this study, the factors in members' involvement in business operation and individual factors were compared. It reveals that age, educational level, the involvement of SDDACL members in business operation were found to be statistically significant (0.05). Concerning of comparison of the level of participation in business operation and members' individual factors, it is suggested that there are factors related in the involvement of SDDACL members i.e. age, length of membership, occupation, average monthly income. These factors also show statistical significance (0.05). In the same way, this finding suggests that the factors including SDDACL members' involvement and the business operation of the cooperative and the level of participation in the business operation of SDDACL were related. It is possible, therefore, that there are two levels of members’ participation in the business operation of SDDACL: involvement in members’ perception and decision making and level of members’ participation in the benefits of the SDDACL.