Browsing by Subject "Cooperatives"

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Akzeptanz, Status quo und Entwicklung der Digitalisierung entlang der genossenschaftlichen agro-food Wertschöpfungskette
(2022) Munz, Jana; Doluschitz, Reiner
Within the first subject area (I. Status quo and development of digitalization in German agriculture) in one publication presented in this dissertation, the model of Porter and Heppelmann (2014) was taken up and further developed to empirically capture the status quo of digitization in German agriculture. Using a cluster analysis, the farmers participating in the survey could be assigned to two specific development stages. 58.2 % of the respondents were assigned to the second development stage of "users of smart products". 41.8 % of the respondents could be classified as "users of smart, connected products", among whom the use of complex systems that connect individual mechanical and electrical components are particularly widespread. Thus, it could be determined that German farms have not yet reached the level of "smart farming" and also not the level of "product systems". The nature of the use of FMIS in terms of widespread use of web-based applications, automatic digital data entry and, above all, the use of universal data standards were identified within the study as the greatest obstacles on the way to achieving "smart farming". Digitzation is also presented as a prerequisite for future economic performance and survival for cooperatives, with rural cooperatives in particular facing increasing competitive pressure due to structural change processes, ongoing transformation processes through digitization and the emergence of new competitors. According to the current state of knowledge, the topic of digitization in rural cooperatives has not been examined yet and is now, for the first time, the focus of scientific studies within the second subject area of this dissertation (II. Acceptance, status quo and development of rural cooperatives in the context of digitization). Two publications first shed light on the determinants of acceptance factors for the use of digital technologies among rural cooperatives. The first study presented here is based on the identification and analysis of acceptance factors regarding the use of internet-based information systems (IS) along the cooperative value chain of the red meat industry from the perspective of farmers or members/customers of a livestock marketing cooperative. Three benefit-generating factors regarding the expected use of internet-based IS could be identified as valid acceptance factors: the support in documentation and an obligatory exchange of data towards administrative bodies (B2A); the inter-farm data exchange between farmer and livestock marketing company/slaughterhouse (B2B); the function of integrating external data into the IS. Another study focuses on the intermediary level of German agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives from the perspective of the managing directors, with the three acceptance factors relating to the expected use of digital technologies in the business areas of procurement and logistics, customer/member management, and marketing being identified as having a beneficial effect. Personnel and financial factors as well as strategic and operational factors were identified as the greatest challenge on the way to implementing digital technologies. Opportunities arising from membership of the cooperative network therefore need to be exploited in a targeted manner to address challenges and jointly mitigate risks. Overall, it was possible to demonstrate that there is an "attitudinal acceptance" of the introduction of digital technologies at the level of primary production and the intermediate level of agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives. In the course of the analyses, the determinant of the size of the cooperative or farm could be attributed as a positive influence on the acceptance of digital technologies. The final paper presented as part of this dissertation makes a contribution with regard to identifying the status quo of digital technology adoption in agricultural trade and commodity cooperatives and derives opportunities for a digital differentiation for these cooperatives. Based on a cluster analysis, the cooperatives could be assigned to the cluster of "Basic Adopters" (n=48) and "Advanced service-oriented Adopters" (n=18). Against the backdrop of ongoing cut-throat competition and the findings obtained in the present studies, it is recommended that agricultural trade cooperatives consider an individually tailored differentiation strategy and, to this end, build up concrete digital competencies with an increased service orientation in order to adapt their business model or business processes to current industry developments.
Labour market collectivism: New solidarities of highly skilled freelance workers in medicine, IT and the film industry
(2022) Apitzsch, Birgit; Wilkesmann, Maximiliane; Ruiner, Caroline; Bassyiouny, Mona; Ehlen, Ronny; Schulz, Lena
Highly skilled freelance workers are mainly depicted as a challenge to trade unionism because of their mobility, market power and specific interests in organisational support. The authors explore the manifestations of collectivism of highly skilled freelance workers on the basis of semi-structured interviews with 14 highly skilled freelancers and 35 representatives of intermediaries such as trade unions, professional associations, staffing agencies and cooperatives in medicine, IT and film in Germany. The results reveal new forms and dynamics of labour market collectivism arising from concurrent conflicts and negotiations of job access and working conditions.
Wandel des Unternehmertums in der Landwirtschaft
(2016) Gindele, Nicola; Doluschitz, Reiner
The starting point for this cumulative thesis is the continuously advancing structural shift in agriculture and its upstream and downstream sectors. The first section of the thesis discusses the challenges faced by agriculture as a result of structural and demographic change. The thesis focuses on the shift in entrepreneurship in agriculture. It analyses to what extent there is a shift and the consequences that it has for the managers of agricultural businesses. Its impact on the availability of qualified agricultural workers is assessed in relation to the demographic change in the population. The studies reveal a strong dependence between business success and the ability of a farmer to act in an entrepreneurial manner, among other things caused by advancing structural change and increasingly liberalised agricultural markets. At the same time the farm managers remit is changing in line with economic growth and technical advances. Organisational and managerial tasks are growing in importance, while practical, hand-on tasks are relatively declining. The demands on farm managers increase as farms grow, greater technology is used and farms tend to specialise, and the requirements governing the qualification of permanently employed external workers also become stricter. It becomes clear that there are differences specific to particular regions and between individual farms when it comes to the professional qualifications of workers. In terms of the search for workers, there are particular problems today relating to the recruitment of specialist employees, while workers for simple auxiliary tasks are easier to find. Against the background of an emerging skills shortage, farm managers are called upon to analyse more closely their own management style and personnel management tools, such as non-material incentive systems, to offer their employees an attractive and pleasant long-term working environment. The second part of the thesis examines the challenges for rural cooperatives emanating from the structural change in agriculture. Cooperatives are the proven partners of agriculture, both in terms of the provision of equipment and the concentration and marketing of agricultural products, as well as the related improved market positioning of farmers. The thesis examines member management, in particular member retention, using the example of purchasing and sales cooperatives, as well as fruit and wine cooperatives, as there has been a sharp decrease in the number of members of the affected cooperatives in recent years. Strategies to improve the market position of rural cooperatives are also outlined. The rural cooperatives need to adopt an end-to-end well thought-out customer relationship management approach to counteract steadily falling numbers of members. Communication with members plays a key role in this. End-to-end and continuous communication with members improves the exchange of information and knowledge, encourages members to participate to a greater extent in the self-government of the cooperative and strengthens the overall emotional ties to cooperatives. Cooperation can be intensified, product quality improved and member retention positively influenced by means of contractual agreements, possibly in the form of cultivation and sales contracts between members and their cooperative. Against the background of growing farms and the related rising demands on the qualifications of farm managers, expanding the existing services offered provides another possible starting point for improving relationships with members. Expanding the services offered by the farm makes sense particularly in relation to advisory services in business administration, business management and production technology. To secure their market position, cooperatives can adapt to changing market conditions and gain a competitive edge by adopting a strategy of cost leadership, differentiation or niche marketing. The combined implementation of these strategies often happens in practice. Mergers represent another common strategy for improving market position. The history of mergers of fruit cooperatives in South Tyrol shows that the intensive involvement of members in the merger process is vital for its success. Structural change in German agriculture therefore not only has consequences for the farmer as an entrepreneur. Rural cooperatives also need to respond to changes in agricultural business structures by adopting adaptation strategies specifically matched to the particular cooperative. The size of the company is not decisive when it comes tor the success of managing a cooperative or a farm. The success of the business depends much more on the individual farm manager or director, who needs to be able to recognise new potential and business opportunities in a dynamically changing environment and implement innovations to ideally position the business within the competitive market.