Do cooperatives cope better? Survival analysis of French agricultural cooperatives

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This paper studies the survival of French agricultural cooperatives. Although usually studied from a neoclassical perspective, they are considered inefficient despite several reports emphasising their resilience. Are cooperatives more resistant than traditional businesses? To answer this question, we use a discrete-time survival model. Our results reveal that ownership structure influences survival: cooperatives tend to merge more than traditional companies, but they are less likely to exit by liquidation. Traditional financial ratios cannot be used to fully explain the capacity of cooperatives for resistance.

Author(s):

Justine Valette    
University of Montpellier – Montpellier Research in Management
France

Paul Amadieu    
University of Montpellier – Montpellier Research in Management
France

Patrick Sentis    
University of Montpellier and Montpellier Business School – Montpellier Research in Management.
France