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Management Skills or Economic Context? The Performance of Spanish Consumer Cooperatives in the First Third of the Twentieth Century

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco J. Medina-Albaladejo

    (Departament d’Anàlisi Econòmica e IUDESCOOP, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain)

  • José L. Martínez-González

    (Facultat d’Economia i Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The literature has highlighted the importance of various factors in explaining the success or failure of cooperatives based on the study of multiple historical cases. The aim of this paper is to identify the determinants of the performance of Spanish consumer cooperatives using a sample of 14 societies between 1898 and 1935. The results show that their successful performance was driven by a combination of favourable economic contexts and internal factors such as greater experience, management skills, and lower dependence on external financial resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco J. Medina-Albaladejo & José L. Martínez-González, 2025. "Management Skills or Economic Context? The Performance of Spanish Consumer Cooperatives in the First Third of the Twentieth Century," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 2501, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    • Handle: RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:2501
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumer Co-operatives; Rochdalian Model; Business Performance; Management Skills; Economic Context; Panel Data Model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N84 - Economic History - - Micro-Business History - - - Europe: 1913-
    • P13 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Cooperative Enterprises

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