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The purpose of this paper, based on first-hand data from 255 chairmen of planting cooperatives in Sichuan province, is threefold: to understand their social network heterogeneity; to understand the significance for members of marketing innovation in farmers' cooperatives and to understand the effects of chairmen's social network heterogeneity on cooperative marketing innovation.

The research employs an empirical survey of the chairmen of planting cooperatives in rural Sichuan province. The researchers use the ordinary least squares method to conduct regression on the data and the generalized linear model to process the data and avoid errors in the model setting. In the study, the following two hypotheses are examined: (1) The heterogeneity of chairmen's social networks has positive effects on cooperative marketing innovation; (2) The effects of heterogeneous external and internal social networks on cooperative marketing innovation are different.

The results show that both external and internal social network heterogeneity has positive effects on cooperative marketing innovation, and the effects of internal heterogeneity are greater than that of external heterogeneity.

This paper contributes to improving the income of farmers, the innovation of farmers' cooperatives and the development of agriculture in China. It provides a new way of managing and serving members to enable the long-term sustainable development of farmers' cooperatives.

This paper aims to reveal the effect of organizational learning on market orientation, job satisfaction on market orientation, organizational learning on business innovation, job satisfaction on business innovation and market orientation on business innovation.

Research was designed to use quantitative approach to understand causal relationship of variables. partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to facilitate this approach. Questionnaire was given to 46 dairy cattle milk cooperatives in East Java, Indonesia.

Research findings are explained as follows: both high organizational learning and high job satisfaction can produce high market orientation, organizational learning reduces business innovation, job satisfaction increases business innovation and market orientation reduces business innovation of dairy cattle milk cooperatives in East Java, but this reduction is not statistically significant.

This research has identified that business innovation is affected by job satisfaction, while market orientation is affected by organizational learning and job satisfaction. Next research shall be conducted on another business type or business group but in greater population.

It is expected that the results of this research will provide guidance for dairy cattle milk cooperatives in East Java concerning with how to improve market orientation and business innovation based on organizational learning and job satisfaction.

This research has determined factors that affect market orientation and examined its impact on business innovation after observing the aspects of organizational learning and job satisfaction.

The agribusiness in Extremadura (Spain) is one of the main economic activities in the region. Within this industry, cooperativism stands out as a strategic component that influences the fixation of the rural population and the development of the territory. Likewise, innovation is fundamental for the competitiveness of companies. The aim of this study is to analyse the existence of a relationship between several business variables: strategy, culture, work climate, management, organisation and market orientation in the innovative performance of agri-food cooperative companies. Differences with other types of agri-food organisations are also analysed.

The authors proposed a conceptual research model, which aims to determine the influence of several business variables on innovative performance. A qualitative methodology was used through a multiple case study where five Extremaduran agri-food cooperatives were chosen to carry out the research.

The results show that the business variables are valued positively as factors that enhance innovative performance. Moreover, the peculiarities of cooperatives show several differences with respect to non-cooperative companies.

The results contribute to agri-food cooperatives' managers developing specific actions that improve the competitiveness and sustainability of agribusiness based on innovation.

La agroindustria en Extremadura (España) es una de las principales actividades económicas de la región. Dentro de esta industria, el cooperativismo destaca como un componente estratégico que influye en la fijación de la población rural y en el desarrollo del territorio. Asimismo, la innovación es fundamental para la competitividad de las empresas. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la existencia de relación entre diversas variables empresariales: estrategia, cultura, clima laboral, gestión, organización y orientación al mercado en el desempeño innovador de las empresas cooperativas agroalimentarias. También se analizan las diferencias con otros tipos de organizaciones agroalimentarias.

Se propuso un modelo conceptual de investigación, cuyo objetivo es determinar la influencia de diversas variables empresariales en el rendimiento innovador. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa a través de un estudio de caso múltiple en el que se eligieron cinco cooperativas agroalimentarias para llevar a cabo la investigación.

Los resultados muestran que las variables empresariales se valoran positivamente como factores que potencian el rendimiento innovador. Además, las peculiaridades de las cooperativas muestran varias diferencias con respecto a las empresas no cooperativas.

Los resultados contribuyen a que los gestores de las cooperativas agroalimentarias desarrollen acciones específicas que mejoren la competitividad y sostenibilidad de la agroindustria basada en la innovación.

This paper aims to bridge the concepts of innovation and performance and to develop a framework to assess innovation and performance in food chains.

Based on an extensive literature search the paper identifies critical success factors (CSFs) and related indicators for innovation in food chains, on the one hand, and performance in food chains, on the other. Main CSF categories for innovation are: product, process, market and organization. Main CSF categories for performance are: efficiency, responsiveness, quality and flexibility. A chain process model is developed that enables one to identify main chain processes that impact on innovation and performance. A trade‐off matrix is constructed in which effects of innovations on performance and vice versa in typical chain processes can be identified.

This article reviewed available supply‐chain innovation and performance indicators and models and methods used to assess performance and innovation within fruit supply chains. Based on the existing literature a conceptual framework for assessing innovation and performance of companies in the European fruit supply chain has been developed. The framework consists of a supply chain process model and an innovation‐performance matrix which have been successfully applied to several cases along the apple chain in The Netherlands.

The chain process model and matrix are applied in an integrated way to the Dutch fruit chain. An apple grower case and a fruit cooperative case are worked out. Managers in food chains can use the framework to assess their company's innovations and performances.

The paper aims to bridge the concepts of innovation and performance. Literature and research on this subject are minimal.

This paper aims to investigate how the implementation of the inter-cooperation principle among Spanish machine-tool cooperatives helps them to coopete–collaborate with competitors, in their innovation and internationalization processes and achieve collaborative advantages.

The paper uses a multi-case approach based on interviews with 15 CEOs and research and development (R&D) managers, representing 14 Spanish machine tool firms and institutions. Eight of these organizations are worker-cooperatives.

Worker-cooperatives achieve advantages on innovation and internationalization via inter-cooperation (shared R&D units, joint sales offices, joint after-sale services, knowledge exchange and relocation of key R&D technicians and managers). Several mutual bonds and ties among cooperatives help to overcome the risk of opportunistic behaviour and knowledge leakage associated to coopetition. The obtained results give some clues explaining to what extent and under which conditions coopetitive strategies of cooperatives are transferable to other types of ownership arrangements across sectors.

Firms seeking cooperation with competitors in their R&D and internationalization processes can learn from the coopetitive arrangements analyzed in the paper.

Findings can be valuable for sectoral associations and public bodies trying to promote coopetition and alliances between competitors as a means to benefit from collaborative advantages.

Focussing on an “ideal type” of co-operation–cooperative organizations – and having access to primary sources, the paper shows to what extent (and how) strong coopetitive structures and processes foster innovation and internationalization.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Cooperatives play a dominant role in the European dairy sector. The aim of the study is to define a sustainable business model of dairy cooperatives and explore how stakeholders can contribute to innovation processes generated in this ecosystem.

Starting from theoretical assumption and investigation of three major cooperatives located in an ecological agricultural Poland region, known also as “Green Lungs of Poland,” the authors propose a sustainable business model where the role stakeholders in the value co-creation is emphasized.

The findings of this paper show how the involvement of various stakeholders by the cooperatives contributes to the development of innovations that meet customer expectations, thereby concurring to the creation of social, environmental and economic value.

This paper formulates a business model integrating theoretical assumptions from the literature review with empirical evidence by exploring the roles of stakeholders that contribute and incorporate innovation, responsibility and sustainability into the core of activities of cooperatives.

Considering strategic information sharing (SIS), this paper aims to develop a better understanding of how relation-specific investments (RSIs) influence cooperative innovation performance (CIP) in downstream channel relationships. Also examined was the moderating effect of relational trust in that the indigenous practice of guanxi is especially critical in China.

Data were collected through a questionnaire in Chinese high-tech industries, with a valid response from 310 companies. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the conceptual model and hypotheses, combining mediation and moderation analysis.

Results show that the influences of specific investments vary according to the specificity dimensions examined. Specifically, human RSI influences CIP and SIS most significantly, and the impact of procedural RSI is, relatively, the weakest. Relational trust’s moderating role is confirmed, and SIS plays a partially mediating role in enhancing vertical cooperative innovation.

Managers should know clearly different roles of RSIs in inter-firm cooperative innovation and prioritize human RSI and brand RSI when investing into channels. More importantly, the findings reveal that strategy-level information sharing should be valued more. It is also recommended that relational ties are vital, especially in Chinese business context.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first few to investigate how the effects of disaggregated RSIs in inter-firm cooperative innovation vary and the importance of SIS in vertical relationships. The results provide insightful guidance for researchers and managers in how to better manage RSIs to improve CIP.

During the past four decades, agriculture and rural development in China has scored a great progress. Organization institution in agriculture is one of the domains with drastic innovations. The purpose of this paper is to map the emergence and evolution of various agricultural organizations in China since 1978. Development status and the trend of agricultural organization system are analyzed. Further, the role of farmer cooperatives is discussed.

Data used in the paper are mainly from statistical yearbooks and documents published by the government including Ministry of Agriculture and Bureau of Industry and Commercial. Both descriptive and deductive analyses are adopted to achieve different analytical purposes.

The vast small-farm sector, co-existence of various types of organizations, and innovation of other organizations will continue and sustain for a long-time period in China. Despite the fast development of modern farmers and various organizations, it is important that traditional farmers participate effectively in modern agriculture. Farmers act collectively via a cooperative in a desirable way, which determines the central position of farmer cooperatives in the agricultural organization system.

This paper is a qualitative analysis on agricultural organizations in China, yet no quantitative estimation regarding the comparison of various organizations is conducted due to insufficient data.

This paper fills the gap of a comprehensive review of the emergence, development status, and trend of agricultural organizations in China.

Culture makes firms unique and, depending on the implemented pattern of social and managerial culture, technology, and innovation, it can have an important influence on the personality and behaviour of the firm. Although a cultural model of market orientation encourages product innovation and fosters cooperative relationships with clients, few studies analyse this important relationship from a service perspective. This research seeks to investigate the relevance of market orientation for the firm's client cooperation relationships in developing radical innovations in the service sector.

A descriptive investigation uses 433 Spanish service firms that introduced radical innovations in their product fields in the past two years. The paper conducted four discriminant analyses: one for the total sample of firms and three for the sub‐samples defined by the extent to which firms use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their activities.

The four models reveal that customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter‐functional coordination provide means to differentiate between firms that cooperate with their clients to innovate and firms that do not. In each model, the significance and weight of the three variables change, depending on the degree to which the firms use ICT. Therefore, the distinction between firms that cooperate and those that do not is possible mainly for the total sample of firms. For the sub‐samples, not all MO dimensions can discriminate this way.

This study offers important contributions for both researchers and managers in the field of service innovation. It identifies explicitly the relationship between market orientation and cooperation, which makes it possible to extend the study and enhance comprehension of this concept to the relationship that the firm has with other agents in the value chain. Market orientation, as an inter‐firm phenomenon, may favour the design of market orientation strategies that offer superior value to the market. On the other hand, the empirical analysis shows which factors (philosophical principles, strategic implications of proactive market orientation) have the highest discriminatory power for innovative firms, according to their sector of activity. This work also identifies market orientation as an element that fosters a cooperation strategy.

Despite the importance of market orientation for developing cooperative relationships with clients, few studies analyse the relevance of these relationships in the firm's service innovation process. The findings thus offer a valuable contribution by showing the relevance of this relationship in developing new service innovations. Furthermore, the application of Spanish ICT contributes to existing research in Spain.