Co-operatives’ SME Members’ Roles, Values and Perceived Value

SME members, executives and managers of four Western Australian co-operatives, were asked about the reasons SME members joined their co-operatives, the value they expected to receive from their co-operatives and if co-operative principles and values were seen to be in their cooperatives’ activities. The results suggested there were specific antecedent factors that led to SMEs joining their co-operatives, that members’ and managers’ value perceptions were similar, although rated differently, that co-operative principles and values were not fully recognised, and that members had four distinct roles which impacted to different degrees on their participation in their cooperatives.