Resumo

Cooperative firms are different from public firms. Also, it is known that there is an unfinished discussion related to the question of how managers decide to distribute value to stakeholders. The objective of this study is to analyze and compare cooperative firms over public firms accordingly to the value distribution using two independent variables: stakeholder strategic importance and power. We investigate six agricultural cooperatives located in Paraná (Brazil) considering the annual report of 2021. We used as an inspirational work Boaventura et al. (2020).

Here we are looking to answer: how do cooperative firms weigh stakeholder power and strategic importance when making stakeholder strategy decisions about value distribution comparing to public firms? The main objectives are: To compare how cooperative firms and public firms distribute value to stakeholders (1). Understand how the president decides to distribute value to stakeholders in cooperative firms (2). And to investigate the relationships between power, strategic importance, and value distribution considering all stakeholders together (3).

The Stakeholder approach aims for nurture relationships for value creation that explicitly incorporates the economic, social, and moral nature of relationships in and around organization. However, the assemblage of cooperatives stakeholders differs from public firms in many aspects. Stakeholder theory and Cooperatives literature, provide us elements to compare those kinds of firms.

This research was carried out in four main stages: the first with a theoretical and conceptual nature, based on a literature review. The second stage was aimed at data collection, considering the content analysis (3.1). In the third stage was carried out the organization of the database and application of the models used (3.2). After the application of the model, the fourth stage of the research was concerned with the analysis and the discussion of the results (4 and 5).

This paper responds to calls for empirical research in direction a clear thinking about the organization of stakeholders and their cooperative role in value creation. It is also extending the findings related to value distribution in relation to the power and strategic importance in different kinds of firms. In this sense, we found some evidence of the influence of being a cooperative firm on value distribution and managerial implications manly to cooperative firms.

The findings do not support H1. Model 3 shows that the effect of the strategic importance in value for stakeholders is bigger in public firms than in cooperative firms. The findings support H2. Model 4 shows that the effect of the power in value distribution for stakeholders is bigger in cooperative firms than in public firms. For instance, to derive tangible benefits from value distribution, companies need to learn to exchange power across the entire organization.

Boaventura, João Maurício Gama, Bosse, Douglas A., Manuela Cunha de Mascena, Keysa, & Sarturi, Greici. (2020). Value distribution to stakeholders: The influence of stakeholder power and strategic importance in public firms. Long Range Planning, 53(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2019.05.003 Harrison, Jeffrey S., & Bosse, Douglas A. (2013). How much is too much? The limits to generous treatment of stakeholders. Business Horizons, 56(3), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2013.01.014