Rural cooperatives in the digital age: An analysis of the Internet presence and degree of maturity of agri-food cooperatives' e-commerce: Fid-Bau Portal

Rural cooperatives in the digital age: An analysis of the Internet presence and degree of maturity of agri-food cooperatives' e-commerce

Cristobal-Fransi, Eduard / Montegut-Salla, Yolanda / Ferrer-Rosell, Berta / Daries, Natalia

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this article is to determine whether the websites belonging to agri-food cooperatives facilitate effective communication in an online environment and are adapted to e-commerce. To this end, a model is proposed for analysing these websites based on the content analysis method, and structured according to the following dimensions: Information, Communication, E-Commerce and Additional Functions. In addition, eMICA methodology (extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption) is applied to study the degree of maturity of this type of organization. The two methods are ultimately integrated with a principal component analysis (PCA). The model was applied to 104 cooperatives with an online presence. The results indicate that although oil cooperatives are better prepared than their wine and fruit counterparts, all of these companies still have a long way to go when it comes to facilitating effective communication and interaction with their target public. The theoretical contribution of the article, its implications for management, the limitations of the study and future lines of research are also presented.

Highlights • A model for the analysis of rural cooperatives website development and maturity is proposed. • The proposed model combines and integrates WCA and eMICA. • The case study analyses the websites of all the agricultural cooperatives with an online presence in Catalonia. • The results show that greater website maturity entails greater development of content. • Recommendations are provided for a more efficient management of rural cooperatives websites.