A Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of the Agricultural Cooperatives from South East Region of Romania

Abstract

The need for Romanian agriculture development by efficient usage of resources and a rural environment has led to the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. Romania needs strong cooperatives and, in order to achieve this, the involvement of not only the authorities and agricultural producers, but also of each inhabitant from the rural area, is required. In the context of food market saturation with import products, it is necessary to revive the Romanian market in order to supply natural and quality products. A total of 1425 agricultural cooperatives were registered in Romania at the end of 2018, out of which 57% did not submit the Balance Sheet. The research performed within the study proposes the usage of fsQCA analysis in order to assess some conditions considered by us essential for the sustainability of the agricultural cooperatives. These conditions are represented by the initial contribution of the members, by the existence of a central collection space, by the employment of a manager, by the knowledge of the members on the development possibilities, and by the involvement of the members within the cooperative’s activity. The study highlights the fact that the absence of the conditions presented leads to the absence of a sustainable cooperative. We consider the dissolution of the cooperatives pertinent, which has not developed an activity for more than three years from their establishment and the publication on the MADR website of the National Registry of Cooperatives, which will offer a true image on the prosperity and viability of these types of entities.

A Comparative Analysis of Consumption: Evidence from a Cultural Goods Market

“…However, consumer preferences and decision-making in markets for cultural goods can be notoriously unpredictable given the heterogeneous characteristics of buyers and their subjective responses to the consumption experience [2]. Such unpredictability also poses challenges for the sustainability of production and consumption in these markets [3]. Despite these challenges, several prior studies have attempted to model the determinants of consumption in entertainment markets using conventional statistical techniques [4][5][6].…”

“…Halme et al [14] have used fsQCA methodology to identify pathways to sustainability performance improvements. Florea et al [3] have used fsQCA to evaluate the complex conditions of sustainable production of agricultural cooperatives.As a result of these qualities, fsQCA represents a valuable tool in contexts in which it can combine idiosyncratic qualitative and quantitative evidence into a coherent and comparable framework [15] and allows researchers to combine theoretical discourse with evidence-based analysis in cases involving complex chains of causality [16]. Therefore, the approach is particularly well-suited to analyzing consumer decision-making and behavior in commercial contexts such as entertainment markets.…”

“…To our knowledge, the insights made possible using fsQCA have never previously been deployed in the context of cultural goods. Therefore, our unique use of the fsQCA methodology makes a broader contribution towards demonstrating and applying the tools that social scientists can use to research the areas of consumption and many other areas of significant importance to sustainability [3].…”

Aspects Regarding the Possibility of Increasing the Performance of the Organization by Motivating Human Resources (HR)

“…The developed salary policy is very important in motivating the Employee, and its transparency is essential. Also, in order to be motivated, the Employees must have confidence in the Performance Assessment System applied in the organization (Florea et al, 2019b), they must know the rules according to which they are evaluated and not least, they must know the connection between contribution and remuneration.…”

Innovative Collaboration in Agri-Food Systems

“…Lankoski & Thiem (2020) examined the impact of agricultural support policies on sustainable productivity in OECD countries. Florea et al (2019) assess the conditions required for the sustainability of 20 Romanian agricultural cooperatives. Turning to collective land management, Arts & de Koning (2017) conduct a systematic cross-case comparison on community forest management to explain their performance.…”