Determinants of the Performance of Business Associations in Rural Settlements in the United Kingdom

An Analysis of Members' Satisfaction and Willingness-to-Pay for Association Survival

Bibliographic Data

ID4140908
AuthorsRobert Newbery (0000-0002-5762-7117, Plymouth University Business School, 212 Cookworthy, Plymouth PL4 8AA, England, corresponding author), Johannes Sauer (0000-0003-2674-0229, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kiel, 24098 Kiel, Germany, corresponding author), Matthew Gorton (0000-0002-4579-5092, Newcastle University Business School, 5 Barrack Road, Newcastle NE1 4SE, England, corresponding author), Jeremy Phillipson (0000-0003-3435-4862, Newcastle University, corresponding author), Jane Atterton (0000-0003-3513-9005, Scottish Agricultural College, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, Scotland, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume45
Issue4
Pages967-985
Publication date2013-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironment and Planning A Economy and Space (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-518X • E-ISSN: 1472-3409
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1068/a44669
OpenAlexW1984326388
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited60

Research into business associations indicates that many associations suffer from very high levels of inactive members and fail to deliver significant benefits to members. In order to improve provision, the objective of this paper is to understand the determinants that drive or limit performance of rural business associations. Previous research has focused on the ratio of perceived costs to benefits as informing the decision to remain a member. However, in small associations, membership may be more influenced by social norms than the logic of rational choice. Using measures of satisfaction and willingness to pay for association survival as in-group measures of performance this paper finds that (1) for small associations, group size is critical, (2) associations are valued higher in communities where trust is lower, (3) funding by public bodies may be counterproductive to long-term development aims, and (4) the degree of rurality is insignificant in explaining association performance

Actuarial science · Business · Demographic economics · Economics · Public economics · Rural area · Rurality · Willingness to accept · Willingness to pay · Cooperative Studies and Economics · Medicine · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Capital and Networks · Finance · Marketing

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