Co-operative Decision Making Structure and Its Effectiveness in Promoting Sustainable Co-operative Organizations in Tanzania: A Case of Selected Agricultural Marketing Co-operatives in Shinyanga Region

Abstract

The effectiveness of decision making is a pivotal in the cooperative institution, the question of who should make decisions is by protocol vested to members. This paper is dedicated to on the assessing the tragedy of decision-making structure in the cooperative, guided by objectives which are; to determine the structure of decision making and governance, assessing the effectiveness of the co-operative structure in decision and assess the effectiveness of the feedback system in agricultural marketing co-operatives in Tanzania. The study draws evidence from the selected agricultural marketing cooperative in Shinyanga; there the case study design was employed. The findings revealed that; member decision is hijacked by external drive who controls the cooperatives, meeting are called by either unions or cooperative officers that indicates, it is not from members wishes. And the cooperatives lacks feedback mechanism to feed members on the decision made, that brings gap between management, board and members. The study concluded that, cooperative are for members but members do hold their institutions. Generally the study recommends the review of cooperative law, rules and guidelines that will reflect member ownership in decisions, also the supervisory committee be established in the primary societies to enlarge managerial accountability.