Accountability of board and management to members in primary agricultural marketing cooperatives societies (amcos) in Tanzania, evidence from selected amcos of Bukoba and Moshi Districts
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IDpublication
Abstract
Co-operative democracy plays a key social function in the organization of economic
relations that govern member owned firms where the aspect of managerial accountability is
becoming important for co-operative to embark on sustainable democracy. In Tanzania,
various efforts have been made to ensure primary Agriculture Marketing Co-operative
Society (AMCOS) mainstream member ownership and democracy where Board and
management accountable to members are apparent. The study used primary AMCOS of
Bukoba and Moshi district. The study revealed that the management were much accountable
to the Union in Bukoba district primary AMCOS as compared to Moshi district. The use of
meetings, members opt the use general meeting to affect managerial accountability to
AMCOS members. Education and training at the primary AMCOS was examined and most
had no plan to obtain education and some primary AMCOS shows education were not
provided but planned to be provided. Information dissemination was done by using village
meetings as compared to the use of primary AMCOS notice Board. Also, decisions are not
implemented as members agreed while few accepting meeting decisions to be implemented.
Reasons limiting implementations being absence of implementation plans. The decision
ownership powers were found to be on the hands of union in Bukoba district primary
AMCOS by while Moshi district primary AMCOS Management had more ownership power.
The membership rights also indicated the lowest percentage on right to chose leaders of the
primary AMCOS, right to sell their produce in the primary AMCOS and right to co-
operative education. The leadership succession planning had the lowest present, revealing no
primary AMCOS has performed it and the reasons being youth migration to town. The study
recommends that education co-operative governance to members be emphasised since it is
important for next generation leaders who will become Board members capable of running
their organisations
Description
European Journal of Research and Reflection in Management Sciences,Vol. 6 No. 2
Keywords
Board management accountability, Primary Agricultural, Marketing, Cooperatives societies