Developing an Original Integrative Theory of Cooperative Member Motivation and Commitment in Nigeria

Existing theories of cooperative member motivation, including patron-principal theory, social identity theory, and transaction cost economics, each capture important dimensions of member behaviour but none provides a comprehensive, contextually grounded account of motivation and commitment in Nigerian cooperative societies. This study developed an original integrative theory of cooperative member motivation and commitment drawing on motivational psychology, cooperative economics, and Ubuntu-informed social philosophy. A constructive theory-building methodology combining systematic review, quantitative scale development and validation, and expert consultation was employed. The systematic review synthesised 54 theoretical and empirical publications on cooperative member motivation (2015 to 2024), identifying eleven motivational constructs across economic, social, and identity dimensions. Scale development involved 40 items representing the synthesised constructs, tested in an exploratory factor analysis with 350 cooperative members from Lagos, Kano, and Enugu States (pilot sample) and confirmed in a confirmatory factor analysis with 420 members from a cross-zonal validation sample. The validated Cooperative Member Motivation Inventory (CMMI) contains six dimensions: economic return expectation, collective efficacy belief, social identity salience, community obligation norm, organisational trust, and democratic agency sense. Structural equation modelling using the CMMI dimensions established an original motivational pathway model showing how economic, social, and identity motivations jointly drive commitment through trust as a key mediator. The integrative theory and validated CMMI constitute original contributions to cooperative economics and organisational behaviour research in Nigeria.

Keywords: cooperative member motivation, commitment theory, integrative theory, scale development, Nigeria