Globalization and its Impact on Cooperatives – A Case of Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Present research was designed to find the contribution of globalization to cooperative organizations in Oromiya region, Ethiopia. 152 employees from Oromiya regional cooperative promotion office working in cooperative organizations in the 17 zones of Oromiya region joined Wollega University for their upgrading education are selected as the sample, and Questionnaire method is used to collect the data from the sample respondents. Questionnaire contains demographic profile of the respondents, respondents general views on globalization (23 statements on 5 point Likert scale), cooperative organization profile and respondent opinions on impact of globalization on cooperative organizations (17 statements on 5 point Likert scale). The results of the research revealed that globalization in Ethiopia positively benefited the country with increased employment opportunities, improvement in infrastructure facilities, flow of goods from all over the world, attracting foreign investments, dissemination of education and technology, upgrading in living conditions and standard of living and negatively impacted with environmental degradation, deforestation, cultural change, corruption, inequalities, over dependency on other countries. Globalization to the Ethiopian cooperatives positively benefited with adoption of global cooperative principles, global standards, new technologies and methods, attracting investments and donations from the external world and qualitative education and training programs and negatively impacted as competition from the multinationals, and neglected by the own government.