METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO RESEARCHING COOPERATIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY UNDER CONDITIONS OF MARKET TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The article examines methodological approaches to researching cooperative entrepreneurial activity under conditions of market transformation. The study systematizes six principal methodological frameworks — institutional, resource-based, behavioral, systemic, entrepreneurial, and stakeholder approaches — identifying their analytical capabilities and limitations in the context of investigating cooperative enterprises. The research substantiates the rationale for applying an integrated methodological approach that synthesizes elements from different analytical traditions, thereby overcoming the limitations inherent in any single methodology. Cooperatives, as unique organizational forms that combine economic efficiency with social mission and democratic governance, require interdisciplinary analytical tools capable of simultaneously capturing their market competitiveness and social orientation. The article develops a conceptual model for the methodological support of cooperative entrepreneurship research, structured around three analytical levels: macro-level (institutional environment, legal regulation, international cooperative standards), meso-level (sectoral and regional context of cooperative activities), and micro-level (internal processes, resource management, innovation activity). This multi-level framework enables researchers to comprehensively assess the entrepreneurial potential of cooperatives while accounting for the specific institutional conditions of market transformation. The classification of methodological approaches according to subject-matter orientation provides a systematic basis for selecting appropriate research tools. The study demonstrates that the integrated approach offers particular advantages in analyzing the dual nature of cooperative entrepreneurship, where commercial effectiveness and adherence to cooperative principles must be evaluated concurrently. The findings contribute to the theoretical foundations of cooperative economics and have practical significance for developing analytical instruments for evaluating cooperative entrepreneurship in transitional economies.