Which Receptive Behaviours Pay? Dimension-Specific Entrepreneurial Receptiveness and Members’ Wealth Creation in Nigerian Cooperative Societies

Abstract

Purpose – Cooperatives are expected to turn membership into enterprise growth. Yet, members with the same access to services gain unequally, and it is not known which member behaviours are associated with which forms of wealth. This study examines how five dimensions of members’ entrepreneurial receptiveness relate to five paired wealth-creation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses were derived from a member-level conceptual framework. A cross-sectional survey in August 2026 covered 289 registered members of multipurpose cooperatives in Anambra State, Nigeria (stratified random sample; 89.2% returned). Five ten-item Likert batteries were analysed with five simple linear regressions. Findings – All five dimensions were positively and significantly associated with their paired outcomes (R = .339 to .440; R² = 11.5 to 19.3 per cent; p < .001). Innovation adaptability and job creation were the strongest associations, and active listening and income growth the weakest, but the confidence intervals overlap, so no ranking is claimed. One standard deviation more receptiveness corresponded to about 0.17 to 0.23 points per outcome item. Research limitations/implications – Data are self-reported, cross-sectional and bivariate, so the associations probably overstate any causal effect. The results support a dimension-specific view of member entrepreneurial orientation and make enactment and contextual conditions the next theoretical priority. Practical implications – Training can be targeted at specific behaviours, but returns should be expected to be modest unless it is paired with finance and market support. Originality/value – The study offers a justified member-level framework and reports effect sizes and practical significance