MANAGERIAL READINESS OF KOPERASI DESA/KELURAHAN MERAH PUTIH CHAIRPERSONS AND SUPERVISORS IN KUTAI KARTANEGARA REGENCY

Abstract

The establishment of Village/Urban Village Cooperative Merah Putih (KDKMP) represents a strategic national policy to strengthen rural economies through cooperative-based institutional development. However, legal establishment alone does not ensure the managerial readiness required for sustainable organizational performance. Previous studies have mainly emphasized governance and policy implementation, while empirical evidence on managerial readiness remains limited. This study examines the effects of organizational position, educational level, and age group on the managerial readiness of KDKMP chairpersons and supervisors in Kutai Kartanegara Regency. A quantitative explanatory survey was conducted with 83 respondents. Managerial readiness was assessed across five dimensions: regulatory and information understanding, perceived economic benefits, institutional capacity and resource readiness, social and institutional support, and participation commitment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, validity and reliability tests, and MANOVA. The results indicate a high overall level of managerial readiness (mean = 4.16), with participation commitment (mean = 4.28) and perceived economic benefits (mean = 4.26) as the strongest dimensions, whereas institutional capacity and resource readiness recorded the lowest mean (3.97). MANOVA revealed no significant effects of organizational position, educational level, or age group on managerial readiness. These findings emphasize the importance of institutional capacity, collaborative governance, organizational learning, and policy support in strengthening newly established rural cooperatives.