The Role of Financial Disclosure, Social Media Marketing and Cooperative Governance in Driving Consumer Trust and Cooperative Product Adoption in Emerging Economies

• Post by: birpo
• February 14, 2026
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Ojeh Augustine Ph.D., FCA¹, Amaechi Marcellus Chukwu Ph.D.² , Geoffrey Ndubuisi Udefi Ph.D. ³   &                     Justina Chioma Agu Ph.D. ⁴

Abstract         

This study investigates the role of financial disclosure, social media marketing (SMM) and cooperative governance in enhancing consumer trust and promoting cooperative product adoption in emerging economies, with a focus on Nigeria. Using a mixed-method design, data were collected from 372 cooperative members across three urban centers via structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, complemented by a content analysis of cooperative social media campaigns. Findings reveal that effective social media marketing significantly enhances consumer trust (β = 0.482, p < 0.01), while robust cooperative governance structures further strengthen trust and facilitate product adoption (β = 0.391, p < 0.01). Consumer trust was also found to be a significant predictor of product adoption (β = 0.527, p < 0.01), and social media marketing and governance jointly explained 48% of the variance in cooperative product adoption. The study concludes that integrating strategic social media marketing with strong governance practices creates a synergistic effect that drives consumer trust and product adoption. Recommendations include capacity building for cooperative managers on digital marketing strategies, improving transparency mechanisms, and fostering participatory governance models to enhance consumer engagement.

Keywords:  Social Media Marketing, Cooperative Governance, Consumer Trust, Product Adoption, Emerging Economies.