Uncovering innovation patterns in cooperative organizations: a bibliometric study

Purpose This study aims to systematically review articles discussing innovation in cooperative organisations by examining research profile (trends in publications, journal quality, theoretical foundations, methodology and geographic distribution), constructing input–process–output framework and revealing future research opportunities. Design/methodology/approach This research uses bibliometric analysis using a total of 96 articles from Scopus and EBSCO databases. Content analysis is used to identify existing research streams, uncover research gaps and explore future research opportunities. Research themes are organised into clusters that were generated through data processing using VOS viewer. Findings This research found that the first article on this topic emerged in 1979 and steadily increased. Most articles were published in leading journals. Theories and methodologies are diverse. In addition, we identified eight main themes in this study which include: the role of cooperative’s innovation in society, cooperative’s innovation to further sustainability, innovation adoption in cooperative, linking cooperative’s innovation to market, cooperative’s challenges related to innovation process, innovation and change in cooperative, the role of information sharing in cooperative’s innovation and cooperative’s resource and performance. Originality/value This research is expected to fill the research gap in this topic. Accordingly, this research provides a comprehensive overview of this topic for academics and practitioners, and offers potential opportunities for future research.