INFORMATION MATURITY OF COOPERATIVE MEMBERS

A USER PROFILE MODEL

Abstract

This study investigates the connections between information mediation and the informational maturity of members in Brazilian cooperative organizations, based on the premise that the social framework of cooperatives constitutes a fertile ground for the application of mediational processes conditioned by the level of information literacy of the members. The discussion raises reflections on the informational asymmetry existing in the social framework and, simultaneously, discusses the cause and consequence of the insufficiency of mediating practices adopted by cooperatives. Through the content analysis of the websites of four Brazilian cooperatives – Sistema OCB, SICOOB, COAMO and UNIMED –, a model of member profile organized into levels of informational maturity is proposed: level 1 (beginner member), level 2 (participatory member) and level 3 (protagonist member). This model articulates theoretical foundations of information mediation, information literacy, and the organization of the social framework (OSW), aiming to support mediation and knowledge circulation practices aligned with the 5th Principle of Cooperativism (Education, Training, and Information). The results highlight gaps in the mediation processes of the investigated organizations, particularly regarding the absence of specific strategies that consider the distinction of profiles based on the informational needs of cooperative members. The proposed model of cooperative user profiles can equip information professionals, mediators, and cooperative managers to build more equitable, personalized, and effective informational practices, to strengthen cooperative identity and the participatory culture inherent to cooperativism.