Abstract: Cooperatives’s successful entry into market is of great practical significance for the realization of poverty alleviation goal. However, rural cooperatives are often faced with institutional pressure from formal markets and market resources scarcity. Then, how should they break through the double dilemma to enter the market successfully? Based on the institutional logic perspective and social bricolage theory, this study analyzes the institutional environment and resources, dominant logic and social bricolage behavior of four poverty alleviation cooperatives in the process of market entry. The findings show that in the market-entry process that consists of three periods: exploration, bricolage and embedding, cooperatives follow the institutional logic of public welfare efficiency, alliance legitimacy and relationship legitimacy, gradually acquire market legitimacy and improve value chain by social bricolage strategy (i.e., social value creation, stakeholder participation, persuasion). This study establishes an analysis framework about how cooperatives access to market by considering the situation and then committing to social bricolage, and provides theoretical guidance for cooperatives in market entry dilemma.

Key words: rural cooperatives, social bricolage, institutional logic, market entry