ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the research into the forces that motivate the formation of CMEs, influence their operation, impact their success or failure, and result in their economic and social contributions. This encompasses research in areas such as transaction cost economic theory, new institutional economic theory, game theory, economic theories of cooperation, strategic network theory, social capital theory, social network theory, social exchange theory, social cooperation theory, mutual incentives theory, and theories of community-based enterprise. These concepts are explained in relation to how they influence the CME business model, and the chapter discusses the nature of existing research applied to the CME, with suggestions for future research.
