This incisive Handbook provides a global update on the state of knowledge in cooperatives and mutuals, expertly describing future directions for research and education. Showcasing extensive discussions of cooperative theory, Matthew S. Elliott and Michael A. Boland, and the contributors, assess cooperatives' social, economic and environmental effects and analyse the impact of regional and cultural features that make cooperatives unique.
This Handbook investigates all types of 'member owned' organizations, whether consumer co-operatives, agricultural and producer co-operatives, or worker co-operatives among many others. The chapters reflect the latest academic research and thinking on each topic, as well as reporting the relevant policy debates.
Co-operative and mutual enterprise is one of the oldest and most enduring forms of business, encompassing co-operatives, mutual firms, friendly societies, and credit unions. This book provides an expert overview of contemporary research in this important field. Governments around the world have encouraged the development of co-operative and mutual enterprises (CMEs), yet relatively little attention has been given to them within the mainstream business and economics research literature. In this book, the author summarises the origins, impacts, and structure of the research field. The book does so by focusing on the CME business model and is structured around a conceptual framework for research into CMEs. It also explores the historical evolution of the CME research field and presents a systematic review of the literature. Foundation theories relevant to CMEs are discussed before detailed discussions of the research from a systems, enterprise, and member level perspective. This book critically analyses the state of knowledge in the field of CMEs which delivers a concise and valuable book for scholars and students in the fields of business and management around the world.
The Oxford Handbook of Mutuals and Co-Owned Business investigates all types of 'member owned' organizations, whether consumer co-operatives, agricultural and producer co-operatives, worker co-operatives, mutual building societies, friendly societies, credit unions, solidarity organizations, mutual insurance companies, or employee-owned companies. Such organizations can be owned by their consumers, the producers, or the employees - whether through single-stakeholder or multi-stakeholder ownership. This complex set of organizations is named differently across countries: from 'mutual' in the UK, to 'solidarity cooperatives' in Latin America. In some countries, such organizations are not even officially recognized and thus lack a specific denomination. For the sake of clarity, this Handbook will refer to member-owned organizations to encompass the variety of non-investor-owned organizations, and in the national case study chapters the terms used will be those most widely employed in that country. These alternative corporate forms have emerged in a variety of economic sectors in almost all advanced economies since the time of the industrial revolution and the development of capitalism, through the subsequent creation and dominance of the limited liability company. Until recently, these organizations were generally regarded as a rather marginal component of the economy. However, over the past few years, member-owned organizations have come to be seen in some countries, at least, as potentially attractive in light of their ability to tackle various economic and social concerns, and their relative resilience during the financial and economic crises of 2007-2013.
The recent era of economic turbulence has generated a growing enthusiasm for an increase in new and original economic insights based around the concepts of reciprocity and social enterprise. This stimulating and thought-provoking Handbook not only encourages and supports this growth, but also emphasises and expands upon new topics and issues within the economics discourse. Original contributions from key international experts acknowledge and illustrate that markets and firms can be civilizing forces when and if they are understood as expressions of cooperation and civil virtues. They provide an illuminating discourse on a wide range of topics including reciprocity, gifts and the civil economy, which are especially relevant in times of crisis for financial capitalism. The Handbook questions the current phase of the market economy that arises from a state of anthropological pessimism. Such anthropological cynicism is one of the foundations of the contemporary economic system that is challenged by the contributors. This highly original and interdisciplinary Handbook will provide a fascinating read for academics, researchers and students across a wide range of fields including economics, public sector economics, public policy and social policy.
The De Gruyter Handbook of Social Entrepreneurship serves as a one-stop shop for nascent and established scholars and practitioners alike who seek to quickly gain a broad familiarity with the current state of research in social entrepreneurship. Part 1 reviews and discusses the historical scholarly foundations of the field, followed by a more in-depth treatment of newer research, while Part 2 examines the broader ecosystem in which social entrepreneurship takes place. In Part 3, the handbook explores infrastructural considerations such as organizational culture, values, processes, business models and mindsets that affect social entrepreneurship. Finally, in Part 4 the handbook analyzes social entrepreneurship from the individual social entrepreneur’s perspective. Faculty, research-oriented graduate students, think tanks, and government agencies who seek an overview of recent research in the field of social entrepreneurship will benefit from this essential addition to the literature. In addition, practicing social entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs in corporate settings, and non-governmental organizations interested in social entrepreneurship can use this handbook as a resource to inform their approaches to the development of social ventures, how they support social entrepreneurs, and the ways in which they can foster conditions to support a thriving social entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Cooperative Enterprises is the first textbook to examine the evolution of the cooperative enterprise model and the contribution that cooperatives can make to the economy and society. It provides an accessible overview of the subject, looking at history, cooperative models, theories, legislation, and governance. Cooperative Enterprises takes an international approach throughout, drawing on examples from cooperatives from across the globe. The book offers a valuable historical perspective, placing cooperatives within their political, social, cultural, and economic contexts since the Industrial Revolution. It analyses and compares the cooperative law of 26 jurisdictions and showcases key defining moments for cooperative enterprises, cooperative development models, cooperative‐specific good practice standards, and compares the cooperative model with the private enterprise model, giving readers a comprehensive view of the subject. The book also demonstrates that cooperatives correct the market, complement the role of the state, support local economic development, reduce income and wealth inequalities, promote social cohesion, and promote economic democracy. Students are supported with a range of pedagogical features, including case studies, tables, figures, chapter summaries, and discussion questions to encourage critical thinking. This is the ideal textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on cooperative studies, and will also be an illuminating resource for students, researchers, and policymakers interested in social enterprise, business history, economic history, corporate governance, economic democracy, and community development.
The degree of development reached by cooperatives of different sectors throughout the world, which among others led to the UN declaring 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, needs to be accompanied by a similar development of corresponding legislation. To this end, a better knowledge of cooperative law from the comparative point of view, as has already been established for other types of enterprises, becomes of great importance. This book strives to fill this gap, and is divided into four parts. The first part offers an analytic and conceptual framework with which to understand, study and assess cooperative law from a transnational and comparative perspective. The second part includes several chapters dealing with attempts to harmonize cooperative laws. The third part contains an overview of more than 30 national cooperative laws, while the last part summarizes and compares these national cooperative laws, thus laying the foundation for a comparative cooperative law doctrine.
The mobile communications market in developing countries is growing at a rapid rate. This is evident in the rapid spread of mobile broadband cellular networks such as 3G. 4G is also being deployed in developing countries around the world. As the global communications market proceeds towards 5G, it is evident that developing countries will not be left behind. However, there are challenges and barriers on the road ahead specific to developing countries. To aid policy makers, researchers and members of the academia make informed decision that will help the advancement of 5G, this handbook provides an insight into the impact of existing mobile cellular networks in some developing countries. Topics discussed in this handbook include:Digital dividePolicy outlook5G and rural areas5G readinessTelco Business modelsTelecom tower pricingMobile application adoption
