Stream 4
Cooperative Governance with diversity in mind: What are the actual and future challenges?
Stream leads: Hanen Khemakhem (ESG – UQAM), Myriam Michaud (TÉLUQ), Saoussen Boujelben (ESCS Sfax University)
Description:
Quality governance is crucial for the success of all organisations including cooperatives. Cooperatives can also face specific governance challenges related to their inclusiveness, social goals and democratic structure. Many cooperatives are caught between the push toward more democratic, inclusive and humanistic governance, and the pull through more classic corporate governance. While classic way of doing governance stresses that homogenous member base eases decision-making process, cooperatives are characterized by an increasing heterogeneity of members’ preferences and needs (Iliopoulos & Valentinov, 2022). Moreover, despite a growing tendency in the literature on cooperatives governance, there is still a scant literature on cooperatives governance theory and practice that encompass the great diversity of cooperatives models while staying true to their unique and common identity.
To truly foster diversity, equity, inclusion, cooperatives should consider many things, such as: the diversity of people and thoughts in the organization, the diversity of both stakeholders and organizations needs and diversity of performance types and indicators to captures it.
This stream of the conference welcomes contributions with different methodological ways, theoretical backgrounds and practical implications that treats but are not limited to the following topics:
The development of governance theories and models of diversity, equity and inclusion that reflect both the uniqueness of cooperatives and cooperatives’ identity.
The challenges faced by cooperatives to increase equity, diversity and inclusion, and the strategies and practices they use to face them.
The influence of the latest technological breakthroughs to promote successful as well as human, inclusive and more adapted governance to cooperatives.
Inclusive, democratic governance can be used to respond to the “grand challenges” of global sustainability and allow cooperatives to be an actor taking part in future issues such as climate change and technological development.
References:
Castilla-Polo, F., García-Martínez, G., Guerrero-Baena, M. D., & Polo-Garrido, F. (2024). The cooperative ESG disclosure index: an empirical approach. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1-26.
Huhtala, K., Tuominen, P., & Tuominen, T. (2023). Factors in the Board Governance of Cooperatives: A Systematic Review. NJB, 72(1).
Iliopoulos, C., & Valentinov, V. (2022). Cooperative governance under increasing member diversity: Towards a new theoretical framework. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 38(1), 101192.
Iliopoulos, C., & Valentinov, V. (2022). Cooperative governance under increasing member diversity: Towards a new theoretical framework. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 38(1), 101192.
Kang, H., Lee, S., & Lee, S. (2022). The Influence of Diverse Board on Cooperative Performance: The Mediating Effect of Conflict. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2022, No. 1, p. 16104). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management.
Miner, K., & Novkovic, S. (2020). Diversity in Governance—A cooperative model for deeper, more meaningful impact. Cooperative Business Journal, Fall 2020, 415.
Novkovic, S., Puusa, A., & Miner, K. (2022). Co-operative identity and the dual nature : From paradox to complementarities. Journal of Co-Operative Organization and Management, 10(1), 100162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcom.2021.100162
Piazza, A. (2021). Collective responsibility in the cooperative governance of climate change. Sustainability, 13(8), 4363.
Puusa, A., & Saastamoinen, S. (2021). Novel ideology, but business first? Journal of Co-operative Organization and Management, 9(1), 100135.
Widerberg, O., Boran, I., Chan, S., Deneault, A., Kok, M., Negacz, K., ... & Petersson, M. (2023). Finding synergies and trade‐offs when linking biodiversity and climate change through cooperative initiatives. Global Policy, 14(1), 157-161.