Stream 5
Cooperative governance – systems, practices, issues and theoretical advances
Stream leads: Sonja Novkovic (Saint Mary's University), Isaac Nyamongo (University of Kenya)
Stream Committee: Karen Miner (Saint Mary’s University), Cian McMahon (Dundee University), Sonja Novkovic (Saint Mary’s University), Isaac Nyamongo (University of Kenya), Simon Pek (University of Victoria)
Description:
Cooperatives’ distinctive identity is firmly rooted in their democratic governance, whereby their members, as owners, have significant democratic rights and responsibilities. While there has long been a scholarly interest in the governance of cooperative, the field has taken off in recent years, with scholars adopting a broader array of theoretical perspectives on the topic like paradox theory (Michaud & Audebrand, 2019), humanism (Novković et al., 2023), and deliberative democracy (Pek, 2023). This stream seeks to generate insights about traditional and contemporary approaches to cooperative governance across different cooperative types, sectors, and contexts, with a particular focus on how they align with cooperative identity (ICA 1995). We welcome a wide array of methodologies and conceptual lenses to address this overarching theme.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
Analysis, comparison, and critique of different approaches to cooperative governance across primary cooperatives, secondary cooperatives, and cooperative networks
The relationships between cooperatives’ governance, management, purpose, and strategy
Evolution of cooperative governance under internal and external pressures
Social innovations in cooperative governance
How approaches to cooperative governance vary across different types of cooperatives, sectors, and contexts
Governance collaborations between labour unions and cooperatives
How cooperative governance affects, and is affected by, cooperative values and principles
Regional advances (e.g. Governing regional cooperative development through Community Wealth Building; Cooperative governance under colonial legacies and indigenous practice; Localized international development cooperation, etc.)
Please note: A separate research stream (NUMBER 4) addresses issues of diversity and inclusion
References:
ICA 1995. Statement on the cooperative identity. https://ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity
Michaud, M., & Audebrand, L. K. (2019). Inside out, outside in: “Supporting members” in multi-stakeholder cooperatives. Management Decision, 57(6), 1382–1398. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-01-2017-0042
Novković, S., Miner, K., & McMahon, C. (Eds.). (2023). Humanistic Governance in Democratic Organizations: The Cooperative Difference. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17403-2
Pek, S. (2023). Reconceptualizing and improving member participation in large cooperatives: Insights from deliberative democracy and deliberative mini-publics. M@n@gement, 26(4), 68–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.37725/mgmt.2023.8478