Italian industrial cooperatives: performance and strategies for growth

This paper examines the countercyclical behavior of cooperatives during economic crises, focusing on Italian cooperatives active in the industrial and business services sectors, sectors that have been strongly affected by the economic crisis.

The report attempts to fill a gap in previous academic research, which has often been limited to aggregate economic and employment data, neglecting to analyze in detail the strategies adopted by cooperatives and compare them with those of other forms of enterprises. It then proposes a more in-depth analysis, taking into consideration the strategies and behaviors of different types of enterprises.

For this purpose, it uses the results of a survey conducted by MET Economia, which focuses specifically on Italian cooperatives in the sectors mentioned above, highlighting their role during the recent economic crisis.

This paper is part of the third Euricse | 2015 report “Cooperative Economy. Relevance, evolution and new frontiers of Italian cooperation. – Euricse“.