WP 53 | 13 Worldwide regulation of co-operative societies – an Overview

The main part of this paper is concerned with describing the legal models of cooperative societies from different perspectives: (a) by origin, (b) by type of cooperative, and (c) by continent. Conclusions are drawn on international guidelines for good cooperative law around a common core-the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Declaration of Cooperative Identity. Read More

WP 51 | 13 The performance of service cooperatives during the crisis: an analysis during 2009-2011

This research, conducted using the traditional method of financial statement indices, concerns the economic and financial performance achieved in the years 2009-2011 by 30 worker cooperatives in the service sector. The cooperatives investigated are medium-sized (turnover 30-50 million euros) and large (turnover over 50 million euros). The results obtained support the thesis that cooperatives exhibit strong resilience in the face of the economic crisis. Read More

WP 50 | 13 Impact of agricultural cooperatives on smallholders’ technical efficiency: evidence from Ethiopia

Using household survey data from Ethiopia, this paper evaluates the impact of agricultural cooperatives on smallholders’ technical efficiency. We utilize propensity score matching to compare the average difference in technical efficiency between cooperative farmers and similar independent farmers. The approach assumes exogenous cooperative formation and similar farm technology across households. Read More

WP 48 | 13 Mutualism and peer monitoring in Italian BCCs

This paper seeks, first, to measure the intensity of member relationships that connotes BCCs, highlighting their differences at the territorial and size levels and identifying their main determinants. Second, it aims to assess the role of peer monitoring on credit quality by empirically testing the effect of the degree of mutualism on the main indicators of riskiness. Read More

WP 47 | 13 Pan-European cooperative law: Where do we stand?

This paper aims to provide a brief general overview of the present state of European Union (EU) cooperative law from the perspective of harmonization of cooperative law in Europe. It also presents the author’s point of view on the possible future of both EU cooperative law and the harmonization of European national cooperative laws. Read More

WP 46 | 13 Cooperative’s concern for the community: from members towards local communities’ interest

This article discusses the relationship between cooperatives and their communities, one of the standard ways in which the "cooperative difference" is explained. What are the origins of this special relationship? Why and how did it receive so much attention in the 1990s, when the international cooperative movement undertook a major and sustained effort to articulate its core values and principles? Read More

World Cooperative Monitor 2012

The World Co-operative Monitor is a project launched, with the scientific support of Euricse, by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). It is designed to develop a ranking of the biggest co-operatives and mutual organizations worldwide based not only on turnover but also on social value. Read More