Call for papers

The 6th research workshop exploring the future of financial mutuals will take place at Bayes Business School on 2nd December, 2025.

Customer-owned mutual and cooperative financial institutions play an important role in economic systems. These include co-operative banks, building societies, credit unions, and savings banks. Such institutions have both advantages and disadvantages compared to commercial and investment banks. On the one hand, they are closely tied to local economies and governed through member involvement and stakeholder orientation, giving them better (soft) information about borrowers. On the other hand, consolidation in credit markets makes it harder for smaller institutions to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. Technological advances (FinTech, digital adoption, AI), higher interest rates, the green energy transition, and new regulatory reforms have introduced fresh challenges.

This workshop offers a timely opportunity for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the industry's outlook. We welcome papers on mutual financial institutions, activities, and market structures, including studies of financial performance, competition, resilience, risk management, governance, innovation, access, and financial inclusion.