Journal of Co-operative Studies Vol 34 No 1

Plunkett Foundation

Supporting rural co-operation: The role of the Plunkett Foundation 

Edgar Parnell, pp. 8-24

This articles marks the incorproation of the Plunkett Foundation's World of Co-operative Enterprise into the Journal of Co-operative Studies. This article, in addition to explaining what Plunkett is and does, is intended to shed light on the way Plunkett operates, the concepts underlying its approach to co-operation and rural development, and how it will seek to carry out its purpose in the more immediate future - all with a specificemphasis on its role within the UK.

Short articles

Membership in the new economy                                                                         

Malcolm Corbett, pp. 25-35

This paper provides an overview of the 2000 Co-operative Congress seminar on 'Membership in the new economy'. it seeks to prvde an outline of how the 'new co-op' could use new technologies to develop relationships with members, to increase the number of customers who become members, and to enahnce member participation.

Co-operative opportunity - three short papers

What is an industrial and provident society?                                                       

Ian Snaith, pp. 37-43

This paper examines the origin of the definition of an industrial and provident society in section 1 (2) of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (IPSA) and argues that its legislative history and the development of co-operative principles in the twentieth century displays an evolution towards a wider and more flexible definition of co-operative and mutual enterprises with implications for the law reform advocated in a number of the recommendations of the Co-operative Commission Report of February 2001.

Employees as stakeholders with co-operatives                                                  

Roger Jones, pp.43-49

This paper considers: how the polarisation between "consumer" and "worker" co-operatives developed in the UK; how certain "co-partnership" societies survived; the constitutional position of employees in UK consumer co-operatives during the last century;
some international "Co-partnership" examples; the application of these international and historical cases to the new thinking about the role of employees crystallised in the Co-operative Commission Report; and their relevance application of the bona fide co-operative test by the UK regulator.

Co-operative opportunities and co-operative advantages                                

Cliff Mills, pp. 5--56

This paper considers how co-operative and mutual organisations can be structured to include excluded groups; to focus directors' legal duties on issues other than maximisation of shareholder value; and so operate successfully in circumstances in which investor controlled companies may fail. Conclusions are drawn about the role of employees in consumer co-operatives and the opportunities available to those societies in developing new relations with their employees and the wider application of the Co-operative Advantage advocated in the Co-operative Commission Report.

Peer reviewed papers

Between formal structures and informal institutions: Behaviour of members in co-operative enterprises

Antti Miettinen, pp. 57-73.

Co-operatives providing welfare services form a new group of enterprises in the Nordic countries. These co-operatives may differ from other providers of welfare services because of the interests of their members and the institutional structures of co-operatives. The focus in earlier studies of co-operatives has most often been on one of these aspects. In this paper it is suggested that new institutional theory may provide a more appropriate foundation for studies of these aspects of co-operatives. Members may try to change institutional structures of co-operatives so that they better serve their interests, but existing institutions also provide limitations for the behaviour of members. Special attention should be given to this two-way relation in order to determine how co-operatives may differ from other providers of welfare services. In this paper empirical findings from Swedish co-operative day care nurseries are presented to illustrate the relationship between institutions and the roles of members in co-operative enterprises providing welfare services.