Journal of Co-operative Studies Vol 55 No 2

Peer reviewed articles

The evolution of corporate management practices as employed in conflicts between labour unions and co-operatives.

Curtis Stofferahn and Aaron Ley, pp. 7-19

Labour conflicts erupting between co-operative organisations and unions continue to defy our theoretical expectations. We ask, why did an agricultural co-operative, which had enjoyed a relatively harmonious relationship with its labour union, adopt corporate labour management practices that led to a 22 month-long lockout? We use a case study of the lockout to examine the conflict through a neoinstitutional organisation theory framework where we conclude that noncongruent isometric pressures allowed the co-operative to conform to corporate management practices.

Short articles

Structure, functioning, and role of co-operatives in the Nepalese economy

Srijana Shrestha and Shiva Chandra Dhakal, pp. 20-28

This short paper outlines research investigating the structure, operation, and role of co-operative groups in economic development in Nepal. Microsoft Excel and STATA 16 were used to examine the secondary data collected. In the fiscal year 2020/21, 125 co-operatives (0.42 per cent) are governed by the federal government, 6002 (20.08 per cent) by the provincial government, and 23,759 (79.50 per cent) by the local government. These co-operatives provide direct employment to 88,309 people. The province with the most co-operatives is Bagmati (10,418), where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is the highest (37.7 per cent), and the province with the least co-operatives is Karnali (1967), which has the lowest GDP growth rate (4 per cent). This suggests that the number of co‑operatives in a province influences GDP growth rate (per cent) in that province. The paper concludes by suggesting enabling the development of co-operatives at provincial level can be a significant means in uplifting the overall economic growth of the nation.

The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on British credit unions and community lenders

Pål M. Vik and Andrew Wallace, pp.29-34

Credit unions are often hypothesised to be less vulnerable to crises than other types of businesses. This paper examines the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the British credit union and community lender sector drawing on interviews with 25 managers and a focus group with four loan officers. This crisis is affecting businesses and households through high inflation, declining real pay, rising interest rates, and falling economic growth. The findings suggest that credit union and community lender customers are experiencing a deterioration in their finances. They save less, have more unsecured debts, are less likely to qualify for a loan, and are more likely to default on loan payments. Lenders are grappling with a tension between supporting customers affected by the crisis and preserving their own financial position. On the one hand, there is evidence of lenders providing additional support to their members, including emergency loans and hardship payments. On the other, they are mitigating the risks of deteriorating customer finances by tightening lending criteria and reducing lending to higher risk groups. The findings underline the need for future research into the long-term effects on the sector and its ability to provide finance to underserved communities. 

The problem of social care: A co-operative solution

Alex Bird, Andrew Birchall, Anita Mangan, Mick McKeown, Cilla Ross, and Simon Taylor, pp. 35-42

This short paper responds to Johnston Birchall’s observations on the future of the co-operative movement in relation to the crisis of social care in the UK. The authors put the case for a union co-operative model that offers a means for forming worker co-operatives for social care inclusive of trade unions and framed around an ethic of care, enhanced worker voice, and wider democratic participation in the sector. More on union co-operatives can be found at https://www.union-coops.uk

Co-operatives for sustainable development

Francesca Gagliardi and David Gindis, pp.43-46

Co-operatives are recognised as important vectors for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development because they promote democracy, ensure fair income distribution, foster social inclusion, and care for the environment. However, the focus of co-operatives on members and local community diminishes their national and international visibility, adversely affecting their potential contribution to the realisation of SDGs. The authors of this short article are co-leading an interdisciplinary research project, funded by the Independent Social Research Foundation and endorsed by the UK Society for Co-operative Studies, that conceptualises co-operatives as commons institutions and considers how mobilising the notions of institutional complementarities and polycentric governance can help promote the view that co-operatives can make a significant contribution to the sustainable development agenda. 

Nigel Todd

Nigel Todd (1948-2021) — Passionate to the end

Jan Myers, pp 47-50

This review article pays tribute to Nigel Todd and his contribution through published works to the lives and history of the North-east of England and the wider adult education, labour, and co-operative movements.

Book Review

Workers’ self-management in Argentina: Contesting neo-liberalism by occupying companies, creating cooperatives and recuperating autogestión. By Marcelo Vieta.

Alex Bird, pp. 51-52