Paper numero 36 - unibs.it14 Robertson R., Glocalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity-Heterogeneity,...

Università degli Studi di BresciaDipartimento di Economia AziendaleContrada Santa Chiara, 50 - 25122 Bresciatel. 030.2988.551-552-553-554 - fax 030.295814e-mail: [email protected]

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Università degli Studi Dipartimento didi Brescia Economia Aziendale

Settembre 2004

Paper numero 36

Mario MAZZOLENI

CO-OPERATIVESIN THE DIGITAL ERA

CO-OPERATIVES

IN THE DIGITAL ERA

di Mario MAZZOLENI

Associato di Economia Aziendale Università degli Studi di Brescia

Comunicazione presentata al Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada June 3rd - June 5th, 2004

Philosophers have only interpreted the world.

The point, however, is to change it.

Karl Marx

Contents

Abstract .......................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction................................................................................................ 3

2. The global era: what & how....................................................................... 4

2.1. Digital Era .......................................................................................... 4 2.2. Globalization, growth and poverty ..................................................... 5

3. The research ............................................................................................... 7

4. Co-operative excellence as entrepreneurial model................................... 8

5. The outcome ........................................................................................... 10

5.1. Sub-Sahara Africa............................................................................. 13 5.2. Mediterrean Africa............................................................................ 15 5.3. North America................................................................................... 16 5.4. South America .................................................................................. 17 5.5. High Income Asia ............................................................................. 19 5.6. Low-Middle Income Asia .................................................................. 21 5.7. Western Europe................................................................................. 22 5.8. Eastern Europe.................................................................................. 23

6. Growth paths ......................................................................................... 24

6.1. Network ............................................................................................ 25 6.2. Affiliation........................................................................................... 27 6.3. Financial relation network................................................................ 28 6.4. Knowledge Economy......................................................................... 29 6.5. Services ............................................................................................. 30

7. Conclusions ............................................................................................ 31

Bibliography................................................................................................. 33

Insitutional Source ....................................................................................... 35

Co-operatives in the Digital Era

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Abstract

The grounding assumption is both theoretical (concerning global market) and empirical (the co-operative system).

The development of the global market and the related logics favouring

collaboration and values in all entrepreneurial environments generate an innovative-aware model of enterprise within the co-operative system.

A research worked out on behalf of ICA1 highlights remarkable hints

about co-operation present situation and the best actions to gain competitiveness and ensure its deserved leading role.

Key-words:

co-operation, globalization, network, long lasting development, identity, participation, excellence.

1 ICA, founded in London in 1895, is an international non-governmental organisation

which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Its members are national and international co-operative organisations operative in all sectors including agriculture, banking, energy, industry, insurance, fisheries, housing, tourism and consumer co-operatives; it reckons over 230 members from over 100 countries, representing more than 760 million individuals worldwide.

In 1946, ICA was one of the first non-governmental organisations to be accorded the United Nations Consultative Status. Today it holds the highest level of consultancy status within the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Mario Mazzoleni

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1. Introduction

Besides being a very up-to-date and largely discussed topic, Globalization is actually the hint and the core of the present analysis: the co-operative system excellence.

Globalization is intended as an economic phenomenon with deep impacts on social aspects2, though there is not a universally accepted definition for it3.

We subscribe the emphasis on the exiting hotchpotch in the current literature which applies the word “globalization” to a series of events in different domains (economics, sociology, communication, law, ecology, military strategy, etc…) to either positively or negatively explain the world current situation on the turn of the third millennium4. We are confronted by a sort of Idra5: each head a different domain.

Here follows an economical and social analysis, specifically the companies’ scenario of concern and all the related aspects.

We come out to consider the co-operative system as a sustainable and effective model to face the challenges of the new millennium. Sustainable as it is based on mutuality and principles of equally spread participation and fair growth. Effective as co-operation has been ever applying implements that now find large consensus to cope with the emerging scenarios such as co-opetition6, cross-border network7, flat organizations, stakeholders’ participation8, social-aware management, etc...

2 Bauman Z., Globalization: The Human Consequences, Columbia University Press, New York, 1998.

3 Held D., McGrew A.G., The Global Transformations Reader, Policy Press, Cambridge, 2000.

4 Zolo D., Globalizzazione. Una mappa dei problemi, Editori Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2004. 5 Greek mythological figure with human body holding many heads. 6 Brandenburger A., Nalebuff B.J., Co-Opetition : A Revolution Mindset That

Combines Competition and Cooperation : The Game Theory Strategy That's Changing the Game of Business, Harvard Business Book, Paperback Edition, 1998. Buchanan J., Cost and Choice: An Inquiry in Economic Theory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1969. Kirzner, I., Competition & Entrepreneurship. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. Makowski, L. and J. Ostroy, "The Existence of Perfectly Competitive Equilibrium à la Wicksteed," in P. Dasgupta, D. Gale, O. Hart, and E. Maskin, eds., Economic Analysis of Markets and Games: Essays in Honor of Frank Hahn. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1992.

7 Ohmae K., The Borderless World: Power and Strategy in the Interlinked Economy, Harper, New York, 1990.

8 Drucker P.F., The coming of the new organization, Harvard Business Review, 88, 1988; The Essential Drucker : The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management, HarperCollins Publisher Inc, New York, 2001.

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2. The global era: what & how

Here follows some evidences of the current situation considering globalization as the key to turn from the Twentieth Century to the new Millennium9.

In particular, we subscribe of globalization10 as an economic and social process which altered space and functional connections to create a world network. It roots back to the former technological development, the information based-systems revolution11, and to the strategic design of some individuals (States as Enterprises) inspired by concepts of market and capital liberalization, labour market deregulation, relinquishment of Welfare roles, ect…12. Hence the subdivision by geo-political and geo-economical profiles as such events differently impact over the five continents.

The new world scenario is backgrounded by a dichotomy: globalization standardization of space, time and cultures on the one side and local realities on the other side, that keep to their ethnic separatism and local integration13. Such contrasting realities give rise to what Robertson defines as14 Glocalization – a metaphor for the new complex scenario gathering both generalities and individualities.

Co-operation is the most suitable approach to the analysis, and, most of all, to play a leading political and economical role.

2.1. Digital Era The current transformations clearly reveal the new digital era15. The information and communication revolution and related social

alterations radically split development conditions. Corporate practices and development strategy changes as well as the new idea of state/nationality have come out up to figuring out flow-conceited space and time.

The predominant social model is ever more “informational, global and cross-related in order to better identify all distinctive linked elements”16.

9 Waters M., Globalization, Routledge, London, 1995 10 Giddens A., The Consequences of Modernity, Policy Press, Cambridge, 1990 11 Soros G., Georges Soros on Globalization, Pubvlic Affairs, New York, 2002 12 Gallino L., Globalizzazione e disuguaglianze, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2000 13 Clark I., Globalization and Fragmentation, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997 14 Robertson R., Glocalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity-Heterogeneity, in Lash

S., Robertson R., Global Modernities, Sage Publications, London, 1995 15 Rifkin J., Age of Access. The New Culture of Hypercapitalism, Where All of Life Is a

Paid-for Experience, Trade Pbk. Ed, 2001


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Fundamental is today’s social and cultural hotchpotch depending on three main factors: loss of national sovereignty, loss of the classic temporal-space concept and loss of identity (meaning)17.

A new world appears, not geographically speaking, it is rather a cultural revolution. According to Castells18 network communities brought a “systemic disjoining” between global and local, with consequent social and cultural conflicts between the global new free-trading model in cosmopolitan communities and local development.

Cosmopolitan hints and localisms, new practices and logics, new traditions re-discovered, altered role of governments, human relations and space-time perceptions prevent reasoned planning of meaning and bring in identity crisis.

2.2. Globalization, growth and poverty Economists are not sure as to whether globalization increases or

decreases poverty and inequalities19. Today, nearly a fifth of the world population gets on less than one dollar a month20.

An interesting research21 figures out the faceted relation globalization/poverty. Over the last decade a bulk of traditionally poor countries (3 billion people), have entered the global market with a strong decrease of their poverty rate; a clear example is provided by the Chinese provinces and Indian countries of Bangladesh and Vietnam. Integration could be realised by both internal interventions (investments and social policies), and external actions (international interventions). Even worse are the social and economic conditions of left aside countries (nearly 2 billion people).

16 Castells M., The rise of Network Society, Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Oxford, 1996.

Informational: productivity and competitiveness depend on the capacity to create and orient knowledge-based information; global: production and consume are organised and consumed at world level; network: the strategic process is organised and supported through a complex relation of corporate networks. It figures out a radically altered cross-related networking economic system.

17 Castells M., The Power of Identity, Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Oxford, 1997. 18 Ibidem. 19 Beck U., Zolo D., What is Globalization? Some Radical Questions,

http://www.cc.nctu.edu . 20 World Bank, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,

Washington DC, 2002. 21 Collier P., Dollar D., Globalization, Growth, and Poverty: Building an Inclusive

World Economy, World-Bank, Oxford University Press, New York, 2002.

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According to Global assumptions22, globalization processes entail general positive effects; the global market opening increases productivity, capital circulation and savings and decreases unemployment and grow welfare. Over the last four decades global consumption has radically increased, literacy rates have increased by 20% and, in general, the conditions of million of people have improved23.

In the same time, a true global economy is far from existing, it is rather the internationalization of some corporations and international institutions which has augmented existing disparities24.

Global competitiveness growth implies double and contrasting effects: production growth and performances improvement25 vs production de-location with consequent territorial issues in the most advanced countries and increased global inequalities.

According to Sen26, the spreading of new technologies, market widening and concentration and free capital circulation imply international efficiency, production and transaction cost abatement that decrease poverty with global improvement of life and working conditions.

The globalization process has so far increased production and profit capacity but entails development cuts at country-enterprise level but even more at country systems27 level.

In general, globalization entails deep cuts favouring only the most dynamic and innovative industries but fails the less competitive ones.

Globalization invests life in general, either directly or indirectly, though it does not involve all world economies; while the dominant segments of developed economies are linked in the global network, some countries and areas are still kept aside because either far from competitive logics or self-excluded for political-cultural reasons.

Future expectations call for a global economy able to abate all existing gaps, rather emphasising individual specifications and boasting distinctive comparative advantages.

22 Dicken P., Global Shift: The Internationalization of Economic Activity, Guilford

Press, New York, 1992, Chase-Dunn C.K., Global Formation: Structures of the World Economy, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1989, Kennedy P., Preparing for XXI Century, Random House, New York, 1993.

23 UNDP, Human Development Report, 2002. 24 Galbraith J., in UNDP, Human Development Report, 1994. Hirst P. Thompson G.,

Globalization in Question, Policy Press, Cambridge, 1996. Held D., McGrew A.G., 2000 25 McKinsey Global Institute, 1993. 26 Sen A., Development as Freedom, Anchor Book Edition, New York, 2000. 27 See Stiglitz J.E, Globalization and its Discontents, Norton & Company, New York,

2002, where it recalls globalization failed and achieved expectations.


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3. The research

This research aims at supporting ICA (and the cooperative associate world) identify future strategic guidelines.

Being ICA a second level association, the first step is the identification of both the top and especially the base’s demand and expectations.

For this reason, the general objective has been defined considering the association’s demands on one hand, and the expectations and “feelings” of the members28 on the other.

In fact, identifying strategies and objectives for a second level association over the long run is possible only by comparing both points of view.

More specifically, the research aims at developing the following secondary objectives:

• Identification and analysis of members’ expectations for the market (not only co-operative) and the association;

• Survey of the present condition of co-operation as seen by members;

• Analysis of the last decade, to map the adjustment power of the co-operative model to the socio-economic changes of the market;

• Description of the present conditions;

• Identification of possible future scenarios (both economic and social);

• Identification of the strategic guidelines;

• Enforcement of the co-operative system on a “glocal” perspective;

• Analysis of leadership as well as membership;

28 The first step consisted of a survey to examine the conditions of the international cooperative movement, in order to identify its general scale and main features. During this phase, a benchmark with the non-cooperative system helped to find hints for possible development and to compare the non-cooperative system to the cooperative potential. The second - and most important – step implied a survey by submitting a questionnaire addressed to ICA members. The survey has allowed to gather information on what the members of ICA think about the current cooperative movement in general and on the role of the Association at an international level. The analyses and conclusions of the research are conducted in terms of:

- understand what can be done (strategic analysis); - decide what is to be done (planning); - plan how to do it (deployment).

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• Analysis of networking, both in terms of internal participation and lobbing;

• Identification of the tools ICA needs to figure out strategies as to members’ expectations and market scenarios.

We asked 254 members indicated by ICA; only 30% adhered.

4. Co-operative excellence as entrepreneurial model

Following some largely renown literature29, we think excellent enterprises should pursue economic and social purposes. The recent success of Corporate Social Responsibility has revealed companies the advantages of pursuing socio-economic purposes.

Today social aspects are largely accepted as “a life essential”30 and companies are ever more entailed with social and political concerns so that excellence assumes a twofold socio-economic aspect, where social and economic issues are complementary.

Economic aspects refer to the complex of managerial operations based on corporate strategies and performed by market exchanges; social issues rather refer to the complex of relations companies entail with the social interlocutors (stakeholders, holders of corporate “ideal shares”) they refer to while performing their regular activities.

In short excellent companies pursue both economic and social purposes, an approach well applicable to co-operation in order to figure out an excellence model.

According to an entrepreneurial idea of Co-operation the company is actually a crucial tool to pursue the partners’ typical mutual purposes. Being this concept accepted, all the aforesaid assumptions are true also if applied to co-operatives that even become “their very vehicle”. Moreover, their peculiarities drive us even further considering the aforesaid economic and social dimensions.

29 Some illustration is provided by Smith A., Drucker P., The Future of Industrial Man,

1942, Heyne P.T., Private keepers of the public interest, McGraw Hill Book, New York, 1968; Ackermann R. W., How the companies respond to the social demand, Harvard Business Review, 1973; Masini C., Il sistema dei valori d' azienda, Giuffrè, Milano, 1978; Donaldson T.J., Business as a humanity, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1994; Coda V., Etica ed obiettivi d' impresa, Cedam, Padova, 1995.

30 Drucker P.F., The essential Drucker, HarperCollins Publisher, New York. NY, USA, 2001.


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At first, the ultimate end of co-operation coincides with its mutual purpose. Co-operatives pursue their social goals which rather depend on a group of individuals opting for co-operation as the best way to meet their market needs. Associations able to act in competitive environments are called to pursue mutuality, indeed co-operation ultimate purpose.

In such a frame, economic achievements rather become purpose-tools than ultimate purposes, though still crucial for the pursuing of final mutual goals. In the co-operative model, the afore-defined “social” dimension assumes three main characteristics: democracy, participation and solidarity. Mutual institutions are consequently and obviously economic, social and political bodies. Co-operatives are “institutionalisation” of a bi-dimensional target/excellence model.

Finally, the aforesaid characteristics become measurable targets and values for cooperatives, in case the capacity to perform “excellently” and the company “stability/duration” assume fundamental relevance. Excellence purposes can be summed up as follows:

• duration over the long run, preserving independence and profitability; • capacity to pursue mutual and solidarity aims; • resource distribution; • capacity to involve members (partners, employees, suppliers,

community of reference, public institutions).

Farther, co-operative excellence is indeed the attitude to realise a positive mix of economic-financial, mutual and solidarity purposes.

It is so far necessary identify the “training” tools to measure excellence and spread interpretation of corporate performances, essentially, a series of parameters useful to evaluate corporate functioning both at economic and “value” level.

The so called “excellence matrix”31 is a synthetic representation of the outcome more or less conform to the “excellent” parameters suggested (Figure 1).

31 Baglioni G., Brogonzoli L., Mazzoleni M., Merlo A., Le cooperative eccellenti –

Un’analisi sul campo, Confcooperative, Milano, 1999; Mazzoleni M., Brogonzoli L., Pallaro F., Obiettivo eccellenza, Quaderni Cooperativi, n°3, Sicoop, Milano, maggio 2002; Mazzoleni M., Responsabilità sociale d’impresa, in AA.VV, L’impresa giusta, Il Ponte, Firenze 2003.

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This double entry matrix puts on the axis the capacity (more or less) to act in full respect of logics of profitability, whereas the ordinate records the synthetic parameters coming from the analysis of the adherence (more or less) to participation principles and their application in ordinary management.

Synthesis constraints and the outline by a bi-dimensional tool entail a general interpretation of the “excellence” levels; outcome by qualitative-quantitative indicators cannot be translated into absolute parameters to “read” and interpret the complex corporate system.

Figure 1: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops. Our own formulation.

5. The outcome

The outputs of the ICA sampled survey are interpreted through the matrix for two main reasons:

• Description: in order to quickly understand the current situation of either a company or a corporate system

• Diagnosis: a starting point to develop growth and reach excellence.

Excellence

Co-op Positioning

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

0 1 2 3

Level of Performance

Realisation C

o-op principles


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The outputs are here below read by applying both interpretations, whereas the following chapter includes improvement suggestions by “growth paths” to finally be positioned in the excellence quadrant.

The co-operative system must be read by two macro-parameters: the system itself (endogenous analysis) and the market of concern (exogenous analysis).

The former depends on the co-operators’ opinions collected by the interviews and questionnaires (see matrix below).

It first comes out most of members believe co-operation’s socio-economic role is greatly relevant at global level, as primary social entrepreneurship response to the needs market logics failed or ignored. Sometimes, it emerges an inverse growth of respect/stand by co-operative principles and economic performance especially due to the influence of the market of concern.

Members’ expectations are generally positive: world and local co-operation is going to gain force, though critics and concerns are not lacking: many urge for structural alterations at organizational and strategic level.

Figure 2: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops. Our own formulation.

Level of performance

Realisation C

o-op principles

-

-

+

+

North Africa Subsaharan Africa

South America

Low-Middle Income Asia

High Income Asia Eastern Europe

Western Europe North America

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We reckon nearly 800-milion co-operatives all over the world. In terms of employment, the co-operative movement employees more than 100-milion people (multinationals employ nearly 86-milion people), apart from all linked activities. In short, the co-operative movement globally employs nearly 16,5%32 of the working people, reckoning a still growing trend as the most recent ILO records prove: in Central and Eastern Europe, for example, co-operative employment has kept constant over the last years, even increased in some cases and industries.

We investigated all co-operative industries indicated by the Association and mentioned in the regulation document approved at Geneva in 199733.

All co-operative industries appear well-established realities in most of countries. Agricultural co-operatives, for example, reckon nearly 50% of the world agricultural production34.

Over the last decade the number of credit, housing, production, work, social and agricultural co-operatives have increased and strengthened all over Europe: in Esthonia 45% of the population now lives in houses built and managed by co-operatives, whereas in Poland and the Balkans the credit industry has burst out. The credit co-operatives of the European Union represent nearly 17% of the industry operators35.

Further, it appears of interest how, in every adhering country, each industry is more or less developed. Such is the case of the social industry in Italy, among the first suppliers of social services of the country36. The same happens for consumer co-operatives able to compete with the big distribution chains37.

Agricultural co-operatives cover nearly 75% of the Dutch market; whereas chemistry co-ops cover nearly 19% of the Belgian market38.

In Spain the co-operatives of the Mondragon district39– including distribution, production co-ops and a bank – are the seventh industrial group of the country and the bank is reckoned as the third more profitable of the European Union, equalling Credit Suisse.

32 ILO Database, 2001. 33 Tables of Contenents, ICA Rules, as approved by the ICA General Assembley, 15

September 1997. 34 ICAO Statement, Seul, October 2001. 35 According to the European Grouping of Co-operatives Banks, GEBC

(www.gebc.org). 36 Gino Mattarelli Consortium Database, Brescia, 2003. 37 Brogonzoli L., Mazzoleni M., Co-operative Organizations in Europe, CERGAS –

Bocconi University, Milano, 2001. 38 Our own elaboration of internal ICA’s documents. 39 http://www.mcc.es .


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The same positive trend is reckoned in such countries as Quebec (11% increase over the last four years) and USA, in particular for energy production, handling and transport.

Production and work co-operatives are very strong in South America, especially in Brazil, where also the health industry is a leading sector gathering doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and patient transport.

Fishing co-operatives are greatly developed in Japan where they realise nearly 90% of the country production40.

Worker co-operatives are greatly developed in India and China (in particular in the Shangai district), especially craft co-operatives.

5.1. Sub-Sahara Africa Figure 3: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our own formulation.

Going through the list of Purchasing Power Parity41 countries the last twenty positions42 are occupied by nineteen Sub-Sahara African countries,

40 Our own elaboration of internal ICA’s documents. 41 Hence forward indicated as PPP. 42 World Development Indicators database, World Bank, April 2003.


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reckoning ranging incomes from 460 International Dollars of Sierra Leone to 1120 of Burkina Faso43.

This areas clearly appears mostly excluded by the globalization process but for keeping a role of raw materials supplier though with marginal positioning within the world trade. The real situation is even more dramatic: in spite of growth estimates44 of Gross Domestic Product45 which record positive trends, with often increases of 3-4%, they appear strongly unequal if compared with the population growth rates and national debt.

Civil wars and ravaging conflicts, dictatorships and invading countries are still common realities. Again recurring famines and HIV add to depict quite a precise local economic scenario.

Nearly all these countries are former colonies and are remained therefore underdeveloped and wanting for properly trained workers, a never filled gap due to wars and the supremacy of a leading minority. In these countries primary compulsory education does not last long, and reckons resources sufficient to educate less than 50% potential candidates46.

Co-operation also tries to alleviate poverty by helping to spontaneously fulfil otherwise unsatisfied needs and especially filling education gaps.

In the countries formerly controlled by the ex URSS, co-operation has been long playing an important role covering large economic spheres. The Soviet fall greatly shocked local economies, in particular the co-operative system already wanting for adequate technology and affected by undercapitalization.

Resources deficiency is a serious threat for the future that weakens co-operation competitiveness even more.

In countries of free-trade tradition co-operatives have either spontaneously appeared or urged by institutions such as UNDP as effective development vehicles.

African society easily identifies with co-operation values so explaining the good value performance of these companies. Most of them are basically agricultural enterprises deeply burdened by European and US protectionism which prevents exports.

Finally, poor economic achievements come from the system scarce capacity to attract excellent employees and its ever lasting want for education and training.

43 Individual income in USD is respectively 140 and 220. 44 World Bank Staff Estimates. 45 Hence forward indicated as GDP.


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5.2. Mediterrean Africa According to the welfare calculation by the PPP approach, these

countries are positioned between Tunis’ 96th position and Morocco’s 132nd, respectively equal to 6090 and 3500 international dollars.

The North African area has been suffering great repercussions which followed September 11th and the following Muslim fundamentalists’ attacks that shocked Morocco and Egypt. Tourism, one of the main sources of foreign currencies, is seriously affected. Instability prevents development and unemployment has growing the worst threat for a rapidly increasing working force. Growth is reduced from 4.2% to 3.1%47, whereas the population growth bounce between 1.9% of Morocco and 2.6% of Libya48. Social tensions have consequently sharpened between a rich minority and the rest of the population. Figure 4: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in North Africa. Our own formulation.

Since the end of World War II, in many countries south the

Mediterranean Sea co-operation has been remarkable both for numbers and

46 UNESCO, Global Education Digest 2004. 47 World Bank Report 2002. 48 World Bank staff estimates.


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in terms of adopted alternative by the new independent countries; the main fields covered are production, labour, services, agriculture and co-operative stores.

Competition and performance are in a tight corner for want of resources. Over the last few years, home politics failed to count on co-operation to promote development, also for fear of its democratic and participative values.

On the contrary value achievements are quite positive: most of co-operators believe in this economic form and think its future social role is going to increase.

5.3. North America The analysis was addressed to USA and Canada, respectively first and

eighth world economies49, these countries count on advanced economy and most of the biggest multinationals50.

As far as individual welfare is concerned, taking standard income as welfare parameter, the US are third for PPP reckoning 3428051 internationals dollars, whereas Canada holds fifteen with 26530 per capita.

As leading actors of globalization they boast among the world most advanced research centers, besides excellent universities. They reckon long liberal democratic traditions, the first Stock Exchange, home of the Information Technology and count on abundant resources.

Their multiracial societies are a melting pots ever enriched by fresh energies though they are not immune from concerns: increasing poverty, constant negligence on of public life by deserting elections, rise of new and various extremisms, average educational decrease, granted welfare decay, rural crisis, growing unemployment among the lower classes, progressive reduction of the middle class.

Here Co-operation goes back to the end of the nineteenth century and remarkably covers nearly all economic industries: from co-operative stores to Utilities, from Credit Unions to Housing, agriculture and Worker co-ops.

In order to better understand co-operative profit performance we cannot forget their often huge dimensions; by way of an example, 80% of the US rural areas get their power from Electric co-ops52 whereas Credit Unions reckon 71 million partners. Further examples of highly competitive co-

49 World Bank, 2003. 50 Fortune 2003. 51 World Bank, 2003. 52 NRECA.


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operatives that meet consumers’ favour and reckon excellent financial outcome are: Cabot, Sunkist, Land O’Lakes and Blue Diamond53. Figure 5: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in North America. Our own formulation.

The more co-ops reach remarkable achievements the more they can hoard savings to properly manage their economies. On the other hand, their value performance is far from excellence as they have abandoned the primary needs of partners who increase in number but are ever more detached from the enterprises of reference.

These co-ops should figure out new and innovative solutions to actively involve partners who need being fully integrated with their enterprises.

5.4. South America 54 It is a highly diversified area including countries bouncing between 60th

position of Argentina and the 155th of Bolivia, with PPP respectively equal to 11780 and 2240 international dollars.

53 Agricultural co-ops 54 Apart from the countries geographically belonging to South America, we included

Mexico and central countries.

Level of performance R

ealisation Co-op principles

-

-

+

+

Companies

Co-ops

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Figure 6: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in South America. Our own formulation.

Between 1990 and 1999 the area appeared to have started an intensive

economic development, as it is also proved by the poverty indicators that recorded a reduction from 16.8% to 15.1%55 and a progressive growth of the students rate for secondary education reaching rates between 80-95% in Chile and Brazil and between 60-80% in other countries56.

Most of these results have already turned out nine-days wonder in 2001, depending on a growth slowdown in particular in Central America and in the Caribbean area, both smote by coffee price collapse, decreased tourism following September 11th and remittance drop depending on the U.S. economic slowdown.

Poverty increased also in 2002, though recording a slight decline in 2003. Increased poverty was particularly strong in Argentina, that recorded a GDP decrease of 10.2%57 in 2002, and in the bordering countries also invested by its crisis58.

55 World Bank Report 2002 56UNESCO, 2004 57 World Development Indicators, World Bank, 2004 58 World Bank, 2002.


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The co-operative institutions of the area have to cope with quite an unfavourable social and economic structure, which reckons a strong but limited wealth and capital concentration.

Co-operatives are the natural response to such situation, though neither the law framework nor corporations favour co-operation. Here co-operators come from the dominant minority who adhere to the Left and are therefore discriminated and left aside.

Co-operators are aware of the difficulty to significantly affect the social structure, and think scarcely relevant the social-economic impact of the movement as it hardly figures out remarkable economic achievements nor important contributions.

On the other hand, the co-operative movement records excellent value performances depending on both the partners’ core roles and the traditional investment on training. Of no secondary importance, organisations gather forces and reinforce values to survive in hostile environments.

By way of an example, in Argentina, where many institutions nearly collapsed, it records a very high unemployment rate with various social segments pushed down by this unprecedented economic crisis, co-operation has successfully stood by its positions thanks to flexibility and proximity to the market often the only solution to cope with the failure of traditional enterprises.

5.5. High Income Asia 59 The economies and social structures of the so defined high income

countries greatly differ, bouncing from advanced economies, such as Japan, the second world economy reckoning a GPD of 4523.3 billion dollars60, and a PPP of 25550 international dollars, to countries such as Kuwait that still lack economical indicators of industrialised countries and still have a high social disparity rate and wealth is detained by a small minority, but boast a PPP of 21530 International Dollars61. Their GDP recorded a decrease bouncing between -0.6% for Japan and -1% for Kuwait62.

59 In order to grade countries as “high income” –Japan, Singapore, Kuwait- we kept to

the World Bank rankings. 60 World Development Indicators, World Bank, 2003. 61 Ibidem 62 Ibidem

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Figure 7: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in High Income Asia. Our own formulation.

The co-operative tradition established quite easily as most of its values coincide with the eastern peculiarities, especially the Japanese.

The first Japanese co-operative was a consumer co-operative jointly established by some tradesmen and samurais in 187963. Followed some agricultural co-operatives, that after World War II revealed a crucial vehicle for the agricultural reform64.

Co-operatives boast fair incomes and are leaders for social responsibility. As far as value is concerned, they reckon positive performance, even for

numerous organisations, thanks to the constant attention paid to partners.

63 Birchall J., The International Co-operative Movement, Manchester University Press,

Manchester and New York, 1997. 64 Kurimoto A., Comparative Analysis on Co-operative Evolution from Institutional

Approach.


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5.6. Low-Middle Income Asia

Figure 8: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in Low-Middle Income Asia. Our own formulation.

This macro-area mirrors the current world situation, as it includes both modern economies, such as Korea, the thirteenth world economy65 with a PPP of 15060, and bottom-list countries, such as Nepal, with a PPP of 1360 international dollars66. It also includes, big countries such as India and China that have so far reckoned growth rate respectively of 5.4% and 7.3%67.

In short, it puts together the biggest world democracy and countries still smote by civil wars or under dictatorships, advanced research centres and poverty, leading multinationals and mass poverty and underdevelopment, apparently incompatible dichotomies of this scenario.

Here co-operatives have always been considered development vehicles by both governments and individuals, often released by extreme poverty. Co-operatives have so far able to get resources and reach excellent income performances68.

65 World Bank, 2003. 66 Ibidem. 67 Ibidem. 68 A good example is provided by AMUL, Gujarat-India.


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As for value, enterprises have successfully matched economic achievements and attention to partners.

5.7. Western Europe

Figure 9: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in Western Europe. Our own formulation.

Seventeen out of the PPP thirty top-list countries are western countries69. This macro-area boasts spread welfare, excellent education rates and a tradition of communication and tolerance. The PPP of these countries bounces between the first position held by Luxembourg ant the forty-seventh of Greece, respectively 48560 and 17520 international dollars.

The economic situation greatly differ, from temporary stagnation such as Germany and Italy reckoning a growth rate nearly equal to 0%70 and countries such as Ireland and Spain that reckon growth rates respectively equal to 5.8% and 2.8%71.

69 World Bank, 2003. 70 Ibidem. 71 Ibidem.


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All these countries boast a long tradition of co-operation, as domestic and UE72 law provisions prove.

Co-operatives have always played a significant role for both income performances and values; good examples are provided by co-operative stores, banks, agricultural consortiums, production and labour organisations, and housing co-operatives.

Like North America, organisation growth has often come alongside with decreased participation and membership awareness.

The co-operative movement has reacted by re-establishing principles even by CSR actions and the adoption of communication tools, such as the social financial statement.

5.8. Eastern Europe

Figure 10: Excellence Matrix, positioning of Co-ops and Companies in Eastern Europe. Our own formulation.

These economies and social structures have radically altered by shifting

from communism to liberal economies that reckoned, after an initial decrease, a development rate, constant through 2001-2002, bouncing

72 The European co-operation chart provides a good example.


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between 1% in Poland and 5.3% of Rumania73. As far as individual welfare is concerned, the PPP of these countries bounces between the forty-ninth position of Slovenia and 103rd of Albania74, respectively equal to 17060 and 3810 international dollars.

The traditional excellent education is still confirmed by UNESCO75. Many co-operatives formerly established during communism have not

survived. On the other hand, here the economy has been strongly supported by international co-operation interventions, mostly European, that helped existing enterprises avoid crash and edged companies to spin-off.

Outlived co-operatives focus on partners and their related needs. They have reached good income outcome and thanks to their values and principles have reinforced their competitive positioning.

This area is not immune from structural disparity, depending from increased competition and, most of all, on multinationals, issues that generally affect all Eastern markets.

6. Growth paths

The analysis enables to identify several opportunities of growth and strengthening of the co-operative system. Suggestions can be clustered by 5 pillars:

1. Development of an internal network; 2. Affiliation; 3. The improvement of the “co-operative financial system”; 4. Know-how: training, database and technological platform; 5. Services.

The co-operative movement can activate a cross-country solidarity/mutual system, favouring solidarity and mutual interventions. This is actually a globalization model radically different from the global market concept, as it overcomes local and national barriers in full respect of diversities.

In order to implement a strategic growth plan, the movement should first be aware of the competitive advantage proper of co-operation, specifically:

73 World Bank, 2003 74 World Bank, 2003. 75 Global Education Digest 2004, UNESCO.


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• Paying attention to the repercussions of one’s own actions on the community;

• The quality of products and services; • Ethics; • Bearable development.

Features that have often represented a turning point in dealing with and solving great crisis, helped strengthening and gather the experience behind co-operatives’ subsequent development76.

Co-operation economic, value and organizational advantages help cope with the emerging issues of the welfare crisis.

6.1. Network The network is a body of organizations and their interconnected

relationships, interwoven links and connections, whose elements collect and spread knowledge. From an economic point of view, it is both a structure and an entity that gathers ever moving and evolving centres and peripheries77.

In competitive scenarios the network appears a valuable tool when coping with globalization: position achievement and maintenance depend on mutual interactions between companies and the availability of resources in the social-economic environment of concern78. Numerous experiences in different countries prove network’s effectiveness to develop economic activities, favour weak areas and protect well-established production industries.

Assuming the existence of widely shared rules, networks bring competitive advantages by increasing the efficiency at system level with consequent positive effects for members.

Co-operation with its value system, set up, development and integration strategies is actually a network.

Connections and agreements have so far been natural reactions based on shared resources, very effective to face market challenges. Crises often urge to join forces to a greater extent, to the advantage the whole system rather than individuals, though the want for an organised system and precise growth pasts has left way to spontaneous and unplanned actions.

76 Parnell E., Reinventare la cooperativa, Roma, 1997 77 Chartered Management Institute, Business & Management Dictionary, Il sole 24Ore,

Milano, 2003 78 Porter M.J., The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, New York, 1990

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ICA is a natural network by origin and development: an organisation composed of many organisations promoting development and easy interrelations. The coop environment is a model of versatile network and a flat organization designating the social and political bondages in the co-operative’s universe. ICA could also urge for reinforcement of parallel and linked networks even more suitable for business purposes.

It should therefore urge for structural implementation to its full extent: evolving potentialities of the existing network, from the starting point of acquired competencies and reinforce the network’s joints to promote individual and mutual growth.

Both national and local organisations play a fundamental role in driving, helping and promoting local networking. National and local co-ops are “cells” of a global network providing crucial synergies in small areas. “embeddedness” does not contrast external disclosures at both cross-regional and international level. It rather needs a stronger relation between “endogenous” capacities and external disclosures.

The network would increase the links between external disclosure and local “embeddedness” with advantages such as cost reductions and increased margins.

These guidelines can bring in integration regarding:

• Technological relations; • Productivity among companies; • Between services and industry; • Financial relations among companies; • Local relations calling for facilities improvement and better territorial

quality; • Social-cultural relations; • Institutional relations; • Local relations between districts and international relations.

Here follows some examples of how the network model can be applied by means of:

• Creation of a company network with shared technological platforms that assist relationship management among members and easy development of economic activities within the industry of concern;

• Creation of a “ local” co-operative originated in the European co-operative association79;

79 The European Co-operative (according to the EU Assembly dated 13th June2002) can

be composed of at least five individuals resident in at least two member countries, at least five individuals and either public or private companies with legal premises in at least two


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• Establishment of an international co-operative group, like the Joint Co-operative Group80: it may include either public or private institutions from any country contributing to the network strategy to help single companies to effectively pursue their purposes. It would also lay the basis for further development of various activities beneficial for pursuing common goals.

6.2. Affiliation Co-operation is today largely accepted as a social and economic growth

vehicle81, a fundamental peculiarity of the co-operative model82. According to some entrepreneurial concepts, affiliation is a joining

process aiming at reaching development of the weakest entities. It usually consists of a sort of “adoption” by a well-established and

advanced organisation of a weaker body with financial, managerial and technical deficiencies. As far as co-operation is concerned, strong co-operatives should affiliate with weaker realities or start ups.

This kind of assistance may imply:

• Economic-financial support; • Technical/managerial know-how transfer; • Starting up partnership; • Training.

Affiliation has so far concerned spontaneous processes between different realities often limited to a double relation excluding external actions or promoting actions for similar initiatives.

Added value would come out from know-how and experience transfer, and by creating and reinforcing partnerships. There are examples of realities effectively economic and well able to integrate and aggregate groups that may be otherwise set aside in poorest countries.

member countries, companies and other either public or private institutions submitted to the law of at least two different countries, by merging, transforming co-operatives in order to meet the members’ needs and/or promoting their economic/social activities.

80 The “co-operative group”, composed of co-operatives controlled by provided contract, is indeed a collaboration among co-operatives belonging to various industries and manage/co-ordinate operations, even through associations.

81 Hilde Frafjord Johnson, Minister of International Development, Norway, opening of ICA General Assembly 2003, Oslo.

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6.3. Financial relation network The need for a co-operative financial system able to meet both big and

small realities’ demands dates back to 1922, when ICBA’s83 was founded. The current co-operative system needs reinforcement and even re-

organisation of this structure to effectively further develop the whole system, especially in low and middle income countries, to promote subsidiarity and take part to specific strategies.

We think it may be done by:

• Creation of a world financial network gathering co-operative banks first at national then at local level;

• Establishment of national co-operation development funds to gather and re-distribute financial resources;

• Concept evolution and use of drawback as re-distribution driver of the co-operative core business profits.

We may also assume the realisation of a sort of formal/informal association at national level through various banks “reserved” to the co-operative movement to grant and develop alternative and more specific rating models. By means of privileged procedures, the financial sector could strongly help to spread and develop cooperation.

It may turn out effective both locally and internationally:

• To be the preferred counterpart in finding financial resources for the co-operative system.

• Reinforce cooperative banks on the market

We may assume the local creation or reinforcement of associated banks to favour small co-operatives access the banking system. Unfortunately, the matching of experiences in different countries is not enough because of the complexity to integrate diverse legislations, therefore lobbying turns out the only solution.

Co-operative development funds, after the Italian funds that have appeared over the last decade, should collect and distribute financial resources to co-operatives. Controlled by ad hoc institutions, they may support both existing co-ops and the establishment of new co-operatives, make agreements with reliable partners, etc.

82 Mazzoleni M., L’azienda cooperativa. Profilo istituzionale e caratteristiche della

gestione, Cisalpino, Bologna 1996 83 International Co-operative Banking Association, reckoning today 55 members.


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The main interlocutors would be:

• Co-ops/associations providing capital to the funds; • The companies to be financed for initial capital and support; • Co-operation in general, co-operatives, associations, co-operatively

controlled companies and institutions; • Regional and international financial institutions.

The co-operative movement would be enriched by interventions aimed at establishing new co-operatives and adding value to the co-operative entrepreneurial model at international level.

We should also consider the evolution of the twofold notion of drawback: internally, it depicts the mutual advantage of membership, so why not apply such practice to the advantage of the co-ops members, to reinforce the bond between co-operatives and members (and membership)? Externally, it may create an even stronger relation between communities and the territories of reference. Co-operation is to be integrated and integrating in the community as provided by the ICA seventh principle that sanctions interest towards the community. It may help financing occasional initiatives such as building waterworks or area up-grading at both global and local level emphasising glocal features and expectations84.

6.4. Knowledge Economy Minorities’ controlled knowledge (countries or corporations) is falling

down. Knowledge has becoming a primary demand for any enterprise. It has so

far shifted from inactive and restricted education to a demand for knowledge in a broader sense over the long run and not limited to defined skills and competences.

We subscribe enterprises or organisations internationally oriented should effectively manage knowledge, otherwise locally scattered85.

“Today the challenge is to innovate by learning from the world. Tomorrow’s winners will be companies that create value by searching out and mobilizing untapped pockets to technology and market intelligence that

84 Robertson R, 2002 85 Doz Y., Santos J., Williamson P., Metanational. How companies win in the

Knowledge Economy, Harvard Business School Press, 2001

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are scattered across the globe”86. It urges for a double action: training and the sharing of information.

Training has always been a priority for co-ops: the movement’s true wealth lies within its members and their capacity to figure out the best solutions and the opportunity to have properly trained workforce. On the other hand there is a great want for global sharing of knowledge and know-how.

We may assume several interventions for the management, the workforce and members. We suggest the creation of cross-national training projects to facilitate the cross-national transfer and the strengthening of experiences, the creation of agreements with the major world business schools to get updated know-how directly from Universities, the development of self-learning projects, on-line and face to face training programmes to provide both management and the workforce with urging skills.

It would also desirable an electronic databank to vehicle synergies among co-operatives that would get more info on the markets, achievements, management, best practices, availability and use of financial resources. It would be a sort of cross-national databank, easy to access and use, in order to gather experiences to be reiterated in other contexts, besides being the first virtual platform to exchange resources and services, make agreements, joint-ventures, partnerships, etc...

It may be a starting point for a multinational co-operative market- place.

6.5. Services With the constant quantity of information87 available, the decisional and

operative complexities and corporate internationalization88, co-operatives search out technical assistance, legal, managerial, information technology, etc.

In spite of the great want for resources and a wide range of services, national federations have so far tried to provide consultancy.

Once identified co-operative requirements (co-operative peculiarities), a “helping” group - a small team of specialists, should work out economically endurable and replicable solutions in order to activate and use the organization’s resources.

86 Ibidem 87 Castells M., The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Blackwell

Publishers Ltd, Oxford, 2000. 88 Legrain P., Open World: the Truth about Globalisation, Ivan R. Dee Publisher 2002.


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We cannot forget that effective achievements strongly depend on territorial peculiarities and social aspects rather than standard solutions: local analysis in global vision.

7. Conclusions

The roles co-operatives play in the various economic realities and the ways the movement achieves economic and social results legitimate co-operation aspiration to create a modern “entrepreneurial model” able to cope with the crisis of the institutional systems and the challenges of the global economy.

This a reason to urge co-operatives to pay even more attention to values to match and preserve social and economic values (according to excellence parameters). Also, co-operatives should be aware to recover or realise the co-operative principles related to the constitution of a co-operative corporate system, co-operation with companies of similar nature, the spread of the co-operative model and its promotion all over the world. The realisation capacity is indeed the true challenge for the co-operative movement both locally and globally.

We cannot miss this opportunity or we would fail the ideals and guidelines of the “honest pioneers” so far kept to by co-operatives while performing their social and economic activities and, finally, not to fail to enrich the economy and society of the third millennium with opportunity to create and distribute value, provide “knowledge” and promote “different” (though effective) models to act as economic and social institutions that have so far advantaged both capitalistic enterprises and public institutions.

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Università degli Studi di BresciaDipartimento di Economia AziendaleContrada Santa Chiara, 50 - 25122 Bresciatel. 030.2988.551-552-553-554 - fax 030.295814e-mail: [email protected]

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Paper numero 36

Mario MAZZOLENI

CO-OPERATIVESIN THE DIGITAL ERA

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