Sustainable Development: Smart Co-Operative Management Framework

Abstract

A smart co-operative refers to a co-operative that aims to apply ICT to provide better services and increase management efficiency to meet organizations’ goals through the combinations of ICT technology and business. In this paper, we propose the sustainable development smart co-operative framework, which specifically applies to all types of co-operatives which use information technology in their organization, enabling transformation to improve their services, management, and governance. In addition, we discuss ICT channel creation for improving knowledge, awareness, democracy, and the participation of members, a process in which IT contributes to the accessibility of members and communication between the co-operative, members, and stakeholders. The element design of this proposed framework has considered three key principles, which are (1) smart members, (2) the smart economy, and (3) smart governance. A smart co-operative is a term used to extend the concept of a smart city into co-operative organization to promote a sustainable development approach in the co-operative sector. Therefore, the smart co-operative combines ICT, smart concepts, co-operative business aspects, business models, and innovation. The findings suggest that the smart and sustainable development co-operative framework is suitable for co-operatives, providing a comprehensive framework for value creation through the smart co-operative concept.