Cooperative Participation Research Articles

Does joint land ownership empower rural women socio-economically? Evidence from Eastern Nepal

Joint Land Ownership (JLO) is increasingly important for empowering women and improving their socioeconomic well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical research on this topic. Utilizing panel data from 2015 to 2020 and employing the Binary Logit Model, this study examines the socioeconomic and empowerment status of rural women who have JLO in the Sunsari district of Nepal. Particularly, we used a quasi-experimental research design and pretest and posttest research models to assess the empowerment status of rural women before and after the implementation of JLO. The results indicate a significant increase in monthly savings (270%) among women who have a JLO, as well as improved access to credit (241%), income (87%), participation in cooperatives (69%), entrepreneurship (56%), decision-making (56%), occupation (22%), and overall improvement in their socioeconomic conditions (16%). The women's participation in the JLO program also has increased by 77% in rural areas and 23% in urban areas. Furthermore, logistic regression results show that Rural Women Empowerment (RWE), resulting from JLO, varies significantly across different ethnic groups (β = −0.724, P < 0.01), land sizes (β = 0.117, P < 0.01), household sizes (β = 0.886, P < 0.01), household decision-making (β = −1.814, P < 0.05), and occupations (β = −0.868, P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that JLO significantly impacts rural women's empowerment, gender equality, and overall development, thereby assisting in the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals. It emphasizes the need for policy interventions, legal reforms, and awareness-raising efforts to promote and support JLO to empower women and promote inclusive and sustainable rural development.

Influential Factors on Women's Participation in Agricultural Cooperative in the Digital Era

Digitalization has brought ease in managing the operations of organizations in the world. However, education and digital literacy become hurdles for involving marginalized people. The participation of women is crucial for the overall development of humankind. "Gender equality and women's empowerment are essential for achieving sustainable development and creating a more just and equitable world"[1]. Indeed, greater women's participation can significantly boost qualitative and quantitative output in all fields. Promoting women's participation in rural areas can significantly impact agricultural economies, including increasing food production and dairy output. However, the participation of women in decision-making, particularly in rural areas, is often limited. This paper focuses on Identifying and analyzing the factors that prevent women from playing a more significant role in rural economies, which is an essential step towards promoting women's economic empowerment and achieving more equitable and sustainable development outcomes in the digital era. The study's finding suggests that education levels, lack of adequate training, and household work are key factors that limit the participation of women.

Factors associated with farmers’ adoption of standardized planting methods: evidence from China

IntroductionThe standardization of planting techniques has substantially enhanced production efficiency and agricultural output. Understanding farmers’ perceptions and adoption of standardized planting practices is essential.MethodsIn this study, the binary logistic model and the interpretive structural model was employed to analyze the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of standardized planting methods and the hierarchical structure and internal mechanisms of the influential factors.ResultsThe questionnaire responses of 244 farmers from Zhejiang Province, China, revealed farmers’ predominantly positive perceptions of standardized planting methods. Farmers’ planting experience and participation in cooperatives significantly affected their perceptions. The results of the regression analysis revealed that significant influencing factors included farmers’ education level, planting experience, participation in cooperatives, awareness of standardized planting methods, the perceived effects of standardized planting methods on household income and on village ecological environment. The interpretive structural model results revealed that the surface level factors influencing farmers’ adoption of standardized planting methods were farmers’ village cadre status, participation in cooperatives, and awareness of standardized planting methods. Farmers’ education level and planting experience were the fundamental factors.DiscussionIn the future, the influence of farmers’ education level and characteristics of arable land on the adoption of standardized planting methods by farmers should be further explored, as well as the need for non-value studies on farmers’ willingness to accept standardized planting methods.

Indonesian Foreign Policy in Encouraging the Acceleration of Implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific

Background: The ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific has become an essential framework in shaping the dynamics of relations in this increasingly complex region. In this context, the role of Indonesian Foreign Policy is very significant. This article aims to investigate Indonesia's role in encouraging accelerated implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific by highlighting four main steps to focus on in achieving this goal.&#x0D; &#x0D; Method: This research adopts a qualitative method of collecting data through in-depth interviews. Four key sources with deep insight into Indonesian foreign policy and the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific were interviewed. Triangulation techniques were used to validate and strengthen the findings. Primary data from these interviews is combined with secondary data from trusted sources such as policy documents, reports, and related literature.&#x0D; &#x0D; Results: The research identified four main steps that are an essential focus in Indonesia's efforts to accelerate the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific implementation. These steps include a proactive approach in promoting regional stability and cooperation, balanced diplomacy with significant powers to maintain a balance of interests, in-depth analysis to understand the impact of foreign policy, and active participation in various regional cooperation initiatives.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion: Indonesia's foreign policy is vital in promoting the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific. By implementing measures such as a proactive approach, balanced diplomacy, in-depth analysis, and active participation in regional cooperation, Indonesia has played a central role in accelerating the implementation of this framework. This advances stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region and ensures that ASEAN remains a key player in shaping the future of this increasingly complex region.

Educational cooperation in the perspective of tripartite evolutionary game among government, enterprises and universities.

Government-enterprise-university synergy (GEUS) is an effective way to mobilize government, enterprises, and universities to collaborate on education, but these three parties involved in GEUS may, out of bounded rationality, choose to collaborate in ways that benefit themselves and harm others. To guide the three parties to better cooperation, this study creates an evolutionary game model among the three parties and evaluates the applicability and validity of the model by selecting the educational cooperation data in Beijing. It is shown that participation in education cooperation is the best course of action for all three parties. The intensity of willingness to participate in the GEUS is on the order of high to low for universities, enterprises, and the government. If the three parties wish to accomplish education collaboration sooner, they can increase default payments, boost government revenues, raise corporate participation in distribution, and reduce government and government spending. These results highlight the inherent regularities of GEUS and provide concrete implementation strategies to improve the efficiency of education cooperation.

Contributions of dairy cooperatives to the competitiveness of smallholder dairy farmers in Palabana area of Chongwe District

This study investigates the influence of dairy cooperatives on the competitiveness of small-scale dairy farmers in Palabana, Chongwe district, Zambia. The focus is on several crucial aspects: increasing milk production, enhancing productivity, improving quality, and boosting market share through cooperative membership. Data was collected from 73 randomly selected cooperative members through semi-structured questionnaires using a convergent parallel mixed-method technique. The quantitative data was examined using descriptive statistics and presented visually, while the qualitative data added contextual richness to these conclusions. The findings revealed a significant rise in milk production among members of the cooperative, even though there was a lack of direct provision of nutritional inputs. This implies that additional elements, such as training and the exchange of knowledge, played a key role in these gains. Furthermore, there was widespread mention of training sessions covering a range of dairy management subjects, which highlights the cooperative's efforts to improve farmers' abilities and increase output. Cooperatives played a crucial role in enhancing the quality of milk by offering valuable advice on managing milk quality, specifically in preventing and treating mastitis. Furthermore, farmers saw enhanced market dominance and financial gains as a result of their participation in cooperatives, which was made possible by greater opportunities to access larger markets and engage in joint sales initiatives. This study finds that cooperatives play a significant role in improving the competitiveness of smallholder dairy farmers by increasing yields, productivity, and market access. However, providing more comprehensive support in areas like animal health, input provision, and continuous training could further enhance these benefits. To maintain sustainable growth and competitiveness in the dairy sector, it is important to emphasize the necessity of ongoing improvement in cooperative initiatives.

Национальные научные исследования в контексте общеевропейских приоритетов научного развития: опыт Норвегии

The author examines to what extent national scientific research in Norway meets the pan-European principles and priorities of scientific development. The success of the interaction between European and national research efforts is a key condition for improving the competitiveness and efficiency of research in Europe. As an associated country, Norway does not have much influence on the allocation of funds from the European budget for research, nevertheless, the country is involved in all projects implemented within the framework of the European Research Area, financing and receiving funding from the EU Framework Programs. The article examines the structure of the scientific research complex, paying special attention to the main documents and institutions that determine science policy. In addition, the author studies budget formation in the scientific field in Norway, as well as the country’s participation in the international scientific cooperation. Norway’s experience is useful for understanding how nation states organize and coordinate their participation in European programs, especially in terms of addressing current and future “great challenges”. As a result of the analysis of the scientific policy carried out in Norway, the author comes to the conclusion that R&amp;D institutions are directly adapted to the priorities of the European level, while national authorities have limited influence on the country’s European research portfolio. The purpose of the study is to analyze the interaction of the European research policy with the national research system of Norway. Research objectives: to analyze the formation of the structure and goals of European programs; to identify changes in the instruments and goals of national scientific policy; to determine the consequences of changes in scientific policy for the Norwegian research complex; to assess the level of coincidence of the interests and practices of the national scientific community with the interests and practices of the European scientific community, which is being formed at the supranational level.

Service quality strategy to increase member participation in savings and loan cooperatives

Service quality strategy to increase member participation in savings and loan cooperatives

Розвиток транскордонного співробітництва в умовах євроінтеграції України

The aim of the article is to substantiate the essence and financial instruments for the development of cross-border cooperation in the context of Ukraine’s European integration. It is proposed to consider cross-border cooperation as joint, coordinated actions aimed at convergence, synergy, multiplicative effect in solving problems by subjects and participants of cross-border cooperation through the implementation of programs and projects using traditional and new financial instruments. It is specified that cross-border cooperation has three main goals. First, it contributes to the economic and social development of border areas, which can lead to the growth in terms of new enterprises and industries. Secondly, it addresses common challenges related to the environment, public health, safety and security and aims to create better conditions for the mobility of people, goods and capital across borders. Ukraine’s position on future membership in the EU and the possibility of participation in cross-border cooperation programs is substantiated, for which structural funds for 2021–2027 are allocated from the EU through the European Regional Development Fund and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument. The thematic priorities of funding for the new program period are as follows: a sustainable, green border region; a healthy and attractive border region; joint border region. The possibilities of using IPA, the latest instrument of assistance at the stage of preparation for accession to the EU, which is aimed at supporting reforms through the provision of financial and technical assistance, are substantiated. It can be used by both existing and potential candidates for the EU membership. The author’s own calculations showed that out of the total volume of the operating budget for 2021-2027 under the assistance of the IPA III instrument in the pre-accession phase of the EU, the largest amount of funding will be directed to the the goal that is a «green» agenda, sustainable connectivity (transport and communication links); the thematic objective «Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth»; good governance, alignment with the EU acquis criterion, good neighbourly relations and strategic communication; the rule of law, fundamental rights and democracy; territorial and cross-border cooperation. Further research will be aimed at developing the conceptual foundations and strategic directions for the development of cross-border cooperation.

Sustainable Development In Southeast Asia: Lessons, Partnerships, and English

The objective of this manuscript is to provide an all-encompassing examination of the Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum and its function in advancing Southeast Asian economic integration, sustainable development, and regional cooperation. The analysis encompasses pivotal subjects deliberated upon during the forum, the consequences of regional collaboration on economic progress, and the function of regional establishments like ASEAN in cultivating cooperation. The critical assessment underscores the importance of collaborative strategies, partnerships, and the exchange of knowledge in furthering the objectives of sustainable development. Moreover, the implications of this analysis for the development of the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum in 2024 are examined in the paper. It emphasizes the significance of critical thinking, problem-solving, technology integration, cultural competence, awareness of ASEAN and regional institutions, communication skills, and the incorporation of global issues into academic and professional writing. English language learners can make a meaningful contribution to sustainable development in Southeast Asia and engage in active participation in regional cooperation by integrating these components into the curriculum.

Unraveling the Willow Project's Impact on Human Rights: An Inquiry into International Legal Perspectives?

This article aims to examine human rights violations resulting from the U.S.-led agenda as a national strategic project, specifically the Willow Project. This project is a consequence of Saudi Arabia's participation in multilateral cooperation among developing countries, with Saudi Arabia being the largest oil trading partner and the United States serving as the oil supplier. The focus of the issue centers on the Willow Project, a U.S. drilling initiative conducted in the State of Alaska, with global environmental impacts that infringe upon human rights. The research employs a normative-empirical method, prioritizing international law, encompassing concepts, principles, and doctrines as legal sources to address the legal issues related to human rights violations. The Willow Project influences the United States' policy direction, fulfilling the country's energy needs through oil drilling, thereby affecting global climate change and posing risks to the international community. The substantial carbon emissions generated can contribute to rising Earth temperatures, potentially leading to the emergence of new diseases due to extreme weather conditions.

특수교사와 일반교사의 학교 안 전문적학습공동체 참여 경험과 의미

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine special and general teachers’ experiences and implications of participating in an in-school professional learning community to encourage the disabled students to participate in the inclusive classes.&#x0D; Methods The researcher used the collaborative action research to achieve the purpose of this study. For this pur-pose, the researcher used the action research method of problem addressing-planning-implementing-in-trospecting-modifying of the plan and re-implementing. To this end, the researcher organized and operated an in-school professional learning community wherein a special teacher and two general ones would participate.&#x0D; Results First of all, the results of teachers’ cooperative participation in the in-school professional learning com-munity to encourage the disabled students to participate positively in learning can be summed up as follows. First, the school community members experienced some positive changes, while improving the problems in the school professional learning community, through the collaborative action research study. Secondly, through the collabo-rative action research study, the school community members could experience and perceive the educational val-ue of the professional in-school learning community. Thirdly, it was found that the special teacher and general ones could form a partnership for a cooperative learning. Next, the conclusion about teachers’ experiences and implication of their participation in the in-school learning community can be summed up as follows. First, the teachers who participated in the in-school professional learning community would experience the positive change of teachers’ perception. Secondly, the teachers would experience a positive change in the interactions with the school community members. Thirdly, the teachers who participated in the professional learning com-munity would be able to develop their educational professionalism.&#x0D; Conclusions It is expected that this study would provide for some basic data to explore an effective method of enhancing inclusive education through the in-school professional learning community.

Reconceptualizing and Improving Member Participation in Large Cooperatives: Insights from Deliberative Democracy and Deliberative Mini-Publics

Member control is a central cooperative value that depends on members having sufficient opportunities to participate in decision-making. Most members of large cooperatives participate in decision-making through non-candidacy participation, which entails responsibilities including electing and monitoring their elected representatives and ratifying resolutions and reports. Non-candidacy participation is crucial to ensure that collective decisions and the conduct of representatives are aligned with the interests of the broader membership. However, prior research points to concerns about the level and quality of non-candidacy participation. In this essay, I draw on research on deliberative democracy to propose a novel solution to address these concerns. I begin by disentangling two commonly conflated forms of non-candidacy participation: aggregative and deliberative. I then argue that large cooperatives could improve both forms of participation through the targeted use of deliberative mini-publics. In doing so, I contribute to research on large cooperatives by advancing a novel solution to im-proving non-candidacy participation and cooperative governance more broadly, articulating a more fine-grained conception of participation to inform future research, and identifying a novel way of conceptualizing and enacting expertise in these organizations.

Development and validation of the Design-for-Safety (DfS) climate measurement tool

Design-for-Safety (DfS) is a promising intervention to address safety and health risks in construction. At the same time, past research on construction safety and health consistently emphasized the importance of measuring safety climate in ensuring good safety performance. However, existing construction safety climate measurement tools are focused on measuring construction workers’ perception of safety management within their projects or organizations. Therefore, existing construction safety climate construct and measurement tools cannot be directly applied in the DfS context, which is focused on the upstream project team comprising designers and developers. Thus, the DfS climate construct and a corresponding measurement instrument were created. DfS climate is defined as project team members’ shared perceptions of the DfS policies, practices, and procedures that arise from the behaviours they observe getting rewarded, supported, and expected. With a sample of 242 responses, the questionnaire was subjected to exploratory factor analysis. The instrument consisted of 19 questions. These questions were split into five dimensions: participation of leader, member cooperation, member participation, project resources, and expectations for stakeholder representation. The study found that DfS climate was linked to outcome variables such as whether design changes arising from DfS review would be incorporated into the design. The research makes an academic contribution by creating the concept of DfS climate, accounting for the cognitive aspect of performing DfS. In addition, practical contributions are made as organizations can measure the DfS climate for their projects and find areas to improve.

The Analysis and Countermeasures of US Dollar Exchange Rate on China\'s Import and Export Trade

This paper investigates the intricate relationship between the Chinese exchange rate and the US dollar, particularly amidst a low-growth economic environment and the potential impact on trade dynamics. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, concerns have arisen over China's substantial dollar-denominated debt stock and the possibility of a sell-off that could devalue the US dollar and impact the global economy. As the post-Covid recession is expected to weaken the US dollar, this study aims to explore potential US countermeasures to maintain the currency's strength. The analysis suggests that China should transition from an export-led development strategy to a more domestically focused approach, promoting industrial modernization, implementing strategic economic adjustments, and enhancing the management and regulation of foreign exchange reserves. Active participation in East Asian monetary cooperation and the establishment of a regional monetary system in East Asia are also recommended. The paper highlights the influence of the US dollar exchange rate on China's import and export trade, illustrating how fluctuations in the exchange rate impact trade volumes and different sectors. To mitigate these effects, China should concentrate on developing advanced industries, modernizing traditional sectors, accelerating new urbanization, and stimulating domestic consumption. Additionally, the government should optimize the external trade services system by reducing burdens on enterprises, deepening tariff facilitation reforms, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. In conclusion, comprehending the complex relationship between the Chinese exchange rate and the US dollar is crucial for maintaining global trade stability. Implementing the recommended countermeasures can assist both countries in overcoming economic challenges and fostering mutually beneficial trade relations. By carefully navigating the dynamics between these two currencies, governments can strengthen their economies and contribute to a more stable and prosperous global trade environment.

Participation and commercialization in producer cooperatives: Insights on the role of cooperative functioning and equity strategies

AbstractIn sub‐Saharan Africa, there are growing calls for policy reforms to revive the farmer cooperative movement. However, questions remain over whether farmer participation in agricultural cooperatives brings the desired innovation for markets and commercialization. This study uses a sample of 206 farmers from northern Uganda to examine what drives farmer participation and commercialization among members of groundnut producer cooperatives. Results from a two‐stage Heckman regression reveal that cooperative functioning in the form of hiring equipment to farmers, value addition, farmer training, and product quality assessment drives farmer participation in cooperative business. The study also shows that equity strategies, notably through subscription fees and farm‐inputs supply negatively impact commercialization among cooperative participant farmers. This study deepens the literature on cooperatives pinpointing the role of cooperative services in farmer participation and how stringent equity strategies reduce farmer commercialization among cooperative participants. We call for policy interventions that prioritize capacity building of producer cooperatives for improved functioning and better provision of services. This approach will enable these cooperatives to be effectively harnessed for market innovation.

INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL TRADE &amp; DIGITAL ECONOMY AGREEMENTS: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR UKRAINE

The article examines the prospects for the digital transformation of Ukraine's foreign economic policy in the context of international digital trade/economy agreements, especially the Digital Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ukraine. The economic and legal effectiveness of these agreements in the process of digital transformation of foreign economic policy (foreign trade) in Ukraine and at the international level is proven. To increase their effectiveness and accelerate implementation, the political and legal framework is of great importance. Under other circumstances, the realisation of such agreements will be complicated by the need to bring domestic legislation in line with their provisions, as the case of Ukraine shows. It is substantiated that the implementation of the Digital Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ukraine is complicated by the lack of national legislation regarding electronic document management in cross-border trade; the slow pace of implementation of international legislation, for example, on personal data protection; the existence of differences in the legislative approaches of the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding certain issues of trade in goods and services etc. It is emphasized that certain norms of the agreement are declarative and that it does not address some important issues that can be of great value for cross-border trade in the future.The expediency of Ukraine's constant participation in international cooperation in order to modernize foreign economic and national economic policy, taking into account the requirements of international documents and current challenges, is reasoned. In this context, constant monitoring, study of foreign experience and analysis of the consequences of resolving such important issues as cross-border transfer of information by electronic means, localization of data and entities that provide their transfer, non-discrimination, etc. are vital.

Collective minimum contributions to counteract the ratchet effect in the voluntary provision of public goods

We experimentally test a theoretically promising amendment to the ratchet-up mechanism of the Paris Agreement. The ratchet-up mechanism prescribes that parties’ commitments to the global response to climate change cannot decrease over time, and our results show that its effect is detrimental. We design a public goods game to study whether cooperation is promoted by an amendment to the mechanism that stipulates that all agents must contribute at least a collectively chosen minimum based on the principle of the lowest common denominator. We find that binding collective minimum contributions improve the effectiveness of the ratchet-up mechanism. Non-binding minimum contributions, by contrast, do not encourage cooperation. Our data indicate that the difference is attributable to conditional cooperative dynamics. If other participants contribute less than the collective minimum contribution, even initially cooperative participants start to negatively reciprocate this form of non-compliance by contributing less.

Issues of national minorities in the policy of the Eastern Partnership

The peculiarities of implementing the policy of the EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative in regards to protecting the rights of national minorities have been studied. The issue of national minorities in the EU is considered from the perspectives of security, democracy, and regional integration. Despite contemporary criticism of the EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative, many initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of national minorities in the region have been implemented, thereby fostering intergovernmental cooperation. It is evident that Ukraine and Moldova are the most proactive in protecting the rights of national minorities amongst the Eastern Partnership countries. These countries have been granted the status of candidate for EU accession. Despite the Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukraine actively works on improving legislation in the field of ethno-policy. Particular emphasis is placed on analysis of the institutional structure of national minorities, communication pathways, and non-discriminatory policies in Eastern Partnership countries. Member states of the Eastern Partnership actively utilize “soft power” techniques through a network of minority organizations. It has been suggested that European integration of Ukraine and Moldova has generated considerable opportunities for the development of national minorities. Loosening of state borders has enabled national minorities to connect more deeply with their ethnic homelands, thereby transforming them into engaged participants of transborder cooperation and significant figures of regional policy. The Eastern Partnership furnishes a platform for minorities to assert themselves in decisions which pertain to their lives, execute grant initiatives, and take part in regional associations of minorities. Nevertheless, certain risks are highlighted, such as particular nations exploiting EU enlargement to tackle minority matters or manipulate minority rights. The EU has analyzed programs supporting national minorities, especially those implemented in the Eastern Partnership countries. While Eastern Partnership countries have developed their policies regarding national minorities, there are common problems faced by minorities in the region. Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are involved in conflicts, being former Soviet Union countries, and face numerous challenges concerning the functioning of the Russian minority, which is numerically significant in this region. It is stated that the EU cooperates with the Eastern Partnership countries on matters regarding national minorities, and it is crucial to develop innovative models for managing ethnic diversity, promoting the involvement of national minorities in making socio-political decisions and integrating them into society.

대학 창업 교과목 운영 사례

The purpose of this study was to derive implications for start-up education and effective teaching methods for start-up courses through the operation of social entrepreneurship courses in the university's regular start-up curriculum. In order to develop, operate, and analyze the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship courses, data were collected through self-evaluation surveys and post-class reflection reports, and the collected data was categorized based on the corresponding sample t-test and important events. First, the main research results showed that all factors of innovation, initiative, and risk-taking in entrepreneurship increased after the start-up course class, and innovation and initiative increased statistically significantly. Second, as a result of the survey, it was found that all factors of community consciousness, empathy, and help in prosociality increased after the start-up subject class, and community consciousness and empathy increased statistically significantly. Third, in the post-class reflection report, the positive effects of learners' cooperative participation-oriented practical teaching strategies were the effect of participating in learning activities and results through team activities, raising awareness of start-ups as career options, and difficulties in the start-up idea and development process. This study is meaningful in that it proposed a practical teaching strategy centered on the cooperative participation of learners as an effective educational method for university start-up education. The results of this study are expected to be used as evidence for supporting effective learner-centered teaching methods in university start-up education.