Service Cooperatives Research Articles

Post-socialist agricultural cooperatives in Russia: a case study of top-down cooperatives in the Belgorod region

Through a study of agricultural service cooperatives in Russia’s Belgorod region, this article addresses two gaps in the literature: first, the dearth of empirical studies on cooperatives in post-socialist Russia; second, the lack of attention to top-down cooperatives in the global literature, and the overly negative approach to the topic in the few extant studies. Whereas state attempts to establish agricultural cooperatives in Russia in a top-down fashion have largely failed, such cooperatives have sprung up widely in Belgorod. The article investigates: (1) what influence the (regional) state exerts on the cooperatives, and how that affects their daily functioning and viability; and (2) to what extent such top-down cooperatives might evolve into less state-led forms, such as classic member-driven or business-like cooperatives.

АДМІНІСТРАТИВНО-ПРАВОВЕ РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКИХ ОБСЛУГОВУЮЧИХ

The article examines the problems of administrative and legal regulation of agricultural service cooperatives by local governments, in particular, the formation of the latter regulatory framework for regulating the activities of small agricultural producers (private farms, individuals, farmers), which currently do not have adequate state support. the reason for the transformation of legislation. The need for organizational and legal participation of local authorities in the formation of the cooperative segment of the agricultural market and in overcoming the existing problems of cooperatives, including: weak material base, lack of qualified personnel, lack of awareness of farmers in the benefits of joint efforts, etc. An analysis of regulations on research (laws of Ukraine "On Agricultural Cooperation" and "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine" and found that the basic principles of administrative and legal support of cooperatives by local governments are the formation of local regulations (programs) , which form a favorable environment for purchasing and marketing activities of such cooperatives and their provision of other services for effective activities in the relevant territorial community of agricultural producers of all organizational and legal forms. The analysis of the real state of affairs on the development of service cooperatives in rural areas within the territories of rural territorial communities the process of creation of cooperatives is slow and unstable. Vectors of administrative and legal formation by local governments of programs of improvement of functioning and development are offered cooperatives and substantiated the prospects for the development of the agricultural sector from the implementation of such programs.

INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES OF AGRICULTURAL CONSULTATIVE NETWORKS AS A FACTOR IN STRENGTHENING THE ECONOMY OF RURAL AREAS OF UKRAINE

The article highlights the scientific substantiation of perspective ways of innovative development of national agricultural advisory services in the context of stimulating economic development in rural areas of Ukraine in the conditions of decentralization of power. The study allowed to establish the existing imbalance in the ratio of the main types of agricultural enterprises and agricultural service cooperatives, falling on one advisory service, as well as to determine the causes of significant imbalances in the regional context, the determination of which offers a number of key innovation priorities, activating the integration of education, research, marketing, economic and financial, consulting and other services necessary to provide a complete infrastructure of the economy of rural areas with the potential of basic institutions of NAAS and MES.

СТАНОВЛЕННЯ СІЛЬСЬКОГОСПОДАРСЬКОЇ ОБСЛУГОВУЮЧОЇ КООПЕРАЦІЇ

Аналізуються причини, що стримують становлення і розвиток в Україні сільськогосподарських обслуговуючих кооперативів, передумови виникнення таких кооперативів, можливості їх впливу на загальний рівень цін на сільськогосподарську продукцію, обґрунтовуються способи державної підтримки кооперативів. Показано, що поява обслуговуючих кооперативів у світовій практиці пов'язана з монополізацією сфери закупівель продукції. Створення кооперативів і формування на кооперативних засадах маркетингових каналів було способом протидії монопольно низьким закупівельним цінам. У жодній країні без створення таких кооперативів лише державним регулюванням не вдавалось забезпечити підтримання паритету цін на сільськогосподарську та промислову продукцію. Досліджувався вплив державної підтримки кооперативів. Організаційні зусилля державних органів управління сільським господарством та пряма державна фінансова підтримка сприяли збільшенню кооперативів, однак не мали замітного впливу на обсяги послуг, що надавались кооперативами. Якщо державна фінансова підтримка є визначальним чинником створення кооперативу, то це провокує появу псевдокооперативів, метою створення яких є одержання цієї підтримки. Ідея створення обслуговуючих кооперативів неоднозначно сприймається їх потенційними засновниками – власниками особистих селянських господарств та фермерами. Скептицизм породжує втручання органів державного управління сільським господарством у діяльність обслуговуючих кооперативів, що видається як організаційна підтримка таких кооперативів. Зроблено висновок, що необхідною умовою виникнення та розвитку життєздатних кооперативів є забезпечення ними засновникам та учасникам відчутних переваг. Пропонується на кооперативних засадах формувати інфраструктуру аграрного ринку, а державну фінансову підтримку спрямовувати на кооперативи, якими пропонуватиметься конкурентоспроможна на зовнішньому ринку продукція.

РОЗБУДОВА ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ РИНКУ ОРГАНІЧНОЇ ПРОДУКЦІЇ

The development of market infrastructure in agriculture is essential for the formation of civilized relations between producers and consumers of agricultural products and foodstuffs. The absence of effective market infrastructure reduces the effectiveness of economic entities in agriculture. However, there is a lack of efficient infrastructure market for organic products, which needs further research. According to the research, it was concluded that during the last years organic market is actively developing in Ukraine. During this period, the quantity enterprises, which specialize on manufacturing and marketing of such products increasing. As well as the area where organic products are grown is increasing too. However, there is a need to build infrastructure market for organic products. It is possible to use the existing infrastructure of the agrarian market, including agricultural exchanges, wholesale food markets and agricultural service cooperatives. However, the more appropriate is the creation of new infrastructure projects, including the exchange of Internet sites, specialized pavilions for wholesale food markets and organic marketing cooperatives.

Participation and Local Governance Outcomes: Evidence from Ukraine

As participatory governance approaches to local development get adopted also in transition countries, one of the key questions is how participation actually impacts local governance outcomes. This study examines the link between non-electoral participation and different public goods outcomes in rural Ukraine along with identifying the role of community-based organizations (CBOs). Using a unique survey data from Ukraine, I approach these questions empirically explicitly distinguishing between different public goods outcomes. I find that participation appears to be positively associated with local school and water supply outcomes. In addition, CBOs are found to be associated with better quality of water supply systems motivating a discussion about establishment of service cooperatives for water supply as a functional local governance arrangement.

The Grand Design of Cooperative Roles in East Java to Support the Master Plan of the Acceleration and the Expansion of Indonesian Economy Development (MP3EI)

The economy growth in East Java this time reaches to 7.22 %, it is the role of the Cooperative and the Micro, small and Medium Business (UMKM). This study aims to produce the mapping grand design of cooperative roles in East Java to support Master Plan of the Acceleration and the Expansion of Indonesian Economy Development (MP3EI) .This study is an exploration research by using the economy and spatial analysis in order to map the cooperative roles in supporting MP3EI achievement especially in East Java. The data used in this research are spatial and non-spatial data. The research result shows that the cooperative number recorded in Malang Region completely spread out in 33 districts as many as 1,095 units, however, the active cooperatives are as many as 629 units. Almost 81% of those are service cooperatives exactly they are credit cooperatives (KSP), consumer cooperatives are as many as 3% (21 cooperatives), and 13. 5% are business cooperatives, and 2% are producer cooperatives. For Malang, from the field observation data result, which is done, we can get data that 700 cooperative data gotten from the Cooperative Service and UMKM, only 220 cooperatives are still active. From those of 220, all of them are credit cooperatives (service cooperatives); however, besides the cooperatives provide credit service, 42 cooperatives belong to consumer cooperatives. 2 cooperatives belong to producer cooperatives and 8 cooperative belong to business cooperatives (KSU). Suggestions for the research are: increasing the synergy among the related Services/Agencies (the Cooperative Service and UMKM, the industry service, the local government and the educational institution) to support the cooperative improvement in the regencies and in Malang, giving the early learning about the roles and functions of the cooperatives to support the national development and the usefulness for the people’s economy movement, supplying and updating the database of the cooperative existence in the Cooperative Service and mikro, small and medium business .

Training Needs Assessment of Cooperatives in Applicable Technical and Vocational Educations in Kermanshah (Iran)

The present study was aimed to determine and prioritize the training needs of industrial, agricultural and service cooperatives in technical and vocational educations and the current educational courses for these enterprises. Furthermore, the gap between these two items is evaluated in Kermanshah province (Iran). A discrepancy approach and the Klein's needs assessment model were used. This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 400 individuals who were selected randomly based on cluster sampling procedure from all active cooperatives in the province. The data were collected using a questionnaire. In all three cooperatives, number of respondents attended in high priority educational needs courses in common trainings were very few. In this respect, only 35.4 (few) and 6.1 (very few) of the respondents have respectively passed courses on accounting of cooperatives (basic) and marketing and market as the first and second needs mentioned in common trainings. In industrial cooperatives the production course has the highest priority among the respondents that 1.1 of them passed this course. Among the agricultural cooperatives, the management of broiler farms has the highest priority with 2.6 participation percentage. Comparison of the training needs and participation rate of technical and vocational training courses in agricultural, industrial and service cooperatives in Kermanshah province showed small agreement between these two items; such that the findings indicate a trial and error approach in educational policy decision making. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific Information.

La Governance nelle Imprese Cooperative: Il Caso delle Cooperative Aderenti a Legacoopservizi (Governance in Cooperative Enterprises: The Case of Cooperatives Affiliated to Legacoopservizi)

In the last years, the debate on cooperative governance has been extensive; nevertheless the research aimed at identifying best practices did not lead to the formulation and adoption of Governance Codes comparable to the ones applied in the big investors-owned corporations.In 2008 the cooperatives affiliated to Legacoopservizi approved a Governance Code. This research verifies the extent of application of the Code two years after its official endorsement in 49 service cooperatives with a turnover of over 25 millions euro. The research investigates the application of the “open door” principle for new members and the regulation concerning the composition of the Board of directors.

The Perceived Image of Service Cooperatives: An Investigation in Canada and Mexico

The purpose of this article is to identify the information used by credit union members in evaluating the image of their service organizations. With data collected from two credit unions in Canada and in Mexico, the results show that in both countries cooperative value, organizational culture and identity, contact personnel and physical environment are significant factors affecting consumers’ perceptions of corporate image. The managerial and research implications of the reported study are also discussed.

Empowering Poor Rural Villages in South Africa:A Preliminary Investigation into Financial Service Cooperatives

Empowering Poor Rural Villages in South Africa:A Preliminary Investigation into Financial Service Cooperatives

THE ORGANIZING OF PEASANT SHOPS IN CENTRAL AMERICA

ABSTRACT: A case study is presented of the promotion by the Catholic Church of agricultural service cooperatives, called peasant shops, in a rural Honduran municipality. The purpose of this paper is then to identify factors which determine their success. Three external factors were identified: the justification for the organizations being provided by a local social agent; access to training and on‐going follow‐up; and access to commercial transactions with economies of scale. The following main internal factors were: the participation of local leaders in positions of trust within the organization of the social agent; high member contributions, with a view to securing high member responsibility; and high interest rates on member contributions to attract high member contributions.

Estonia: Economics and Geopolitics

Since the restoration of independence on August 20, 1991, the Estonian Republic's principal focus has been a striving for the total restoration (restitution) of the state and economic system that existed before the events of 1939-40. At that time Estonia was a parliamentary republic with an economy based on private property chiefly oriented toward Western markets. The predominant form of production was the family farm and a relatively developed system of agricultural service cooperatives. It exported as much as 40 percent of its output. Naturally, a significant impact on the character and tempo of the current reforms has resulted from the attempt of Estonian politicians to expunge from their history [not only] the 50-year period of Soviet occupation but also such processes as nationalization, industrialization, and collectivization, which led to enormous changes in structure, in property relations, and in the external orientation of the economy.

Collective agricultural production: A solution for transition economies?

The paper examines theoretical reasons and provides examples for productivity differences between agricultural service cooperatives and collectives. Service cooperatives can utilize economies of scale, enhance competitiveness, and provide technical information, advantages that often outweighed problems of free-riding, low investment, and excessive political intervention. Agricultural collectives, while not adding substantial advantages, are in addition associated with problems of supervision and effort supply, tendencies to substitute casual workers or mechanization for regular members, and low investment incentives. While collective forms of organization in transition economies respond to high risk and market imperfections, they do so inefficiently. Policies that create conditions for service cooperatives to compete may lead to large productivity gains.

Learning from the Mondragón cooperative experience

The Mondragon cooperative complex in the Basque country of Spain is recognized as the world’s most impressive case of industrial cooperative development. The complex links together industrial, service, and agricultural cooperatives with a bank and a series of educational cooperatives. The continued expansion of the complex defies the conventional wisdom that worker cooperatives can only survive briefly in special niches not of interest to multi-national businesses.

The Role of Support Organizations in the Development of Cooperatives in Israel

This article offers a historical analysis of the development of producer, service and transportation cooperatives in Israel. It focuses particularly on the role played by Israel's central trade union federation, the Histadrut, and the support organizations it has sponsored in facilitating the growth of this cooperative sector. With the exception of two large bus cooperatives, which enjoy monopolies in their service areas, the growth of this population has not been impressive. The article argues that several defects in the support structures associated with this population help account for these disappointing results. For many decades, these support organizations sought more to control the Israeli cooperatives than to represent them, did more to distort the development of cooperatives in Israel than to facilitate it, and did more to expose the weaknesses of Israeli cooperatives than to correct them. Their net effect was more to discredit the idea of producers' cooperation in Israel than to promote it. These injurious policies were eventually abandoned, but not until after they had caused what may have been irreparable harm to the Israeli urban cooperative sector.

Functional illiteracy and vocational training for young people in rural France

What conditions must prevail and what strategy be applied if action to combat functional illiteracy is to be incorporated into vocational training policy in rural areas? We shall reply to these questions on the basis of experience in France since I966. French policy has stemmed from two sources: Action taken by the State through the Directorates of Agricultural Services, which were responsible for the establishment of extension service centres, co-operatives and mutual benefit societies; Action by the social movement for people's educa t ionthe Jeunesse Agricole Chr&ienne u which conducted community work among small and medium farmers, associating pmc-

Las alternativas de reestructuración empresarial en la agricultura de la costa peruana

In this article, the author analyzes three of the various alternatives of organizational restructuring which have been proposed for the Worker 's Agrarian Cooperatives of the Peruvian coast, stressing in the possibilities of each of them to solve the main internal problems of this kind of business organizations. Likewise, the author identifies the main internal problems which, linked to external factors, have led to the Cooperatives' crisis and their desintegration into individual plots. He also discusses, at a theoretical level, the advantages and disadvantages of a family plot model, vis-a-vis the cooperative one. Finally, he analyzes three restructuring options ("sectorization" -smaller-sizes cooperatives-, service cooperatives and "worker 's partnerships"), as mechanisms that may overcome the Cooperatives' inherent problems, while maintaining their advantages, such as economies of scale.

The Development of Modern Marketing in Hungary

Western businessmen should recognize that the countries of Eastern Europe are in different stages of economic development. Hungary has shown a remarkable degree of economic independence by emulating Western marketing techniques. Competition, much like Western "free enterprise," has been prominent in the Hungarian economy since the Revolution of 1956. The three sectors of the Hungarian economy (state; semi-private, composed of farm, industrial, and service cooperatives; and private) have shown various degrees of marketing sophistication in applying modern marketing concepts. The political uncertainty inherent in this socialist society has caused the development of a precarious marketing culture.

A systematic process for developing special services cooperatives in rural school districts

A Systematic Process for Developing Special Service Cooperatives in Rural School Districts Lois Widvey Carl E. Edeburn Robert S. Ristow South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota Problems created when small rural districts attempt to meet the general educational needs of students involve curriculum, financing, staffing, scheduling and trensportation, and these problems are compounded when dealing with programs for the handicapped and eifted. The development of educational service cooperatives is a must if small, rural school systems are to provide the essential services needed for quality education. The authors designed a needs assessment model to establish the existing status and requirements of general and special education in eight small rural districts which were interested in forming an educational cooperative. Additional emphasis was placed upon potenttal expansion areas which would improve services beyond minimum requirements as established by state law. In accomplishing this, the authors (a) synthesized the major areas or need into workable components, (b) resigned a needs assessment instrument based upon these components, (c) identified a balanced sample of educators, parents, and board members to respond to tha instruemnt, and (d) analyzed the responses and summarized the findings. The process that was the focus of the study served to provide a viable, systematic means to analyse thpercepLion of a sample of all members of a school district, with the results r ilyzed in a succinct manner that provided the administrators with the necessary data for the establishment and expansion of educational service cooperatives.