The development of cooperative finance in southern countries; are cooperatives and banks complements or substitutes?

The development of cooperative finance in southern countries; are cooperatives and banks complements or substitutes

Social enterprises and their eco-systems A European mapping report: updated country report, Spain - Study

The evolution and situation of social enterprises in Spain are inevitably linked to the wider framework of the social economy. Although other marginal roots also exist in relation to advocacy associations, social innovation approaches and the contribution of social entrepreneurs, Spain has a long tradition of social economy organisations involved in income-generating activities for social rather than commercial purposes. In fact, the term ‘social economy’ is more recognised by practitioners and society than ‘social enterprise’, although an intense debate is emerging. Currently, there is a dialogue in Spain between two ways of understanding social enterprises and how they stand between the traditional forms of social economy and new business models that balance economic and social aims. One position understands social enterprise as part of the social economy, while the second considers social enterprise as a new field. A recent evolution in the conception of social enterprises fits between these two positions, reaching a common point whereby the concept of social enterprise could be integrated into the social economy framework as the result of the expansion of its borders. Such a perspective is in line with the resolution of the Spanish Parliament, which understood Law 5/2011 on the Social Economy to be the legal framework for social enterprises in Spain. This law offers a legal framework for all entities that form the social economy, such as those that traditionally belonged to the social economy, as well as for all other model of enterprises whose economic activity is based on the principles of social economy. These principles are in accordance with the working definition of social enterprise in Annex 1, although the latter is characterised by an emphasis on the general interest and the participatory governance of these organisations. In all, Law 5/2011 has the flexibility to become the legal framework for social enterprises in Spain. Some specific business models can be characterised as social enterprises in Spain. Firstly, those with a long tradition in the provision of social services and/or goods and services to vulnerable people which apply a method of production with a social objective, and which are regulated, sometimes as specific legal forms, and other times via social qualification of liability companies. These models are social initiative cooperatives (CIS), work integration social enterprises (WISE) – which include two sub-models, namely employment integration enterprises (EI) and special employment centres of social initiative (CEE) – and some associations and foundations with economic activities

The impact of network arrangements on risk taking and efficiency of local cooperative banks. The case of local cooperative Rabobanks

The impact of network arrangements on risk taking and efficiency of local cooperative banks. The case of local cooperative Rabobank

New immigrant struggles in Italy's logistics industry

The wave of strikes in the logistics sector since 2008 is by far the most important struggle that has developed in Italy in the wake of the global economic crisis. In this article we reflect on its potential for the renewal of the labour movement. We ground our discussion in an analysis of global production transformations and migration as a factor of working class re-composition. We show that in Italy the crisis is determining an acute process of deindustrialisation, while austerity and harshening immigration restrictions are reinforcing the deregulation and racialisation of employment relation. Deindustrialisation, however, is matched by the growth of the logistics sector and its reorganisation along the lines of Just-in-Time production, which actually strengthens workers' bargaining power at the point of production. After describing working conditions in the sector, we present the main characteristics of logistics struggles. The mainly immigrant logistics workers have been able to exercise their power through blockades and strikes, obtaining improved agreements with some of the main logistics companies. In a context of increasingly generalised precarity, these struggles can inspire workers in other sectors and promote a process of international class re-composition

Government R&D subsidies and international competitiveness of labor-managed firms

The literature postulates that government subsidization of strategic R&D activities of profit maximising firms (PMFs) increases their shares in international markets. Will this also hold for labor-managed firms (LMFs) which are owned by employees and aim to maximize the profit per labor? This paper provides a theoretical model that examines how such governmental interventions can help LMFs in their home countries to compete better with PMFs in international markets. Our model shows that in most, but not all cases, investing more in R&D activities benefits LMFs by increasing their shares in international markets and decreasing the market share of their competitors. The optimal government R&D subsidy or tax for LMFs depends on the R&D elasticity of LMFs as well as how their competitors react to R&D investment. In contrast, the optimal government R&D subsidy for PMFs depends solely on the slope of the R&D reaction curve of their competitors. Our results present useful policy implications for those governments that seek ways to support LMFs - or more broadly cooperatives - to attain more sustained growth given their advantages over PMFs in the context of sustainable development