This book presents a study of cooperatives as a two-layer entrepreneurial model, and analyzes cooperative enterprises. Above all, it explores how inducements (from the firm) and contributions (from its members, in their respective roles) are aligned, and seeks to answer the question of what this means for managing each cooperative as a firm as well as a group.
The book is divided into three parts, the first of which begins with an analysis of specific aspects of cooperative enterprises, with a focus on the added value of cooperation, the weighing of interests, and a behavioral perspective on the imminent communities and their goals. In a structured approach, the book examines the various facets of relationships in cooperatives on a transactional, financial and control level. Further, a case study on the Dutch cooperative Rabobank illustrates what happens when members fail. In turn, part two concentrates on integrating the lessons learned with the existing economic literature on cooperatives, so as to contribute to a theory of cooperative management. Finally, the book links the theoretical approach to practice: in the third part, it reports on the outcomes of using a computerized simulation game to show members of cooperatives how to manage their business and the cooperative business at the same time, enabling them to understand and actively practice two-level entrepreneurship.
Gert van Dijk is Distinguished Professor of Social Venturing and Cooperative Economics at TIAS, School for Business and Society, Tilburg University. He is Emeritus Professor of Cooperative Business Administration and Management at Nyenrode Business Universiteit and Emeritus Professor of Theory and Practice of Cooperation in the Department of Marketing at Wageningen University. He was Director General of the Netherlands Council of Cooperatives till 2008 and President of the European Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives till 2012. He is Director of the Netherlands Institute of Cooperative Entrepreneurship and visiting professor at MAICH, the Mediterranean Agronomics Institute of Chania, CIHEAM-MAICh. Studied Animal Husbandry and Genetics at the Agricultural University of Wageningen and Economics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he earned his PhD. He was (senior) lecturer at both these universities for a number of years. Subsequently he was Director of Multidisciplinary Research Studies at the Organization for Applied Physical Research (TNO) and later became Director of Studies for Agricultural Policy Research at Wageningen University. He was member of the Board of Directors of Rabobank Nederland and presently acts as independent chairman of New Generation Cooperatives in South Africa.
Panagiota Sergaki is an Associate Professor of Cooperative Economics in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece. She holds a BSc in Agricultural Economics from the Agricultural University of Athens, a MSc in Management and Economic Sciences from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (MAICh/ CHIHEAM) and a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has published more than 80 articles in several refereed scientific journals, book chapters and conference proceedings. Her research interests are in agribusiness management, agricultural cooperation, networking, institutional economics and agricultural policy. She has participated in several EU programs. She is also involved in social enterprises and cooperatives in Greece.
George Baourakis is the Director of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, CIHEAM–MAICh since June 2012, and the Studies and Research Coordinator of the Business Economics and Management Department of MAICh since 1989.He has co-ordinated and participated in a large number of EU (FP 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th, INTERREG I, II and III-Archimed, MED, ENPI CBC MED, Tempus, Phare, Life, Lifelong Learning, Leonardo Da Vinci, European Social Fund, etc), international and national-regional research projects. He is an Affiliate Professor in Marketing and Supply Chain Management, at the Centre of Entrepreneurship, Nyenrode University, The Netherlands Business School, while he has been appointed as Distinguished Research Fellow in Food Marketing-Management at several universities. He has published numerous papers in internationally refereed scientific journals, presented extensively at international conferences and authored/co-authored several scientific and academic books and special issues which have been distributed by renowned publishing houses.
