Search results

The purpose of this paper is to understand the emergence of new, multi‐stakeholder co‐operatives in China and identify their resource mix structure, as well as the influence of institutional environments. The empirical observations are related to a conceptual rationale of social enterprises as private businesses, and it is suggested that the new rural co‐operatives found in China are increasingly caught in a “co‐operative trilemma” and an emerging public–private “welfare partnership”.

The paper is developed from a conceptual rationale of social enterprises as private businesses that are not primarily driven by financial profit but by a combination of economic and social objectives, whereby stakeholders from various institutional spheres (market, state and civil society) are increasingly involved. Based upon this, the paper analyses and synthesizes the main findings from 20 cases investigated during fieldwork conducted in China. Data were gathered through a combination of semi‐structured interviews with key figures in the field and documentary analysis.

The main findings show that new co‐operatives in China indeed combine multiple resources, including members’ contributions and institutional capital, public financial support and market sales, as well as private non‐market resources such as volunteering and donations. This empirical observation provides further evidence of the transformation process of Chinese rural co‐operatives from classic mutual aids to a new model with a more outward community orientation and a multi‐stakeholder character. Moreover, it was found that institutional environments facilitate or discourage co‐operatives’ multiple resources formation. Based upon this empirical evidence it is seen how new Chinese rural co‐operatives are caught in a “co‐operative trilemma”, finding themselves “at the crossroads of market, public policy and civil society” and involved in an emerging public‐private “welfare partnership”.

The research has implications for research on co‐operatives and social enterprises in China, as well as policy implications with regard to the development of more favourable institutional support for co‐operatives as rural third‐sector organizations.

By addressing three research questions the paper contributes to the literature on the emergence of multi‐stakeholder co‐operatives in China (and in developing countries more generally) and contributes to the literature on the capital structure of co‐operatives from practice and policy perspectives. Based upon evidence from China, the paper helps to explain how these newly emerging rural co‐operatives in China, which are struggling against capital constraints when facing a highly competitive environment and trying to catch up through a process of diversification, just like many contemporary co‐operatives in the West, are finding themselves caught in a new co‐operative trilemma.

The aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis has accelerated a pre‐existing process of ethical approach in the banking industry. Today, all banks claim to be socially, environmentally and economically committed with the philosophy of sustainable finance. The purpose of this paper is to show that, beyond the outward similarities, there are three different types of banking approach, each reflecting a distinct business model: banks whose ethical/social approach is mainly based on what they say, represented by universal banks; banks whose ethical/social approach is based on what they are, essentially the co‐operative banks; banks whose ethical/social approach is based on what they do, the so‐called ethical banks.

The paper bases its argument on the German banking industry, which is a big European country with a fairly diversified banking sector. The paper examines three types of sources for each of the above‐mentioned categories of banks: the social and environmental reporting, the conformity or not with the principles of the social and solidarity‐based economy and the different types of financial activities as reflected in their balance sheet.

The paper concludes that more ethical behaviour leads to both economic performance and social gains which increase wealth for all partners.

The proposed methodology could be extended to other European banking systems to discuss their implications as regards corporate social responsibility.

This contribution will help the reader to evaluate banking communication as regards corporate social responsibility in their daily activity.

This research will give an insight based on the documents published by banking institutions to measure their implication on corporate social responsibility.

The purpose of this paper is to present theoretical synopsis of risk balancing hypothesis (RBH) and estimate empirical models examining debt, savings and debt-to-equity use decisions of small US farms.

The authors use primary survey data from Tennessee and generalized linear models (GLMs).

The study’s findings suggest that the perceived higher business risk (BR) significantly increases the extent of debt use, savings use and debt-to-equity of small farmers. Moreover, results indicate that factors such as age and education of the operator, family involvement, incomes, land acreage, adoption of alternative on-farm enterprises and farmers' continuation plan significantly influence the financing decisions of small farm operations.

The authors investigated an essential empirical question examining the risk balancing behavior of small US farm operations. While risk balancing has been a theme of several studies, none of the previous studies have specifically looked at the behavior in the context of small US farms. The theoretical synopsis and empirical findings contribute to the literature of risk balancing, debt use and savings use decisions and the policy discussions on farm financial and support strategies.

The emergence of the network society has major consequences for the role played by environmental scientists. They are assumed to be able to contribute to new institutional arrangements for collective action. Through deliberations and organised discourses, environmental scientists are expected to help stakeholders to define common ground for action and the sharing of individual problem solving capacities. This paper discusses the consequences of changes in the nature of decision‐making in the area of sustainability for the concepts and instruments to be used. As a new learning context the policy laboratory is introduced. Special attention is given to three major types of instruments: gaming, interactive methods and group decision support systems.

Networks are by now popular inter-organizational coordination modes. However, there is still much to know regarding how networks are governed and how their governance develops and changes through time.

This paper addresses the research question how does the governance form of networks develops over time by empirically studying the European telecommunications regulatory network using a case study approach.

We find that the network’s governance system is determined by the dialectical tension between network members (National Regulatory Agencies) and an external very influential body (the European Commission).

This tension unifies the group in the classic external conflict–internal cohesion fashion. We also identify a second dialectical tension internal to the network among its members. The tensions are triggered by evaluations carried out by an external actor (the European Commission). In general, the process observed confirms the propositions that predict a formalizing of the governance as the network grows older.

This research is based on a single case, a broader analysis of other regulatory networks among network industries at the European Union level will help researchers to establish a more comprehensive picture on the development of the governance form of this specific subset of goal-directed networks.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of volunteerism in three different case countries, namely, that of USA, UK and China while highlighting the role of the state, society and social capital.

The paper reviews the extant literature on the volunteering traditions in the chosen case study countries highlighting the idiosyncrasies while analysing implications for future research.

The paper highlights the role of the state, society and social capital in the chosen countries, each deriving its origins from the specific traditions in those countries.

This paper provides a conceptual review focusing on the key literature in the field. The authors have examined various academic texts and published materials.

This paper provided an update critically discussion on the concept of volunteerism in three different case countries.

This paper is highly relevant to academics and social policy makers. Moreover, this paper has been written from an international context.

The paper makes an original contribution by comparing and contrasting three important countries with different histories and traditions of volunteerism highlighting diversity of type and application.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the roles and competencies of boundary spanners in the context of collaboration. It aims to examine the problematic nature of these roles, and to consider the communalities between different types of boundary spanner. It then seeks to interrogate the extent to then seeks which managing in collaboration is different from managing in single organizations, and to question whether it should be undertaken by a dedicated cadre of actors or mainstreamed into all professional, leadership and management practice.

This is an exploratory paper that draws both on a critical review of the literature and contemporary research by the author.

The paper suggests that there are different types of boundary spanner pursuing different roles, but argues that there is a considerable degree of communality between them and the competencies required to undertake them especially in relation to reticulism, communication, co-ordination and entrepreneurial skill. Boundary spanners face considerable challenges in dealing with tensions and ambiguities arising from complexity, multiple accountabilities and governance forms. The question of whether managing in collaboration is different to managing in hierarchies remains contested.

The paper has direct implications for the training and development of boundary spanners either as dedicated actors or as an integral part of professional, managerial and leadership roles.

The value of this paper lies in its focus on the role of agency within collaboration, its identification of different types of boundary spanner, and its critical analysis of the competencies and challenges they face in contemporary public management.