Im Mittelpunkt steht die Entwicklung und Gewichtung des Gegenseitigkeitsprinzips bei Versicherungsvereinen auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG) in Österreich. Beginnend mit den ersten Gründungen von VVaG führen die Forschungen bis in die Gegenwart und stellen die jeweiligen Entwicklungsphasen der Gegenseitigkeit dar. Die dabei erkennbare schrittweise Verdünnung des Gegenseitigkeitsprinzips in den VVaG bzw. die phasenweise Modifizierung des Gegenseitigkeitsgedankens werden sowohl für Österreich als auch mittels internationaler Beispiele in Form von Länderstudien präsentiert.

Der Internationale Genossenschaftsbund weckt mit seiner Blaupause für eine Dekade der Genossenschaften 2012-2020 unrealistische Erwartungen. Dieser Text wurde in einem Kolloquium im November 2013 in Marburg diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse dieser kritischen Analyse liegen jetzt in gedruckter Form auch in englischer Sprache vor.

In this ground-breaking book, Jörg Radtke offers for the first time within research, a comprehensive insight into the range of organizational structures of community energy projects in Germany and their contribution to the Energiewende. Based on nationwide quantitative survey data and in-depth analyses of selected case studies of solar, wind and geothermal projects, Radtke documents the social structure and motivations of participating citizens. He examines new forms of material participation, community building and co-determination within the mostly volunteer-led community energy projects based on the civic engagement patterns of active “green citizens”. The author identifies a new form of individualistic participation and collective modes of action in line with new types of project-oriented participation between business, politics and civil society within sustainability transformation processes of the early 21st century.

This book brings the focus of corporate responsibility back to the people who are driving change in contemporary practice. Expanding current conceptualizations of CSR, the chapters come together to explore the work of a range of individuals in charge of CSR practices in contributing to societal good. Including topics such as leadership, social entrepreneurship, responsible management education, non-profit organizations and citizen activism, it aims to expand current mainstream understanding of the role individuals have in shaping CSR theory, practice, policies, and discourses.

This book offers a comparative analysis of credit cooperative systems across 23 European countries. Cooperative banking has an important place in the financial, economic and social life of most European countries, and while cooperative banks, credit mutuals, credit cooperatives and credit unions share the spirit of cooperation and mutuality, they often have very different features, history and development. The book examines the evolution and current model of each credit cooperative system, its importance for the national and local banking markets, as well as the impact of the financial crisis on cooperative banking, and also presents the sharp contrasts between these systems throughout the EU. It is of significant scientific and practical interest and enables policymakers, practitioners and academics at European and national levels to deepen their understanding of the evolution of the system and its governance.

This is the ultimate source for anyone who wants a comprehensive view of how the sharing economy began and how it may fundamentally change capitalism across the globe. The Rise of the Sharing Economy: Exploring the Challenges and Opportunities of Collaborative Consumption examines the business phenomenon of the sharing economy, giving readers a thorough analysis of this up-and-coming sector. The book presents a detailed historical perspective of sharing and cooperatives, followed by a discussion of societal factors—predominantly technology—that have facilitated the fast growth of collaborative consumption businesses. Additional chapters offer progressive perspectives on how companies can further commercialize sharing. Written for undergraduate and graduate students studying the collaborative market and for those with entrepreneurial aspirations, this book provides important insight about technology facilities sharing, peer-to-peer lending, grassroots social entrepreneurial efforts, the economics of the sharing economy, legal and public policy issues, and more.

A testimony to Indigenous resilience in business Despite investments in nation building, self-autonomy, and cultural resurgence, Indigenous economic development has remained an underexplored and underestimated area of research. Engraved on Our Nations overturns the discouraging deficit perspective too common in policy and academia and amplifies the largely undocumented history of successful Indigenous economic activity in Canada. Following David Newhouse’s overview of Indigenous economic history, the authors of this collection illustrate how First Nation and Métis individuals and communities have met and overcome an array of challenges. Case studies focus on First Nations from Membertou (Nova Scotia) to Tahltan (British Columbia) and Indigenous-led enterprises like McDonald Brothers Electric (Northwest Territories) and Neechi Commons (Manitoba). Simultaneously celebrating Indigenous entrepreneurs and exploring concerns around sustainable development, the book also asks: can capitalism be Indigenized? This first-of-its-kind collection shares stories not only of entrepreneurial excellence and persistence but savvy leadership, innovation, and reciprocity. In doing so, Engraved on Our Nations provides hope to Indigenous business leaders, youth, and elected officials working on the front lines to improve economic conditions and achieve "a good life" for their communities.

Education programs in social entrepreneurship helps to create and fill jobs devoted to developing the local economy, which has become a dual transfer strategy by which a virtuous circle occurs between a retrofitted educational system based on social entrepreneurship, and vocational students who are highly entrepreneurial. The Handbook of Research on Social Entrepreneurship and Solidarity Economics focuses on practical experience and theoretical models for popularizing the concept of social entrepreneurship as a critical element of economic growth. Emphasizing the ways in which social entrepreneurship benefits developing regions, small and medium enterprises, and low-income communities, this handbook of research is a pivotal reference source for professionals, academics, and graduate-level students in the fields of economics, business administration, sociology, education, politics, and international relations.

The Oxford Handbook of Mutuals and Co-Owned Business investigates all types of 'member owned' organizations, whether consumer co-operatives, agricultural and producer co-operatives, worker co-operatives, mutual building societies, friendly societies, credit unions, solidarity organizations, mutual insurance companies, or employee-owned companies. Such organizations can be owned by their consumers, the producers, or the employees - whether through single-stakeholder or multi-stakeholder ownership. This complex set of organizations is named differently across countries: from 'mutual' in the UK, to 'solidarity cooperatives' in Latin America. In some countries, such organizations are not even officially recognized and thus lack a specific denomination. For the sake of clarity, this Handbook will refer to member-owned organizations to encompass the variety of non-investor-owned organizations, and in the national case study chapters the terms used will be those most widely employed in that country. These alternative corporate forms have emerged in a variety of economic sectors in almost all advanced economies since the time of the industrial revolution and the development of capitalism, through the subsequent creation and dominance of the limited liability company. Until recently, these organizations were generally regarded as a rather marginal component of the economy. However, over the past few years, member-owned organizations have come to be seen in some countries, at least, as potentially attractive in light of their ability to tackle various economic and social concerns, and their relative resilience during the financial and economic crises of 2007-2013.