How cooperatives generate and absorb social capital has attracted a great deal of attention due to the fact that they are collective organizations owned and democratically managed by their members, and, accordingly, are argued to be closely linked to the nature and dynamics of social capital. However, the extant literature and knowledge on the relationship between cooperatives and social capital remain unstructured and fragmented. This paper aims to provide a narrative literature review that integrates both sides of the relationship between cooperatives and social capital. On the one hand, one side involves how cooperatives create internal social capital and spread it in their immediate environment, and, on the other hand, it involves how the presence of social capital promotes the creation and development of cooperatives. In addition, our theoretical framework integrates the dark side of social capital, that is, how the lack of trust, reciprocal relationships, transparency, and other social capital components can lead to failure of the cooperative. On the basis of this review, we define a research agenda that synthesizes key trends and promising research avenues for further advancement of theoretical and empirical insights about the relationship between cooperatives and social capital, placing particular emphasis on rural and agricultural cooperatives.

This paper analyses the differences between the wages received by workers in cooperative and capitalist firms in Spain using a sample constructed from administrative data. This paper shows that size and the sign of the wage gap depend on economic sector, type of cooperative and the wage distribution. This approach let us explain some contradictory results obtained in previous literature. Additionally, the wage gap decomposition used let us identify the causes for this gap.

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Scaling social impact and solutions beyond the local context is argued to embody a key mechanism for social enterprises (SEs) to contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to generate welfare-enhancing systemic change. In light of this, this article explores the potential of SE international expansion as a catalyst for scaling social impact across borders. From our reading of the literature, we discern three major typologies of cross-border scaling: Control-based, altruism-based, and hybrid. Drawing on a multiple-case study of nine international SEs, we examine why and how SEs deploy these scaling strategies on an international scale; the challenges to maximize social impact across borders associated with each of the scaling strategies, and the resources and actions that SEs can mobilize to manage such challenges associated with international expansion. Contrary to conventional wisdom and mainstream theory depicting SEs as small-sized organizations that suffer from different limitations to expand beyond their traditional national boundaries, our findings illustrate how these organizations can successfully operate on an international scale and simultaneously generate financial, social, and environmental value.

Recibido: 22 de septiembre de 2017 / Aceptado: 1 de marzo de 2018 Resumen. Este artículo analiza, desde una perspectiva teórica, la relación entre capital social y cooperativas atendiendo a un doble enfoque. Por un lado, se aborda la capacidad de las cooperativas para crear capital social y extenderlo en sus entornos locales. En este sentido, se identifican diversas características organizativas de las cooperativas que pueden promover la generación interna de capital social, así como algunos mecanismos clave que intermedian en la difusión del capital social a nivel comunitario. Por otro lado, se aborda la influencia del capital social regional en el emprendimiento cooperativo. En este ámbito, se analiza cómo diversos factores relacionados con el capital social pueden promover la creación de cooperativas en una determinada región. Así mismo, a partir de una extensa revisión de la literatura sobre capital social, emprendimiento y organizaciones cooperativas, se propone una agenda para la investigación futura en la que se destacan algunas limitaciones fundamentales de la literatura previa y se plantean propuestas para avanzar en nuestra comprensión sobre la relación bidireccional entre capital social y cooperativas. El artículo discute también las implicaciones prácticas de los resultados obtenidos y sus consecuencias para importantes líneas de debate en la literatura académica actual.

We focus on the role of entrepreneurs in organizations that are structured as cooperatives. In considering the similarities and differences among various forms of entrepreneurship, a comprehensive definition of the cooperative entrepreneur is formulated. A model illustrating four variations in the manner in which cooperative entrepreneurship contributes to the creation of cooperatives is also presented. These contributions help to more clearly frame future research and lend visibility to the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the cooperative context. RésuméCet article porte sur le rôle des entrepreneurs dans les organisations structurées comme des coopératives. L'examen des similarités et des différences entre les diverses formes d'entrepreneuriat permet de proposer une définition détaillée de l'entrepreneur de coopérative. Un modéle illustrant quatre variations dans la maniére dont l'entrepreneuriat de coopérative contribue á la création des coopératives est également présenté. Les résultats obtenus permettent de définir plus clairement les problématiques des recherches futures et de cerner les défis auxquels font face les entrepreneurs dans les coopératives.3) innovator; 4) decision maker; 5) industrial leader; 6) manager or superintendent; 7) coordinator of economic resources; 8) owner of an enterprise; 9) employer of production factors; 10) contractor; 11) arbitrageur; and 12) allocator of resources among alternative uses.

Work integration social enterprises (WISEs) exist to fight poverty and social exclusion. They offer support and guidance to those at risk of exclusion to help these individuals join the labour market. This study examines the relationship between social enterprises (specifically, work integration social enterprises) and their social impact, considered here in the form of social sustainability. This article presents the results of empirical analysis of 62 Spanish work integration social enterprises using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The article focuses on the entrepreneurial characteristics of the companies' founders and managers as drivers of social value creation. Specifically, the study examines their entrepreneurial traits, capabilities, orientation, and behaviour. The results show the importance of the training that social entrepreneurs receive, as well as the structure and planning of social enterprises.