Portuguese social solidarity cooperatives between recovery and resilience in the context of covid-19: preliminary results of the COOPVID Project

Abstract

posed several challenges to all organisations in general and to social solidarity cooperatives in particular. However, the challenges faced by these cooperatives have unique features arising from their special characteristics compared to other types of cooperatives. Therefore it is vital to study these challenges and the impacts of covid-19. This study has as main goal to understand those challenges and their impact. An exploratory study was undertaken by applying 11 interviews to 11 social solidarity cooperatives. The cooperatives were chosen to be heterogeneous among the existent cooperatives in Portugal. This study corresponds to the first phase of a project that is still underway. This article presents the main results of the content analysis of the data collected from the interviews. Data show cooperatives could promptly adapt and continue their mission under pressure from the pandemic despite the first difficulties encountered in a new and unknown situation, showing a capacity to adapt and serve their members. However, these members were also submitted to several increasing and new challenges. The adaptations were possible due to legal changes in the work organisa-CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa I.S.S.N.: 0213-8093 Nº104/2022, pp. 233-266 tion law, from layoff to telework, government support involving financial programs, VAT, and other tax relaxation, as well as due to human resources reorganisation and the cooperatives' staff positive attitude towards the difficulties (both leaders and general workers). Differences between the social solidarity cooperatives under study concerning digital technologies showed that those already having some infrastructure had minor adapting difficulties.

Employee-Owned Businesses’ Responses During the Pandemic: Economic, Non-Economic Goal and Democratic Resilience and Their Link to Ownership, Control and Benefit

“…Our paper extends understanding of the interplay of ownership, control and benefit by considering (dis)benefit in the form of financial reserves and debt burden. In concluding that length and level of EO, to a greater extent than financial resource, play a role in non-economic goal resilience, we add explanatory depth to the literature on job protection in EOBs (Birchall and Hammond Ketilson, 2009;Smith and Rothbaum, 2013;Ollé-Espluga and Bartoll, 2019) and avoidance of lay-offs during the pandemic (Prushinskaya et al, 2021;Meira et al, 2022). The paper also makes a meaningful contribution to debates about the future of work in a post-pandemic world (Ashford et al, 2020;Leach et al, 2021) by demonstrating the importance of EOB longevity to economic and non-economic goal resilience, and the role of level of EO to non-economic and democratic resilience.…”

“…Emerging evidence of EOB non-economic goal performance during the pandemic renders a picture of employment protection (Prushinskaya et al, 2021;Meira et al, 2022) where there is financial "resource slack" (Borzaga, Carini and Tortia, 2022) and continued generation of profit (Billiet et al, 2021). The indications are that employee-owner decision-making control over financial benefit appears significant for non-economic goal resilience.…”

Cooperatives and the Use of Artificial Intelligence: A Critical View

“…Many social economy organisations have undergone a forced DT c.f. [3,4]. However, this fact has given organisations the impetus to reflect on opportunities for innovation.…”

Otimização De Custos Nos Processos Aquisitivos? Uma Análise Às Ipss Do Alto Minho

“…2 MEIRA, D. et al (2022). Portuguese social solidarity cooperatives between recovery and resilience in the context of covid-19: preliminary results of the COOPVID Project, Revista de Economía Pública,Social y Cooperativa,104,…”