HOT TOPICS IN CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH

Fiona Duguid, Saint Mary’s UniversityMarcelo Vieta, University of Toronto

Claude Andre Guillotte, IRECUS, University of Sherbrooke

Paul Cabaj, ACCA

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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

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• CoopConvert• Co-operatives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)• Economic Sustainability and Job Creation of Co-operative Enterprises• Economic Impact of Co-operatives on Rural Communities• Early Learning and Child Care Innovation• CASC/ACE and ICA-RC Conference 2019

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• Mapping the Potential for Converting Workplaces and Community Spaces to Cooperatives in Canada

The Canadian SME-Succession Crisis

1.17 million SMEs, 500,000 boomer owners plan to retire in coming years, only between 9-25% have succession plan. Will affect thousands of jobs. Conversions to cooperatives could be a very viable solution. No soli, cross-Canada policies or enabling environments in place, however.

How, When, Why, & Who of Conversions in Canada

Canada has had some successful experiences of BCCs through the leadership of local community developers and co-operative sector federations. But mostly falls under the radar for SME owners, unions, workers, policy makers.

CoopConvert

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• A SSHRC Partnership Development Grant• University of Toronto’s Centre for Learning, Social Economy, & Work (CLSEW)

• Université de Sherbrooke’s Institut de recherche et d’éducation pour les coopératives et les mutuelles (IRECUS)

• Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC)

• Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation

• Co-operativesFirst

CoopConvert

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• TEXT To identify the necessary enabling environments for BCCs in Canada via a mixed-methods approach (SSHRC Insight goals).

Objective

1

• To find a Canadian model of conversions and compare and contrast it to other parts of the world.

• To make BCCs more compelling to retiring owners, workers, unions, policy makers.

1. An international scan of BCC experiences and enabling environments

2. A current Canada-wide data set

3. A survey of retiring SME owners

4. In-depth, semi-structured interviews.

5. Multiple embedded and contextual case studies

CoopConvert

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To build capacity for BCCs in partnership with Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada and the coop sector (SSHRC Connection goals).

Objective

2

• Community cafés with key stakeholders and the general public.

• Presentations to business leaders and provincial government units regarding the conversion option.

• Regular fact sheet-style summaries of the research and how-to guides (in English and French).

• Research dissemination and educational/capacity-building website, social media initiatives, and regular webinars (in English and French)

• Encouraging the formation of a policy committee

• Edited book(s), refereed journal articles, conference presentations, and teaching case studies.

• Building on a national and international network of researchers and co-operative sector developers

CoopConvert

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• Conversion to cooperatives in Canada is currently a hodge-podge of policies, funding models, support mechanisms. Reliant on manycircumstantial situations and whether or not a coop developer ispresent. Not a strong enabling environment, but there could be!

• The process is not well known to business owners, workers, unions, policy makers.

• Disparate funding mechanisms.• Quebec has the most developed eco-system:

“Repreneur d’enterprise,” CQCM, Réseau COOP, CDRs, Centre de transfert d’entreprise du Québec (CTEQ), Confédération des syndicats nationaux, labour funds

CoopConvert

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• What could or needs to happen in Canada:• A national framework for conversions to coops (as in Spain, France, Italy).• An advantageous regulatory environment (taxation, formation, and transition rules) (as in

Spain, France, Italy).• Could fall into a broader social and solidarity law of some sort (as in QC, Spain, France,

Belgium, Italy, etc.).• Promotion of BCC solution targeted to business owners, unions, communities.• Easier access to professional technical assistance (legal, accounting and developmental) (Italy’s

CFI and fondi mutualistici, for eg.).• Access to capital (Italy’s state/coop sector Legge Marcora model, for e.g., or US’s new Work

Act - $500 million in soft loans for ESOPs and worker coops).• A strong federation/association for mutual support and aftercare (as with Europe’s coop

confederations, for eg., or US’s new act including $45 million to expand employee ownership centres).

• Access to ongoing business advisory and support services (Italy’s CFI, for eg.).

CONTACT

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Marcelo Vieta, Assistant ProfessorOISE, University of Toronto

marcelo.vieta@utoronto.ca

@ marcelo-vieta-1a94a24

@VietaMarcelo

Co-operatives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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• This study uses co-ops’ annual reports as sites of inquiry to understand if and how they are engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)• Top 68 co-ops in Canada and top 50 co-ops internationally• Included are annual reports from 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as other reports such as

community, sustainability, social etc.

• Opportunity for Canadian co-ops to:

1) embed the SDG’s into their strategic planning2) talk about their contributions towards the SDGs in outward facing

communications

Understanding Co-operatives in Canada

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1. Economic Sustainability• Understanding economic sustainability of co-operatives over a five-year span

(survival rate)

2. Job Creation and Retention in the Co-operative Sector• Investigating the employment rates, retention and creation over a five-year

span

3. Economic Impact in Rural Canada• Headcount analysis and input-output analysis of the economic impact of

co-operatives in rural Canada

CONTACT

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Fiona Duguid, Research FellowCEARC, Saint Mary’s UniversityWebsite sobey.smu.ca/cearc

Email fduguid@gmail.com

Early Learning and Child Care Innovation

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• Sponsored by Employment and Social Development Canada• Partnered with the Parent Pre-School Co-operative Corporation and Le

Commission nationale des parents francophone• Literature review/key informant interviews on best practices and

innovation in child care and co-operative approaches• Toolkit on co-operative child care managment with focus on business

sustainability

Early Learning and Child Care Innovation

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• Pre-feasibility study – Canadian ELCC Share Service Alliance –structured as a co-operative federation

• Adaptation of best practices in shared services – OpportunitiesExchange (US) London Early Years Foundation (UK), William Co-op(QC)

• Learning event in Toronto May 23 – sponsored in part by The Co-operators – 40 participants including national/provincial child care associations, small day cares/start ups

Canadian ELCC Share Service Alliance

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• Strong interest in moving foward - Canadian ELCC Share Service Alliance - - 14 grouping of service from group buying to assistance in mergers/aquisitions

• CNPF as initial national pilot• Core group in Toronto PCPC, Learning Enrichment Foundation,

Today’s Family, Ottawa Federation of Parent’s Child Care Services• Expansion of William Co-op Group buying outside of Quebec• Co-op sector encouraged to get involved – group buying, start ups

CONTACT

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Paul Cabaj, Interim Executive DirectiveAlberta Community and Co-operative AssociationTelephone: 780-716-4475

paul.cabaj@gmail.com

Co-operative Entrepreneurship Conference Montreal May 27-30, 2019

Canadian Association for the Study of Co-operation (CASC) International Co-operative Alliance – Research Committee (ICA-RC)Association for Co-operative Educators (ACE)

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Co-operative Entrepreneurship Conference

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Highlights• 200 participants, 18 countries, 5 continents• 140 papers, panels and workshops submitted• More than 90 speakers• Keynotes:

• Bruno Roelants, CEO, International Cooperative Alliance• 2 Québec’s coop entrepreneurs

• SSHRC Grant to sponsor travelling of young co-operators

CONTACT

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Claude Andre Guillotte, DirectorIRECUS, University of SherbrookeTelephone (819) 821-8000 poste 63881

claude-andre.guillotte@usherbrooke.ca

Thank you We welcome questions now, during the

conference, or please contact us.

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