Cooperatives and Local Development: Theory and Applications for the 21st Century: Theory and Applications for the 21st Century

First Published in 2004. The market economy has changed profoundly over the past two centuries. In the nineteenth century, business enterprises were largely single-product ventures, managed directly by the owners and rooted within national economies. In the twentieth century, firms employed managers who were not owners. Firms also evolved into multiproduct, multiunit entities that could employ thousands of workers. In the twenty-first century, many firms operate on a global scale, taking advantage of free trade policies and rapidly evolving computer and telecommunications technologies. Given this potential, it is crucial that producers, consumers, economic developers, and researchers realize how co-ops can promote local economic and community development. Hence, this book includes the perceptions of experts on a variety of cooperative issues, including the challenges involved in starting a co-op and in understanding its impact on surrounding communities. This book can be especially useful because it provides the theoretical foundations and practical applications of cooperative behavior. Introduction: Cooperative Theory nd Its Applications for the Twenty-First Century / Christopher D. Merrett, Norman Walzer -- Understanding Cooperative Theory -- History of Cooperatives / Brett Fairbairn -- The Evolution of the Cooperative Model / Kim Zeuli -- Obstacles to Cooperation / Lee Egerstrom -- Public Policy Issues -- Legal Framework of Cooperative Development / Mark J. Hanson -- Finance and Taxation / Jeffrey S. Royer -- Management Issues -- Understanding Cooperative Behavior: The Prisoners' Dilemma Approach / Joan Fulton -- Creating Value in a Knowledge-based Agriculture: A Theory of New Generation Cooperatives / Peter Goldsmith -- Cooperatives in Economic Development -- The Challenges Facing Cooperative Marketers and Bargaining Cooperatives in Today's Food System / David J. Schaffner -- Producer Marketing Through Cooperatives / Randall E. Torgerson -- Measuring the Economic Impact of Producer Cooperatives / F. Larry Leistritz -- Cooperatives in Community Development -- Consumer Ownership in Capitalist Economies: Applications of Theory to Consumer Cooperation / Ann Hoyt -- The Business of Relationships / Greg MacLeod Cover Half Title Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes Preface 1. Introduction: Cooperative Theory and Its Applications for the Twenty-First Century Part I. Understanding Cooperative Theory 2. History of Cooperatives 3. The Evolution of the Cooperative Model 4. Obstacles to Cooperation Part II. Public Policy Issues 5. Legal Framework of Cooperative Development 6. Finance and Taxation Part III. Management Issues 7. Understanding Cooperative Behavior: The Prisoners' Dilemma Approach 8. Creating Value in a Knowledge-based Agriculture: A Theory of New Generation Cooperatives Part IV. Cooperatives in Economic Development 9. The Challenges Facing Cooperative Marketers and Bargaining Cooperatives in Today's Food System 10. Producer Marketing Through Cooperatives 11. Measuring the Economic Impact of Producer Cooperatives Part V. Cooperatives in Community Development 12. Consumer Ownership in Capitalist Economies: Applications of Theory to Consumer Cooperation 13. The Business of Relationships About the Contributors Index Merrett and Walzer, both of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, argue that individuals in rural communities can achieve economic and social objectives as a group that they could not achieve as sole producers, workers, or consumers. They collect contributions reviewing classic texts, current literature, and case studies relevant to co-ops and community-based economic development. Contributors in law, agricultural economics, agribusiness, and consumer science trace the history of cooperatives, describe various approaches involved, and examine the effects that cooperatives can have on local development. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR