Industry Partners
Overview & Aims
This project's objective was to develop a better understanding of the co-operative and mutual enterprise (CME) business model. It addressed four research objectives.
Despite their significance there is relatively little research available on drivers of the Co-operative business model and what makes it both unique and competitive. This study addressed these issues and assisted the co-operative and mutual enterprise (CME) sector at the state and federal level.
A feature of this co-operative studies research program was the formation of an international network of around 40 researchers who collaborated on the development of a Research Handbook on Sustainable Co-operative Enterprise. This book was published by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2014.
Research Questions
- What causes CMEs to give up their mutuality?
- How it the value of membership measured and valued?
- What is best practice in CME management?
- How do CMEs successfully participate in financial markets without losing their mutuality?
Research Methdology
The Research Team
Prof. Tim Mazzarol
CERU Director
Dr. Elena Mamouni Limnios
ARC APDI Research Fellow
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Prof. John Watson
Chief Investigator UWA
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E/Prof Geoff Soutar
Chief Investigator UWA
Prof. Kadambot Siddique
Chief Investigator UWA
Johannes Kresling
Research Assistant
Research Publications
Research book
Co-operatives in the Fourth Sector: The role of Member-Owned Businesses in the Global Economy
Tim Mazzarol & Elena Mamouni Limnios (Eds)
Tilde Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-7346-1170-3
Co-operatives in the Fourth Sector: The Role of Member-Owned Businesses in the Global Economy contributes to the development of a better understanding of co-operative and mutual business, and how the member-focused nature of co-operatives is the fundamental driver of their success. Part I of this book contains four chapters that deal with the governance and financing of co-operatives. Part II includes two international cases that explore the significance of delivering member value to ensure co-operative sustainability. Part III, then, contains three chapters that examine the potential contribution of co-operatives in developing economies. Drawn from the research of a cross-section of international scholars, this work was a collaborative project between The University of Western Australia and Co-operatives WA.
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Research book
Research Handbook on Sustainable Co-operative Enterprise
Tim Mazzarol, Sophie Reboud, Elena Mamouni Limnios & Delwyn Clark (Eds)Edward Elgar Publishing ISBN: 978-0-85793-777-3
This book is a detailed examination of the co-operative enterprise business model and the factors that help to enhance its sustainability and resilience, and those forces that lead to its destruction. The authors synthesize theories of business model design and strategic and marketing management to examine the forces that sustain and enhance co-operative enterprise. Organised into six themes and focussed on five key research questions, the chapters explore case studies from around the world and across a wide range of industries. This comprehensive work expands upon existing research whilst introducing new concepts and will appeal to both academics and practitioners. It will also interest managers of co-operative enterprises and those who seek to better understand this unique type of business model.