Seminar Presentation

Cooperatives are entering in a new dynamic to promote their organizational identity. Cooperatives express the need to assert their differences and rediscover the relevant characteristics of their own business model. They seek to highlight their "good practices" and improve some others. As a consequence, the implementation of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept is a natural and logical step in the assertion of the cooperative identity. Proving today that one is "socially responsible" has become an obligation due to market and consumers. Law often increases the transparency requirements of big compagnies, in order to preserve the shareholders power. An unlisted company does not have to deal with this logic.

However, many cooperatives choose for several reasons this reporting method. They always acted in a "social" way. And these actions are often listed in many internal publications. However, these companies do not necessarily meet the Anglo-Saxon dominating standards, which influence the global debate on CSR. Cooperatives are generally following "their own way". Furthermore, CSR principles have been a constant practice since their origin, and even before the CSR concept was defined. This seminar aims to provide an additional light on CSR and to work together build, in the future, new CSR criteria, which could be more relevant for cooperatives.

Presentations made during the Seminar