Symposia
Australia-Italy Comparative Co-operative Symposium 25th Jul 2013
The Co-operative Research Group will host the third and final symposia related to the Italy/Australia Co-operatives Research Project on Thursday 25 July and Friday 26 July 2013. This project brings together co-operative researchers from Italy and Australia to compare the state of the co-operative sector and focuses on particular issues.
Venue
Women's College
University of Sydney, Thursday 25 July and Friday 26 July 2013Any questions please contact Greg Patmore
... more »Symposium on Job Satisfaction and Worker Co-operatives 24th Jul 2013
This symposium explores the relationship between worker co-operatives and job satisfaction. Are worker co-operatives more successful in increasing worker satisfaction than other forms of business enterprise? The keynote speaker is Pier Angelo Mori, from the School of Economics and Management at the University of Trento in Italy and a leading expert on social and worker co-operatives. Other speakers include Anthony Jensen form the University of Sydney and Dave Kerin from the Earthworker Co-operative.
Venue
Darlington Centre School Meeting Room 6,
University of Sydney, from 10.30 am - 2.30 pm.more »
From Co-operative Year to Co-operative Decade - A New Era in Co-operative Business Development 22nd Mar 2013
The first talk for 2013 in the CRG seminar series will be held on Friday 22 March from 1pm to 2pm in Room 214/215 in the Economics and Business Building, The University of Sydney.
The topic will be '"From co-operative year to co-operative decade - a new era in co-operative business development" by Melina Morrison.
A light lunch will be provided.
For catering purposes, please contact Anna White at wos.admin@sydney.edu.au by noon on Tuesday 19 March.
Abstract: 2012 marked ... more »
Co-operatives Research Group Symposium - Co-operatives, Energy and Sustainability 3rd Sep 2012
This symposium explores the role that co-operatives can play in energy generation and ensuring sustainability. The keynote speaker is Pier Angelo Mori, who is a Professor of Economics at the University of Florence and leading expert on power co-operatives. There will be a number of issues discussed including current technology and the applicability of the co-operative model to energy generation, particularly at a community Level. There will be a presentation on Australia's first energy sector co-operative and also a view from the non-coop energy private sector.
Download presentations:
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Managing Consumer Co-operatives - A Historical Perspective 23rd Mar 2012
The topic will be 'Managing Consumer Co-operatives - A Historical Perspective' by Nikola Balnave (Macquarie University) and Greg Patmore (The University of Sydney). Drawing from historical sources this paper explores the particular issues that consumer co-operatives face in everyday management such as start-ups, capital raising, marketing and labour relations. The paper is a preliminary paper that will be presented and further developed at the Global History Consumer Co-operative Project conference in Stockholm in May.
A light lunch will be provided.
For catering purposes, please contact Anna White at more »
Symposium on The Role of Co-operatives in Indigenous Communities 12th Dec 2011
This one day symposium brought together practitioners and scholars from Australian, Canada and New Zealand to explore the role of co-operatives in indigenous communities. The symposium was opened by Ms Jody Broun, Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. Keynote addresses were given by Mary Nirlungayuk (Vice President, Arctic Co-operatives, Winnipeg Canada) and Ian MacPherson (Emeritus Professor of History, University of Victoria, Canada). Papers were also given by Peter Mason, CEO of the Credit Union Foundations of Australia, Dr Nikki Balnave from Macquarie University and Dr Leanne Cutcher, Acting Director of the CRG.
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The Disconnect: 'Co-operatives' Theory and Practice 21st Oct 2011
In this seminar Gary will share recollections of researching and writing co-operative history, his motivations for doing so and reasons for desisting, to wit, a perception that a disconnect exists between the integrity of co-operative's theory and the capacity of contemporary practitioners to give it expression.
Gary is a leading authority on Australian co-operatives' history with more than 25 years of experience in researching, writing and speaking on co-operatives within Australia and abroad.
He is the author of several books on financial, producer and consumer co-operatives including; The Democracy Principle: Farmer Co-operatives in Twentieth Century ... more »
Advancing The Cooperative Movement in Australia and Italy Symposium 21st Jul 2011
The second symposium of Australia - Italy Co-operatives Research Group met in Trento, Italy between the 21st and 23rd, July 2011. The symposium, hosted by EuRISCE and the University of Trento, was opened by Murray Cobban, the former Australian Ambassador to Italy and now the University of Sydney's Regional Director for Europe. The symposium was attended by fifteen Italian academics researching cooperatives in Italy lead by Professor Carlo Borzaga President of EuRISCE. Three representatives from Sydney University attended: Professor Greg Patmore, Dr Martha Knox-Haley, Mr Anthony Jensen and Mr Richard O'Leary from the Macleay Regional Co-operative.
Eighteen ... more »
Global Consumers' Co-operative: A Historical Perspective 19th Nov 2010
This symposium brings together a number of international researchers examining the issue of the history of consumer co-operatives. The symposium raises a number of issues, particularly why consumer co-operatives have been more successful in some countries and regions than others. The speakers are members of a steering committee overseeing the Global Consumers' Co-operative Project, which plans to produce a major publication in 2012, the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives.
The symposium is organised by the Co-operatives Research Group, the University of Sydney Business School and we acknowledge the financial support of the University of Sydney Business ... more »
The Field of Co-operative Studies 17th Nov 2010
Ian Macpherson ... more »
The Rise and Fall of the Berkeley Consumer Co-operative 7th Oct 2010
Professor Greg Patmore ... more »
Co-operative case study: Death of a co-operative 26th Aug 2010
Professor Frank Clarke
The University of SydneyThis preliminary case study challenges the generally claimed proposition that The Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society was overwhelmed in the 1970s, after nearly a century of operations, by the size of its largest competitors. The theme pursued here is that the Store was beaten at its own game. Its management badly misread the extent of members' loyalty to the Rochdale ethos, and were less adept in handling power to bulk-purchase than were its small competitors. Newcastle's corner shops, home-wares and white-goods retailers were more successful at bulk-purchasing than ... more »
The Co-operative Experience in Italy 26th Aug 2010
Professor Francesco Capalbo
Second University of NaplesFrancesco Capalbo's presentation intended to offer an outline of the cooperative experience in Italy. After reporting the legal requirements to be registered as a cooperative, and the connected tax benefits, a data set is presented on the numbers of cooperatives existing in Italy and on their incidence in the different industries.
The recent report (2009) of the Italian Chamber of Commerce depicts a phenomenon accounting for some 6.5% of total occupation in the country, and an 11% of private sector occupation, and for about 4.3% of total added value created ... more »
Plumbers Supplies Co-operative 26th May 2010
Tony Rogic
General Manager Sales & Importing
Plumbers Supplies Co-operative LtdThe Plumbers Supplies Co-operative (PSC) was formed in 1955 in Sydney by a group of "disgruntled" plumbers who weren't getting a good deal on their plumbing supplies from the suppliers at the time. PSC basically is a plumbing products merchant who sells plumbing material to its members through its branches. The Board of Directors consists of 4 Member Directors (one of which is the Chairman) and 2 Executive Directors appointed by the Board. PSC grew, through the decades ... more »
Local Food Co-operatives - Alfalfa House, Enmore 28th Apr 2010
Renata Field
Fruit and Veg Coordinator. Alfalfa House, Community Food Co-op, Enmore, SydneyAlfalfa House is a not-for-profit local food cooperative that aims to provide, where possible, minimally packaged and minimally processed, affordable, wholesome, organic food to its members. Members are encouraged to have direct input into co-op policy such as what products are stocked and what services are offered. Other examples can be found at Manly and the Blue Mountains.
... more »Advancing the Co-operative Movement in Australia and Italy - A Three Year Research Project 15th Feb 2010
The Italian Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Gian Ludovico De Martino Di Monetgiordano opened the inaugural international symposium on the Cooperative Movements in Italy and Australia. The Italian Consul General for NSW, Dr. Latteri, was also in attendance. The symposium's theme was "The Past, Present and The Potential" and was held over three days at the Sydney University Village, The symposium signalled the first joint collaboration between the European Research Institute for Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE) at Trento University, Italy and the newest research group in the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Co-operative Research Group (CRG). ... more »