Co-operatives in the Fourth Sector

Co-operatives in the Fourth Sector - The Role of Member-Owned Businesses in the Global Economy  is an important contribution to our undersatanding of the member-based nature of co-operative and mutual business and challenges to member ownership and control. Drawn from the research of a cross-section of international scholars, the book was a collaborative project between the University of Western Australia and Co-operatives WA.

The editors identify co-operatives and mutual businesses as part of a fourth sector - separate from the first (investor-owned), government (second) and not-for-profit (third) sectors.

There is a theoretical and practical focus with illustrative case studies from Australia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Philippines and Switzerland.

Following the Global Financial Crisis, co-operatives and mutual businesses have attracted renewed interest - including the renewed interest of academics. This publication reflects and reinforces this renewed interest. The editors are Tim Mazzarol and Elena Mamouni Limnios. Tim is Winthrop Professor at the University of Westerm Australia. Elena is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia.

There are  nine chapters with a total of 16 authors contributing to three parts:

Part 1 - Co-operative Governance and Financing
Part 11 - Member Value Creation
Part 111 -  Co-operatives in Developing Economies

What is common to all contributions is member value and how co-operatives create and maintain value for their members, what is value for members and challenge for all co-operatives.

Co-operatives in the Fourth Sector: The Role of Member-Owned Businesses in the Global Economy
Editors: Tim Mazzarol and Elena Mamouni Limnios
preliminary Edition, Ist Printing
Tilde Publishing and Distribution www.tup.net.au
ISBN: 978-0-7346-1170-3
Price: A$49.95 NZ $59.95 US$49.95
Pages: 186
Released: December 2012