scholarly journals Responding to Business Succession Issues and Crises by Converting to Cooperatives

Author(s):  
Marcelo Alejandro Vieta

Most of Canada’s 1.2 million small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been affected by the pandemic, compounding serious issues facing Canada’s economy, including the potential for large-scale business closures due to the growing number of retirement-aged owners without a formal succession plan. One social economy option in Canada to save businesses and the jobs they provide is to sell them to employees or community members and convert them to cooperatives. The Conversion to Co-operatives Project set out to better understand business conversion to cooperatives (BCCs) in Canada and help the country’s co-op movement build BCC capacity. This article outlines the project’s key findings to date. RÉSUMÉ La pandémie a entraîné des conséquences sur la plupart des 1,2 millions de petites et moyennes entreprises au Canada, aggravant de sérieux problèmes pour l’économie du pays, y compris la possibilité de fermetures d’entreprises à grande échelle causées par le nombre croissant de propriétaires au seuil de la retraite qui n’ont aucun plan de relève. Au Canada, une option provenant de l’économie sociale pour sauver les entreprises et les emplois qu’elles fournissent serait de les vendre à des employés ou à des membres de la communauté et de les convertir en coopératives. Le Projet de conversion en coopératives a cherché à mieux comprendre la conversion d’entreprise en coopérative (CEC) au Canada et à aider le mouvement coopératif du pays à accroître la capacité en CEC. Cet article présente les données clés du projet à ce jour.

2005 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Stewart

Despite a fair amount of conjecture regarding the circumstances that lead to the generation of status orders, most of the previous literature in this area typically has studied the effects of social cues within a laboratory setting. This article analyzes the evolution of the status hierarchy within a large-scale, natural setting. The results of empirical analyses assessing a large online community of software developers show that in the process of status attainment, community members tend to evaluate a focal actor's reputation according to publicly available social references. Ironically, these same social references also work to constrain an actor's status mobility.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Jason Doyle ◽  
Kevin Filo ◽  
Alana Thomson ◽  
Thilo Kunkel

Delivering community-based benefits is oftentimes cited to justify the high costs associated with hosting large-scale events. The current research is embedded in positive psychology to examine how an event impacts host community members’ PERMA domains, reflected through positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Adopting a longitudinal approach, the authors interviewed 15 host community members before and after a large-scale sport event to determine if and how the event impacted their well-being. The findings uncovered evidence that the event activated positive emotions, relationships, and meaning across both phases, and evidence of accomplishment within the postevent phase. The findings contribute to the knowledge by examining the links between large-scale sport events and well-being throughout the event lifecycle. This research forwards implications for event bidding committees, event organizers, and host community officials to maximize community well-being through hosting large-scale events and to help justify associated expenses from a social–psychological perspective.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ashworth ◽  
Laura Crane ◽  
Robyn Steward ◽  
Melissa Bovis ◽  
Liz Pellicano

Despite a dramatic increase in the amount of autism research taking place, autistic adults often report negative experiences of participating in such research. In other areas where community members report dissatisfaction (e.g., healthcare, criminal justice), ‘passports’ or ‘toolkits’ have been developed. In the current project, we created a Research Passport that could be used by autistic adults and autism researchers when engaging in research. Using a participatory framework, we designed and developed a Research Passport via an iterative design process. First, focus groups with autistic adults (n=9) and autism researchers (n=6) were used to elicit initial ideas for a Research Passport. Findings showed that the Research Passport (1) was perceived to be a useful idea, but not a panacea for all issues in autism research, (2) needed to be universal and flexible, and (3) could have a broad remit (e.g., to record scores on commonly-used standardized tasks that could, with permission, be shared with different researchers). Next, a preliminary evaluation of a prototype Research Passport was conducted via usability testing in three ongoing research projects. Nine autistic participants provided feedback (via a survey), as did three researchers (via interviews). We identified three themes from these data, highlighting how the Research Passport: (1) promoted positive participant-researcher relationships, (2) provided a structure and framework to support existing practices, and (3) needed to be adapted slightly to facilitate usability and manage expectations. Overall, the Research Passport was perceived to be useful in promoting empathetic autism research. Further design and large-scale testing are warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0009307
Author(s):  
Amy C. Morrison ◽  
Julia Schwarz ◽  
Jennie L. Mckenney ◽  
Jhonny Cordova ◽  
Jennifer E. Rios ◽  
...  

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have the potential to identify infectious diseases quickly, minimize disease transmission, and could complement and improve surveillance and control of infectious and vector-borne diseases during outbreaks. The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Joint Science and Technology Office (DTRA-JSTO) program set out to develop novel point-of-need RDTs for infectious diseases and deploy them for home use with no training. The aim of this formative study was to address two questions: 1) could community members in Iquitos, Peru and Phnom Penh, Cambodia competently use RDTs of different levels of complexity at home with visually based instructions provided, and 2) if an RDT were provided at no cost, would it be used at home if family members displayed febrile symptoms? Test kits with written and video (Peru only) instructions were provided to community members (Peru [n = 202]; Cambodia [n = 50]) or community health workers (Cambodia [n = 45]), and trained observers evaluated the competency level for each of the several steps required to successfully operate one of two multiplex RDTs on themselves or other consenting participant (i.e., family member). In Iquitos, >80% of residents were able to perform 11/12 steps and 7/15 steps for the two- and five-pathogen test, respectively. Competency in Phnom Penh never reached 80% for any of the 12 or 15 steps for either test; the percentage of participants able to perform a step ranged from 26–76% and 23–72%, for the two- and five-pathogen tests, respectively. Commercially available NS1 dengue rapid tests were distributed, at no cost, to households with confirmed exposure to dengue or Zika virus; of 14 febrile cases reported, six used the provided RDT. Our findings support the need for further implementation research on the appropriate level of instructions or training needed for diverse devices in different settings, as well as how to best integrate RDTs into existing local public health and disease surveillance programs at a large scale.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6309 ◽  
Author(s):  
José António Porfírio ◽  
Tiago Carrilho ◽  
Joseph Hassid ◽  
Ricardo Rodrigues

Family business succession is a key topic that has attracted considerable attention from researchers, especially in the last decade. Most research, however, is based on case studies with limited applicability and fails to present comparisons across international contexts that highlight differences in succession processes. We apply expectation states theory to analyze a sample of 128 observations in two Southern European countries, Portugal and Greece. We study configurations of successors’ characteristics, family business characteristics, the existence (or absence) of a succession plan, and successors’ motivation to succeed. Our aim is to reveal how these issues affect successors’ perceptions of preparation for succession using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Family businesses are a dominant organizational form all over the world, and succession issues are critical for the sustainability of family businesses. Our findings suggest that different configurations of conditions influence successors’ perceptions of preparation for family business succession. Moreover, we verify the influence of cultural differences on these processes. This research helps fill a gap in the literature, showing the role of a set of characteristics in successors’ perceptions of preparation for family business succession. Our conclusions provide insight into the types of policies that can promote successful family business succession.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
MF Jerin ◽  
SK Mondol ◽  
BC Sarker ◽  
RH Rimi ◽  
S Aktar

This study investigated environmental and socio-economic impacts of brick fields at Bagatipara upazila of Natore district, Bangladesh. A questionnaire survey was conducted at selected community members living at or near brick field areas with aim to assess impacts of brick fields on air, water, soil, vegetation as well as socio-economic conditions. Findings of this study were based on randomly selected respondents’ perception on change of any resource or condition. Crop loss, decreased soil fertility and subsequent reductions in crop production were reported. Trees around brickfields were dusted badly and water quality of nearby water bodies deteriorated because of emerged dust and ash from brick fields. Noticeable negative impacts on aquaculture were found. Except few, majority of the respondents were suffering from various diseases like eye irritation, skin diseases and respiratory problems. Despite creating work opportunities for local people, brick fields of the study area adversely affected environment and social economy.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 9(2): 31-34 2016


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. 8-25
Author(s):  
Sabila Rosyida ◽  
A'yun Nadhira

Since the spread of modernization to all corners of the world, human life, especially Muslims, has undergone many changes regarding perspectives and behavior towards various kinds of individual and community groups. All aspects of life in terms of religion, social, economy, education, culture experience drastic changes. One of the effects of modernization has led to large-scale economic changes, especially in people's consumption behavior due to the abundance of objects of service, and the availability of material goods on the market. So that the purpose of consumption in modern society is not only to fulfill the needs of life but also for pleasure and desire and mere satisfaction. Not only that, the consumption behavior of the community, especially the Muslim community, no longer fits the spiritual dimension of their religion, but is influenced by the capitalist concept that bases everything on materialist measures. So that their lives are based on the ideology of hedonism, the main purpose of which is only to obtain material pleasures and pleasures. Thus, Islamization of consumer behavior is needed to free Muslim society from secular doctrine and materialistic nature. And Islam offers the concept of maslaha and the nature of moderation based on Islamic economic ethics on this consumption theory. The method used is qualitative research methods with library research (library research). The data in this study were obtained using the documentary method, to look for data on consumption behavior of modern society, consumption theory, concepts and processes of Islamization, sourced from books, journals, the internet, and papers. Data analysis methods used are inductive, and comparative descriptive analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 283 ◽  
pp. 02006
Author(s):  
Xie Xingtao ◽  
Liu Xiuwen ◽  
Liu Yongchao ◽  
Luan Xin

With the development of social economy, my country's marine industry has also made considerable progress, and the trend of large-scale ships has become increasingly obvious. In recent years, people have paid more and more attention to the maneuverability of large ships, especially whether large ships can navigate safely in restricted waters. In order to ensure the navigation safety of large ships in restricted waters, this article analyzes the characteristics of restricted waters and the maneuverability of large ships themselves, and analyzes the causes of some maritime accidents. It points out the navigation risks of large ships in restricted waters and proposes safe navigation. Countermeasures: Reasonably adjust the speed and timing of rudder use; maintain a reasonable quay wall distance; maintain a reasonable draught difference; make careful sailing preparations.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Silumbwe ◽  
Theresa Nkole ◽  
Margarate N Munakampe ◽  
Joanna Paula Cordero ◽  
Cecilia Milford ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Although community participation has been identified as being important for improved and sustained health outcomes, the challenge of designing and successfully implementing it in large scale public health programmes, including family planning and contraceptive (FP/C) service provision remains. Zambian participants in a multi-country project (the UPTAKE project) took part in the development of an intervention involving community and healthcare provider participation in FP/C services provision and uptake. This study reports key thematic areas identified by the study participants as critical to facilitating community participation in this intervention. Methods: This was an exploratory qualitative research study, conducted in Kabwe District, Central Province, in 2017. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted with community members (n=114), two with healthcare providers (n=19), and ten in-depth interviews with key community and health sector stakeholders. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis approach. Results: Four thematic categories were identified by the participants as critical to facilitating community participation in FP/C services. Firstly, accountability in the recruitment of community participants and incorporation of community feedback in FP/C programming. Secondly, engagement of existing community resources and structures in FP/C services provision. Thirdly, building trust in FP/C methods/services through credible community-based distributors and promotion of appropriate FP/C methods/services. Fourthly, promoting facilitative strategies that address structural failures such as feminisation of FP/C services and the lack of FP/C services responsive to adolescent needs. Conclusions: Understanding and considering community members’ and healthcare providers’ views regarding contextualized and locally relevant participatory approaches, facilitators and challenges to participation, could improve the design, implementation and success of participatory public health programmes, including FP/C.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Felix Agariga ◽  
Simon Abugre ◽  
Ebenezer K. Siabi ◽  
Mark Appiah

Local communities in Ghana are heavily reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, they are increasingly shifting from engaging in agriculture to mining. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of mining (both small and large scale) on the livelihoods of community members of Kenyasi, Asutifi North District in Ghana. Data were collected from 201 farming households who were selected randomly and interviewed for a variety of information. The questionnaire responses received from the respondents were classified into items and each item's responses were tallied. The results of the studies show that the farmers’ livelihood systems were affected by the mining operations occurring around their communities. Water pollution, displacement of farmers from their lands, degradation of agricultural lands, and an increase in social vices and higher dropout rates of students from schools are some of the reported consequences of the mining activities. The pollution of the water resources poses a serious threat to the health and livelihood systems of these farmers as they depend on the water resources for agriculture and domestic use. In this study, we project that there could be increased grievances over scarce land resource and food insecurity that could lead to conflicts in the mining areas. The lack of land resources could have a tremendous effect on the social, economic, and political climate of a country and must be considered and addressed as some of the most immediate threats to Ghana's national security.


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