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Multinational cooperative
A multinational cooperative or transnational cooperative is a cooperative that spans multiple countries in breadth of its functions and reach[1]. Similar to multinational corporations, multinational cooperatives would ideally be owned, managed and operated across borders, and the importance of transnational transportation and communication between cooperative operations would be of utmost importance. However, unlike multinational corporations, the workers would be both the owners, managers and customers of the operations, their produce and the resulting revenue and accompanying benefits.
This idea currently runs counter to the trend of nationalist-oriented local or regional cooperatives, such as those being promoted and operated in Venezuela under Chavez[2]. In particular, the transnational spread of cooperatives has been proposed for agricultural co-ops[3].
Contents
European Union
Cross-border mergers of currently existing cooperatives has been proposed for cooperatives in the European Union[4][5].
Potential ramifications
An area in which the multinational cooperative may present ramifications is in the area of politics, as cooperatives may be highly prone to using influence upon politicians and other leaders towards policies that may be more conducive toward the interests of the cooperatives in particular industries. While being more socially-oriented due to the ownership by workers, cooperatives can hold just as large of an influence in economic policies as corporations already do.
Multinational cooperatives and intellectual property
To date, no known cooperative or collective committee of cooperatives has taken on the issue of intellectual property, the long-term effects of abiding by the private-corporate model of IP, or the research of IP reform or alternatives, including copyleft. Such research will likely be needed in the near future in order for multinational cooperatives to fully respond to the IP laws and conditions of different states and supranational organizations.
The primary organizations to lead the way in this regard are the consumers' cooperatives.
Alternative transregional culture
As corporations have developed various organizational cultures that feature blends of local cultures, imported cultures and a prevailing focus upon economic productivity, multinational cooperatives may also possess such blends, albeit with more democratically-inclined formulations and structures.
See also
References
- ↑ Cooperatives as Multinationals: The MCC case, by Anjel Errasti Amozarrain, Agurtzane Begiristain Zubillaga, Baleren Bakaikoa Azurmendi, Institute of Cooperative Law and Social Economy (GEZKI), University of the Basque Country
- ↑ Venezuela's Co-op Boom, by Michael Fox, YES! magazine, Summer 2007
- ↑ The internationalisation of agricultural co-operatives: critical factors in development, by Ignacio Donoso, Romuald Rudzki, Nicola Shadbolt and William Bailey, Massey University, New Zealand, July 16th 2003
- ↑ http://www.danskeandelsselskaber.dk/getMedia.asp?mb_GUID=6DD0F36F-1A56-4B26-BEFD-3F20EE72A2C1.pdf Transnational Co-operatives: Perspectives for admission of members abroad and cross-border mergers], The Federation of Danish Co-operatives, 1999
- ↑ Cooperatives and the EU Enlargement: Internationalisation and cooperative collaboration in the new EU member states, by the Danish Agricultural Council, 2004
