Bringing democracy to life in cooperatives: ongoing experiments. The cases of Railcoop and SmartCoop
Résumé
This paper examines the democratic governance of large cooperatives (in terms of number of
members) through the prism of systems and practices designed to strengthen member
participation. We compare the evolution of formal and informal mechanisms supporting the
dynamics of participative democracy at Railcoop and SmartCoop. This research is based on an
ongoing action-research based on statistics and qualitative data. It sheds light on their practices,
the tensions encountered and the experiments undertaken to reduce them. This working paper
puts into perspective the initial results of a descriptive and comparative analysis of two schemes
designed to increase member participation: circles at Railcoop and the Smart in Progress process
at SmartCoop. In this respect, we demonstrate the importance of ongoing reflexivity on our
practices, through surveys, collective writing, and spaces conducive to critical and contradictory
discussions, provided this is done in a constructive and transparent manner. Beyond this, we
show the value of highlighting the 5th and 6th principles of ICA - education, training and
information on the one hand, and intercooperation on the other - between two cooperatives
sharing issues relating to governance and democratic participation.
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