Co-operative education (co-op) is a form of work-integrated-learning that involves university undergraduate students undertaking full-time paid and discipline-related employment as a structured part of their program of study. Co-op programs provide learning opportunities for students that enable them to integrate their work and their academic experiences. Such opportunities, provided that a number of conditions are met, can lead to deep level learning. Deep level learning results when students engage in and interact with the material that they are learning so that the material is integrated into their knowledge and personal understanding. Whether or not deep level learning occurs through co-op, depends on various factors including the learning opportunities provided by co-op employers, the students' own commitment and ability to learn, and the commitment of university staff to support this learning. Insufficient resourcing of co-op programs by universities and ultimately the government places a major constraint on the programs' potential effectiveness in bringing about the desired learning outcomes for students. This is particularly the case in Australia where universities are under enormous pressure of reduced government funding and the long-term sustainability of co-op programs is under threat. In order to justify more funding for co-op programs, it is important to identify and measure the outcomes associated with undertaking co-op. There has been a great deal written about the outcomes of co-op programs and the associated benefits that accrue to the major co-op stakeholders; students, graduates, universities and employers. Most of the measurement of these outcomes has, however, taken place in North America. Furthermore, studies have generally focused on the outcomes for one, or sometimes two, stakeholder groups. The results of many of these studies have been limited by confounding variables and have been very mixed; with some providing evidence that supports co-op and others providing evidence that does not. Little work has been done to estimate the costs associated with running co-op programs. This thesis considered the research question of what is the added value of a cooperative education program. A positivistic paradigm was adopted and empirical measures of learning and employment outcomes were analyzed for co-op compared to non co-op students and graduates. The graduates taking part in the study were matched in an effort to overcome some of the methodological limitations of other studies. The majority of the graduates had completed an Economics, Finance or Commerce degree at one of two major universities located in Melbourne, Australia: one university provides a compulsory co-op program, the other does not. Through the analysis of the learning outcomes of co-op, this study found that co-op led to a reduction in the proportion of students adopting a surface approach to learning. The shift from students adopting a surface approach to students adopting a deep approach to learning as a result of co-op, was not evidenced as strongly as expected. This may have resulted in part, from the lack of funding necessary to provide the level of learning support required to bring about these learning outcomes. There is, however, evidence to suggest that co-op has a significant impact on the academic performance of students and particularly for those whose academic performance pre co-op was low. When employment outcomes for co-op graduates and non co-op graduates were analyzed, it was evident that 90% of co-op graduates, compared to only 19% of non co-op graduates, found discipline-related employment within one month of actively seeking a job. Furthermore, co-op graduates took an average of two weeks to find employment whereas non co-op graduates, with no undergraduate discipline-related work experience, took an average of three-and-a-half months. There is evidence that employers recognized, through increased salaries, the benefit of the co-op year over and above the experience that can be gained from summer placements, traineeships and post co-op discipline-related work. While the starting salary for co-op graduates, was significantly higher than for non co-op graduates, this difference disappeared when both cohorts had the same number of years of industry experience. Even though this result, which is consistent with other studies, appeared not to demonstrate the increased salary advantages associated with co-op, there is another factor that needed to be taken into consideration. The co-op graduates in this study had a range of academic achievements yet their graduate employment outcomes were at least the same as those for the non co-op graduates who were all high academic achievers. The impact that co-op has on the achievement of relevant strategic goals and key performance indicators specified by the co-op university was considered and an estimation was also undertaken of the cost of providing this co-op program over and above the government funding received for its support. It was found that while the co-op program attracted students with the same university entry score as the non co-op program, the non co-op graduates would, with hindsight, have chosen a co-op degree. This suggests that the pool of quality students applying for entry into the university offering co-op programs could be increased with more effective marketing of co-op to secondary school-leavers. Academic progression rates and retention rates, two university key performance indicators, were high for co-op students and co-op was a significant factor in achieving the university objective of graduate employability. While co-op has had a significant impact on the achievement of relevant university goals, it was also found that the university that offers co-op incurs a funding shortfall of approximately $1,300 for every Economics and Finance co-op student. This amounted to a total funding shortfall of $41,600 for the 32 co-op students included in this study. One option that is available to the university to find support for the long-term financial sustainability of co-op programs is to seek a share of the significant cost savings experienced by the two other major stakeholders in a co-op program - the government and the employers of co-op graduates. The estimated savings in graduate recruitment costs as a result of co-op students returning to companies as graduate recruits varied from $1,100 to $3,000 per graduate. This resulted in a total saving of between $19,000 and $51,000 for the 17 Economics and Finance students in this study who returned to their co-op companies as graduate recruits. The impact of co-op on social welfare payments made by the government was also quite significant. It was estimated that co-op led to savings of approximately $15,000 in social welfare payments for every co-op graduate - the total social welfare payments made to all the non co-op graduates being $147,000 higher than the total social welfare payments paid to the co-op graduates included in this study. To achieve these benefits of co-op, the government funds co-op programs at a rate of $1,800 per student. For the 800 RMIT Business students who currently undertake co-op each year, the funding shortfall experienced by RMIT was extrapolated to be $1.04m. The associated saving to graduate employers was estimated to be between $500,000 and $1.37m and the expected saving to the government in social welfare payments was estimated to be over $4m while the total funding of co-op programs for the 800 students by the government was $1.44m. These figures provide a strong case for an increase in the financial support of co-op programs. In conclusion, while there is a need to extend the research into the added benefits of a cooperative education program to a longitudinal study also covering other discipline areas, there is evidence to show that improved academic and employment outcomes occur for co-op graduates compared to non co-op graduates. There is also evidence of significant cost savings that accrue to the Australian Federal Government and to graduate employers as a result of co-op. If these data can be used to transfer resources to the universities that provide these programs then greater efforts can be made to direct the resources in a way that will further enhance the learning and the employment outcomes for co-op graduates.

Thesis (M.Env. St.)--University of Adelaide University, Mawson Graduate Centre for Environmental Studies, 1995.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2278. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-185).

Thesis (M.A.) -- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1990. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 513-527. Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin State University at La Crosse.

Most part of non-profit organizations, like co-operative associations, are not making use of the management science for a better development of their strategies. From a case study, this dissertation presents an analysis of the marketing strategies used by "Cooperativa dos Estudantes de Santa Maria - CESMA". To manage the research, the Marketing Mix 4 Ps Model was used- product, price, place (distributions) and promotion - what allowed to relate the co-operative association CUf rent strategies, to identify its weakest and strongest topics and the effectiveness and differences between the board' s practice and the needs of the associates. The results of the work indicate that the associates' needs lead to the acquisition of technology, such as computers, accessories and technical instruments (product), that the most important strategy is the lowest price practice (price), that the co-operative must optimize its order and delivery services, linking to the intemet (distribution) and that the communication channels are not satisfactory (promotion). / A maioria das instituições sem fins lucrativos, entre as quais cooperativas de serviços, ainda não utilizam instrumentos das ciências administrativas para uma gestão mais eficiente. A partir de um estudo de caso desenvolvido na Cooperativa dos Estudantes de Santa Maria, este trabalho apresenta uma análise das estratégias de marketing utilizadas em cooperativas. Para direcionar a investigação, foi utilizada a classificação dos 4Ps do composto de marketing-produto, preço, praça e promoção- o que permitiu relacionar as estratégias atuais da coperativa, identificar seus pontos fracos e fortes e apontar a efetividade e as diferenças entre a prática dos gestores e as necessidades e preferências dos associados da cooperativa. Os resultados do trabalho identificaram que as necessidades dos consumidores estão dirigidas à aquisição de tecnologia, isto é, computadores, acessórios de informática e material técnico (Produto), que a estratégia mais importante é a prática do menor preço possível (Preço), que a cooperativa deve otimizar seus serviços de encomenda e entrega, integrando-se à internet (Praça) e que os canais de comunicação são deficientes (Promoção).

Orientador: Pedro Ivan Christoffoli / Resumo: Trataremos neste estudo, da maior cooperativa singular capitalista da América Latina, a COAMO - Agroindustrial Cooperativa, localizada em Campo Mourão, Estado do Paraná/Brasil. Esta foi criada e incentivada pelo Estado no auge dos “anos de chumbo” do regime militar, especialmente através da Extensão Rural, com um propósito claro de atender às demandas do capital no campo. A COAMO é caracterizada por uma estratégia de agressiva expansão territorial para novos mercados econômicos, ganhos de escala e competitividade, na qual acaba exercendo profunda influência política e mudanças do espaço agrário em territórios por ela dominados. Também, sua estratégia induz uma dinâmica de processo de materialização de relações sociais de produção tipicamente capitalista, voltando-se para uma agricultura moderna/tecnicizada, fortemente especializada nos grãos (em especial a soja), que permeada por uma aliança entre burguesia agrária e tecnocracia, engendram relações de exclusão de pequenos cooperados e de subalternidade camponesa ao modelo do agronegócio. O estudo dessa forma de organização cooperativa é fundamental para entendermos as atuais dinâmicas econômicas, sociais, políticas e ambientais no meio rural brasileiro, e as contradições resultantes do prevalecimento da concentração privada da propriedade, da monocultura e da produção voltada especialmente para o mercado externo (commodities), intensiva na utilização de insumos químicos e na exploração do trabalho. / Mestre

O presente trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa que teve por objetivo analisar as motivações e justificativas dos fruticultores da Serra Gaúcha para associar-se a organizações. Foram utilizadas como fundamento, duas bases teóricas: os princípios, objetivos e características das organizações cooperativas e o paradigma paraeconômico segundo as proposições de Guerreiro Ramos. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada em caráter qualitativo, através de contato com associados, ativos e não ativos e ou não associados, com interesse e sem interesse em associar-se à organizações cooperativas agropecuárias, que trabalham com armazenagem, classificação e comercialização de frutas in natura. O contato com esses fruticultores pertencentes a Região 4 da OCERGS – Organização das Cooperativas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, denominada Serra foi realizado através da técnica bola-de-neve e se constituíram então no público-alvo desta pesquisa. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados constituíram-se de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, pesquisa documental e observação direta e, para análise dos dados adotou-se o método de análise de conteúdo. A análise de dados aconteceu levando em consideração o aspecto externo do sistema social de acordo com as dimensões propostas na lei dos requisitos adequados e, por um conjunto de categorias de valores, que configuram o aspecto interno do sistema social. Ao final se expõem as razões que levam os fruticultores a associar-se ou a abandonarem as organizações cooperativas nesta região, identificando que tipo de racionalidade orienta suas decisões. / The present work presents a research that had for objective to analyze the motivations and justifications of Serra Gaucho's fruit growing to associate to organizations. They were used as foundation, two theoretical bases: the beginnings, objectives and characteristics of the cooperative organizations and the paradigm paraeconômico according to Guerreiro Ramos propositions. The field research was accomplished in qualitative character, through contact with associates, assets and no assets and or no associates, with interest and without interest in associating to agricultural cooperative organizations, that work with storage, classification and commercialization of fruits in natura. The contact with those Area 4’ fruit growing of OCERGS Organization of the Cooperatives of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, denominated Serra was accomplished through the technique ball-of-snow and they were constituted then in the public-objective of this research. The data collection instruments were constituted of semi-structured interviews, document retrieval and direct observation. The method of content analysis was adopted for analysis of the data. The data analysis happened taking into account the external aspect of the social system in agreement with the dimensions proposed in the law of the appropriate requirements and, for a group of categories of values, that configure the internal aspect of the social system. At the end the reasons that take the fruit growing to associate or abandon the cooperative organizations in this area were exposed, identifying what rationality type guides their decisions.

O presente trabalho apresenta uma pesquisa que teve por objetivo analisar as motivações e justificativas dos fruticultores da Serra Gaúcha para associar-se a organizações. Foram utilizadas como fundamento, duas bases teóricas: os princípios, objetivos e características das organizações cooperativas e o paradigma paraeconômico segundo as proposições de Guerreiro Ramos. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada em caráter qualitativo, através de contato com associados, ativos e não ativos e ou não associados, com interesse e sem interesse em associar-se à organizações cooperativas agropecuárias, que trabalham com armazenagem, classificação e comercialização de frutas in natura. O contato com esses fruticultores pertencentes a Região 4 da OCERGS – Organização das Cooperativas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, denominada Serra foi realizado através da técnica bola-de-neve e se constituíram então no público-alvo desta pesquisa. Os instrumentos de coleta de dados constituíram-se de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, pesquisa documental e observação direta e, para análise dos dados adotou-se o método de análise de conteúdo. A análise de dados aconteceu levando em consideração o aspecto externo do sistema social de acordo com as dimensões propostas na lei dos requisitos adequados e, por um conjunto de categorias de valores, que configuram o aspecto interno do sistema social. Ao final se expõem as razões que levam os fruticultores a associar-se ou a abandonarem as organizações cooperativas nesta região, identificando que tipo de racionalidade orienta suas decisões. / The present work presents a research that had for objective to analyze the motivations and justifications of Serra Gaucho's fruit growing to associate to organizations. They were used as foundation, two theoretical bases: the beginnings, objectives and characteristics of the cooperative organizations and the paradigm paraeconômico according to Guerreiro Ramos propositions. The field research was accomplished in qualitative character, through contact with associates, assets and no assets and or no associates, with interest and without interest in associating to agricultural cooperative organizations, that work with storage, classification and commercialization of fruits in natura. The contact with those Area 4’ fruit growing of OCERGS Organization of the Cooperatives of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, denominated Serra was accomplished through the technique ball-of-snow and they were constituted then in the public-objective of this research. The data collection instruments were constituted of semi-structured interviews, document retrieval and direct observation. The method of content analysis was adopted for analysis of the data. The data analysis happened taking into account the external aspect of the social system in agreement with the dimensions proposed in the law of the appropriate requirements and, for a group of categories of values, that configure the internal aspect of the social system. At the end the reasons that take the fruit growing to associate or abandon the cooperative organizations in this area were exposed, identifying what rationality type guides their decisions.

Submitted by RAONI FERNANDES AZEREDO null (raoni_jpa@hotmail.com) on 2016-09-23T18:48:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃ REVISADA BIBLIOTECA.RAONI_AZEREDO.pdf: 1589975 bytes, checksum: a09e12e45c6ff5e3c9636d77aab16f31 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Paula Grisoto (grisotoana@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-09-27T20:10:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 azeredo_rf_me_ippri.pdf: 1589975 bytes, checksum: a09e12e45c6ff5e3c9636d77aab16f31 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-27T20:10:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 azeredo_rf_me_ippri.pdf: 1589975 bytes, checksum: a09e12e45c6ff5e3c9636d77aab16f31 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-24 / Trataremos neste estudo, da maior cooperativa singular capitalista da América Latina, a COAMO - Agroindustrial Cooperativa, localizada em Campo Mourão, Estado do Paraná/Brasil. Esta foi criada e incentivada pelo Estado no auge dos “anos de chumbo” do regime militar, especialmente através da Extensão Rural, com um propósito claro de atender às demandas do capital no campo. A COAMO é caracterizada por uma estratégia de agressiva expansão territorial para novos mercados econômicos, ganhos de escala e competitividade, na qual acaba exercendo profunda influência política e mudanças do espaço agrário em territórios por ela dominados. Também, sua estratégia induz uma dinâmica de processo de materialização de relações sociais de produção tipicamente capitalista, voltando-se para uma agricultura moderna/tecnicizada, fortemente especializada nos grãos (em especial a soja), que permeada por uma aliança entre burguesia agrária e tecnocracia, engendram relações de exclusão de pequenos cooperados e de subalternidade camponesa ao modelo do agronegócio. O estudo dessa forma de organização cooperativa é fundamental para entendermos as atuais dinâmicas econômicas, sociais, políticas e ambientais no meio rural brasileiro, e as contradições resultantes do prevalecimento da concentração privada da propriedade, da monocultura e da produção voltada especialmente para o mercado externo (commodities), intensiva na utilização de insumos químicos e na exploração do trabalho. / The present study will treat about the leading co-operative capitalist of Latin America, COAMO–Agroindustrial Cooperativa, located in Campo Mourão, State of Parana /Brazil. It was created and encouraged by the State at the height of the "years of lead" of the military regime, especially through the Rural Extension, with a clear purpose to meet the demands of the capital in the field. The COAMO is characterized by an aggressive territorial expansion strategy for new economic markets, economies of scale and competitiveness, which ends up playing deep political influence and change the agrarian space in territories dominated by it. Also, its strategy induces a dynamic of realization of social relationships typically capitalist production process, turning to modern agriculture / technicized , strongly specialized in grains (especially soybeans), which permeated by an alliance between agrarian bourgeoisie and technocracy, engender exclusion relations small cooperatives and peasant subordination to the agribusiness model. The study of this form of cooperative organization is critical to understand the current economic dynamics, social, political and environmental in the Brazilian countryside, and the contradictions arising from prevailing of private ownership concentration, monoculture and production focused especially for the export market (commodities), intensive use of chemical inputs and labor exploitation.