Cooperation is a subject which has intrigued the writer for some time. A study of the philosophy, history and accomplishments of the cooperative movement was begun, due to the interest of the study. In Denton County, Texas, the cooperatives have, for the past few years, been making such rapid progress that a study of the inception, growth and success of these societies seemed indicated. In spite of the broad field of study this subjected presented, it seemed necessary to review the cooperative movement before the local cooperatives could be properly interpreted. This was Done. Numerous books and magazine articles pertaining to cooperation were read. In making this library study, the writer tried to delve into the underlying philosophy of the cooperative movement. Those countries in which cooperation has made greatest strides were given particular attention in order to try to find the secret of their success. After this library approach was completed, the various cooperative societies of Denton County were visited. The writer talked with the leaders of the societies, obtained copies of the by-laws of each organization, examined financial statements, and attempted to analyze the purposes, the accomplishments, and the possibilities of the future success of these organizations.

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The research investigates the praxis of companies going collective in Italy. Since the 1950s, scholars have debated the whys and hows of labour-manged firms around the globe. Such a debate articulates around the central question of this research domain: Why are labour-manged firms rare compared to traditional, investor-owned companies? To offer possible explanations for such a scarcity, this research analyses mechanisms, rationales and resources underneath the emergence of worker takeovers, namely labour-managed firms. Empirical evidence on the emergence of labour-managed firms and, specifically, worker takeovers is limited. At the scholarly level, there is little evidence on the praxis of creating labour-manged firms and turning companies collective in the form of worker takeovers. Little is known about who leads and guides worker takeover operations, little is known about which resources are employed, which pieces of legislation are leveraged and who is co-opted in the governance of novel labour-manged firms. This research offers exploratory insights into the whys, hows, who and when of going collective in Italy. Specifically, it delves into the norms, steps, procedures, resources and stakeholders of takeover operations in the country. Via critical approaches and a mix of methodologies, this research aims at unfolding the functioning of takeover strategies, and the relationship of workers with institutional investors, banks and trade unions, among many different stakeholders.

A Economia Solidária (ES) é uma forma alternativa de pensar a atividade econômica em que valores como equidade, solidariedade e cooperação estão no centro das relações dos agentes. Os empreendimentos econômico-solidários trazem em seu cerne os valores preconizados pela ES e embrenham no desafio de construir uma forma diferenciada de produção e distribuição dos resultados do trabalho. Contudo, atuam em um mercado guiado pela racionalidade concorrencial e nesse contexto surge a indagação sobre como alinhar as necessidades de competitividade demandadas pelo mercado, com os princípios da organização econômico-solidária. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho é analisar a organização e a gestão de empreendimentos autogestionários, destacando as práticas distintivas, comparativamente aos modelos teóricos de organização e gestão, que permitem conciliar as demandas concorrenciais com os princípios solidários. Aplicando a metodologia de observação participante em três cooperativas de catadores de materiais recicláveis, o trabalho destaca, entre outras, três práticas distintivas centrais: a configuração coletiva do processo de tomada de decisão e gestão, que requer uma série de outras características, tais como, acesso à informação e conhecimento de causa; os critérios utilizados na tomada de decisão consideram os diversos objetivos dos interessados além do objetivo de desempenho econômico; e há a possibilidade de negociação sobre a produtividade do trabalho. Apresenta-se detalhadamente a organização das três cooperativas estudadas, descrevendo a configuração produtiva, a estrutura do processo decisório, o controle operacional e a distribuição das sobras. / Solidarity Economy (ES) is an alternative way of thinking of the economic activity where values as fairness, solidarity and cooperation are at the center of agents relation. The Social Enterprises are economic ventures that brings in their heart the principles of the ES and engage on the challenge of construct a differently way of production, considering new ways of work relation and organization, and results distribution. However, this ventures operate on a competitive market, where the predominant rationality is the competition and not the cooperation or solidarity. On this context the main goal of this research is to analyze the production organization and the management process of the self-management enterprises and highlight the distinctive aspects on management and/or work organization, compared to the theoretical models. Participant observation methodology was applied within three Scavengers Cooperatives (sorting of recycling materials). The paper highlights, among others, three central distinct practices: the collective configuration of the decision-making process and management that requires a number of other characteristics, such as, free information access and knowingly of the facts of the enterprise; the criteria used in the decision making that consider several objectives of stakeholders beyond the scope of economic performance; and the possibility of negotiate the work productivity. The research presents the organization of the three cooperatives studied in details, describing the production configuration, the structure of the decision making process and the operational control and distribution of surplus.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-10-19T12:56:21Z No. of bitstreams: 1 HEITOR JOSÉ CADEMARTORI MENDINA_.pdf: 2520305 bytes, checksum: 46d1c7ed2f9536eadb2e2ac367b5db96 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-19T12:56:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 HEITOR JOSÉ CADEMARTORI MENDINA_.pdf: 2520305 bytes, checksum: 46d1c7ed2f9536eadb2e2ac367b5db96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-05-29 / Nenhuma / Esta tese propõe um framework para incentivar a intercooperação entre cooperativas agroalimentares atuando em rede horizontal. Este framework foi desenvolvido a partir do modelo analítico de pesquisa originado da revisão da literatura, conforme a metodologia “Soft Systems Methodology”. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa baseada em estudo de casos múltiplos, realizado em três redes na região sul. Esta pesquisa tem por pressuposto que a intercooperação é uma estratégia de criação de vantagem competitiva para que cooperativas possam sobreviver e crescer em seus mercados de atuação. O estudo constatou que há fatores que influenciam a intercooperação e que concorrem para obtenção de resultados positivos ou negativos, dependendo de como são gerenciados. O impacto gerado pelos fatores identificados emergiu da coleta de dados de múltiplas fontes de evidências: análise de documentos, entrevistas com gestores das redes e observação neutra do pesquisador. Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que os fatores impulsionadores da intercooperação foram: presença de marca forte para comercialização dos produtos, aprendizado organizacional, geração de economia de escala, redução de custos, tomada de decisão colegiada, utilização de mecanismos formais de governança, co-participação societária, gestão profissionalizada, criação de unidades de negócios independentes, cultura organizacional de qualidade e sustentabilidade, atendimento de requisitos setoriais, alto nível de exigência das cooperativas em relação aos cooperados, competitividade dos cooperados, poder moderador da central/rede, comercialização centralizada e internacionalização das cooperativas. Os fatores restritivos destacados foram: parcerias equivocadas, impossibilidade de abrir o capital, ausência de mecanismos formais de prestação de contas conjuntas, concorrência entre cooperativas, culturas organizacionais diferentes, jogos de poder, resistência à mudança, falta de visão de mercado, resistência à inovação e ausência de projetos de internacionalização. O framework mostra que governança/gestão da rede é o principal fator impulsionador da intercooperação. A partir da governança/gestão se forma a imagem de reputação/comportamento das cooperativas envolvidas e da própria rede. A reputação/comportamento impacta na governança/gestão, pois esta relação causal é relevante para a formação de alianças baseadas em responsabilidades e benefícios recíprocos. Esta relação entre governança/gestão e reputação/comportamento influencia na elaboração de estratégias de cooperação que, se realizadas de forma bem-sucedida, reforçam a imagem gerada pela reputação/comportamento da rede em seu ambiente de atuação. As estratégias de cooperação visam promover a evolução/desenvolvimento da cooperação e, quando for o caso, a internacionalização das cooperativas. Os resultados da evolução/desempenho da cooperação e da internacionalização podem promover vantagens competitivas visando assegurar a sobrevivência e o crescimento das cooperativas e da própria rede. As principais contribuições da tese, além do framework proposto, são: a identificação dos fatores de funcionamento de cooperativas agroalimentares que podem ser impulsionadores ou restritivos para a intercooperação, práticas de gestão para incentivar a mesma (intercooperação), a análise da relação entre o número de cooperativas e o tipo de estrutura mais indicado para a configuração da rede e a correlação do framework proposto com a Curva da Riqueza, com vistas a sugerir inovações nas cooperativas e nas redes. Como principal sugestão futura de estudo foi indicada validação estatística do framework proposto. / This thesis proposes a framework to encourage the inter-cooperation among agri-food cooperatives acting in a horizontal network. This framework was developed from the analytical model of research originated from the literature review, according to the methodology “Soft Systems Methodology”. This essay is a qualitative research based on study of multiple cases, performed in three networks in the southern region. This research has the assumption that inter-cooperation is a strategy for creating a competitive advantage in order to cooperatives be able to survive and grow in their own markets. The thesis found that there are factors which influence inter-cooperation and contribute in obtaining positive or negative results, depending on how they are managed. The impact generated by identified factors emerged from the collection of data from multiple sources of evidence: analysis of documentation, interviews with managers of networks and neutral observation of the researcher, from which triangulations were placed for analysis of the collected data. The results of the research showed that the driving factors of inter-cooperation were: presence of strong brand for the marketing of products, organizational learning, generation of economies of scale, reduction of costs, decision-making, use of formal mechanisms of governance, corporate co-participation, professionalized management, creation of independent business units, organizational culture of quality and sustainability, assistance to sector requirements, high level of the cooperatives requirement in relation to/ compared to cooperative members, competitiveness among cooperative members, moderator power of the network, central marketing and internationalization of cooperatives. The restrictive factors highlighted were: equivocal partnerships, impossibility to open the capital, lack of formal mechanisms for the provision of joint accounts, competition among cooperatives, different organizational cultures, power games, resistance to change, lack of market vision, resistance to innovation and absence of projects of internationalization. The framework shows that governance/management of the network is the main driving factor of the inter-cooperation. From the governance/management, the image of reputation/behavior of the involved cooperatives and of the network itself is formed. The reputation/behavior impacts on the governance/management, because this causal relationship is relevant to the formation of alliances based on responsibilities and reciprocal benefits. This relationship between governance/management and reputation/behavior influences in the development of cooperation strategies that, if implemented in a successful way, reinforces the image generated by the reputation/behavior of the network in its environment of operation. The strategies of cooperation aim at promoting the evolution of cooperation and, when/where appropriate, the internationalization of cooperatives. The results of the development/performance of cooperation and internationalization can promote competitive advantages to ensure the survival and growth of cooperatives and the network itself. The main contributions of the thesis, in addition to the framework proposed, are: the identification of the operation factors of agri-food cooperatives that can be propelled/stimulated or restrictive/limited to inter-cooperation, management practices to encourage the latter (inter-cooperation), an analysis of the relation between the number of cooperatives and the type of structure more suitable to the network configuration and the correlation of the framework proposed in the Curve of Wealth, in order to suggest innovations in cooperatives and in the networks. As main suggestion for future study, statistical validation of the proposed framework was indicated.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The introduction and establishment of co-operatives by the State was for purposes of fighting and alleviating poverty through creating jobs, particularly in the rural areas,which were mostly neglected by the previous apartheid State. In order to deal with these social ills and malady, the new democratic government introduced cooperatives to mitigate these challenges. These good intensions are often countered by lack of commitment by State officials and reluctance from other institutions to assist co-operatives to be catalysts in fighting poverty and unemployment in South Africa, despite their noble intentions. In other developed countries, co-operatives are given serious attention, not only because they are catalysts in poverty alleviation, but because they can make huge economic interventions with regard to economic growth and economic development. The intention of this study was to make an assessment of whether or not agricultural co-operatives have any economic impact on women in the rural areas of Polokwane Municipality, since their inception as entities for local economic development. The study also assesses whether or not the State supports these entities in a variety of forms. For this purpose, four co-operatives have been used as a Case Study,namely, Mashashane Agricultural Co-operative at Ga-Mashashane; Phegelelo Agricultural Co-operative at Ga-Thaba village; Mothiba Agricultural Co-operative at Ga-Mothiba; and Itireleng Agricultural Co-operative at Matamanyane village in Moletjie

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:25:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1636.pdf: 674851 bytes, checksum: 26cf21fa1cf80aa480f7c2b36b34fdc3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-09 / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / From the 90 s decade, the economical, technological and organizational changes that characterized the process of productive restructuralization in Brazil had as a result deep transformations on the job market. In this context the work and production cooperatives resurge, perceived as a possible alternative of occupation for the workers. These cooperatives have caused an ample debate about their effective role and possibilities. On one hand, there are the defenders of the called Solidarity Economy, who see the cooperatives organization not only as an option of unemployment, but a chance, for the workers to perform a change inside the structures of capitalism. On the other hand, the cooperatives are perceived according to their functionality for the capital, being organized to attend the necessities of cost reduction at the companies through the elimination of the social benefits included in the wage relation. We investigated a cooperative that produces clothes, which works outsourced for a big company of the sector, to recover the workers perception about the self-managing work. We noticed that the option for the co-operative work reveals a lot of dimensions, from the economical choice, through the guarantee of job and high salaries to the characteristical autonomy of the self-managing enterprises, but the deep transformation in the relation between capital and work is far from effectively happen in the day-by-day totality of the cooperative work, mainly if we think about the relation between company and cooperative / A partir da década de 90, as transformações econômicas, tecnológicas e organizacionais que caracterizaram o processo de reestruturação produtiva no Brasil tiveram como resultado profundas transformações no mercado de trabalho. Nesse contexto ressurgem as cooperativas de trabalho e produção, percebidas como possível alternativa de ocupação para os trabalhadores. Essas cooperativas têm provocado amplo debate acerca de seu papel efetivo e possibilidades. De um lado, estão os defensores da chamada Economia Solidária, que vêem a organização de cooperativas não apenas como uma opção ao desemprego, mas uma chance, para os trabalhadores, de realizarem uma mudança por dentro das estruturas do capitalismo. Numa outra perspectiva, as cooperativas são percebidas em sua funcionalidade para o capital, sendo organizadas para atender às necessidades de redução de custos para as empresas através da eliminação dos benefícios sociais incluídos na relação salarial. Investigamos uma cooperativa de produção de confecções, que trabalha terceirizada para uma grande empresa do setor, a fim de recuperar a percepção dos trabalhadores sobre o trabalho autogestionário. Percebemos que a opção pelo trabalho cooperativo revela várias dimensões que vão desde a escolha econômica, através da garantia de trabalho e altos rendimentos, até a autonomia característica dos empreendimentos autogestionários, mas a transformação profunda na relação capital/trabalho está longe de efetivamente ocorrer na totalidade do dia-adia do trabalho cooperativo, principalmente se pensarmos a relação empresa/cooperativa

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study had as motivations the gaps on theories of satisfaction and organizational commitment involving organizations such as Cooperatives, specifically agricultural cooperatives. The main objective is to identify the relations between Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment. To analyze the organizational commitment, it was used the scale developed by Medeiros and Enders (1998) and the satisfaction scale was validated. For this purpose, it was made a survey research , of descriptive character and quantitative nature, with 305 members of four agricultural cooperatives in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Regarding Satisfaction in Cooperative five factors were found, namely the Service, Input, Social and Economic, Location and Service Structure and Physical appearance. Regarding the organizational commitment in relation to members, the results indicate a high affective and instrumental commitment. By the test, it is possible to observe a relationship between the profile variables and factors of satisfaction, in which the cooperatives with more than twenty years have relation associated with the Location Service and the Cooperative. Members who do not hold a management position has major concerns with the Service, Input and social and economic aspect of their cooperative. On the subject of the cooperative of college graduates and those who participate in activities or meetings more than once or twice a year, are committed instrumentally, while those who do not occupy a management position have affective commitment. By establishing relationships between constructs may be evident that there are correlations, in its majority, moderate. Finally, regarding the relations between satisfaction and organizational commitment relationships, it was observed a strong correlation between affective commitment and Service factor, a moderate correlation in most of the factor and weak only between the Instrumental focus and the Service factor. / Este estudo teve como motivação as lacunas sobre teorias de satisfação e de comprometimento organizacional envolvendo organizações do tipo Cooperativas, especificamente as cooperativas agrícolas. Tendo como objetivo principal identificar as relações entre a Satisfação e o Comprometimento Organizacional. Para analisar o comprometimento organizacional foi utilizada a escala desenvolvida por Medeiros e Enders (1998) e a escala de satisfação foi validada. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa survey, de caráter descritivo, de natureza quantitativa, com 305 associados de quatro cooperativas agrícolas do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Em relação à Satisfação em Cooperativas foram encontrados cinco fatores, sendo eles o Serviço, Insumo, Aspecto Social e Econômico, Localização e Estrutura Física e Atendimento. No que tange ao comprometimento organizacional, em relação aos associados, os resultados indicam um elevado comprometimento afetivo e instrumental. Através do teste t, pode-se observar uma relação entre as variáveis de perfil e os fatores de satisfação, sendo que os cooperados com mais de vinte anos de associado possui relação com o Serviço e a Localização da Cooperativa. Membros que não ocupam cargo de gestão têm maiores preocupações com o Serviço, o Insumo e o Aspecto social e econômico da sua cooperativa. No que diz respeito aos cooperados de curso superior e os que participam de atividades ou assembleias mais de uma a duas vezes por ano, são comprometidos instrumentalmente, enquanto que os que não ocupam cargo de gestão possuem comprometimento afetivo. Ao estabelecer relações entre os construtos, pode-se evidenciar que existem correlações na sua maioria moderadas. Por fim, no que se refere às relações existentes entre a satisfação e o comprometimento organizacional, observou-se uma forte correlação entre fator Serviço e o comprometimento afetivo, uma correlação moderada na maioria dos fatores e fraca apenas entre o enfoque Instrumental e o fator Atendimento.

A Economia Solidária (ES) é uma forma alternativa de pensar a atividade econômica em que valores como equidade, solidariedade e cooperação estão no centro das relações dos agentes. Os empreendimentos econômico-solidários trazem em seu cerne os valores preconizados pela ES e embrenham no desafio de construir uma forma diferenciada de produção e distribuição dos resultados do trabalho. Contudo, atuam em um mercado guiado pela racionalidade concorrencial e nesse contexto surge a indagação sobre como alinhar as necessidades de competitividade demandadas pelo mercado, com os princípios da organização econômico-solidária. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho é analisar a organização e a gestão de empreendimentos autogestionários, destacando as práticas distintivas, comparativamente aos modelos teóricos de organização e gestão, que permitem conciliar as demandas concorrenciais com os princípios solidários. Aplicando a metodologia de observação participante em três cooperativas de catadores de materiais recicláveis, o trabalho destaca, entre outras, três práticas distintivas centrais: a configuração coletiva do processo de tomada de decisão e gestão, que requer uma série de outras características, tais como, acesso à informação e conhecimento de causa; os critérios utilizados na tomada de decisão consideram os diversos objetivos dos interessados além do objetivo de desempenho econômico; e há a possibilidade de negociação sobre a produtividade do trabalho. Apresenta-se detalhadamente a organização das três cooperativas estudadas, descrevendo a configuração produtiva, a estrutura do processo decisório, o controle operacional e a distribuição das sobras. / Solidarity Economy (ES) is an alternative way of thinking of the economic activity where values as fairness, solidarity and cooperation are at the center of agents relation. The Social Enterprises are economic ventures that brings in their heart the principles of the ES and engage on the challenge of construct a differently way of production, considering new ways of work relation and organization, and results distribution. However, this ventures operate on a competitive market, where the predominant rationality is the competition and not the cooperation or solidarity. On this context the main goal of this research is to analyze the production organization and the management process of the self-management enterprises and highlight the distinctive aspects on management and/or work organization, compared to the theoretical models. Participant observation methodology was applied within three Scavengers Cooperatives (sorting of recycling materials). The paper highlights, among others, three central distinct practices: the collective configuration of the decision-making process and management that requires a number of other characteristics, such as, free information access and knowingly of the facts of the enterprise; the criteria used in the decision making that consider several objectives of stakeholders beyond the scope of economic performance; and the possibility of negotiate the work productivity. The research presents the organization of the three cooperatives studied in details, describing the production configuration, the structure of the decision making process and the operational control and distribution of surplus.

La certification volontaire offre aux consommateurs des informations détaillées sur le processus de production et/ou de fabrication des produits. Les organisations paysannes jouent un rôle important dans la gestion de certification et de l'accès des petits agriculteurs aux marchés certifiés. Les organisations de producteurs du Costa Rica ont historiquement joué un rôle important dans la participation des petits producteurs aux filières certifiées et leur motivation à accéder aux marchés certifiés. Les organisations paysannes jouent un rôle important dans la gestion de certification et de l'accès des petits agriculteurs aux marchés certifiés. Pour ces raisons, le Costa Rica offre un environnement intéressant pour étudier la façon dont les organisations de producteurs de café arrivent à gérer la certification de leurs membres.Cette recherche se concentre uniquement sur les coopératives et les consortiums de coopératives puisqu’elles sont importantes dans le processus de certification. Considérant le manque de connaissances sur le rôle des coopératives et de la certification volontaire du café, cette thèse traite les questions suivantes: Quel est le rôle des coopératives dans la gestion des certifications volontaires ? Quels sont les changements induits par la certification, au niveau des coopératives et des exploitations ?, Quels aspects sociaux uniques propres au Costa Rica influencent la gestion et l'efficacité de la certification?Les administrateurs de vingt des vingt-deux coopératives de café au Costa Rica ont été enquêtés. Quatre coopératives ont ensuite été sélectionnées pour les études de cas approfondies.Bien que les certifications soient souvent critiqués de ne pas provoquer d‘amélioration au niveau de l'exploitation en raison de la sélection des exploitations conformées uniquement, le facteur qui encourage les coopératives à choisir la certification individuelle est la structure des certifications, y compris la faible demande de café certifié, les incitations faible et variables des prix, les coûts élevés de l'audit et des exigences élevées en gestion et en formation. Au Costa Rica, la certification de café volontaire fournissent des avantages réels, bien que minimes aux coopératives ainsi qu’à leurs membres. Les coopératives prennent des décisions sur la gestion des certifications en fonction de leurs stratégies commerciales, du type de café qu'elles produisent et de leur dotation en capital social, cette qui se manifeste comme une solidarité de groupe ou une approche commerciale. La certification incite à une approche plus holistique de la production de café en nécessitant plus de formations et de services liés à la production durable. Elle encourage les coopératives à collaborer avec d'autres parties prenantes, en augmentant leur connectivité et leur capital social. Cela donne aux membres un accès à de nouvelles connaissances et services, ce qui peut potentiellement créer un cercle vertueux de production de capital social.La certification peut cependant encourager les coopératives à offrir des services supplémentaires ou des incitations financières à une partie de leurs membres seulement. Un niveau élevé de capital social est nécessaire au niveau administratif pour assurer une répartition équitable des avantages de la certification tout en offrant des incitations aux membres à poursuivre la certification. / Voluntary certifications offer consumers information on the process in which products are produced. Farmers’ organizations play an important role in the management of certifications and in small-farmer access to certified markets. Costa Rican farmers’ organizations have a long history of participation in the certified value chain and in fomenting small farmers’ access to certified markets. Farmers’ organizations also make strategic decisions related to the organization’s participation in the certified value chain and how farmers are supported and incentivized to join.For these reasons Costa Rica provides an interesting milieu to study how farmers’ organizations manage certifications. Because of their importance in the certification process in Costa Rica, this research focuses on cooperatives and consortia of cooperatives. Considering the gap in knowledge regarding the role of cooperatives and voluntary coffee certifications, this thesis presents the following questions: What is the role of cooperatives in the management of voluntary coffee certifications?, What are the advantages and disadvantages of participation in voluntary certifications for cooperatives?, What changes do certifications induce at the cooperative and farm levels?, What social aspects in Costa Rica influence the management and effectiveness of certifications? Administrators from twenty of the twenty-two coffee cooperatives in Costa Rica were interviewed to obtain basic data on harvest size, membership and management and participation in certifications. Four cooperatives were selected for in-depth case studies.Certifications are often criticized for not eliciting widespread change at the farm level due to the selection of compliant farms, but it is the structure of the certifications, including low demand, weak and variable price incentives, high costs of auditing and high requirements for management and training, which incentivize cooperatives to choose individual certifications.In Costa Rica, voluntary coffee certifications promote small but real benefits to cooperatives and their members. Cooperatives make decisions about the management of certifications based on their business strategies, the type of coffee they produce and the social capital inherent in the cooperative, which is manifested as a group solidarity approach or a commercial approach.Certifications incite a more holistic approach to coffee production by requiring training and services related to sustainable production. Certifications encourage cooperatives to collaborate with other stakeholders, increasing their connectedness and organizational social capital. This gives members access to new knowledge and services and has the potential to create a virtuous cycle of the production of social capital.Certifications, however, may induce cooperatives to offer additional services or financial incentives to some members and not to others. A high level of social capital is needed at the administrative level to ensure an equitable distribution of the benefits of certifications while still offering members incentives to pursue certifications.