Under pressure: Evolution of the social economy institutional recognition in the EU

Social Economy encompasses a wide array of private organizations that can be situated along a continuum that ranges from civil society to the business sector, e.g., associations, foundations, cooperatives, social enterprises, social business initiatives. The social sphere populated by SE/TS organizations operates in complex and multi‐layer environments and is particularly sensitive to institutional configuration. This paper deals with the institutional policy and attitude of the EU Commission towards SE/TS organizations in the field of welfare policy. We start with an illustration of the key features of the Social Investment policy framework, that stresses the adoption of an ‘active policy’ orientation and the overriding of more traditional ‘compensatory policies’. Secondly, we analyze the regulatory eco‐system of the EU towards Social Economy in the last three decades. Thirdly, we present the main results of an European research project aimed at analyzing the ‘level of recognition’ and ‘institutionalization’ of the SE sector in ten European Countries. Then, we provide some data about the consistency of the Social Economy in EU, based on several research reports promoted  by European Institutions (EESC). Finally, the main results of the analysis are summarized in order to assess the current conjuncture of the Social Economy sector in Europe.     

COOPERATIVE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN THE UNITED STATES

A most impressive work has been accomplished during the past few years in the United States both by the Federal Authorities and by local bodies in the domain of electrification. Their example might advantageously be followed by the Governments bf many other countries. An essential part of this work is concerned with rural electrification, which presents a most original feature in the considerable rôle allocated to a new organ, the cooperative of rural electrification, whose establishment and operation are given every encouragement by the public authorities.
A very exhaustive and remarkably clear account of the whole system adopted, its practical realisation, and the extent of the work already achieved, has been published by the Pan American Union, Division of Agricultural Cooperation (Washington, D.C.), in its "Series on Cooperatives", No. 15. It is the work of Mr. Udo Rall. It will be of the greatest interest to the readers of the Annals of Collective Economy to have this masterly survey brought before them.
We desire to express our gratitude both to the Division of Agricultural Cooperation and to Mr. Udo Rall for their kindness in allowing us to reprint it.     

The role of credentials in the Canadian labour market

We study the role of credentials or 'sheepskin effects' in the Canadian labour market. Sheepskin effects refer to increases in wages associated with the receipt of a degree after controlling for educational inputs such as years of schooling. We find strong evidence of sheepskin effects associated with graduation from high school, community college or trade school, and university. The importance of credentials increases with educational attainment, accounting for 30 per cent of the return to 16 years of schooling but more than half of returns above 16 years. Our evidence indicates that both years of schooling and degree completion influence earnings. JEL Classification: I2, J3
Le rôle des certificats dans le marché du travail au Canada. Les auteurs étudient le rôle des certificats ou des «effets de parchemin>> dans le marché du travail au Canada. Les effets de parchemin font référence aux augmentations de salaires associées à l'obtention d'un diplôme ou d'un grade après avoir pris en compte l'expérience éducationnelle comme les années d'éducation. On découvre des résultats probants pour ce qui est des effets de parchemin associés à l'obtention d'un diplôme d'école secondaire, de collège communautaire, d'école technique, et d'université. L'importance de la certification augmente avec le niveau d'instruction : elle compte pour 30 pourcent du rendement pour 16 années de scolarité mais pour plus de la moitié des rendements pour la scolarité au delà de ces premiers 16 ans. Les résultats indiquent que tant les années de scolarité que la certification comme telle ont un impact sur les gains.     

DISCUSSION/DISKUSSION

I. L'intervention publique dans les hnomies avanck Public intervention in today's advanced economies Mentliche Whtschaft in fortgeschrittenen VoUrswirtschaften
II. Le rôle des entreprises publiques The role of public enterprise Aufgaben der offentlichen Unternehmen
III. Rôle des entreprky mutwk et coopératives The role of mutual and amperative enterprise Aufgaben gemcinwWscbaftlkher Unternehmen
IV. IaitLtivcs iatcrnstknacs Form of interventbn at the iuternatiod level lnitiativeo auf inteniatiomkr Ebme     

DO LABOUR SOCIETIES PERFORM DIFFERENTLY TO COOPERATIVES? EVIDENCE FROM THE SPANISH BUILDING INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT: Labour Societies and Cooperatives are both Social Economy enterprises, but with noticeable differences, some of which are imposed by legislation in Spain. The aim of this paper is to study whether such differences affect their management capacity and, in particular, efficiency. In doing so, Data Envelopment Analysis techniques and the metafrontier approach proposed by O’Donnell et al. (2008) are used on a sample of Spanish Labour Societies and Cooperatives belonging to the building industry. Scores of technical efficiency and metafrontier ratios are computed at firm level and, as a novel contribution to existing literature in this field of research, at input‐specific level. The main finding shows that Cooperatives enjoy some technological advantages over Labour Societies, particularly in regard to the management of labour, fixed assets and current assets.     

Public policy and R&D when research joint ventures are costly

In this paper we examine the role of policy when forming a R&D joint venture is costly. Contrary to previous studies, we document an active role for public policy, since the interests of firms are not necessarily aligned with societal interests. The nature of policy, however, depends on the joint venture cost. If it is relatively low, then policy may call for subsidizing the joint venture to encourage collaboration. If forming a joint venture is very costly, however, then there are cases where social welfare is improved if policy encourages R&D competition with no joint venture. JEL Classification: D43, L13
Politique publique et R&D quand les alliances stratégiques en recherche sont coûteuses . Ce mémoire examine le rôle de la politique publique quand la mise en place d'une alliance stratégique en recherche est coûteuse. Contrairement à ce qu'ont suggéré des études antérieures, les auteurs montrent qu'il y a un rôle positif pour la politique publique, à proportion que les intérêts des entreprises ne sont pas nécessairement alignés sur les intérêts de la société. La nature de la politique dépend cependant du coût de l'alliance stratégique. Si le coût est faible, alors une politique de subvention pour encourager la collaboration peut s'imposer. Si le coût est élevé, alors il existe des cas où une politique de concurrence dans le R&D sans alliance stratégique peut mieux servir le mieux être collectif.     

A dynamic model of endogenous trade policy

Empirical evidence suggests that past levels of protection are significant determinants of current levels of protection. We investigate dynamic interactions among interest groups and resulting endogenous links between current and future trade policies. We explore these intertemporal links in a small open economy in which lobbying and tariff policies are the outcome of a dynamic game among factor owners. The model can generate cycles with prolonged periods of free trade and/or prolonged periods of restricted trade (i.e., persistent trade policies). An interesting aspect of the environment is the role of lobbying as a partial substitute for intertemporal trade. JEL Classification: F13, C73
Un modèle dynamique de politique commerciale endogène. Les résultats d'analyses empiriques montrent que les niveaux passés de protection sont des facteurs importants dans l'explication des niveaux de protection actuels. Ce mémoire analyse les interactions dynamiques entre groupes d'intérêt et les liens endogènes qui en résultent entre les politiques commerciales présentes et futures. On explore ces liens intertemporels dans une petite économie ouverte où lobbying et politiques tarifaires sont le résultat d'un jeu dynamique entre les propriétaires des facteurs de production. Le modèle peut engendrer des cycles où on observe des périodes prolongées de libre commerce et/ou des périodes prolongées de commerce restreint (i.e. des politiques commerciales persistantes). Il appert que le rôle du lobbying est un substitut partiel pour le commerce intertemporel.     

REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Income-. An Introduction to Economics. By A. C. Pigou, M.A.
America's Role in the World Economy. By Alvin H. Hansen.
La Crise du Capitctiisme et le problème de ľ Economie Dirigée. By B. V. Damalas.
Contributions to the Study of Oscillatory Time-Series. By M. G. Kendall.
Taxation and Fiscal Policy, Report No. 7 of the Social and Economic Planning Council, Union of South Africa; U.G. No. 48, 1945.
Economic Stagnation or Progress. By Ernst W. Swanson and Emerson P. Schmidt.
Controlling World Trade. By Edward S. Mason. A Research Study for the Committee for Economic Development.
Die Vollbeschäftigung im Kreuzfeuer (Full Employment in Crossfire). A Critique of Doctrines by Janusz Rakowski.     

LOYAUTÉ ET PERFORMANCE: UNE ANALYSE EMPIRIQUE DANS UN RÉSEAU COOPÉRATIF BANCAIRE

RESUME:  Dans cet article, nous analysons la relation entre l'orientation-marché, la position concurrentielle, la loyauté et la performance financière de l'entreprise. L'analyse empirique, basée sur une approche d'équations structurelles, est menée en contexte coopératif. Notre modèle s'appuie sur l'approche des ressources et intègre les inputs opérationnels, le profil stratégique, la position concurrentielle, la loyauté-client ainsi que la performance de l'entreprise (croissance des ventes et rentabilité). Les résultats obtenus supportent le lien entre la stratégie d'orientation-marché et la performance de l'entreprise en contexte coopératif (secteur bancaire) alors que le rôle de médiation de la loyauté relativement aux dimensions stratégiques est démontré.     

Ben Fine (2001) Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium

Book reviewed in this article:
Ben Fine, Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium     

BASIC JUSTICE AND MACROPOLICY

In their Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy, the bishops stress that basic justice requires work with adequate pay for all who seek it. This essay sets forth a domestic macropolicy centered on government employment consistent with the bishops' positions on basic justice.     

Switching costs and screening efficiency of incomplete contracts

We study the role of switching costs in a dynamic buyer-seller relationship where quality is not contractible and the sellers retain private information about their quality-relevant abilities. In this environment buyer switching costs increase the seller's bargaining power in negotiations for the second contract, but they also induce the seller to improve quality during the first ontract, in signalling his type. The overall effect is to enhance efficiency and ncrease the buyer's welfare. This beneficial effect stems from the link between quality, the buyer's posterior beliefs, and ex post distribution of bargaining power as a function of the switching cost. JEL Classification: L14
L'auteur étudie le rôle des coûts de commutation dans une relation dynamique acheteur-vendeur où la qualité de la prestation ne peut être partie du contrat, et où les vendeurs peuvent rationner l'information quant à leurs compétences à livrer un produit de qualité. Dans ce contexte, les coûts de commutation de l'acheteur accroissent le pouvoir de marchandage du vendeur dans la négociation du second contrat, mais ils peuvent aussi inciter le vendeur à améliorer la qualité au cours du premier contrat pour signaler ses compétences à l'acheteur. L'effet global est d'améliorer l'efficacité et d'accroître le bien-être de l'acheteur. Cet effet bénéfique émerge du lien entre la qualité, les croyances de l'acheteur a posteriori, et la répartition du pouvoir de négociation ex post en tant que fonction des coûts de commutation.     

Book reviews

Book Reviewed in this Article:
The Economics of Post-Communist Transition. By Blanchard, Olivier
Transition to the Market Economy. Critical Perspectives on the World Economy. By Hare, Paul G. and Junior R. Davis
Russian Business Relationships in the Wake of Reform. By Hertz, Noreena
The Transformation of the Agrifood System in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States. By Hobbs, J. E., W. A. Kerr and J. D. Gaisford
Enterprise and Social Benefits after Communism, Rein, Martin, Barry L. Friedman and Andreas Wörgötter
The Changing Social Benefits in Russian Enterprises, OECD, Centre for Co-operation with the Economies in Transition, Paris
The Break-up of Czechoslovakia: An In-depth Economic Analysis, Oldrich Dedek et al.     

Why are social enterprises good candidates for social innovation? Looking for personal and institutional drivers of innovation

The last few years witnessed theoretical and practical contributions to the field of social innovation and social enterprise. However, analysis of the interplay between these two different realms is still limited. This article aims to fill some gaps in this respect. We deal with historical reconstruction of the concept of Social Enterprise and Social Innovation, and their conceptual premises. We consider the process of creation of social innovation in social enterprises. As members’ motivations, ownership rights and governance rules in social enterprises create a new relational context and new routines, which are germane to the production of social knowledge and deliberation, social innovation can be considered one of the main outcomes of this setting. Social motivations, collective action of a cooperative kind, multi‐stakeholder governance and socialization of resources, and their interplay are singled out as main drivers of innovation. Social innovation is seen as akin to novelty in social interaction, a non‐standardized and non‐standardizable outcome of the operation of this organizational form.     

基于可持续发展的企业责任文化探讨

经济全球化的今天,为提升自身品牌和形象、开拓国际国内市场,履行社会责任成为众多企业的重要战略。文章从企业责任文化的理论基础入手,分析了目前我国企业在履行社会责任中存在的问题,提出了企业建设责任文化的策略。     

REVIEWS

The International Labor Code, 1939
Economics for Commerce. By J. K. Gifford
Publc Investment and the Trade Cycle in Great Britain. By R. F. Bretherton, F. A. Burchardt and R. S. G. rutherford
Distribution Costs-An International Digest. By Malcolm P. McNair and Stanley F. Teele
Cambridge History of the British Empire
The Problems of Modern Government. Edited by R. MacGregor Dawson
World Economy Survey, 1939-40. Economic Intelligence Service
Soviet Economy and the War. By Maurice Dobb London, George Routledge
First Annual Report of the Federal Security Administrator
Cash Benefits under voluntary Disability Insurance in the United States Federal Security Agency: Social Security Board
An Outline of Foreign Social Assurance and Assistance Laws Federal Security Agency: Social Security Board
An Introduction to Political Economy. By V. W. Bladen
The Rice Economy of Monsoon Asia. By V. D. Wickizer and M. K. Bannett
The I.L.O. and Reconstruction
Federal Resrve Charts on Industrial Production
The Theory of Incidence of Sales Taxation. By John F. Due King's
War Time Developments in Government Employer Worker Colaboration
Organization for Kentucky Local Tax Assessments
The Economics of Peace. By Sir Alfred Davidson Angus and Robertson
Banking Studies. By Members
Economics of W. S. Jevons, By E. W. Eckard     

On fallibility and perfection: Boettke’s Hayek vs. mainline economics

The Review of Austrian Economics - Peter Boettke’s F.A. Hayek Economics, Political Economy, and Social Philosophy (Palgrave 2019) is a nuanced treatment that examines the historical context...     

循环经济园区:特征、制度变迁与设计

循环经济园区的基本特征是园区规模化、产业生态化、组织网络化和创新驱动。发展循环经济园区需要实施强制性制度变迁,并选择渐进式变迁路径。要保证发展循环经济园区制度的有效性,需要建立关联制度,并作出整体性安排,设计思路包括"社会嵌入"、"合同性关联"和"整体性捆绑"。     

FONDEMENTS ET IMPLICATIONS DE LA DIVERSITÉ ORGANISATIONNELLE AU SEIN DU COMMERCE ÉQUITABLE

RÉSUMÉ ** :  Cet article a pour but d'étudier le paysage organisationnel d'un secteur en pleine expansion: celui du commerce équitable. Plus particulièrement, nous cherchons à comprendre les raisons qui expliquent la diversité des formes organisationnelles des acteurs qui s'investissent dans cette filière. A cette fin, nous commençons par décomposer le concept de commerce équitable en quatre grands types de biens. Ensuite, en lien avec ces quatre types de biens, nous tentons de comprendre les facteurs d'émergence des différents acteurs de la filière. Enfin, nous étudions la répartition des rôles entre ces différents acteurs et évoquons quelques pistes quant à l'évolution de ce secteur. Nous ciblons notre analyse sur les organisations des pays « du Nord >>, en illustrant notre propos par des exemples d'organisations belges .     

城市经济中物联网产业发展风险初探

从城市经济发展的角度考虑,任何具有战略引导作用的新兴产业的产生和发展都在不同阶段、不同范围存在风险,物联网产业发展存在政府风险、技术风险、投资风险、应用风险、社会风险,物联网产业发展的风险根本原因在于产业发展过程中利益相关各方的供需矛盾。规避物联网风险的基本思路在于以城市经济发展为需求,以物联网发展为供给,合理平衡这一供求关系中的各类矛盾,使物联网为经济社会发展服务。这些风险的规避必须从平衡各方利益出发,主要策略在于实现政府行为、企业行为、社会公众行为的合理化。这三方面行为对于物联网发展的影响程度不存在重要性的差别,而是相互影响、综合性地发挥作用,因此相应的对策与行为必须是系统性与针对性相统一。