WHAT ARE THE THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES FOR THE ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY OF COOPERATIVES? CURRENT SITUATION AND AVENUES FOR RESEARCH

Abstract

Although organization theory has shown renewed interest in cooperatives in recent years, the resulting literature may still appear theoretically fragmented. With this in mind, I propose in this essay a categorization of the theoretical perspectives that have been used and can be usedfor the organizational study of cooperatives. Among these perspectives, I distinguish between neo-Weberian perspectives, focused on axiological pluralism, and critical perspectives, focused on the issue of power. I include in the neo-Weberian perspectives the pioneering work of Rothschild and Whitt, neoinstitutionalism, the sociology of conventions, and paradox theory. In their comprehensive aim, they help us to grasp the subjective meaning that cooperators attribute to their actions, within organizations conceived as plural value systems. Critical perspectives include Marxist, anarchist, and post-structuralist viewpoints. They enable us to analyze the relations of power and domination in which cooperators are embedded, as well as the paths of resistance and emancipation open to them. Among the perspectives that can be used, my reflections lead me to identify three critical perspectives, the non-use of which reveals blind spots in the literature, namely its largely ethno-, andro-, and anthropocentric characteristics. These include decolonial, feminist, and post-humanist perspectives,
whose potential contributions to the organizational literature on cooperatives I consider as avenues for future research. Ultimately, my text aims to encourage researchers interested in this area of study to engage more reflexively with the theoretical positioning of their work.