Governance

Governance in Co-operatives: Participatory, People-Centred, and Democratic

Join us in an exploration of co-operative governance structures, processes, and dynamics that embrace participatory forms of democracy, respect and promote human dignity, support democratic decision-making and contribute to value creation and equitable distribution of benefit.

Our Governance Activities 

• An open-access book "Humanistic Governance in Democratic Organizations: The Cooperative Difference" (Eds. Sonja Novkovic, Karen Miner & Cian McMahon) published in 2023 by Springer. 
• An international research initiative through 2022 is generating partnerships, publications, courses, and a 2021 symposium. The Centre is developing partnerships with co-operative and academic collaborators to enhance our collective understanding and application of co-operative governance.
• In June 2021, the Centre convened the second International Co-operative Governance Symposium which showcased and debated new and different governance frameworks that focus on the people-centred, democratic, and jointly-owned nature of co-operatives.
• Our knowledge-rich and participatory professional development courses on Democratic, People-Centred and Transformational Governance Practice and  Excellence in Member-Centric Governance and Management. 
• Governance case studies as part of our Working Paper and Case Study Series. 
• Diversity in Governance article in the Fall 2020 issue of the Cooperative Business Journal (NCBA-CLUSA).
• A 2015 collaboration with the International Co-operative Alliance on a global report titled Co-operative Governance Fit to Build Resilience in Face of Complexity was presented at an ICA Research Conference in November 2015.
• In 2013, the Centre hosted an International Co-operative Governance Symposium at Saint Mary’s University (Halifax, NS, Canada) where we facilitated dialogue among leading practitioners, researchers and educators on challenges and opportunities for co-operative governance.

Our deep knowledge of governance is a result of many years of network and knowledge building.

For more information contact Dr. Sonja Novkovic at snovkovic@smu.ca