REVESCO. Revista de Estudios Cooperativos

Empowerment of rural women in emerging organizational processes: the case of a coffee cooperative in Guatemala

Rosita Giove, José M. Diaz-Puente, Judith Cruz Sánchez — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article analyzes the empowerment of rural women in the context of the creation of a coffee cooperative in northwestern Guatemala. Starting from the recognition of structural gender inequalities in the agricultural sector, the study focuses on the challenges and opportunities faced by women as they engage in an emerging organizational structure. Using a qualitative and participatory approach, the research seeks to understand how evolving organizational dynamics influence women’s autonomy, personal and social development, and socio-economic integration; to analyze the extent to which participation in the cooperative contributes to building decision-making capacities and strengthening collective cohesion and power; and to identify the factors that enable or hinder these processes in a context shaped by cultural, economic, and environmental barriers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participatory workshops conducted at different moments within the cooperative’s initial phase of development. The findings reveal progress in self-esteem, sense of belonging, and community participation, alongside persistent limitations in access to productive resources and decision-making spaces. The study shows that even within emerging organizational processes, it is possible to create favorable conditions for strengthening mutual recognition, active participation, and the progressive development of collective capacities.

Evaluation of transparency and digital quality of Social Economy Chair websites in Spain

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Digital communication has become a strategic priority for higher education institutions, particularly for university chairs dedicated to the field of social economy. This article evaluates the quality, transparency, accessibility, loading speed, and navigability of the websites belonging to Spanish university chairs focused on social economy. Using a custom index based on international standards, the study assesses factors such as content quality, digital accessibility, and user engagement. The analysis of the sixteen Spanish university chairs associated with social economy (CIRIEC, 2022) reveals significant disparities in their digital presence strategies. Of these, only nine have a functional website; four lack any digital presence, and three provide only a basic informational section within their host university’s main website. This uneven distribution highlights varying levels of digital maturity and institutional commitment to the visibility and public projection of these academic structures.

Social enterprises: a comparative social policy instrument for promotion in Spain and Italy

Agnese Carla Fersini — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The economy in this era of global peculiarities represents the main focus of attention of people, organizations and countries, mainly due to the social effects that are related to the quality of life that generates integral well-being for human beings. All socioeconomic theorists link businesses to the generation of goods, services, and social development. This premise gave rise to the concept known as the "social economy," which is based on the use of production factors with an emphasis on social factors. That is, for economic organizations, the rationale is profitability, and for social organizations, the rationale is group coordination to resolve community problems. The objective is to assess the role of social enterprises as a social policy instrument in the development of the 2030 Agenda. The research uses a qualitative approach with an analytical method to compare measures to promote social enterprises in Spain and Italy. The main result was the verification of the prominent role of social enterprises as an instrument for the implementation of social policies in Spain and Italy. The conclusion is highlighted by the need to lead emerging economies in achieving the highest standards of economic performance, seeking to provide their populations with the well-deserved well-being economy contemplated in the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda, and by emphasizing that social enterprises represent an ideal instrument for combating poverty and social inequalities.

Social bonds in the European Union: Performance and determinants in the context of Socially Responsible Investment

Javier García-Escobar — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In recent years, the European Union (EU) has become the main market for GSS+ bonds (green, social, sustainable, and sustainability-linked). Among them, social bonds have established themselves as a fundamental instrument for financing projects aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as other support programs such as those launched following the 2020 health crisis. In the EU, the development of a Social Taxonomy is still pending, with the aim of facilitating the flow of funds toward socially sustainable activities, while also avoiding the risks related to social washing. This paper, which aims to contribute to the scarce academic literature on social bonds, analyzes issuances carried out in the EU between 2017 and 2024, in order to determine the existence of a social premium in the secondary market, as well as its determining factors. Among the findings of this research, it is noteworthy that, for certain issuers, social bonds exhibit lower yields than conventional bonds. Among the determinants of these differences, the positive influence of the issuer’s credit rating stands out, although the sustainability score penalizes them. The results have implications for regulators, issuers, investors, and also for organizations that are part of the Social Economy, given the importance of financing for the latter.

Social christianity and the social doctrine of the catholic church: cooperative law, s. XIX-XX

Yolanda Blasco Gil — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Cooperativism emerged in Europe in the late 18th century as a collective response by the working class to the abuses of industrial capitalism, gaining momentum with milestones such as the Rochdale Cooperative (1844) and the founding of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in 1895. This article examines the decisive -though underexplored- role of social Christianity and the Catholic Church in spreading the cooperative model and its legal institutionalization in key countries like England and Germany. Special attention is given to the Spanish case, where the first general cooperative law was not enacted until 1931, despite efforts by Krausism and social Catholicism to promote cooperative legislation since the late 19th century. Through a historical analysis, the study highlights how Christian movements -both Protestant and Catholic-drove pioneering initiatives in France, England, and Germany, while their influence in Spain was delayed, linked to social Catholicism and figures such as the Jesuit Antonio Vicent. Additionally, it explores the shift in Catholic doctrine with the encyclicals Rerum Novarum (1891) and Quadragesimo Anno (1931), which legitimized workers' associations and critiqued economic liberalism, laying moral foundations for the welfare state. The study reveals how social Christianity and the Catholic Church were highly influential agents in the global expansion of cooperativism and its legal framework, combining pragmatic reformism with ethical principles.

Human resources flexibility in the cooperative model

Antonio González Rojas, Francisco Rincon-Roldan — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study analyses the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on employee flexibility in cooperatives in the social economy sector in Spain. It is based on the theoretical assumption that the skills, abilities and attitudes of human capital constitute an essential strategic resource for organisations to be able to adapt quickly to changing and highly demanding contexts. In this sense, labour flexibility—understood as the ability of workers to take on diverse roles and adapt to dynamic environments—is a key element in driving innovation, continuous improvement and strategic reorientation. Empirical analysis, based on a sample of 124 cooperatives and developed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), confirms a positive and significant relationship between HRM practices and employee flexibility, reinforcing the importance of investing in active skills development policies. These results are contextualised in a scenario of profound labour transformation, intensified by digitalization and globalisation, which have accelerated the need for more resilient and adaptive organisations. The unique role of cooperatives as organisational environments is also noteworthy. Due to their participatory nature and focus on the common good, they are particularly well positioned to promote inclusive, sustainable and solidarity-based development models, in line with the strategic objectives of the European and global economy.

Traditional, social, and sustainable student entrepreneurship in the university context - a systematic review

Valentina Hernández Muñoz, José Luis Monzón Campos, Jorge Torres Ortega — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents a systematic review of the literature on traditional, social, and sustainable entrepreneurship in university contexts, applying the PRISMA protocol to analyze a total of 7,184 articles published until 2024. The central objective is to map the current state of knowledge, identify predominant thematic structures, analyze evolving trends, and detect conceptual gaps in this field of study. The findings reveal sustained growth in scientific production since 2010, with a significant boom between 2020 and 2024, a period that accounts for 49% of all publications. Three major thematic clusters are consolidated: "entrepreneurial intention," as the articulating axis of the field, closely linked to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and validated using statistical techniques such as SEM/PLS-SEM; "entrepreneurial education," as a basic theme connecting educational theory and practice, including curricula, innovative methodologies, and entrepreneurial competencies; and "entrepreneurial activities" as a niche topic focused on technology transfer, economic development, and the formation of entrepreneurial ecosystems. Furthermore, new lines of research are emerging that focus on the active role of universities in promoting social and sustainable entrepreneurship, especially in postpandemic scenarios. The thematic evolution shows a shift from macroeconomic perspectives toward individual-centered approaches, with a conceptual transition from human capital to social capital. In conclusion, the study confirms a structural maturity of the field, where entrepreneurial intention is positioned as the dominant construct, while the social and sustainability components are beginning to be progressively integrated, although still with less centrality. Universities stand out as strategic agents for incubating ventures with economic, social, and environmental value. This work contributes to offering a panoramic view of the field and identifies future opportunities to explore emerging pedagogical approaches, synergies with public policies, and institutional impact metrics in the promotion of social and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Analysis of business structure in the dairy sector: a comparative study by size and legal form

Javier Iturrioz del Campo, Cristina Isabel Dopacio, Ricardo Palomo Zurdo — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Spanish dairy sector holds strategic importance within the agri-food system due to its economic significance, strong social roots, and contribution to public health and well-being. This study analyzes the business structure of dairy farms in Spain, assessing the relationship between farm size and economic performance based on indicators such as profitability, liquidity, and indebtedness. It also examines the impact of legal form, distinguishing between social economy entities (Cooperatives and Agricultural Transformation Societies – SATs) and commercial companies (public limited companies – S.A. and limited liability companies – S.L.), as well as the influence of livestock type (cattle, sheep, and goats). The aim is to identify more efficient management models and support the development of public policies that promote the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.

Barriers to Youth Inclusion and Digital Transformation in Guatemalan Cooperatives

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article explores the problem of low youth participation in Guatemalan cooperatives and how this situation limits the capacity of cooperatives to innovate, digitize and contribute to inclusive economic development. The research is based on a mixed methodology that combines 395 structured surveys, aimed at analyzing aspects such as digitalization, barriers and opportunities within cooperativism: along with 11 in-depth interviews with leaders and young cooperative members to delve deeper into their perceptions and expectations. It is complemented by a binary logit model and a χ² test that contrast the relationship between ICT use and active youth participation. The results show that, although cooperatives are perceived as instruments for community development, youth feel disconnected from them due to their traditional image and the lack of training programs and opportunities in rural areas. The lack of knowledge about the cooperative model and its benefits constitutes an important barrier to the inclusion of young people. However, it is observed that those cooperatives that have implemented digital technologies are able to attract more young talent, underlining the importance of digitalization in the modernization of the cooperative sector. Digital transformation is shown to be an essential element that positively helps to increase youth participation in the cooperative. The study concludes that it is essential to develop training and digitalization strategies to promote youth inclusion. Proposals such as the implementation of training programs, specific incentives, scholarships, school exchanges and job boards have the potential to capture the interest of young people. These initiatives can not only strengthen cooperativism but also turn it into an engine of youth employment and inclusive economic development in Guatemala, contributing to reducing youth unemployment and promoting more equitable economic growth.

Proposals for the flexibilization and modernization of regional Law 14/2006 on Cooperatives in Navarra

Enrique Gadea Soler — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Based on the desirability of regulating a flexible type of cooperative society, in which the autonomy of the members' will takes centre stage provided that it does not conflict with the values and mandate contained in the cooperative principles, this article aims to propose a legislative reform to make the Navarre Cooperatives Act more flexible and modern. In our view, the reform should focus on the configuration of new organisational and economic regimes. With regard to the organisational regime, the new model involves limiting the decision-making power of the general assembly and making the regulation of the administration system more flexible, as well as abolishing the intervention body. For its part, the proposal for the new economic regime model is based on a system of joint accounting of results, the relaxation of the legal treatment of the mandatory reserve fund and the clear determination of the limited liability of members for corporate debts. We understand that only on the basis of these considerations can cooperatives be established that are socially oriented, subject to their specific principles and purposes, and, moreover, attractive to members, efficient in business terms and in tune with the times.