The role of Startin’Blox in fostering cooperation among cooperatives

Reflective Essay

Introduction

Cooperative groups operate on local, national, and international levels around the world. Cooperatives exist in a wide variety of economic sectors, although they are particularly prevalent in technology, food, finance, and digital solutions. Cooperative organizations perform two critical functions: they educate policymakers and the broader population about the cooperative model, and they foster innovation among its members by pooling and sharing skills and resources. Cooperatives provide educational programs for entrepreneurs in order to promote innovation and the cooperative model. They raise awareness of the cooperative model’s values among business owners, associations and cooperatives, other civil society organizations, and legislators. Since 2007, European cooperatives have had access to a range of educational resources created by the European Network of Learning Institutions, a collaboration between Cooperatives Europe and the European Alternatives network. For example, Cooperatives Europe and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) urge members to pool their expertise and resources in order to initiate and develop such initiatives. They develop and offer free open resources, such as methods and documentation, to their members and stakeholders with the goal of promoting and encouraging cooperative entrepreneurship in their respective locations.The main issue in today’s atmosphere is that internet services have made cooperative resources inaccessible to the general public. Historically, cooperative systems have included e-commerce, transaction, and monetary systems in which members allocate resources according to available input and output criteria. Cooperative systems communicate with its members and stakeholders using established channels such as email and online posting. Regrettably, this information is still repressed by search engine algorithms driven by profit-generating logics that emphasize large-scale commercial content over small-scale knowledge development.

This research makes a recommendation for resolving the issue of wide public access to cooperative resources. The suggested technique is essential because it allows the cooperative movement to break free from inherently discriminatory technology. Additionally, the study advises that cooperative organizations establish a web infrastructure capable of linking cooperative actors directly to their constituents without relying on competitors. In other words, collaborative work must occur online. As a result of the study, cooperative actors must develop a decentralized, open-source online directory to compete with proprietary directories. Startin’blox was chosen as a case study due to their involvement in the cooperative movement and their ability to address the issue of widespread public access to cooperative resources. Startin’blox is a Cooperative Society of Collective Interest (SCIC), which means that it is democratically controlled by its members. Startin’blox is a technology business dedicated to developing innovative and ethical technologies based on open standards. It goes opposite to the logic of expanding the number of isolated private platforms and advocates for the urgent establishment of a truly open web. As part of its continuous governance paradigm, Startin’blox promotes real-time problem-solving among all member-policyholders who demonstrate an interest.

Literature Review

It is possible to engage in collective action when a group of individuals works together to attain a shared goal or purpose. Individuals, on the other hand, have long been known for their inability to collaborate in order to accomplish a communal aim or the common good. Societies have long sought new methods to interact when it comes to cultural and economic growth. Henri (2017) provides an overview of cooperative movements, covering historical roots and present uses. It was critical to investigate these notions in order to have a better understanding of how cooperative groups function. As a consequence, this part gives a high-level overview of the present working environment for cooperative organizations, as well as insight into the key components of any cooperative business model.The European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (2009) launched a research that culminated in the Principles of European Cooperative Law, based on a comparison of cooperative law throughout the European Union. As a consequence, the present condition of cooperative law, as well as the expansion of cooperative law, have become important components of modern cooperative legislations.

“Collaboration” and “cooperation” are often misinterpreted notions, and Henri (2017) clarifies this confusion. In general, the phrase “collaboration” refers to any kind of group action inside a corporate conglomerate or subsidiary activity, and it may be as simple as an agreement to authority. Cooperative labor is done in a manner that promotes democracy, participation, and group decision-making. Transitioning from a purely collaborative approach inside the usual corporate command structure is required. Cooperative movements have the potential to alter the future of the United States, and my study applies the concepts of a highly democratic, participative, and group-directed structure. Robert Owen and William Thompson, with their utopian ideas, would agree on the suggested remedy. The second subsection focuses on Startin’Blox’s technical solution. The final paragraph will combine the issues of developing collaboration among cooperatives with Startin’Blox’s role in aligning technology to these challenges. As the digital world ushers in new modes of organization and collective enterprise, it is worth considering how cooperatives throughout the globe are using these technologies and ideologies to improve their cooperative identity, existence, and development.

There exist connections between the concepts of cooperation and some of the ideologies that drive emerging digital firms, such as voluntarism, collaboration, autonomy, and independence, based on my study. Cooperative movement ideals so fit well within the guiding principles of today’s technology community, and a technical solution that combines the two aspects seems the most fascinating and sustainable. The second subsection is quite explicit about Startin’blox’s social goal. One, the institution’s technology answer, broadens access to the broader populace by providing its members with cooperative tools. Second, Startin’blox promotes the cooperative spirit by encouraging participants to use the platform to shape the cooperative environment’s future. Both progressive techniques show how access and growth may be accomplished via continual education and information exchange. The growth of cooperatives has resulted in a diverse array of organizational and shared resource governance structures that are both comparable and dissimilar. According to Sanfilippo & Chattopadhyay (2020), commons are networked, with varying degrees of sharing and links across cooperative organizations. Along with various in-depth examinations of individual commons and cooperatives, the site investigates how collaborative platforms and public resources provide an inventory of collaborative groups by location and industry. As the study demonstrates, questions persist about the frequency of cooperatives and how they vary in practice as a consequence of regulatory arrangements.

Finally, in the third subsection, we investigate the impact of external factors such as legislation and contracts, as well as local conditions, technology, and cooperative relationships, in shaping cooperatives’ unique outcomes. This section will use network analysis to ascertain how the linkages between various sectors and regions affect and share governance institutions in a variety of ways.

Methodology

This chapter discusses the study’s methodology, strategy, and instruments. It begins by outlining the study’s methodology and underlying assumptions. It then discusses the research approach, data gathering methodologies, and data analysis techniques used in the study. Finally, the study analyzes the ethical difficulties that arose throughout the research process and how they were resolved.

Positivism and constructivism were blended with quantitative and qualitative research approaches in this study (qualitative data). This study used qualitative research methodologies in order to get a deeper knowledge of real-world challenges. Qualitative research enables the establishment of hypotheses and the subsequent examination and comprehension of quantitative data, rather than the collection of numerical data points or the introduction of treatments, as quantitative research does. Additionally, it was necessary given the open-ended nature of the research issues at hand.

Constructivism was blended with positivism for a variety of reasons. To begin, the technique acknowledges that actions, relationships, and perceptions all have an effect on reality. When applied hypothetically, this apparently basic concept has profound ramifications for our ability to comprehend the world. Given the use of questionnaires in this research, it is critical to understand the respondents’ perspectives in order to get valid conclusions from the data obtained. Second, constructivists’ emphasis on ideational variables demonstrates that reality is not static but prone to change. A significant part of the research was the evolving communication environment of cooperatives. Constructivism was especially helpful to ascertain cooperatives’ willingness to collaborate with Startin’Blox on the development of communication applications and platforms.

Numerous variables had to be considered during the sampling process. These considerations included sample size, sampling costs, and the amount of information already available, population size variation, the difficulty of data collection, and the precision with which we want our estimates affect practicality. The sampling process enables us to determine how precise our estimates should be in light of the sampling cost. Among the most critical lessons we’ve learned is the importance of selecting risk values when determining sample sizes. If the conclusions drawn from the sampling process are particularly significant, sample sizes should be increased.

By principle the representative sample you choose must make complete sense. Here’s where the trade-offs often develop. We want to collect enough information to gain reasonably precise approximations of the measured variables but we would like to achieve this within a viable resource budget. The major challenge is to evaluate the risks inherent with the specified sample size. In the end, the study used a sample size of 50 participants from ten cooperatives. One of the main points when utilizing a standardized questionnaire is that it cannot completely encapsulate emotional reactions or sentiments of participants. This problem was further exaggerated by the fact that the questionnaire was distributed to responders and all elected to give replies through the same channel. Although this was expected, I found that without delivering the questionnaire face-to-face, there is no ability to evaluate facial expression, emotions or body language. Without these distinctions, important data might go undetected.

SPSS software was used to evaluate the quantitative data. It’s a robust tool that may assist you in extracting the most value from your data. The technology facilitates the movement of data blocks and expedites the completion of tasks. Additionally, it gives well-structured and detailed results. Cleaning and filtering data is a breeze when using SPSS. Despite the fact that the software package is intended to simplify data analysis, I struggled with it. To begin, the application is a pain to install. Second, using the program requires familiarity with basic SPSS commands and data input techniques. The manner of application varies according on the data set. Due to the abundance of options, selecting the best one becomes difficult.

When I originally began working on this project, I focused exclusively on the research. However, I quickly learnt that research ethics is an integral part of the study process and a basic concept of research design. While designing a study, it is necessary to have a specific research subject in mind. As a result, the study’s conclusions must be consistent with the research objectives and data obtained. As required by research ethics, the methodologies used in the study must also be related to the research questions. For the purposes of my research, I knew that it is necessary to ensure that participants are provided with sufficient information to make an informed decision about whether or not to participate. Consent, danger of damage, and secrecy must also be explained ethically. My consent form served as a covenant of confidence between the researcher and the participants, since it incorporated all of these components.

Results and Findings

The second line of enquiry was to determine the advantages of using technology/applications in communication amongst cooperatives. Individuals must be able to participate in a networked, information-based society because we are living in a historical epoch in which knowledge is the most critical resource for social and economic advancement. The change from manufacturing-based employment to information- and technology-rich labor has resulted in people working together in teams rather than competing against one other. There is a need for individuals to be able to work collaboratively to design, utilize, and maintain technical tools. The role of technology and collaboration will continue to rise in the lives of the majority of people.

There are several ICTs that enable people to communicate and process information electronically, ranging from radio and satellite transmission through television, computers, and the Internet. Among the subjects explored in the study were the potential advantages of ICTs for cooperatives and challenges surrounding ICT implementation, both of which were deemed relevant by the researchers. A primary emphasis of the study was on how cooperatives vary from other forms of organizations in terms of their size and breadth, and this was underlined throughout the research. Cooperatives have unifying cooperative ideals, such as democratic member control, cooperation among co-operatives, and caring for the community, which impact cooperatives’ approach to their members, their firms, and their communities.

Using ICTs in cooperatives provides a number of benefits. Cooperatives may expand their markets via the use of the internet and ICTs. This manner, employees may keep current on new discoveries and advancements, as well as benefit from online training. The management operations of cooperatives, their financial information and reporting, their records management, and their web presence may all be enhanced via the use of information and communication technology (ICTs). These adjustments contribute to increased productivity and cost savings. Certain obstacles must be overcome, including financial and infrastructure constraints associated with access to cooperatives’ ICT systems. Despite the extensive availability of telephone communication services worldwide, many rural communities continue to lack a reliable link to the internet and mobile broadband. As a consequence, teaching people about the benefits of information and communications technology (ICT) may be challenging in areas with little or no access to the internet.

The third purpose of the study was to ascertain cooperatives’ willingness to collaborate with Startin’Blox on the development of communication applications and platforms. The findings indicate that blockchain technology may be beneficial to cooperatives in a variety of ways, including through blockchain-based cooperative legislation and administration, decentralized financial services, and increased financial inclusion through increased access to loans for micro and small-to-medium-sized enterprises. Through Startin’Blox, I choose to demonstrate technical acceptability. Their ground-breaking technology intends to facilitate cooperative platform development. To ascertain cooperatives’ willingness to include Startin’Blox into the development of their communication apps and platforms, the primary issue was how these platforms might be utilized to really improve and accelerate the social and environmental transitions required by our society. Acceptance of technology is seen feasible in light of the fact that since 2016, France’s first legislation, Coopérative de solidarité Mondragon, has embraced blockchain technology.

Startin’Blox, I believe, is an illustration of how cooperatives may use digital settings to build their identity. Additionally, the findings of this research emphasize the necessity of intercooperation in the modern digital era, while acknowledging cooperatives as a massive worldwide network. If we can use technology to maximize that network, we can achieve exceptional outcomes in terms of cooperative collaboration. Additionally, the results imply that attention should be paid to how to integrate cooperative identities into cooperative information systems, which is depicted as a necessary condition for the cooperative movement to compete with huge technology giants such as Google. Additionally, the results stressed the importance of the sixth cooperative principle of intercooperation and the seventh principle of community care in this endeavor.

Finally, the research emphasizes a need for more discussion within the cooperative movement concerning technical options and the ramifications of choosing one technology over another. Within a cooperative framework, there is room for technical discussion, and empirical data demonstrates that cooperative platforms are practical, revolutionary, and deserving of support. What remains is for cooperative societies to communicate with one another, face the many technical options accessible, and work together to develop some shared visions.

Discussion and Conclusion

Cooperatives may use technology to address a wide range of shared operations and social challenges. When it comes to cooperative governance, communication is one of the most often used technologies, particularly in rural and distant locations. There are several benefits of using ICTs in cooperatives. The internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to assist cooperatives in expanding their enterprises. Through the utilization of online training, employees may keep current on technical advancements and new discoveries. Cooperatives may strengthen their management operations, financial statistics and reporting, records management, and online presence by using information and communication technologies (ICTs). These modifications benefit both productivity and cost.

Despite the growing benefits of cooperative technology development, cooperatives’ ICT systems face financial and infrastructural constraints. Financial inclusion may be facilitated through Startin’Blox’s blockchain-based cooperative legislation and administration, decentralized financial services, and rising usage of supporting technology such as the blockchain. Since a consequence of the study, adoption of Startin’Blox’s revolutionary technology is regarded feasible, as it enables cooperative platform development. Although the data generally corroborated my hypothesis, the cooperative movement should have more in-depth conversations about the advantages and disadvantages of different technologies before reaching a final choice. The fact that there is room for technical argument and data to support the practicality and revolutionary nature of cooperative platforms struck me the most, and I felt compelled to provide my support.

References

Henrÿ, H. (2017). Cooperation Among Cooperatives. In G. Fajardo-García, A. Fici, H. Henrÿ, D. Hiez, D. Meira, H. Muenker, et al. (Authors), Principles of European Cooperative Law: Principles, Commentaries and National Reports (pp. 119-134). Intersentia. doi:10.1017/9781780686073.007

Luo, J. L., & Hu, Z. H. (2015). Risk paradigm and risk evaluation of farmers cooperatives’ technology innovation. Economic Modelling, 44, 80-85.