Centre for the Study of Co-operatives Seminar Series 2013–14

Dionne Pohler

Assistant Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
Fellow, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives

Thursday, 31 October 2013
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Prairie Room, Diefenbaker Bldg
U of S Campus
Reception to follow

Shareholder-owned corporations were heralded as central pillars of developed economies in the 20th century. The success of the shareholder value movement led to the proliferation of liberalized practices in both the public sector and the social economy as these organizations began to emulate corporations to gain legitimacy. As a result, management research and practice have paid limited attention to the co-operative business model and associated governance structures. Yet, co-operatives operating in highly competitive industries must highlight what makes the co-op model a source of competitive advantage and effectively leverage the model in order to prosper.

About Dionne:

Dionne’s primary research explores the intersection of strategy, HR systems, unions, and employee involvement in both private and public sector organizations. She received a research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for her work in this area. She will work extensively with the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives on research in areas that include governance and HR systems in co-operatives and social economy organizations.