911爆料

Jan Myers, pp. 3-6 

Short papers

E. P. Pritchard, pp. 7-9

The first paper in this special anniversary issue  is a contribution from E. P. Pritchard, a staff tutor in Government from the Department of Extra-Mural Studies (Birmingham) and focuses on democracy and competition in consumer co-operatives. In his opening remarks, he questions whether the principle of democratic control is practicable in a competitive environment. The premise of his argument, though, in this paper is that rather than 鈥渂eing a hindrance to effective competition, [democracy] should become the basis of the movement鈥檚 competitive strategy鈥� (p. 7). In order to explicate this position, he starts with a view on the nature of democracy from the point of view of theconsumer. Yet, he suggests that surveys have shown that meeting the needs of the customer and customer satisfaction is not 鈥渁 characteristic of the movement as a whole鈥�. Furthermore, that there is a lack of distinctiveness between co-operative societies and independent retailers, and that rather than compete with others through imitation, there is a need to reclaim something distinctive: 鈥渢he democratic principle of starting from the point of view of the member鈥�.

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John Hughes, pp. 10-23

Our second article, from John Hughes, also looks at retail co-operative trading but takes a broader perspective by considering what might need to be done in the context of the 1970s. John Hughes was vice-principal of Ruskin College, Oxford and this paper takes both an historical look at the movement but also its development needs. While eschewing the old traditions, he concludes with a 鈥渕odernising鈥� view of principles of the social objectives of consumer co-operatives and co-operatives as providing a democratic challenge to large corporates.

S. P. Clarke, pp. 24-26

In answer to some of Hughes鈥� argument, our next paper provides an alternative view. S. P. Clarke decries the need to supersize the sector. Rather he asks a series of questions linked to size, and if not super-societies then what, and points to the simplicity of focus on a lack of size rather than a surfeit of good policy. He advocates that the 鈥渄octrine of 鈥楪et Big鈥欌�� be replaced by 鈥淏e Better鈥� with a focus on internal efficiencies and good practice, which supports a range of societies of 鈥渁dequate鈥� size. There are more than echoes of continuing debate in UK鈥檚 retail sector today, where The Co-operative lies in sixth place in the top ten of largest supermarket chains (BBC, 2017; IGD Retail Analysis, 2017).

Esther Quinn, p. 27-29

A focus on internal good practice is examined in the commentary provided by Esther Quinn who speaks from long experience of industrial relations and trade union movement (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers — USDAW). Her short article both laments the perceptions and experiences of customer service provided by co-operative shop assistants of the time and the attrition rate of employees. From her Union perspective, she does not provide much in the way of respite from critique. While recognising the mutuality of the co-operative movement and USDAW, she bemoans the lack of employee representation and the perceived apathy of co-operative shop assistants, which she concludes are barriers to the ideals of the co-operative movement.

W. P. Watkins, pp. 29-34

W. P. Watkins — a life-long co-operator — focuses on workers鈥� participation, which he sees as 鈥渋ncreasingly effective鈥� (p. 29), albeit 鈥渄own to zero鈥� in some types of co-operative enterprise. He bases his essay on the premise that worker participation is 鈥済rounded in the co-operative principle鈥�.  Watkins advocates for worker co-operatives as part of the wider international alliance of co-operatives rather than segmentation of different organisational forms and concludes that they have a vital and contemporary role both in promotion of democratic and participatory management, and also in 鈥減rogressively reinforcing the superiority of Co-operation to private and capitalistic competition… as a system of supplying society鈥檚 wants鈥� (p. 34).

John Gallacher, pp. 35-37

The final paper continues on the theme of workers鈥� participation but with a focus on consumer societies. Our author — John Gallacher, later Lord Gallacher, admits that when he was taught that consumer co-operation was the highest form of co-operation as 鈥渋t did not suffer from the defects of other lesser types鈥� (p. 35), he took this at face value. Thirty years on and writing in changed economic and regulatory conditions (1976), he states; 鈥淚 no longer believe in the consumer theory鈥� (p. 35). In this context, he describes the increasing power of organised labour and, given this, asks the question why workers might want increased responsibility in decisionmaking.

911爆料 for Co-operative Studies, pp.38-39

Book Reviews

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By Nigel Todd. Reviewed by Michael Duckett, pp. 40-43

By Ron Roffey and Peter Collier. Reviewed by Richard Bickle, pp. 44-45

By Ronald George Garnett. Reviewed by Jan Myers, pp. 46-48

All works are licensed under a , subject to a 6-month embargo from date of publication in the Journal.