September 8, 2020
In its Fall 2020 edition, the magazine Gestion HEC Montréal devotes a special feature to cooperatives, a business model whose collaborative and democratic values are highly relevant with the situation linked to the pandemic, and which could breathe new life into the Quebec economy.
According to the magazine Gestion HEC Montréal, companies that have developed – before, during and after the coronavirus crisis – a strong organizational culture will brilliantly meet the challenges posed by the post-COVID-19 recovery. The special feature includes six articles that provide an overview of the cooperative world.
The article entitled “A business model that shaped Quebec” provides an overview of the history of the cooperative movement and a portrait of cooperatives in Quebec.
The article “Is the cooperative spirit still relevant?” speaks of the visibility challenges of cooperative enterprises in Quebec, emerging from other sectors than the historic financial services.
The article “Finding your way: serving communities” offers an overview of the challenges faced by cooperatives with a social purpose, with a unique perspective from Coopsco, the Quebec federation of cooperatives in schools.
“The Other Capitalism” presents how the big financial services cooperatives and mutual such as the Desjardins Group, SSQ Assurance and La Capitale see the future.
An interview with the Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development, Marie-Eve Proulx, reveals the major orientations of the Government of Quebec in promoting the cooperative model for the coming years.
The article “Do consumer cooperatives still offer competitive advantages?” discusses the relevance of the cooperative model for the needs of members.
Finally, in the article “The cooperative model: a response to new economic challenges” J. Benoît Caron, CEO of the Consortium of cooperative resources and expertise in Quebec describes the cooperative model as a possible solution to deal with the economic situation due to the Coronavirus pandemic.