Participation in Participatory Governance: Cooperatives in a Swiss Context

Swiss cooperatives are currently in focus: while a number of legal framework amendments are on the way, still little research is done on this form of corporate governance. In the current urgency of addressing grand challenges, cooperatives have regained importance in the economic and societal landscapes. Comprehensive data-driven studies would support legislative modernization. Participatory governance is a conspicuous characteristic of cooperatives. The type and levels of participation are idiosyncratic to a given cooperative and hence exist in various forms. Our anthropological interview-based research yields three tensions. First, participation does not imply inclusion; second, cooperatives can be perceived as outdated, yet they evolve and experiment with forms; third, both idealist and pragmatic approaches are required to sustain the business and address any mission drift. The above enhances the comprehension of the cooperative form, challenging the perceived outdatedness of this hybrid-missioned entrepreneurship.