Evolution of social accountability in cooperatives: the case of Cta’s social statement
Abstract
The non-profit model bases its existence on trust relationships that require, inescapably, a proper definition
of the accountability level, meaning the search for informative tools that allow to communicate the
extent to which its own mission is being pursued, in relation to the respect of liability conditions for the
management.
The aim of this study is to indeed analyze the case of the social statement for a successful cooperative:
Cta1, food transportation company, part of the Emilia-Romagna social-economic entity, which has now
celebrated 35 years of activity (Created in Bologna in 1972 by 28 truck drivers brought together by a
charismatic leader in response to the strong activity expansion of the consumer cooperation). The company
spontaneously decided to adopt such document from 2004, driven by the aim of expressing, communicating
its own mission to the various stakeholders2. Its social statement uses as methodological references
the “Principle of social statement editing” elaborated by the group for study of social statement
(SSG) and the simplified scheme for social statement suggested by Legacoop Bologna to the cooperatives
associated in the initiative “General States of the work’s cooperation”.
The case offers important things to ponder since it’s aimed to demonstrate that Cta sees its social statement
as an occasion to reflect, as a first thing to rediscover “reasons to be together, to make and be a cooperative”,
to verify the social agreement that “joins people and companies in the achievement of a common goal”, to verify the mutualistic exchange between members and cooperative, to demonstrate that the
cooperative is able to “express its own social purposes towards the members and the environment in
which it operates”, to introduce Cta as a transportation cooperative aware of the strategic value of the
relationships with members, with customers, with the cooperative system and the public administration,
ultimately to demonstrate that Cta has understood “conjugation of efficiency and sociality, entrepreneurial
perspectives and opportunities for collective growth” as a priority for its own development.
of the accountability level, meaning the search for informative tools that allow to communicate the
extent to which its own mission is being pursued, in relation to the respect of liability conditions for the
management.
The aim of this study is to indeed analyze the case of the social statement for a successful cooperative:
Cta1, food transportation company, part of the Emilia-Romagna social-economic entity, which has now
celebrated 35 years of activity (Created in Bologna in 1972 by 28 truck drivers brought together by a
charismatic leader in response to the strong activity expansion of the consumer cooperation). The company
spontaneously decided to adopt such document from 2004, driven by the aim of expressing, communicating
its own mission to the various stakeholders2. Its social statement uses as methodological references
the “Principle of social statement editing” elaborated by the group for study of social statement
(SSG) and the simplified scheme for social statement suggested by Legacoop Bologna to the cooperatives
associated in the initiative “General States of the work’s cooperation”.
The case offers important things to ponder since it’s aimed to demonstrate that Cta sees its social statement
as an occasion to reflect, as a first thing to rediscover “reasons to be together, to make and be a cooperative”,
to verify the social agreement that “joins people and companies in the achievement of a common goal”, to verify the mutualistic exchange between members and cooperative, to demonstrate that the
cooperative is able to “express its own social purposes towards the members and the environment in
which it operates”, to introduce Cta as a transportation cooperative aware of the strategic value of the
relationships with members, with customers, with the cooperative system and the public administration,
ultimately to demonstrate that Cta has understood “conjugation of efficiency and sociality, entrepreneurial
perspectives and opportunities for collective growth” as a priority for its own development.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4485/ea2038-5498.233-244
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Registered by the Cancelleria del Tribunale di Pavia N. 685/2007 R.S.P. – electronic ISSN 2038-5498
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Privacy e cookies