Cultura cooperativista como potencializador de eficiência cooperativista: um estudo de caso da cooperativa de crédito SICREDI pioneira

Abstract

When thinking of contemporaneity, we identify a complex environment with multiple forms of organizing life in society, as well as evidence of the transition of paradigms, which have not yet been understood in their totality. In this regard, we use Edgar Morin as analytic reference of the context of transition. In the field of economy, there is demand for analysis which takes in account this complexity, as the paradigms of modern economy have shown interpretative limitations and in consequence socioeconomic and environmental problems. This perspective allows more complex and plural analysis about the concept of economy. We develop out perceptions in this field based on Karl Polanyi and Amartya Sen who show more complex and plural forms of economy. In this field of analysis, we identify cooperativism as a more substantive socioeconomic work organization – a more adequate model for the needs of contemporary economy. In the management of cooperative entrepreneurship, the social and economic dimensions are directly correlated, as the model focuses on the improvement of life quality of people. In this research, we aim to investigate the importance of the social capital, which is specific for this organization model, as performance indicator of a cooperative management model. This indicator would be related to a form of efficiency which incorporates social and economic elements in the performance indicator analysis. The case study is delimited to the experience in projects focused on promoting the cooperative culture by the credit cooperative Sicredi Pioneira. The methodology developed incorporates a bundle of procedures in order to emphasize the impact of the cooperative in the promotion of a cooperativism specific social capital and the indicator references which demonstrate an efficiency focused on the cooperative proposal. In this context, we work with a case study of the cooperative previously mentioned, interviews, field diary, sociohistorical analysis and the actions directly related to the promotion of a cooperative culture in the community. The results of this research show that the cooperative social capital represents an important indicator to emphasize the cooperative efficiency and that the actions taken by the cooperative have served as a source of that social capital in the community of the municipality of Nova Petrópolis. We understand that the present research supports the necessity of developing performance indicators in the analysis of cooperative management which incorporate the promotion of a cooperative culture as a strategic factor for this organization model.