Research areas

Euricse has structured its research activity so as to enhance the collaboration between the areas and projects. This collaboration and interaction of the areas is fundamental because the phenomenon of cooperative and social enterprises is very complex. These enterprises in fact are very different from one another in terms of objectives, ownership forms, and activities. Research areas and projects that do not ignore these differences, but rather highlight them, and aim to best study these aspects are therefore organized in a way that identifies common elements and similarities in the objectives they aim to achieve, as well as in the approach. The research activity is therefore organized by areas, each one dedicated to deepening the understanding of one or more of the relevant aspects and including a variable number of projects in each area. Presently we have six research areas.

AREA 1 is central to Euricse’s research activity, since it is both the scientific frame of reference but also a starting point that is common to all the other research areas. Its objective is therefore to understand the nature and potential of cooperative and social enterprises, attempting to explain the origins, existence, and formation of these enterprises. This area includes theoretical and empirical research investigating the economic and social role of these organizations.

AREA 2 aims to systematically measure the size of the cooperative and social enterprise sector in Italy and in other countries, both in terms of number of enterprises and in terms of their economic contributions.  The area thus provides reliable data on the state and evolution of this sector to the other research areas as well, managing and integrating different data sources.

AREA 3 studies the impact of cooperative and social enterprises on economic and social development and the contributions made by these organizational types toward enhancing the social capital that is accumulated at the local level. Therefore, this area aims to analyse the capacity for social enterprises and cooperatives to support economic development, create new employment opportunities and stimulate the acquisition of social capital.

AREA 4 presents and comments on the regulatory system at a national and international level, using an analytical approach that considers the defining characteristics of the organizations studied. This area also includes the economic analysis of law. These analyses complement the theoretical and empirical analyses developed in the other areas, suggesting analysis and interventions for better regulations in the sector. The work of this area also compares and conducts in-depth analyses of legislation from various countries and suggests ways to help cooperative and social enterprises work in a more efficient and effective way.

AREA 5 focuses on research examining the efficiency and effectiveness of cooperative and social enterprise models and networks. To this end, Area 5 coordinates the collection of models of social and cooperative enterprises, both from within and outside Europe; from countries experiencing varying degrees of economic development with different types of welfare systems. This helps identify the best practices and unique aspects of the different models analyzed.

AREA 6 seeks to analyze the challenges that social and cooperative enterprises must face as they pursue high-level economic performance, whilst remaining faithful to their values and the principles that they are founded upon, through accounting and management practices that reflect their ethics. It raises important considerations within management and accounting practices, in particular, management practices related to ethics, social responsibility and social accounting.