Co-ops and Associations

Co-ops and Associations tend to be less flexible than private companies but also more resilient. Clubs, mutual insurance companies, and friendly societies all have an associative form. Their defining purpose is the interests of their members, as consumers, or workers, or participants, but their culture is social, committed to the communities in which they operate, providing work, services, and support. Examples include Japanese food consumer co-ops, and the Mondragon family of coops in Spain.