Food production in solidarity economy: an issue that goes beyond laws

Abstract Food production within the context of solidarity economy is an alternative way to offer employment and income for a significant part of the Brazilian population. The purpose of this study was to carry out a business diagnosis in order to evaluate the facilities, the production process and hygiene practices of seven solidarity economy enterprises located in the city of Novo Hamburgo, Southern Brazil, that work with food production and sales. Visits took place at the enterprises and a check-list was used to record data. Although food production happens in places with space and setting restrictions, it guarantees distinctive foods with aggregate value, where handlers follow the whole process, from raw materials selection to sales. Basic hygiene principles are followed, as they guarantee the production of food with quality, which contributes towards income generation for participating families. Specific laws that apply to the characteristics and needs of small-scale food production must be written in order to regulate solidarity economy enterprises.

Sustentabilidade de EES: contribuições e desafios do PITCPES/UFPA a partir da análise da Cooperativa dos Fruticultores de Abaetetuba COFRUTA

The study aimed to understand how the methodology of hatching contributes to the sustainability of economic enterprises in solidarity. For analysis, we developed a study on the social economy and the incubation methodology, based on the program of teaching, research and extension - Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship Solidarity (PITCPES), and as the survey of the Cooperative of Fruit of Abaetetuba - COFRUTA. We started from the exploratory-descriptive approach in a qualitative and quantitative, in order to demonstrate the process of sustainability under the dimensions of different kinds such as: the economic dimension, social dimension, the political dimension, size and scale management training. Based on the analysis of these different dimensions was reached results as: first the recognition that the incubator contributes to the sustainability of COFRUTA, especially with regard to planning, control and the need to diversify production. However, there was suggestion of cooperative for training and technical assistance is continued, to the extent that the performance of projects under the base leaves gaps for the learning and application of social technologies required to the Incubator. It also concluded that the dissertation contributes to the team of the incubator can assess their strengths and weaknesses in their performance

Sustentabilidade de EES: contribuições e desafios do PITCPES/UFPA a partir da análise da Cooperativa dos Fruticultores de Abaetetuba COFRUTA

The study aimed to understand how the methodology of hatching contributes to the sustainability of economic enterprises in solidarity. For analysis, we developed a study on the social economy and the incubation methodology, based on the program of teaching, research and extension - Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship Solidarity (PITCPES), and as the survey of the Cooperative of Fruit of Abaetetuba - COFRUTA. We started from the exploratory-descriptive approach in a qualitative and quantitative, in order to demonstrate the process of sustainability under the dimensions of different kinds such as: the economic dimension, social dimension, the political dimension, size and scale management training. Based on the analysis of these different dimensions was reached results as: first the recognition that the incubator contributes to the sustainability of COFRUTA, especially with regard to planning, control and the need to diversify production. However, there was suggestion of cooperative for training and technical assistance is continued, to the extent that the performance of projects under the base leaves gaps for the learning and application of social technologies required to the Incubator. It also concluded that the dissertation contributes to the team of the incubator can assess their strengths and weaknesses in their performance

Sustentabilidade de empreendimentos econômicos solidários: contribuições e desafios do PITCPES/UFPA a partir da análise da Cooperativa dos Fruticultores de Abaetetuba - COFRUTA

The study aimed to understand how the methodology of hatching contributes to the sustainability of economic enterprises in solidarity. For analysis, we developed a study on the social economy and the incubation methodology, based on the program of teaching, research and extension - Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship Solidarity (PITCPES), and as the survey of the Cooperative of Fruit of Abaetetuba - COFRUTA. We started from the exploratory-descriptive approach in a qualitative and quantitative, in order to demonstrate the process of sustainability under the dimensions of different kinds such as: the economic dimension, social dimension, the political dimension, size and scale management training. Based on the analysis of these different dimensions was reached results as: first the recognition that the incubator contributes to the sustainability of COFRUTA, especially with regard to planning, control and the need to diversify production. However, there was suggestion of cooperative for training and technical assistance is continued, to the extent that the performance of projects under the base leaves gaps for the learning and application of social technologies required to the Incubator. It also concluded that the dissertation contributes to the team of the incubator can assess their strengths and weaknesses in their performance

Sustentabilidade de empreendimentos econômicos solidários: contribuições e desafios do PITCPES/UFPA a partir da análise da Cooperativa dos Fruticultores de Abaetetuba - COFRUTA

The study aimed to understand how the methodology of hatching contributes to the sustainability of economic enterprises in solidarity. For analysis, we developed a study on the social economy and the incubation methodology, based on the program of teaching, research and extension - Technological Incubator of Popular Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship Solidarity (PITCPES), and as the survey of the Cooperative of Fruit of Abaetetuba - COFRUTA. We started from the exploratory-descriptive approach in a qualitative and quantitative, in order to demonstrate the process of sustainability under the dimensions of different kinds such as: the economic dimension, social dimension, the political dimension, size and scale management training. Based on the analysis of these different dimensions was reached results as: first the recognition that the incubator contributes to the sustainability of COFRUTA, especially with regard to planning, control and the need to diversify production. However, there was suggestion of cooperative for training and technical assistance is continued, to the extent that the performance of projects under the base leaves gaps for the learning and application of social technologies required to the Incubator. It also concluded that the dissertation contributes to the team of the incubator can assess their strengths and weaknesses in their performance

A DCAP for the social and solidarity economy

This article presents a work-in-progress version of a Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP) developed to serve the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). Studies revealed that this community is interested in implementing both internal interoperability between their Web platforms to build a global SSE e-marketplace, and external interoperability among their Web platforms and external ones. The Dublin Core Application Profile for Social and Solidarity Economy (DCAP-SSE) serves this purpose. SSE organisations are submerged in the market economy but they have specificities not taken into account in this economy. The DCAP-SSE integrates terms from well-known metadata schemas, Resource Description Framework (RDF) vocabularies or ontologies, in order to enhance interoperability and take advantage of the benefits of the Linked Open Data ecosystem. It also integrates terms from the new essglobal RDF vocabulary which was created with the goal to respond to the SSE-specific needs. The DCAP-SSE also integrates five new Vocabulary Encoding Schemes to be used with DCAP-SSE properties. The DCAP development was based on a method for the development of application profiles (Me4MAP). We believe that this article has an educational value since it presents the idea that it is important to base DCAP developments on a method. This article shows the main results of applying such a method.

Toward a Statistically Robust Assessment of Social and Solidarity Economy Actors. Conceptual Development and Empirical Validation

Many definitions and debates exist about the core characteristics of social and solidarity economy (SSE) and its actors. Among others, legal forms, profit, geographical scope, and size as criteria for identifying SSE actors often reveal dissents among SSE scholars. Instead of using a dichotomous, either-in-or-out definition of SSE actors, this paper presents an assessment tool that takes into account multiple dimensions to offer a more comprehensive and nuanced view of the field. We first define the core dimensions of the assessment tool by synthesizing the multiple indicators found in the literature. We then empirically test these dimensions and their interrelatedness and seek to identify potential clusters of actors. Finally we discuss the practical implications of our model.

A configuration framework of manufacturing strategy paradigm in state owned enterprises within China's petrochemical industry:building context-embedded configurations for the paradigm of strategic manufacturing management from exploratory case studies

The role of the production system as a key determinant of competitive performance of business operations- has long been the subject of industrial organization research, even predating the .explicit conceptua1isation of manufacturing, strategy in the literature. Particular emergent production issues such as the globalisation of production, global supply chain management, management of integrated manufacturing and a growing e~busjness environment are expected to critically influence the overall competitive performance and therefore the strategic success of the organization. More than ever, there is a critical need to configure and improve production system and operations competence in a strategic way so as to contribute to the long-term competitiveness of the organization. In order to operate competitively and profitably, manufacturing companies, no matter how well managed, all need a long-term 'strategic direction' for the development of operations competence in order to consistently produce more market value with less cost towards a leadership position. As to the long-term competitiveness, it is more important to establish a dynamic 'strategic perspective' for continuous operational improvements in pursuit of this direction, as well as ongoing reviews of the direction in relation to the overall operating context. However, it also clear that the 'existing paradigm of manufacturing strategy development' is incapable of adequately responding to the increasing complexities and variations of contemporary business operations. This has been factually reflected as many manufacturing companies are finding that methodologies advocated in the existing paradigm for developing manufacturing strategy have very limited scale and scope for contextual contingency in empirical application. More importantly, there has also emerged a deficiency in the multidimensional and integrative profile from a theoretical perspective when operationalising the underlying concept of strategic manufacturing management established in the literature. The point of departure for this study was a recognition of such contextual and unitary limitations in the existing paradigm of manufacturing strategy development when applied to contemporary industrial organizations in general, and Chinese State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in particular. As China gradually becomes integrated into the world economy, the relevance of Western management theory and its paradigm becomes a practical matter as much as a theoretical issue. Since China markedly differs from Western countries in terms of culture, society, and political and economic systems, it presents promising grounds to test and refine existing management theories and paradigms with greater contextual contingency and wider theoretical perspective. Under China's ongoing programmes of SOE reform, there has been an increased recognition that strategy development is the very essence of the management task for managers of manufacturing companies in the same way as it is for their counterparts in Western economies. However, the Western paradigm often displays a rather naive and unitary perspective of the nature of strategic management decision-making, one which largely overlooks context-embedded factors and social/political influences on the development of manufacturing strategy. This thesis studies the successful experiences of developing manufacturing strategy from five high-performing large-scale SOEs within China’s petrochemical industry. China’s petrochemical industry constitutes a basic heavy industrial sector, which has always been a strategic focus for reform and development by the Chinese government. Using a confirmation approach, the study has focused on exploring and conceptualising the empirical paradigm of manufacturing strategy development practiced by management. That is examining the ‘empirical specifics’ and surfacing the ‘managerial perceptions’ of content configuration, context of consideration, and process organization for developing a manufacturing strategy during the practice. The research investigation adopts a qualitative exploratory case study methodology with a semi-structural front-end research design. Data collection follows a longitudinal and multiple-case design and triangulates case evidence from sources including qualitative interviews, direct observation, and a search of documentations and archival records. Data analysis follows an investigative progression from a within-case preliminary interpretation of facts to a cross-case search for patterns through theoretical comparison and analytical generalization. The underlying conceptions in both the literature of manufacturing strategy and related studies in business strategy were used to develop theoretical framework and analytical templates applied during data collection and analysis. The thesis makes both empirical and theoretical contributions to our understanding of 'contemporary management paradigm of manufacturing strategy development'. First, it provides a valuable contextual contingency of the 'subject' using the business setting of China's SOEs in petrochemical industry. This has been unpacked into empirical configurations developed for its context of consideration, its content and process respectively. Of special note, a lean paradigm of business operations and production management discovered at case companies has significant implications as an emerging alternative for high-volume capital intensive state manufacturing in China. Second, it provides a multidimensional and integrative theoretical profile of the 'subject' based upon managerial perspectives conceptualised at case companies when operationalising manufacturing strategy. This has been unpacked into conceptual frameworks developed for its context of consideration, its content constructs, and its process patterns respectively. Notably, a synergies perspective towards the operating context, competitive priorities and competence development of business operations and production management has significant implications for implementing a lean manufacturing paradigm. As a whole, in so doing, the thesis established a theoretical platform for future refinement and development of context-specific methodologies for developing manufacturing strategy.

Google’s Antitrust Cases Competition Analysis in New Economy Markets

Today, global economic performance largely depends on digital ecosystems. E-commerce, cloud, social media, sharing economy are the main products of the modern innovative economic systems which are constantly raising new regulatory questions. Meanwhile the United States has an unimpeachable dominance in innovation and new technologies, as well as a large and open domestic market, the EU is only recently discovering the importance of empowering the European digital economy and aims to break down its highly fragmented cross-border online economic environment. As global economy is rapidly becoming digital, Europe’s effort to create and invest in common digital market is understandable. The comprehensive investigations launched by the European Commission into the role of social network, search engine, or sharing economy internet platforms, which are new generation technologies dominated by American firms; or the recent decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union declaring that the Commission’s US Safe Harbor Decision is invalid1 might be considered as part of an anti-American protectionist policy. However, these measures could rather be seen as part of a broader trend to foster European enterprises in technology developments.

Which “place and non-place” do women occupy in social economy organisations?

Scientific literature has strengthened the perpetuation of inequality factors in the labour market based on gender, despite the on-going endeavour of various political bodies and legal norms against the vertical and horizontal segregation of women. National and European statistical data shows the relevance and timeless features of theories of market segmentation associated with the labour market dating back to the 70’s of the 20th century. Hence, the European Community considers as a priority in the Europe 2020 strategy, the definition of “policies to promote gender equality […] to increase labour force participation thus adding to growth and social cohesion”. If we consider that on the one hand, social economy is fairly recognised to be equated with market actors and the State for its economic and social role in tackling the current crisis, and on the other hand, that the ideals of the sector, systematised in the “Framework Law of Social Economy” (Law no. 30/2013 8th of May), particularly in article 5 proposing “the respect for the values […] of equality and non-discrimination […], justice and equity […]”, we aim to reflect on indicators that uncover a vertical and horizontal segregation in the labour market. Departing from a mixed methodological approach (extensive and intensive), subject to the topic of "Social Entrepreneurship in Portugal" in social economy organisations, we detect very high rates of employment feminisation, with a ratio of 1 man (23%) for every 3 women (77%). Women are mainly earmarked for technical and operational activities, arising from the privileged intervention areas, namely education, training, health, elderly, families, poverty, ultimately being underrepresented in statutory boards and, as such, far removed from deliberations and strategic resolutions. This is particularly visible in the existing hierarchy of functions and management practices of the responsibility of male members. Thus, it seems easily verified that the sector is travelling away from the ideals of justice and social equity, which can crystallise the "non-place" of women in the definition of a strategic direction of social economy and in the most invisible/private “place” of the organisational setting.