Salient features of Cooperation
Salient features of Cooperation
Introduction
The core values and essential characteristics of cooperation
constitutes the salient features of cooperation in the broader sense. These special features of cooperation
distinguish it from other forms of organisation. They are as follows:
1. Voluntarism: The first and foremost character of cooperation is
voluntarism. The spirit of cooperation
lies on the voluntarism. Voluntarism means an individual is entitled to join or
leave an organisation without any compulsion. The decision to join or leave an
organisation is purely vested with the individual’s own decision and without
the compulsion / coercion from external forces.
2.
Commonality: The special features of
cooperation is the existence of commonality among its members. The members who join the cooperation are
having common character viz common need t be fulfilled. Common need may be on
economic, social, health and other areas.
The main purpose of the members to join in cooperation is primarily to
fulfil common economic need allied with social, health, emotional and such
other needs. Prevalence of homogeneity of need among the members is the
thriving force which enable them in utilising the services of cooperation.
3.
Universality: Cooperation is a
general form of organisation and it is applicable to any walks of life of human
being. Cooperation can be organised for production, processing, industrial,
marketing, consumers, service and other purposes. Similarly the membership in a
cooperative society is not restricted to any particular group. It is open to all persons who can make use of
its services.
4.
Neutrality: Cooperation is always
neutral to politics, religion, race, nationality and such other discriminations
found among human beings. Cooperation is
not considers any kind of discrimination
among its members. Starting from
membership in each and every activity of cooperation it do not discriminate its
members based on social, political, economical, religion, gender and such
others.
5.
Equality: Equality means treatment
of each member of the cooperation on par with other member and no member is treated
superior (or) inferior (higher or lower) [equal treatment]. Each member is
given equal rights to participate in the management, decision making and
utilising the services of the cooperatives.
It completely rules out capital and others as the sources of power.
6. Mutuality:
In cooperatives, each one is joined to fulfil the common need mutually. The essence of cooperation is ‘each shall
works for all and all shall work for each in attainment of their common need”. Each for all and all for each.
7.
Democracy: Cooperation seeks to
realise democracy in managing the affairs by its members. The democratic control by the members is
ensured by providing equal opportunity for everyone to participate in the
administration and by giving equal voting rights to all. One member one vote is the guiding rule to
administer democracy in action in cooperatives.
8.
Autonomy: Autonomy means freedom to
govern the cooperation itself independently by its owners. The members are the owners of the cooperative
and they have full control and are the ultimate authority of the
enterprise. The concept vests with the
general body of members and it determines everything in cooperatives. Self control
9.
Participation: In a cooperative form of organisation, a
member has to participate actively in three major areas. They are (1) he has to subscribe the share
capital to strengthen the capital base; (ii) he has to manage the affairs of
the cooperative effectively and efficiently; and (iii) utilise the services of
the cooperative effectively.
10. Equity: A cooperative organisation may earn surplus over costs as
it adopts cost plus pricing policy. The
profit so arrive is out of participation of members in its business
activities. It should be re-distributed
among the members. It should not based
on the quantum of share capital subscribed but it is to be distributed on the
basis of the degree of participation by each member in its business.
Cooperatives practices justice in distribution of net business result among it
members. (Distributive Justice)
Comments
Post a Comment