040707 SE International Cooperative Management (MA) (2022W)

The seminar is aimed at Master's students who are interested in studying forms of enterprises based on solidarity, self-help and mutuality, such as cooperatives and mutual insurance companies (VVaG), and the concept of the social economy in an international context.

Cooperatives and mutual insurance companies (VVaG) are based on principles such as self-help, self-management, democratic corporate governance, etc. that have a long historical tradition. They have repeatedly proven their right to exist as alternative forms of enterprises and have also been able to successfully assert themselves in various crises (stock market crash, financial crisis, pandemic). The aim of the seminar is to show both the special characteristics of these forms of enterprises and to demonstrate their contribution to important issues such as sustainability, energy/climate crisis, affordable housing etc. In addition, this course will expand the spectrum to include alternative forms of cooperation, such as non-profit-organisations and social enterprises, and place them in an international context.

In order to raise the students' awareness of the organisational and legal characteristics of these forms of enterprises, the seminar first provides a general theoretical introduction to the individual topics, which also includes reading and discussing articles. Subsequently, the students will focus intensively on the topics they have chosen (self-study), whereas introductory literature for the particular topics will be provided. Then the participants of the course will learn how to give and receive constructive feedback on the written seminar papers of their colleagues in the form of group peer reviews (feedback loops). A final group presentation of the results and a written assignment in the form of a final paper complete the course.

The topics are designed for group work (approx. 15 pages per person), but can also be completed as individual work in a slightly modified form. Due to the international context of the topics, both presentation and written assignment can be composed in German or English.

The seminar will take place in the lecture hall, but will be continued digitally if required.