Exploring Asian-Pacific Co-operatives in Theory and Practice
Resilience and Thriving between the State and the Market
- 1st Edition - November 14, 2025
- Latest edition
- Editors: Morris Altman, Akira Kurimoto
- Language: English
Exploring Asian-Pacific Cooperatives in Theory and Practice: Resilience and Thriving between the State and the Market investigates Asian-Pacific coop models mainly through the anal… Read more
Exploring Asian-Pacific Cooperatives in Theory and Practice: Resilience and Thriving between the State and the Market investigates Asian-Pacific coop models mainly through the analytical lenses of Asian-Pacific researchers. It consists of theoretical and empirical analyses on transversal themes from interdisciplinary studies and national case studies covering multiple sectors and countries. It focuses on a variety of challenging issues using different analytical approaches to cooperative challenges in the Asian-Pacific and examines the traditional dichotomy between the State and the Market.
- Explores how coops in the Asian-Pacific develop as successful business models, providing a broader understanding of cooperatives in different national and cultural settings
- Investigates why coops succeed or fail in the Asian-Pacific region, helping readers to understand under what conditions coops can deliver more equitable and sustainable growth
- Utilizes a case study approach, with the second half of the book featuring national case studies covering numerous sectors and countries in the Asian-Pacific
Co-operative practitioners and researchers, Industry leaders world-wide, including members of the International Co-operative Alliance, governments and advisors with an interest in co-op led development, academics in various fields related to studies of co-operatives, graduate and undergraduate students, Journalists and policy pundits with an interest in more democratic organizational forms, especially in an Asian-Pacific context
Preface
1. Introduction
Part 1 Theoretical foundation for analyzing AP Co-ops
1A. Institutional changes and transformation in the AP co-ops
2 Overview of 1A
3. Legal framework of AP co-ops
4. Transformation and hybridization of AP co-ops
5. Demutualization of co-ops in AP
6. Co-operative Spin-off in AP
7. Co-operation among AP co-ops
8. International co-operation to/from AP co-ops
9. AP co-operatives and Social Solidarity Economy
1B. AP co-ops seen from entrepreneurial perspectives
10. Overview of 1B
11. Modelling multi-stakeholder co-ops in AP
12. Eco-innovation of AP co-ops
13. How Co-operatives Can Be Competitive with Plantations in AP
14. AP co-ops seen from youth’s perspective
15. Comparing dairy co-operatives in New Zealand and France
16. Comparing consumer co-ops in Japan and Finland
Part 2 Case studies of AP co-operatives’ good practices
2A. Financial co-ops
17. Overview
18. NACUFOK in Korea
19. Labor banks in Japan
20. Kyosai insurance Co-op in Japan
21. Kopkun in Indonesia
2B. Health care co-ops
22. Overview
23. Minami Medical Co-op in Japan
24. Health care social co-ops in Korea
25. Indian co-op hospitals
26. Galle co-op hospital in Sri Lanka
2C. Education and youth co-ops
27. Overview
28. School co-ops in Malaysia
29. Rah-e Roshd cultural-educational cooperative in Iran
30. University co-ops in Japan
31. University co-ops in India
2D. Platform co-ops
32. Overview
33. Life magic care co-op in Korea
34. SEWA in India
35. Open Food Network in Australia
Epilogue
1. Introduction
Part 1 Theoretical foundation for analyzing AP Co-ops
1A. Institutional changes and transformation in the AP co-ops
2 Overview of 1A
3. Legal framework of AP co-ops
4. Transformation and hybridization of AP co-ops
5. Demutualization of co-ops in AP
6. Co-operative Spin-off in AP
7. Co-operation among AP co-ops
8. International co-operation to/from AP co-ops
9. AP co-operatives and Social Solidarity Economy
1B. AP co-ops seen from entrepreneurial perspectives
10. Overview of 1B
11. Modelling multi-stakeholder co-ops in AP
12. Eco-innovation of AP co-ops
13. How Co-operatives Can Be Competitive with Plantations in AP
14. AP co-ops seen from youth’s perspective
15. Comparing dairy co-operatives in New Zealand and France
16. Comparing consumer co-ops in Japan and Finland
Part 2 Case studies of AP co-operatives’ good practices
2A. Financial co-ops
17. Overview
18. NACUFOK in Korea
19. Labor banks in Japan
20. Kyosai insurance Co-op in Japan
21. Kopkun in Indonesia
2B. Health care co-ops
22. Overview
23. Minami Medical Co-op in Japan
24. Health care social co-ops in Korea
25. Indian co-op hospitals
26. Galle co-op hospital in Sri Lanka
2C. Education and youth co-ops
27. Overview
28. School co-ops in Malaysia
29. Rah-e Roshd cultural-educational cooperative in Iran
30. University co-ops in Japan
31. University co-ops in India
2D. Platform co-ops
32. Overview
33. Life magic care co-op in Korea
34. SEWA in India
35. Open Food Network in Australia
Epilogue
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: November 14, 2025
- Language: English
MA
Morris Altman
Morris Altman is the Dean of the University of Dundee School of Business and former Chair Professor of Behavioral and Institutional Economics and Co-operatives. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, earning his PhD in economics from McGill University in 1984. Morris was a former visiting scholar at Cambridge (Elected Visiting Fellow), Canterbury, New Zealand (Erskine Professor), Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Hebrew, Stirling, and Stanford University. He has published well over 120 refereed papers and given over 250 international academic presentations and has also published 19 books in economic theory, co-operatives, behavioral economics, economic growth, ethics, economic history, sustainability, and public policy. He is past president of the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE) and the Association for Social Economics and is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Behavioral Economics. He also served on research committees of the International Co-operative Alliance.
Affiliations and expertise
Dean, University of Dundee School of Business; Former Chair Professor, Behavioral and Institutional Economics and Co-operatives, Dundee, UKAK
Akira Kurimoto
Akira Kurimoto is the Senior Fellow of the Japan Co-operative Alliance and the Chair of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) Research Committee. He serves as a member of the ICA Co-operative Identity Advisory Group and the Steering Committee of the ICA World Co-operative Monitor. He studied law at the University of Tokyo. He was a professor at the Institute for Solidarity-based Society at Hosei University, Tokyo 2015-2020. He was the board member/chief researcher of the Consumer Co-operative Institute, Japan and the general secretary of the Robert Owen Association. He edited a number of volumes including The Emergence of Global Citizenship: Utopian Ideas, Co-operative Movements and the Third Sector (2005) and Toward Contemporary Co-operative Studies: Perspectives from Japan’s Consumer Co-ops (2010). He is a founding member of the Asia Pacific Co-operative Research Partnership which published Waking the Asian Pacific Co-operative Potential in 2020.
Affiliations and expertise
Senior Fellow, Japan Co-operative Alliance; Chair, International Co-operative Alliance Research Committee, Tokyo, Japan