Cooperatives’ values in Poland and sustainable development

Abstract

Purpose – The research question this work answers is whether the values declared by Polish cooperatives are parallel to the sustainable development paradigm. In order to answer this question, the following research objectives were set: to provide comprehensive information on the topic of sustainable development and cooperatives values, to identify the values communicated by Polish cooperatives on their websites, and to critically analyse whether those values are consistent with sustainable development values.

Methodology – The three main research methods used in the course of this research are: literature review, website content analysis, and a comparative study.

Findings - The results of the research indicate that cooperatives are businesses meeting the needs of local communities and implementing actions in favour of social responsibility. Thus, they fulfil the principles of sustainable development on the level of the region which they operate in.

Social implications - The research should have an impact on society by showing that values adopted by cooperatives are very strongly associated with values related to local communities. This means that they guarantee regional development.

Originality / value - Analysis of the content of webpages in search of the values declared by cooperatives has an innovative character. The value of this analysis is all the greater considering the fact that cooperatives are very numerously represented in the study.