Abstract

This chapter examines the ways that a co-operative creates shared
value for the community that it serves and works to define the concept
of ‘co-operative advantage’ in a context where competitive advantage
is more commonly discussed. Shared value has been defined as
‘policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of
a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social
conditions in the communities in which it operates’.1 Applied is a casestudy
approach of a local co-operative organisation – Lincolnshire
Co-operative Society – that serves a wide and dispersed population
in the counties of Lincolnshire and areas of east Nottinghamshire, in
the east Midlands of the UK. The chapter will consider the different
approaches that the co-operative adopts, contrast this to the standard
investor-owned firm (IOF) model and will draw conclusions as
to the benefits of the co-operative model. It will try to give insight
into what constitutes the co-operative advantage in creating shared
value.