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Abstract

The digital revolution has led to the digitization of the economy, giving rise to a platform economy. This new model is rapidly growing and significantly affects various economic sectors. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated this process. The social economy is also experiencing the effects of this phenomenon and has the potential to support the advancement of alternative digitalization models. This study examines the adoption of platform business models within the social economy, with a focus on professionalization, integration of gender-egalitarian practices, and the embrace of open and free knowledge and software. To achieve this, an analysis of twenty-seven social economy entities in Barcelona was conducted, utilizing data collected from an online questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, web observations, and follow-up notes. These cases are part of the Barcelona UOC Chair in the Digital Economy, supported by the Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Activa and Open University of Catalonia. The research findings reveal limitations in the adoption of platform models, including a shortage of digital strategy staff, limited evaluation of the digital impact and organizational models that lack comprehensive integration of the gender perspective. Additionally, there are challenges in adopting the Free/Libre and Open-Source Software (FLOSS) tools.

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How to cite this article

VEGA-RODRÍGUEZ, Nuria & ESPELT, Ricard (2026): “Digital Transformation & Social Economy: Evaluating Platform Model Adoption in Barcelona”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 5-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.28974

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Abstract

Social innovation refers to new ideas, products, services, and models that seek to address social problems and needs, driven by a variety of actors such as universities and civil society. However, empirical evidence analyzing the role of universities in social innovation remains limited, as do studies exploring the relationship between personality traits and the tendency to engage in social innovation. This study aims to identify and analyze the personal characteristics that influence the development of social innovation processes. To this end, data were collected from a sample of 1,900 students at the University of Huelva, and a quantitative, descriptive–exploratory methodology based on structural equation modeling was applied. The results reveal that, within the university context, the main personal characteristics that drive social innovation processes are teamwork, internal locus of control, innovative capacity, risk-taking, self-confidence, social leadership, ability to work under pressure, social awareness, saving tendency, gender, participation in volunteer activities, and having entrepreneurial family members.

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How to cite this article

MINGA-LÓPEZ, Diego Rolando; CARRILLO-CUEVA, Carla & FLORES-RUIZ, David (2026): “Factors That Influence Social Innovation Among University Students”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 29-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.29607

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Abstract

The lack of affordable urban housing, mortgage credit restrictions, the lack of diversified housing policies, as well as changes in the composition of Spanish households, are factors that call for the reinvention of traditional methods of access to housing. The current socioeconomic reality has driven the resurgence of cooperativism, collaborative leverage or social economy as a method of access to housing. A hybrid model between buying and renting with the capacity to solve at least part of the current housing demand. According to data from the 2023 management report of the Confederation of Spanish Housing Cooperatives (Confederación de Cooperativas de Viviendas de España), in the last ten years housing cooperatives have doubled their growth, with the model of transfer of use and cooperative developments with public participation standing out in particular, although they are still incipient. In the new generation of housing cooperatives, it is possible to distinguish, in addition to an economic association for self-management and production of housing at cost for its partners, a common philosophical current that addresses environmental sustainability and community life based on social interaction. Consequently, this study proposes to analyze the potential of housing cooperatives, in their different forms of tenure, as a sustainable housing solution from an economic, social and environmental perspective. This is based on a dogmatic, legal and descriptive analysis combined with field research consisting of interviews with the main actors of cooperative housing projects in four different countries: Denmark, Canada, Uruguay and Spain.

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How to cite this article

RODRÍGUEZ PADILLA, Maridalia & BASTIDA VIALCANET, Ramon (2026): “Nuevos modelos de cooperativas de vivienda para luchar contra la escasez de vivienda asequible y promover la sostenibilidad. Estudios de casos nacionales e internacionales”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 59-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.29708

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Abstract

Each country gives a different value to the social economy even if it is only compared with the private profit-seeking sector and the public sector. The weight the social economy carries in national economies will influence the relevance that is given to it by the political power, especially by the head of state. Therefore, if this head of state assigns it more or less importance, it may mean the social sector has more or less significance in the economy, or at least in the minds of future entrepreneurs. The value given by the head of state to the entities belonging to the social economy can be deduced from their speeches. In the Portuguese case, to measure the importance given by the Presidents of the Portuguese Republic to the social economy, we ran a content analysis of a total of 3,072 interventions and speeches that occurred between July 14, 1976, and December 31, 2020, which were delivered by five successive presidents. It was concluded, in general, that despite not having ignored it altogether, the presidents elected by universal suffrage after the Carnation Revolution gave a lower value to the social economy.

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How to cite this article

MOURÃO, Paulo & ABREU, Sérgio (2026): “Social Economy in Politics: An analysis of presidential speeches in Portugal after 1976”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 93-118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.28814

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Abstract

Over the past decade, several municipal and regional governments in Spain have implemented policies aimed at promoting the Social Economy and cooperative entrepreneurship. Many of these policies have been characterized by a strategic, cross-cutting, and integrated approach, influencing various areas of public policy in accordance with the framework of second-generation Social Economy promotion policies. Given that the Valencian Community has become a leader in the development of such initiatives, this article focuses on analysing and evaluating the promotional policies implemented in the municipality of Castelló de la Plana. The study adopts the perspective of second-generation policies and the framework of public policy strategies designed to foster cooperative entrepreneurship and social innovation within the broader context of local development strategies. Specifically, the article examines the case of BETACOOP, the first cooperative for entrepreneurs in the Valencian Community, as well as municipal grant programs supporting the integration of worker-members into cooperatives and the promotion of social innovation. The research methodology includes surveys and interviews with users, beneficiaries, and policy managers. The findings suggest that, while the impact of these policies is notable, they predominantly strengthen the supply side. A significant gap in policies aimed at stimulating demand and enhancing the social and institutional environment is identified, which could compromise the sustainability and overall effectiveness of these initiatives.

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How to cite this article

BELTRAN BENAGES, Raül (2026): “Local government policies for promoting Social Economy: an assessment of its impact and results through the case of Castelló de la Plana”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 119-148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.29441

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Abstract

This article introduces the Social Capital Assessment Tool for Peasant and Agricultural Cooperatives (SCAT-PACs), an innovative methodology consisting of 44 composite indicators grouped into 15 dimensions, three of which derive from social network analysis. The tool was applied in a beekeepers’ cooperative in the Maule Region (Chile) to test its empirical applicability. The results reveal medium levels of structural social capital (67.49/100) and normative-cognitive social capital (66.32/100), along with higher scores in governance-related aspects (79.45/100). The analysis highlights notable strengths, such as member motivation, trust in institutions, and effective internal governance mechanisms. It also identifies weaknesses, including limited technical knowledge, low female participation, and limited proactivity. SCAT-PAC enables benchmarking and longitudinal monitoring of cooperative performance, complementing traditional financial assessments and providing valuable input for the design of public policies. The study demonstrates the potential of the tool to make the “invisible” dimensions of social capital visible and operational for cooperative development.

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How to cite this article

PISANI, Elena; MICHELETTI, Stefano; LETELIER ARAYA, Eduardo Antonio & QUIÑONES DÍAZ, Ximena (2026): “How to Make the Invisible Visible? Applying the Social Capital Assessment Tool in a Beekeepers’ Cooperative in the Maule Region (Chile)”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 149-177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.28973

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Abstract

Rural depopulation represents one of the main structural challenges to territorial cohesion and sustainable development, leading to the reconfiguration of social networks, the loss of essential services, and institutional contraction. In this context, social capital emerges as a key yet often underutilized relational infrastructure that sustains collective action and enables bottom-up processes of social innovation. This study examines the case of Valverde de Burguillos (Extremadura), a municipality of 278 inhabitants with a high demographic vulnerability, which has managed to implement pioneering projects through networks of trust, local leadership, and inter-institutional cooperation. Based on a qualitative methodology involving 25 semi-structured interviews with key local actors and analyzed using Atlas.ti, the research identifies five key dimensions of social capital (trust, participation, support, knowledge, and leadership) and explores their interaction in shaping community-led development. The study integrates relational theory with situated empirical evidence and offers concrete policy recommendations for designing replicable strategies in rural areas at risk.

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How to cite this article

ACOSTA GIJÓN, Diego; PALMA MARTOS, Luis Antonio; ZACHAREWICZ, Thomas & HEREDIA-CARROZA, Jesús (2026): “Social Capital and Rural Development: A Case Study in Extremadura (Spain)”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 179-208.

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Abstract

This paper contributes to the study of the legal regulations of community banking in Ecuador in the face of the hostile reality of the market and its most pressing needs. For this, through the analysis of the Community Fund of Atucucho, its implications and transversal aspects are analyzed, keeping in mind its social work based on the lack of guarantee of the credit subjects. The analysis implies the recognition of the practical affectations in addition to conducting in-depth interviews with the representatives of the bank, as well as with actors present in the institutional life of the country related to the social economy. The work evidences the history of the formation of the bank, the successive change of name from community bank to community bank and community bank; as well as the clear existence of a contradiction in the face of recognition as indicated by the Constitution of Ecuador and the existing reality. From then on, weakness processes of an exogenous nature are evident, deriving from them political, social, economic and cultural implications as a result of the successive changes made to the regulations issued by the control agencies, compromising their normal development and social impact.

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How to cite this article

LUQUE GONZÁLEZ, Arturo (2026): “Analysis of the impact of regulatory changes on community banking in Ecuador: the Atucucho case study”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 209-243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.26600

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Abstract

Comparative empirical literature between public and private companies has focused fundamentally on efficiency and profitability indicators, with private companies showing overwhelming superiority. However, given the emergence of a new theory on public enterprises (according to which they fulfil a public mission and are motivated by public service), this comparative literature proves to be too reductionist and incomplete. Consequently, this work aims to extend this empirical comparison to other financial indicators, some of which are either used very little (debt, liquidity) or not used at all (solvency, financial autonomy). The comparative analysis is conducted for Spain during a period of economic expansion: 2014-2019. The methodology involves statistically comparing the arithmetic means of each of the above indicators between the two types of enterprise. Results clearly show that public enterprises exhibit better performance in the indicators mentioned, which could be explained by their lower exposure to private debt or their access to guaranteed public financing. This work contributes to the literature by providing unpublished comparative empirical evidence between public and private enterprises on solvency, financial autonomy, liquidity and indebtedness, for Spain and during a period of economic expansion.

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How to cite this article

ATIENZA MONTERO, Pedro; SÁNCHEZ BAUTISTA, Natalia & MORENO GARCÍA, María (2026): “Financial performance compared between public and private companies in Spain during a period of economic expansion (2014-2019)”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 245-276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.29056

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Abstract

This article analyzes the variables involved in the interactions among groups that participated in the creation, adaptation, and use of artifacts for prevention, care, and support during the COVID-19 pandemic in three regions of Chile: Atacama, Valparaíso, and the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, between March 2020 and April 2022. The concept of “vitality regime” is used as a theoretical tool to understand collective practices that emerged in response to market collapse and insufficient state action. The methodology combines digital ethnography, document analysis, and comparative qualitative analysis. Four key variables are identified: collective, strategic cooperation, use value, and objectification of positive value. The study shows how social organizations transformed their original missions to address the health crisis through mutual aid networks, collaborative production, and social technologies. These practices fostered positive reciprocity markets and redefined everyday artifacts as common goods. The article concludes that the vitality regime represents a form of collaborative economy that can contribute to the democratization of production and social sustainability in times of crisis.

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GÓMEZ NÚÑEZ, Nicolás (2026): “Vitality Regimes and Social Economy: Collaborative Practices in Global Crisis Contexts”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 277-306. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.29400

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Abstract

This study examines how non-financial cooperatives with mixed governance structures -comprising both natural persons and representatives of cooperative legal entities- exhibit significantly different levels of profitability and short- and long-term indebtedness compared to cooperatives whose governance is composed exclusively of natural persons. Using panel data from Colombian cooperatives over 14 years, the study estimates fixed-effects panel data models via ordinary least squares, while addressing potential endogeneity concerns through generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators. The results indicate that the presence of representatives of legal entities on supervisory boards and within the fiscal audit function contributes to stronger control over both short- and long-term debt. In contrast, greater participation by natural persons is associated with a higher propensity to request and approve elevated levels of indebtedness. Additionally, the analysis identifies a positive and statistically significant relationship between the presence of legal entities in cooperative governance and financial profitability, regardless of the specific governing body in which they participate. From a theoretical perspective, these findings suggest that agency theory and stewardship theory are complementary frameworks for explaining the relationship between board composition and cooperative performance.

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How to cite this article

MARTÍNEZ AVELLA, Mario Ernesto & HERNÁNDEZ SALAZAR, Giovanni Andrés (2026): “Legal persons in cooperative governance: financial effects on cooperatives in Colombia”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 307-338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.27722

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Abstract

The present research studies, through a quantitative approach, and using the AMO (Ability, Motivation and Opportunity) framework, the relationship between High Performance Working Systems (HPWS) with the commitment and satisfaction of workers, placing special emphasis on focus on the professional groups of blue-collar workers (blue-collar) and white-collar workers (white-collar). The study is carried out in an industrial worker cooperative where, through a survey, 123 valid responses have been obtained. The results show two conclusions. On the one hand, it has been shown that perceptions of people management practices influence both satisfaction and commitment. And, on the other hand, the results have shown that belonging to one professional group or another has a significant influence on the satisfaction variable; but not on commitment. The present study aims to open future lines of research, emphasizing the importance and need to explore in greater depth the blue-collar and white-collar variables in the field of people management and in cooperative environments.

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How to cite this article

ARREGI UZURIAGA, Aitziber; GAGO GARCÍA, Mónica; LEGARRA EIZAGIRRE, Maite & URIBETXEBARRIA ANDRÉS, Urtzi (2026): “The link between the AMO model and well-being in a cooperative: the role of professional group”, CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 116, 339-368. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.116.28743