ILO presents on fairness and strategic management at a conference of the Strategic Management Society

© Strategic Management Society

The Strategic Management Society's 44th annual conference  explored the various fault lines, contradictions, and divergences within strategic management paradigms in both scholarship and practice. It featured a diverse array of sessions, including workshops, panel discussions, and keynote speeches, fostering insightful dialogue and collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and students. Attendees engaged with cutting-edge research, shared innovative ideas, and networked with peers from around the world.

Head of ILO Cooperative, Social and Solidarity Economy Unit, Simel Esim was invited to be a panellist in the plenary on Fairness and Strategic Management on Sunday, October 20th. The session was moderated by Professor Anthea Zhang with Professor Ernst Fehr and Ms Simel Esim as speakers, followed by questions. Ms. Esim highlighted how SSE entities inherently prioritize values like fairness, equality, and sustainability. She noted that these principles are deeply rooted in traditional community-based economic activities. She suggested this is reflected in their governance structures, stakeholder relationships, and the prioritization of social purposes over profits. She pointed out to the growing policy importance of the SSE, with global organizations like the UN, EU and the African Union recognizing its significant contributions to sustainable development.

Ms. Esim also pointed to cross-border cooperative trade initiatives and large cooperative unions like Spain’s Mondragon Corporation and India’s Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation as examples of how SSE entities can scale up while maintaining their core values. She stressed the importance of research and education in bridging gaps between theory, policy, and practice in the SSE. In the discussion, Ms Esim answered a question posed by Professor Zhang on competitiveness of SSE entities. She noted that having a conducive environment for SSE entities can help overcome challenges such as regulatory hurdles, limited access to capital.