The European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB), in collaboration with its academic think-tank, is pleased to announce a competition of best paper in the field of co-operative banks. The competition is targeted to young researchers up to 35 years old (i.e. they should be born in 1977 or after). Co-authored papers will be accepted if all authors are up to 35 years of age.
We accept contributions if they are not published in scientific journals or books by the end of May 2012. However, papers that have appeared in working paper series or that will be forthcoming in a publication after May 2012 will be considered. The submitted papers should follow the standard format of scientific journals, being around 10,000 words or less. The papers should relate directly to co-operative banks. Papers that compare co-operative banks to other types of banking organizations (e.g. profitmaximizing banks, savings banks) are welcome. The emphasis is on co-operative banks, rather than other types of financial co-operatives, such as credit unions or building societies. The papers should be written in English.
We are looking for contributions primarily from the following academic fields: economics, finance and accounting, corporate governance, or management. Additionally, the papers should be related to one of the following broad themes:
- Regulatory challenges of co-operative banks
- Co-operative banks and financial stability
- Co-operative banks and social and environmental responsibility
- Co-operative banks: innovation and the development of small business
- Governance aspects of co-operative banks
- Diversity in banking: the role of co-operative banks
The selection criteria are the contribution the paper makes to the scientific literature, the rigor of the argumentation, and policy relevance.