Abstract
The study explores the issue of youth participation in cooperative organisations, which are organisational arrangements characterised by a participatory governance model with sustainability values and principles in their DNA. We argue that an influential driver of participation in this setting is the conceptual–philosophical basis of cooperation that shapes a value-based identity. We surveyed the attitudes and values of young people working in cooperative settings. We tested the hypotheses that youth participation is driven by self-identification with cooperatives' values and a mentality oriented towards economic benefits. Using the lenses of identity theories, we contribute to the currently scant literature on this topic by identifying possible roots of a drift from cooperative missions in the attitudes that youth show in a decision-making context. Our findings support the need to leverage combinations of multiple identities to retrieve benefits in governing cooperatives and educate young generations toward sustainable governance.
The study was presented in the context of the EACB Webinar "Apropos Coop Banking - From Gen Z to Coop Member: The Future of Youth in Cooperative Banking" on 9th July 2025.