A matter of identity? Youth participation in cooperatives' governance for a sustainable future

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.