Research reveals positive perception of co-operatives

A new report has revealed co-operative businesses are more trusted than their PLC counterparts. The research, undertaken by George Street Research on behalf of our friends at Co-operatives UK, compared the public perceptions of co-operative organisations and public limited companies. And, based on the responses, the investigation showed that the general public see employee-owned businesses as more trustworthy and fairer.

The report, which you can read here, reveals that 66 per cent of people view co-operatives as honest. This is compared to the 15 per cent who feel the same about PLCs. Furthermore, 65 per cent of people thought co-operative organisations worked for the public good, contrasted with only 12 per cent of PLCs.

Meanwhile, the investigation also looked at the way people viewed the co-operative movement; respondents were asked what they thought the main benefits of working in an employee-owned organisation were.

19 per cent of those questioned saw profit sharing as the main benefit of a co-operative, while sharing and fairness were mentioned in 18 per cent and 14 per cent of all responses. 8 per cent of those asked remarked on the local community aspect of being in a co-operative, while 9 per cent focused on the 'working together' element of the movement.

If you're interested in the co-operative movement, we'd highly recommend downloading and reading the report; it's comprehensive and engaging research well worth a read. You can discuss your thoughts on the findings on Twitter by following the #coops hashtag. Alternatively, you can also follow The Enterprise Hub here.