1. The 2023 Fredeen Lecture: “Community-Centered Funerary Care: The Growing Presence and Impact of Funeral Co-operatives in Canada” featuring Sarah Firby
Event details
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Wednesday, November 23, 2023, 1:00 – 2:00 PM (Saskatchewan time or Central Standard Time), on Zoom. Register to this free event here: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_018yuuPK8mPfrsG
Over the last 50 years, the co-operative movement has gained traction in the Eastern Canadian funeral industry, providing vital services to communities under a governance structure focused on transparency and local ownership to a vulnerable customer base. The discussion will focus on how the co-operative model is presented in the “death care” sector and the benefits experienced through this business approach. In so doing, it will explore the remarkable growth and impact of funeral co-operatives in Quebec and Ontario, where the co-operative movement has the largest presence in the industry. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the role provincial policy and culture can play in the adoption of the co-operative model in unique industries.
About our speaker
Sarah Firby is a recent graduate of the Graduate Certificate in Social Economy, Co-operatives and Non-profit Sector (GSECN) program and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy. Firby has worked, volunteered, and been a member of the Saskatchewan co-operative sector for 10 years with a passion for the unique benefits the model provides to communities.
Click here to learn more about the Hartley and Margaret Fredeen Scholarship in Co-operative Studies.
2. The 2023 MacPherson Talk, “Democratic Organizations as the Engine of Equitable Economic Growth” featuring Dr. Morris Altman
Event details
- Monday, December 4, 2023, 4:30 – 5:30 PM (Saskatchewan Time or Central Standard Time). This is a hybrid event and will take place at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre and on Zoom.
- Register for an in person ticket: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4YDXBhkpnWIbOFU
- Register for an online ticket: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0xpE8nEiCV1rK8m
Conventional theory argues that organizations that embed democratic decision-making – such as co-operatives – are inefficient relative to other corporate forms because of associated governance costs such as slow and cumbersome decision-making. In this year’s MacPherson Talk, Dr. Morris Altman challenges this conventional view by arguing that democratic governance actually increases productivity through improved working conditions and wellbeing. Dr. Morris Altman will present recent research to support his argument and provide examples of the importance of embedding democratic principles within an organization.
About our Speaker
Morris Altman is the Dean of the University of Dundee School of Business and Chair Professor of Behavioral and Institutional Economics and Co-operatives at the University of Dundee. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and a research fellow at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives.
Click here to learn more about the annual MacPherson Talk.
3. Our next Co-op Conversation – “ACT now: Accounting for Co-operative Transformation (coming to your co-op soon)” featuring Drs. Daphne Rixon and Fiona Duguid
Event details
- Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Saskatchewan Time or Central Standard Time), on Zoom. Register to this free event here: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7UQTzcie9A1ONdI
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in the minds of members and the strategic practices of co-operative boards and management. Hot on the heels of this year’s Co-op Week theme, “Co-operating on Climate Change”, this Co-op Conversation will feature a new online tool, called, “ACT: Accounting for Co-operative Transformation”. Designed through an action research project, ACT is a tool made by co-operatives to help co-operatives shift from conceptualizing their contribution to SDGs to implementation, measurement, and reporting. ACT builds on the complementary nature of the Co-operative Principles and the SDGs to support co-operatives to record impact, measure results, and broadcast their story. This Co-op Conversation features the research leads of this project, Drs. Daphne Rixon and Fiona Duguid. They will present the research that led to the development of the tool and provide a demonstration of the tool.
About our Speakers
Dr. Daphne Rixon is an Associate Professor of Accounting, Saint Mary’s University. She has a PhD from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). She is also currently the the Executive Director of the Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (CEARC) and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Co-operative Accounting and Management.
Fiona Duguid (PhD) is a researcher and educator based out of Chelsea, Quebec. She is a Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence on Accounting and Reporting of Co-operatives, Saint Mary’s University (SMU) and an instructor in the SMU Co-operative Business Management program, and an instructor in the Shannon School of Business, MBA program (CED) at Cape Breton University.
Click here to learn more about our monthly Co-op Conversation Series.
We hope to see you at these events!