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

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 in cooperatives’ values and a mentality oriented towards an economic benefit. Using the lenses of identity theories we contribute to the currently scant literature on this topic by identifying possible roots for 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.