Purpose – The aim of this chapter is to explore the current trend for new ‘mutual’ models of public service delivery as part of a process of personalisation and commodification of health and social care design and service delivery. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the thesis...

Not having access to mainstream financial services, such as a bank account or a credit card, can lead to a variety of social and economic exclusions. In a number of countries, particularly Ireland, Spain, Canada and the UK, credit unions— member-owned financial co-operatives—play a...

Green economics is arising from a study of the economy that takes a philosophical position characterised by a deep respect for nature. It is primarily a system of ideas and principles, rather than a rationally argued intellectual position. Its ideas are powerful and influential on developments...

In view of the problems heterodox economists have faced in predicting, explaining and finding solutions to the financial and ecological crises facing humanity, the paper takes a wide-angle view of the question of what the role of an economist might be in a sustainable society. I argue that the...

Some of the most compelling explanations for the current crisis reasoning comes from a Marxist understanding of how rising inequality and accumulation by dispossession during the neoliberal era led to economic instability. Other arguments put forward tend to ignore the inappropriateness of...

The near-collapse of the country’s largest financial institutions and the forced nationalisation of two major high-street banks raise concerns about the ability of smaller financial institutions to survive. In this article we assess the performance of a credit union in the South Wales...

The paper presents the results of a two-year research study conducted in the Rhondda-Cynon-Taff local authority area of South Wales. The research focused on assessing the effect of the inward-investment strategy on local economic regeneration and local people's reaction to the policy. The paper...

Purpose – To explore the link between enterprise scale, ownership and responsibility, specifically with regard to environmental responsibility. The paper argues that more local ownership and the co‐operative organisational form may ensure a higher level of corporate responsibility...