Effects of the professionalization of governing bodies on the governance of savings and credit cooperatives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i3.1042Keywords:
Cooperative governance; Corporate governance; Professionalization; Board of directors; Mario Bunge.Abstract
Cooperative governance is fundamental to the sustainability and functioning of organizations due to its influence on decision quality, transparency, and institutional efficiency. However, a persistent challenge is ensuring that members of governing bodies possess the technical knowledge and competencies needed to respond to environmental changes. This research aimed to analyze, through a narrative review, the relationship between cooperative governance and the technical-professional profile of executives, incorporating Mario Bunge’s insights on rationality, professionalism, and knowledge-based management. Publications indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, SciELO, Redalyc, and Google Scholar were reviewed, supplemented by documents from the International Co-operative Alliance and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The study included works published between 2015 and 2025, as well as Bunge’s classic works due to their theoretical relevance. The results show that robust governance fosters organizational performance, transparency, efficiency, and sustainability, while executive professionalization improves the quality of strategic decisions and adaptability. It was also identified that a lack of specialized competencies can create a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis the banking sector; while both types of entities engage in financial intermediation, they do not always maintain equivalent standards of executive competence. Bunge’s philosophy supports the need to complement democratic representation with scientific knowledge and evidence-based decision-making. The study concludes that integrating cooperative principles, professionalization, and scientific rationality contributes to strengthening governance and institutional sustainability.
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