Browsing by Subject "Services of general interest"

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Kooperative Lösungsansätze zur Begegnung der Herausforderungen der Daseinsvorsorge im ländlichen Raum
(2019) Adams, Isabel; Doluschitz, Reiner
In the context of social, (infra-)structural, agricultural and demographic change, new challenges are emerging for rural areas. Demographic change especially impacts on smaller communities without an efficient infrastructure (IREUS 2011, p. 64 f.). One central challenge that affects all areas of life is the nationwide provision of public services. Based on the challenges of providing public services on a nationwide basis, an approach already practised in some locations was analysed and further developed. Observations, infomation and statistical records from the past decade indicate that the wide-ranging tasks involved in providing public services are partially performed by cooperatives (cf. BLOME-DREES et al. 2015; DOLUSCHITZ et al. 2013a; GOESCHEL 2012, p. 51; KLEMISCH and BODDEN-BERG 2012, p. 570; Kluth 2017; MARTENS 2012, p. 145; MÜNKNER 2012, p. 332; STAPPEL 2016, p. 66) with the aim of addressing specific local problems (HAUNSTEIN and THÜRLING 2017, p. 2). Due to the lack of a basis of specifically required secondary data, a comprehensive data set was collected throughout Germany that enables analysis of the specific details and background to the emergence of newly-founded public service cooperatives. The results obtained confirm the background to these foundations as described in the literature, such as the desire for an appropriate infrastructure, regional deficits (BLOME-DREES et al. 2015, p. 134), threats to the infrastructure, social challenges (cf. WIEG 2016, p. 78) and specific local and regional problems (HAUNSTEIN and THÜRLING, 2017, p. 2). However, an analysis of the underlying the establishment of cooperatives also provides fresh, supplementary findings. On the one hand, further goals reflect a charitable purpose such as the creation of social points of contact, while on the other hand there are efforts to organise further training programmes, for example, based on the wishes/initiative of like-minded individuals. About two thirds of the responding public service cooperatives, especially in rural areas, are creating a new scheme for both members and non-members. Approximately one third of the public service cooperatives analysed aim to maintain or reactivate existing facilities and services that risk being discontinued or where discontinuation has already occurred as a result of various challenges. A second aspect of this dissertation relating to public services is the digitisation of the agricultural and food sectors. All in all, a heterogeneous pattern emerges with regard to digitisation along the value chain. As a result, the companies analysed are divided into pioneers, newcomers and followers. User structures were analysed by means of a survey among practising farmers that focused on the use of e-commerce structures when purchasing agricultural resources. These structures proved to be independent of age, farm size, location and farm orientation. On the basis of the surveys, time benefits were identified as the main source of motivation behind the procurement of resources through e-commerce channels, which contradicts the cost benefits described in the literature (cf. CLASEN 2005, p. 54 f.).