Supporting Innovative Co-operative Development: The Case of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Development System

Abstract

This research paper was presented to the 2007 Canadian Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. It discusses a case study of the recent history of successful innovation and development in the co-operative sector in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been unparalleled in other parts of Anglophone Canada. The case study looks at the Nova Scotia Co-operative Development System from a systems perspective in order to encompass a wide range of interacting processes that are involved in the Nova Scotia experience. The research identifies success factors in the Nova Scotia experience that might be relevant to co-operative development in other regions.