Gobierno y papel de los cuadros directivos en las cooperativas brasileñas: Estudio comparativo

This study analyses the role played by management in Brazilian agricultural co-operatives in terms of how their objectives and their governance are focused. The analysis explores ways of running agricultural co-operatives, comparing traditional co-operatives, which focus on the economic side, and co-operative forms of financial solidarity, in which the social element is given priority. In analysing the role of management we used a number of concepts from the Theory of Agency, and a brief description is provided of the main concepts of this theory. The work concludes with an examination of the functions carried out by management, explaining that the managerial role depends on the financial or social focus of co-operative organisations, and that this focus in turn involves different functions and challenges for the managers of Brazilian co-operatives.