Banques coopératives et innovations sociales

The industrial and commercial practices of cooperative banks co-exist with social innovations. Based on an original survey conducted in France, and pursuing the line of inquiry in Vienney’s studies (1980, 1994), the article tries to assess the ability for social innovation of cooperative banks compared with conventional banks. A useful differentiation is made between the process of reverting into a mainstream firm and the process of institutionalization. By focusing on the relationship between regulations, actors and organization and examining the services, products and schemes associated with these different types of banks, the authors are able to highlight cooperative banks’ ability to meet needs that are not fulfilled by the market by making service usefulness a higher priority than profitability. Another key factor that is pointed out is the ability to engage collective actors within the context of gift-exchange relations between members and the organization or, to put it more simply, economic democracy in action.