The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives' (CCSC) monthly Co-op Conversations is an online gathering for co-operative sector professionals to learn from others in the field and exchange information in a casual setting. This month's Co-op Conversation featured Violetta Gallagher and Dionne Pohler, and their talk, "The Case for Co-operative Cases". Ivey Publishing is Canada’s leading provider of business case studies and 2nd in the world. Business case studies have proven effective pedagogical tools and Ivey cases are used in 96% of The Economist’s top-ranked MBA schools. But while their collection boasts more than 8,000 high-quality cases, there are only 31 co-operative-based cases total in the entire repository. Yet cases based on real-life scenarios faced by co-operatives have proven successful. For instance, Dr. Dionne Pohler’s Ivey case, Federated Co-operatives Limited: Change Management (2016), has been used in university classrooms around the world. In this Co-op Conversation, Pohler and Ivey Publishing’s Violetta Gallagher discuss a Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives-led project that seeks to increase the number of co-operative cases and capitalize on the potential of case-based learning in advancing co-operative education in mainstream business education.

About our speakers Violetta Gallagher is the Associate Director, Product and Publishing at Ivey Publishing in the Ivey Business School at Western University. Dr. Dionne Pohler is the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives' CRS Chair in Co-operative Governance and an Associate Professor at the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan. As these events consists of a presentation, a broad conversation, and small group conversations, for the recording, only the presentation and broad conversation are captured. 

The Case for Co-operative Business Cases - featuring Violetta Gallagher and Dionne Pohler 

• Date: April 2, 2025 
• Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM CST/GMT-6/SK (Time Converter and World Clock) 

Watch the Webinar Recording Here

Ivey Publishing Co-operative Business Cases

Explore a curated list of co-operative business cases highlighting innovative models, shared ownership, community impact, and collaborative strategies across industries to inspire learning and drive inclusive economic success. Review the cases here.

Upcoming Event

ICA CCR 2025 Global Research Conference

July 8-11 2025

HEC Montréal, Canada

The ICA CCR Global Research Conference 2025 will bring together numerous stakeholders from the international cooperative ecosystem, including practitioners and policymakers. In addition to discussing the role of cooperatives in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, the conference will also be a great opportunity to explore topics related to cooperation, including cooperative governance, business models, and education.

Learn more about: ICA CCR 2025 Conference