The Possible Evolution of the Co-operative Form in a Digitized World: An Effective Contribution to the Shared Governance of Digitization?

This conceptual paper considers the cooperative enterprise model in the light of how it can be affected by the digital world and - at the same time - of how it can positively affect both the Internet and its users. The aim of the paper is therefore twofold: (i) to consider the extent and the way in which cooperative principles are going to be affected by the transition of these firms towards ‘digital materiality’ [1]; (ii) to outline the potential implications of a diffusion of cooperative forms to Internet organizations and users. Based on the traits of this enterprise model, an emerging perspective is described whereby the ‘cooperative’(especially if considered as a ‘service system’) has an interesting potential both as a competent actor in the domain of virtual enterprises and as a possible driver for safeguarding Internet users.