Suchergebnisse

Result of a joint research project conducted by the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM), the volume "Cooperation in Eurasia: Linking Identity, Security, and Development" aims to shed light on the drivers and on the rationale behind regional cooperation in Eurasia. In particular it investigates and ponder the weight of identity issues, security perceptions, and economic development needs for interstate cooperation in the Eurasian context, by taking into account both supra-national frameworks and regional scenarios. Accordingly, the book is divided in two parts, focusing respectively on "Cooperation and Competition at Multilateral Level" and on "Regional Case Studies".

Abstract
The term 'cooperation' is widely used in social and political and biological and economic theory. Perhaps for this reason, the term takes on a variety of meanings and it is not always clear in many settings what aspect of an interaction is being described. This paper has the modest aim of sorting through some of this variety of meanings; and exploring, against that background, when and why cooperation (in which sense) might be of value, or be required, or constitute a virtue.

PurposeThe paper aims to introduce the papers in this special issue which highlight the importance of cooperation in organizations, and outline future research directions.Design/methodology/approachConceptual approaches to cooperation in organizations are described and a brief outline is given to each paper in the special issue.FindingsThis special issue brings together studies that enhance our theoretical understanding of cooperation, addressing core issues related to the role of cultural differences, virtual communication, team processes, leader behavior, and the impact of norms on cooperation.Practical implicationsFactors that facilitate or hinder cooperation in organizations are highlighted, and suggestions on how to deal with those issues in practice are provided. The papers facilitate understanding of the role of cultural differences, communication, team processes, and leader behavior on cooperation in organizations.Originality/valueThe paper provides an introduction to the special issue.

Due to the extreme heterogeneity of municipal sizes resulting in a number of small municipalities that are struggling to meet regulatory demands and standards, Slovenia should be the poster child for inter-municipal cooperation. This, coupled with the absence of a second level of local government, should make for flourishing inter-municipal cooperation. This article demonstrates how sound arguments for the establishment of inter-municipal cooperation do not always achieve favourable results – as in a vibrant and productive web of inter-municipal dialogue and cooperation. It was only after significant governmental subsidies were implemented in Slovenia that the municipalities initiated a cooperation process; however, that process only extended to subsidised tasks. The results of the empirical analyses show that a bottom-up process might take too long a time, while a local government (legal) framework may inhibit cooperation due to the fear of losing authority over municipal tasks.