Roger Spear
Senior Lecturer in Systems
Email: r.g.spear@open.ac.uk
Roger Spear is Chair of the Co-operatives Research Unit, founder member and vice-president of the EMES research network on social enterprise, and teaches organisational systems and research methods in the Centre for Complexity and Change at the Open University. His first degree was from University College London, and he has a Masters degree in Systems from Lancaster University.
- RESEARCH INTERESTS:
His research interest for many years has been on innovation and development in the third sector, specifically studying co-operatives and social enterprises. Studies have included: a three year research project on co-operatives in the UK, a six country study of Worker Buyouts in Europe; a study of social co-ops in the Uk; a comparative study of employee ownership in Netherlands and UK; a four country study of Social audit in the social economy funded by European Commission (DG23); a study of labour market integration in several European countries; a comparative study of social enterprises in Europe (EMES project Frameworks 4&5: see www.emes.net)). He was one of the coordinators of a major CIRIEC project on unemployment and the third system (funded by European Commission).
- TEACHING INTERESTS:
Roger coordinates the ESRC recognized Masters degree in Technology Strategy Research, which is in the Science and Technology Studies subject area, and provides high quality research training for PhD students. He has played an active part in most systems courses as well as others produced through the University's community education division and through the Open Business School. His research interests in Systems are organisational learning and critical systems.
- CONSULTANCY:
Roger periodically undertakes consulting assignments particularly where third stream income supports research activities. His most recent projects are: part of a team evaluating the UK government's social enterprise strategy; and a UNDP funded project on social enterprise strategy; and a UNDP funded project on social enterprise in Eastern Europe.
- MAIN PUBLICATIONS:
2005 - Roger Spear and Eric Bidet, Social Enterprise for Work Integration in 12 European Countries: a Descriptive Analysis. Annals of Public and Co-operative Economics. Vol 76:2. pp195-231.
2005 - Spear, R., Thiry, B. and Vivet. D. Impact of the Third Sector in Europe. Chapter in The Third Sector in an Era of Globalisation. Book published by Robert Owen Association. pp217-256.
2004 - Spear, R., Cornforth, C., Chaves, R. and Schediwy, R. (eds) Special issue of Annals of Public and Co-operative Economics: Governance in the social economy. (Introduction pp3-9)
2004 - Spear, R. Governance in Democratic Member Based Organisations, in Special issue of Annals of Public and Co-operative Economics: Governance in the social economy pp 33-60.
2004 - Borzaga C and Spear R, eds. Trends and Challenges for Co-operatives and Social Enterprises in developed and transition countries. Fondazione Cariplo. (book).
2003 - with Mike Aiken and Terry Newholm, 2003, Success Factors in UK Retail Co-ops. Journal of Co-operative Studies
2001 - Social Enterprise in UK, chapter in book by Defourny and Borzaga, Social Enterprise in Europe, Routledge.
2001 - Combating Social Exclusion in Europe, ed. With Defourny, Laville, and Favreau, Ashgage, Hants.
2001 - Millington, Adamantiadi, Briscoe, and Spear, Principled Management, CRU Publication (100pp.).
2000 - The Co-operative Advantage, Annals of Public and Co-operative Economics, Blackwells.
2000 - Reasserting the Co-operative Advantage, Special Issue of Journal of Co-operative Studies. with P Davis, A Wilkins
2000 - Report on Third System and Employment, with Thiry, Monzon, Demoustier, Chavez, published by CIRIEC International. (small book 140 pp.)
1996 to 2002 - Special Issue editorships of Review of International Co-operation, Geneva.
1996 - J-L Monzon Campos, R. Spear, A Thomas, and A Zevi, (eds), Co-operatives, Markets, Co-operative Principles, CIRIEC International, Liege, Belgium.
1995 - Success and Enterprise, Avebury, Aldershot. (Co-author with Henk Voets, Delft Technical University, The Netherlands).
1994 - Third Sector Care, Open University, Milton Keynes. (Co-author with Aude Leonetti and Alan Thomas).
1989 - Reluctant Enterpreneurs, OU Press, Milton Keynes. Rob Paton with the assistance of Rainer Duhm, Silvia Gherardi, Jean-Louis Laville, Carlos Otero-Hidalgo, Roger Spear and Ann Westenholz.
1988 - Developing Successful Worker Co-operatives, Sage, London. (Co-author with Cornforth C, Thomas A, Lewis J.)