Research Center on Economics and Society

(CIES) www.grupcies.com

 By Julio Martinez,

The IRENE.T Network:Training for Third Sector in EU: skills

implementation through networking, Naples, 29th September 2011

CIES 

• Officially established in 1992, but started in the early 80’s• Promoters: multidisciplinary team of professors from differents universities and

professionals• Type: private, non profit organization• Legal form: foundation

• Mission: Raising the awareness of leaders and top managers regarding the importance of combining economic effectiveness with the social interest

• Vision: To be a referential multidisciplinary research and training centre in the topics related with global sustainable development

Main activities

Research on CSR and Social Economy Life-long training courses on CSR and Social Economy Networking with public and private organizations on CSR and Social

Economic issues Giving support to the private and public organizations in the design and

development of their strategic plans in CSR and in conducting their sustainability reports

Doing evaluation reports of the action of public policies mainly in the topics of work integration.

Organizing international conferences, seminars and symposium . Editing an electronic bulletin, related with CSR and Social Economics topic.

The access is free. The web site is:  http://www.grupcies.com/boletin/

University of Barcelona - collaboration agreement for the joint execution of training

programmes and research and dissemination activities.

CIES is part of Barcelona Science Park

Partnership with Georgia State University in Atlanta (USA) for the joint execution of

training programmes, research and dissemination activities.

Founder member of the following international research associations:

International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)

L’Emergence de l’entreprise social (EMES)

Partners

Social economy enterprises provide annually 4,000 million euros annually to the Spanish social

and territorial cohesion.

45,000 companies,

2,350,000 jobs and

Turnover of around 100,000 million euros,

Direct benefits: 2.845 million per year (from net revenues generated and collected by families,

businesses and government agencies related to the contribution of these companies to social

cohesion).

Indirect benefits to social cohesion: 560 million euros annually (which correspond to the

spending has not been realized thanks to the differential behavior of social economy enterprises)

Social Economy in Spain (September, 2011)

Total benefits, direct and indirect: 3.405 million per year (associated with the contribution

to social cohesion)

In relation to territorial cohesion, the results indicate that the direct benefits amounts to 393

million euros, (mostly net wage income of workers and also personal income tax revenues

and fees for the Social security.

The above figures are added 132 million euros in indirect benefits, saving for the

contributory and assistance related to unemployment.

Therefore, the total profits for the territorial cohesion axis correspond to some 525 million

euros annually.

Social Economy in Spain (September, 2011)

Results of the exercise:

About 158,000 workers from group with difficult access to occupation would lose their jobs. Of

these, 84,403 would be workers with disabilities, 1,622 workers at risk of social exclusion, 6635 workers

over 55 years, 3664 women aged 45 years and 61,562 low-skilled workers

A large number of workers would see their working conditions changed, some 6,800 employees

(not included in the collective above) would be forced to change its current full-time part-time to an

unwanted one and about 156,000 workers would have their wages reduced.

After a year, nearly 10,500 workers who have enjoyed continuous periods of employment in the

social economy would have one or more experiences of unemployment.

Socioeconomic impact analysis of the social economy organizations in Spain

A significant number of workers would be affected by issues related to equal opportunities in the

company: more than 4,100 employees belonging to groups typically under-represented in senior

positions of companies (over 55, disabled or women) would cease to occupy these positions.

If you cancel the offer of the social economy of social services or social interest, that is, if your interest in

these services was similar to that of ordinary companies, around 1,000 companies currently providing

services to elderly and people with disabilities and about 2,500 companies in the field of

education and other social services (including childcare) would disappear, significantly affecting

both the level and the diversity in supply in these activities.

If the social economy enterprises would behave like "ordinary business" when choosing its geographical

location around 59,000 jobs in rural areas would be lost and the population residing in these areas

may be reduced by about 102,000 people.

Socioeconomic impact analysis of the social economy organizations in Spain (II)

In the current economic situation and with the need to develop innovation processes in

companies and especially those forming the Third Sector, there build an impulse of new

initiatives in collaboration with the universities regarding generation and transmission of

knowledge.

There is a distortion being produced in the identifying features of the Third Sector,

especially regarding the definition as a specific public and social utility. For this reason, the

Third Sector should consolidate and deepen the traits and values that make up the core of

the "brand" of the Social Economy.

When the Third Sector actors identify themselves at the local level, competitive strategies are

lost in short-term and it is difficult to develop networks and alliances for the collective creation

of new products or services such as training, financing, product innovation, and so on.

Possible recommendations

All Third Sector actors should urgently undertake new competitive strategies for emerging

markets and incorporate their identity as useful instruments for the welfare of its members

and the strengthening of social cohesion.

The plural and multiform character of the third sector requires the presence of strong

organizations representing the different groups of companies and organizations that comprise

it. However, the identity shared by all and the core of common interests that brings them

together, state the need and desirability of undertaking determined associative structuring

processes in the Third Sector, both in the relevant national and the transnational level in

Europe.

Possible recommendations (I)

The third sector should be projected as

an organization of institutions necessary for the stability and the sustainability of economic growth,

the adjustment between services and needs,

the valuation of economic activity in the service of social needs,

the more equitable distribution of income and wealth,

the correction of imbalances in the labor market, and

the deepening of economic democracy.

However, the Third Sector cannot end its institutional visibility. An invisibility that is not only explains by the

emerging nature of the Third Sector as a new sector in the economic system but also by the lack of

conceptual identification of the same, that is, the lack of a clear and rigorous definition of the common

characteristics of different kinds of businesses and organizations in the Third Sector and the specific traits

that distinguish them from other entities.

Possible recommendations (II)

Research Center on Economics and Society (CIES)

 By Julio Martinez,

The IRENE.T Network:Training for Third Sector in EU: skills

implementation through networking, Naples, 29th September 2011

Thank you for your attention