What they are and the role of Members, Directors, Managers, and Employees

Five chapters make up this guide. Chapter 1—What Are Cooperatives? is the most extensive chapter, generally describing where and how cooperatives fit into the American system of business, their unique principles and practices, and their defining structural characteristics. It also introduces the roles of the major cooperative participants—members, directors, managers, and employees. Chapters 2-5 go into further detail about the participants. Chapter 2 provides an overview of cooperative members, Chapter 3 describes the directors, Chapter 4 discusses the cooperative manager, and Chapter 5 explains the employees.