(Conclusion)
Expansion of markets
Like with everything else, the cooperative business model contains advantages and disadvantages. In a study done by Blundell and Bond, there was high praise given to the role that cooperative banks play in stimulating the growth of local economies. They pointed out that local cooperative banks could be effective in promoting local economic growth. The study that they did of such banks in France indicated that cooperative banks played a stabilizing role in the economies that they served and helped to maintain banking services in regions experiencing low growth, which eventually helped to contribute to future growth. While the study could not say that cooperative banks provided more advantages compared to conventional banks, it did however establish the positive impact on economic growth. The study further suggested that countries