[en] Eroski, S. Coop. (ESC), Mother Company of Grupo Eroski (GE), fourth holding in the ranking of distribution companies in Spain7 consisting of 47.844 persons, of which 8.900 are working partners of ESC. And as a consumer cooperative, 416.057 titleholders form part of ESC in their role as consumer members.8 This doctoral thesis aims to examine the business and social evolution of this consumer cooperative throughout its 44 years of existence (1969-2013). This study describes how Eroski has modified its model of management, its structures, articles of association, form of leadership, cultural identification features, in order to adapt and survive in a changing market and environment, constructing different management tools, varied company structures and growth strategies with the aim of maintaining and safeguarding an identity, principles and collective-type practices that shape a sociobusiness model which the organisation itself defines as cooperative. It involves determining whether, from the performance, uses, regulations and organisation type comprising this cooperative socio-business model, it is possible to conclude that there are certain features and characteristic elements to constitute a culture or type of differentiated culture which we will pre-define as " Eroski culture". For this task of verification, we will rely on different theories which have been developed about the term culture in the field of anthropology and sociology; theories which reflect the changes in the 20th century, deep changes in our ways of studying and understanding social phenomena. Studies about culture from the perspective of semiotics and especially those carried out by the Russian semiotician Iuri Lotman will serve as a permanent reference in analysing features overall and sign elements in interaction which make up what the author denominates as "Semiosphere" and which in our thesis we identify as "Eroski culture". To this end, qualitative type research will be carried out applying the ethnographic method, analysing in-depth and trying to understand the meaning of this "Semiosphere Eroski".

[eu] Eroski, S. Coop. (ESC) Eroski Taldeko (ET) enpresa nagusia da. ET laugarren "holdinga" da Espainiako banaketa-enpresen sailkapenean5. Guztira 47.844 langilek osatzen dute, eta horietatik 8.900 ESCko langile bazkideak dira. Kontsumo-kooperatiba den aldetik, 416.057 bazkide kontsumitzaile ere ESCko partaide dira6. Doktorego-tesi honen helburua da kontsumo-kooperatiba horrek bere 44 urteetan zehar (1969-2013) izan duen ibilbide enpresariala eta soziala aztertzea. Azterlanean azalduko da nola joan diren aldatzen Eroskiren kudeaketa-eredua, egiturak, estatutuak, lidergoa erabiltzeko modua eta kultura-nortasunaren ezaugarriak, unean uneko ingurune eta merkatu aldakorrera egokitzeko eta horietan bizirauteko. Horretarako, hainbat kudeaketa-tresna, askotariko sozietate-egiturak eta hazteko estrategiak eraiki ditu, nortasun, printzipio eta jardunbide kolektiboak zaindu eta babesteko. Horiek guztiek sozietate- eta enpresa-eredu bat osatzen dute: eredu kooperatiboa, aztertutako erakundeak berak hala deituta. Azterlanaren bidez, aztertu nahi dugu ea sozietate- eta enpresa-eredu kooperatibo hori osatzen duten jokabide, usadio, arau eta erakunde mota horietatik guztietatik ondorioztatu ahal dugun kultura baten edo kultura mota berezi baten ezaugarriak eta elementuak daudela, "Eroski kultura" izena eman geniezaiokeena. Hori egiaztatzeko, antropologiaren eta soziologiaren eremuetan "kulturaren" kontzeptuaren inguruan garatu diren teorietan oinarrituko gara. Teoria horiek ondo islatzen dituzte gizarte-fenomenoak ikertu eta ulertzeko moduan XX. mendean zehar izandako aldaketa sakonak. Semiotikaren ikuspegitik kulturari buruz egindako ikerketak, batez ere Iuri Lotman semiologo errusiarrak egindakoak, baliagarri izango zaizkigu, egileak "semiosfera" deitzen dionaren eta gure tesian "Eroski kultura" izenaz ezagutzen dugunaren ezaugarri eta zeinu-elementu elkarreragileak aztertzeko. Helburu horrekin, ikerketa kualitatiboa egingo dugu, metodo etnografikoa erabiliz, "Eroski semiosfera" horren esanahi zabala ulertzeko eta horretan sakontzeko.