MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION IN BRAZILIAN CREDIT COOPERATIVES

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze, through a literature review, the main management and innovation practices adopted by credit cooperatives in Brazil, identifying their contributions to sustainability, competitiveness, and organizational efficiency. This is a bibliographic study with a qualitative approach and an exploratory-descriptive nature. The literature search was conducted between April and July 2026, using the descriptors “credit cooperatives,” “innovation,” “types of innovation,” and “management,” with searches conducted in SciELO, Google Scholar, institutional repositories, the UEMG library, and institutional sources related to the sector. Publications addressing the research topic were analyzed, with emphasis on the period from 2021 to May 2026. The results showed that the main management practices are related to governance, planning, financial and risk management, people management, relationships with members, cooperative participation, financial inclusion, and innovation. There was also an increasing incorporation of technologies, digital transformation, data analysis, Open Finance, and artificial intelligence. It is concluded that the integration of structured management practices and innovation contributes to the efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of credit cooperatives, making it essential to reconcile technological transformation with the preservation of close and humanized relationships with cooperative members.