Ushirika ni aina moja ya kampuni ya hisa. Ni kampuni hata kama inaitwa Ushirika. Maana yake ni ushirikiano baina ya kundi la watu wanaokubaliana wenyewe kwa wenyewe kujiunga kulingana na shughuli zao binafsi.

A Co-operative is one kind of share stock company. It is a company even if called a Co-operative. It means participation between a group of people who agree amongst themselves to associate according to their individual activities.

Ushirika hutokana na aina ya kawaida ya biashara inayolenga kuwasaidia wanachama wake au kulinda maslahi yao ya kiuchumi yaliyobainishwa. Hivyo, Ushirika ni chombo cha kisheria chenye haki na wajibu, ingawa hutofautiana na ushirika mwingine usiolenga kiuchumi. Ushirika hufanya kazi ili kuongeza faida ya wanachama wake, si maslahi ya wengine, jambo linalohitaji kuanzisha uhusiano imara kati ya shughuli zake za kiuchumi na shughuli za kiuchumi (yaani biashara) za kila mmoja wa wanachama wake.

The Co-operative originates in the usual trading form aiming to help its members or to secure their defined economical interests. Thus the Cooperative is a corporate body regarding rights and duties, although it differs from the other Co-operatives which are not economically oriented. The Co-operative works to increase the profit of its members, not the interests of others, a matter that requires establishing a strong linkage between its economic activity and the economic activity (i.e. business) of each of its members.