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Challenging the Degeneration Thesis: the Role of Democracy in Worker Cooperatives?

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  • Kiri Langmead

    (School of Geography, University of Nottingham)

Abstract

This paper uses data collected through written narratives, focus groups and participant observation in three small UK worker cooperatives to investigate the role of democracy in maintaining cooperatives’ dual social-economic characteristic and resisting degeneration. More specifically, it adds to limited empirical literature countering the degeneration thesis by arguing that ongoing processes of individual-collective alignment, understood as central to the practice of democracy, help cooperatives to: balance varying and conflicting needs and aims; challenge the assumption underpinning the degeneration thesis; and transform degenerative “risks” into creative and productive spaces where new meanings and practices can be formed.

Suggested Citation

  • Kiri Langmead, 2016. "Challenging the Degeneration Thesis: the Role of Democracy in Worker Cooperatives?," Journal of Entrepreneurial and Organizational Diversity, European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises, vol. 5(1), pages 79-98.
    • Handle: RePEc:trn:csnjrn:v:5:i:1:p:79-98
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Unai Villalba-Eguiluz & Andoni Egia-Olaizola & Juan Carlos Pérez de Mendiguren, 2020. "Convergences between the Social and Solidarity Economy and Sustainable Development Goals: Case Study in the Basque Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Ignacio Bretos & Anjel Errasti & Carmen Marcuello, 2020. "Is there life after degeneration? The organizational life cycle of cooperatives under a ‘grow‐or‐die’ dichotomy," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 91(3), pages 435-458, September.
    3. Meral Ugur‐Cinar & Kursat Cinar & Emine Onculer‐Yayalar & Selin Akyuz, 2024. "The political economy of women's cooperatives in Turkey: A social reproduction perspective," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1268-1289, July.
    4. Alexandrine Lapoutte, 2020. "The problem is the solution: Can permaculture management regenerate social economy enterprises?," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 91(3), pages 479-492, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Worker cooperative; Degeneration thesis; Democracy; Alternative economy; Social-economic chrateristic; Dual charateristic; Workplace democracy; Cooperative;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J54 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Producer Cooperatives; Labor Managed Firms
    • P13 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Cooperative Enterprises

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