Summary
This volume explores an expansive array of organizational imaginaries, or conceptions of organizational possibilities, with a focus on collectivist-democratic organizations that operate in capitalist markets but place more authority and ownership in the hands of stakeholders other than shareholders. These include worker and consumer cooperatives and other enterprises that, to varying degrees:
- Emphasize social values over profit
- Are owned not by shareholders but by workers, consumers, or other stakeholders
- Employ democratic forms of managing their operations
- Have social ties to the organization based on moral and emotional commitments
The volume explores how these enterprises generate solidarity among members, network with other organizations and communities, contend with market pressures, and enhance their larger organizational ecosystems. By ensuring that organizations ultimately support and serve broader communities, collectivist-democratic organizing can move societies closer to hopeful ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ futures.
This volume is essential for researchers and students seeking innovative and egalitarian approaches to business and management.
This book received the inaugural Joyce Rothschild Book Prize recognizing a book or volume that makes a significant contribution to the advancement of economic democracy. View the acceptance speech by the editors below: