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Fellows and affiliates of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing produce a large volume of research addressing a variety of questions related to capital and profit shares. This collection of research briefs summarizes new research findings.



ESOPs and Employee Involvement in Workplace Decision Making

Jung Ook Kim | December, 2023

Question: How does the involvement of employee owners in ESOP companies in making various workplace decisions compare to employee involvement in non-ESOP companies? Answer: Comparing ESOP vs non-ESOP workers, ESOP workers showed greater involvement in work organization, scheduling, and safety, but lower involvement in setting pay/benefits compared with the non-ESOP workers. However, ESOP companies tend … Read More

Women in ESOPs

Jung Ook Kim | April, 2022

Questions: How do women fare in ESOPs? How do women in ESOPs compare to women not in ESOPs? Summary: Some gender differences in the larger society are reflected in ESOP companies. There are fewer women than men in ESOPs. Within ESOPs there are fewer women in top management and highly trained/high pay occupations. Women in … Read More

ESOPs and Retiree Wealth: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Matt Mazewski | December, 2023

Questions: What impact do ESOPs have on wealth in retirement? In particular, what is the relationship between prior ESOP participation and the average wealth of worker-owners once they retire? And what effect (if any) do ESOPs have on wealth inequality among retirees? Summary: Using data from the 2008-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, … Read More

Employees’ Low Pay Satisfaction: Possible Solutions?

Kyoung Yong Kim | February, 2023

Question: How satisfied are employees with their pay in ESOP firms, and what are the possible solutions to employees’ low pay satisfaction? Answer: In this group of nine ESOP firms, some employees report that they are paid an above-average wage, but some report they are paid a below-average wage. Those with a below-average wage are … Read More