Our future lies in economic democracy and equal participation, not in oligarchy and plutocracy. This major book show why this is possible and how this can be achieved. A must read.
Thomas Piketty, professor of economics at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, associate chair at the Paris School of Economics (PSE)[and Centennial Professor of Economics in the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics (LSE)
This book, beautifully edited by Bruno Roelants, is an important contribution that forces the reader to think. To address the grand challenges of present times, Cooperativism at work suggests to turn to an alternative economic system in which the prosocial inclination of economic agents are reinforced. The 32 authors from 15 countries provide compelling evidence that it is possible and well within our reach. Many efforts have been made in recent times to lay down the pillars of an economy based on the culture of care, true value creation and solidarity – as this book widely documents. Cooperativism at work is a must read for all those – academicians, business leaders, policy-makers – who are convincingly interested in triggering off a deliberate process of social reconfiguration of our market economies.
Stefano Zamagni, Professor of Economics, University of Bologna
This important work presents case studies of worker coops around the world. Beyond providing invaluable information, it enables and stimulates crucial questions about alternative economic structures, past, present and future. Long yearned-for democratic re-organizations of workplaces are now on history’s agenda, this time as worker cooperatives: preferred alternatives to capitalism’s hierarchical enterprise organization.
Richard D. Wolff, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Massachusetts