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This thesis aims to contribute to the debate on the role and potential of worker co-operatives in a capitalist economy, and analyses the development of the co-operative sector in Britain since the mid-1970s in the context of an economy undergoing a major crisis and restructuring. Part One examines competing theoretical perspectives in economics towards co-operatives. This reviews and criticises the orthodox neoclassical and behavioural approaches, before turning to a marxist analysis and developing it in the context of co-operatives' role as small enterprises in an economy dominated by large firms. The analysis concentrates upon co-operatives' market relationships and competitive position as the mechanism through which they interact with the rest of the economy. Part Two moves from theory to the concrete, and examines the performance of workers co-operatives as commercial enterprises, in three industries (printing, clothing manufacture, and wholefood distribution) which demonstrate contrasting relationships between large and small firms. It includes an overview of the development and characteristics of the co-operative sector, before investigating the financing of co-operative and their commercial performance. This is then explained in the context of the political and economic development of the co-operative sector, of the British economy, and developments in the industries in question. It finds that whilst the performance of co-operative has improved over time, it remains worse than that of competing capitalist firms in terms of wage levels and capacity to generate a reinvestible surplus. Part Three builds upon this work to identify the important conditions and processes which have contributed to the rapid growth and development of the co-operative sector in Britain, and seeks to develop a broad understanding of the means by which the degeneration of co-operative can be avoided. It concludes that the resurgence and growth of co-operative must be located in the particular form of economic restructuring taking place in the early 1980s. The establishment and survival of co-operatives has been dependent upon support for workers' initiatives by the state, and on the nature of market processes in particular areas of the economy. However, these conditions are transient and the future development of the co-operative sector is crucially dependent upon the long term support of the state and the labour movement.

The purpose of this dissertation is to challenge the predominant theories of the firm in economics by demonstrating that the firm can only be properly understood if the importance of cooperation based on trust and loyalty, and the ability of the firm to achieve that cooperation by influencing the social foundations of behaviour, is appreciated. Chapter 1 demonstrates that neglecting this ‘social nature’ of the firm renders the predominant theories incomplete and incompatible, with contract-based theories clinging to a rigid model of behaviour and competence-based theories failing to develop the social foundations of knowledge. The second chapter constructs a theory of the firm that rectifies these shortcomings by maintaining that the firm fulfils its purpose of developing and applying productive knowledge by achieving cooperation, which, along with the dual function of achieving coordination, involves a combination of organisational structures and organisational culture. In Chapter 3, this theory reveals that, contrary to deterministic views on organisation and economic development, a range of organisational forms are possible for any given technology or culture, and that organisation in fact shapes technology and culture. In Chapter 4, the dissertation shows that, contrary to the predominant theories of the firm, cooperative firms may have an inherent advantage in achieving cooperation based on trust and loyalty, and in maintaining that cooperation while also achieving the coordination required for advanced technologies. Although this ability may be suppressed by the prevailing institutional environment, the case of Mondragón, discussed in Chapter 5, demonstrates that it can be activated by innovations such as cooperative groups and ‘second-tier coops’. Although Mondragón’s success has been attributed to the uniquely cooperative traits of Basque culture (as opposed to its structural innovations), Chapter 6 demonstrates through primary and secondary research that Mondragón has in fact been used as model across the globe.

The research investigates the praxis of companies going collective in Italy. Since the 1950s, scholars have debated the whys and hows of labour-manged firms around the globe. Such a debate articulates around the central question of this research domain: Why are labour-manged firms rare compared to traditional, investor-owned companies? To offer possible explanations for such a scarcity, this research analyses mechanisms, rationales and resources underneath the emergence of worker takeovers, namely labour-managed firms. Empirical evidence on the emergence of labour-managed firms and, specifically, worker takeovers is limited. At the scholarly level, there is little evidence on the praxis of creating labour-manged firms and turning companies collective in the form of worker takeovers. Little is known about who leads and guides worker takeover operations, little is known about which resources are employed, which pieces of legislation are leveraged and who is co-opted in the governance of novel labour-manged firms. This research offers exploratory insights into the whys, hows, who and when of going collective in Italy. Specifically, it delves into the norms, steps, procedures, resources and stakeholders of takeover operations in the country. Via critical approaches and a mix of methodologies, this research aims at unfolding the functioning of takeover strategies, and the relationship of workers with institutional investors, banks and trade unions, among many different stakeholders.

La ré-émergence de l’autogestion des travailleurs s’est produite au Brésil à la suite de l’idée de flexibilisation des relations de travail typiques de la restructuration productive de la décennie 1990. Cette étude prétend contribuer à la thématique, analysant sous forme critique les dilemmes de l'entreprise coopérative et la forme comment les travailleurs s’y sont insérés, à partir des perspectives théoriques institutionnalistes et de la culture politique. La méthodologie utilisée est quantitative, sous l’approche de la science politique et de la sociologie, sous un abordage interdisciplinaire. L’analyse institutionnaliste a permis de caractériser le phénomène des coopératives de travail au Brésil à partir des tensions liées à la dispute et à la définition du champ ‘action dans le monde du travail qui extrapolent les frontières de la relation entre coopérés et coopératives et qui sont définis dans le champ juridique. L’analyse culturaliste a permis de tester si les Incubateurs Technologiques de Coopératives Populaires (ITCP), qui se proposent de réaliser l’inclusion sociale, arrivent à promouvoir la citoyenneté, à répandre la démocratie, à encourager la participation politique et à contribuer pour la distribution égale des revenus, rompant ainsi avec les traces culturelles prédominantes de la société brésilienne et gaúcha. Ce qui a été vérifié, est que les coopératives de travail brésiliennes analysées pour cette recherche ne répondent pas aux objectifs sociaux et se sont constitués avec l'objectif de détourner l’application de la législation travailliste et de subvertir le contenu social du 7e article de la constitution fédéral de 1988. La recherche a aussi vérifié que les ITCPs n’arrivent pas à rompre complètement avec les marques culturelles de méfiance, une fois qu’ils sont structurés de manière fragile, dépendants de ressources de l’État, toujours plus limités. Ces facteurs empêchent la conversion du capital et la transposition de la confiance et de la coopération d’une micro-échelle pour une échelle qui soit politiquement et économiquement efficace. / A reemergência da autogestão dos trabalhadores ocorreu no Brasil a reboque do ideário de flexibilização das relações de trabalho típicas da reestruturação produtiva da década de 1990. Este estudo pretende contribuir para o tema, analisando criticamente os dilemas do empreendimento cooperativo e a forma como os trabalhadores neles se inserem, a partir das perspectivas teóricas institucionalista e da cultura política. A metodologia utilizada é a qualitativa, com enfoques da ciência política e da sociologia, em uma abordagem interdisciplinar. A análise institucionalista possibilitou caracterizar o fenômeno das cooperativas de trabalho no Brasil a partir das tensões decorrentes de uma disputa e de uma definição de campo de atuação no mundo do trabalho que extrapolam as fronteiras da relação entre cooperados e cooperativas e são definidas no campo jurídico. A análise culturalista possibilitou testar se as Incubadoras Tecnológicas de Cooperativas Populares (ITCP), que se propõem a realizar a inclusão social, promover a cidadania, ampliar a democracia, promover a participação política e contribuir para a distribuição equitativa de renda, conseguem romper com os traços culturais prevalentes da sociedade brasileira e gaúcha. O que se verificou é que as cooperativas de trabalho brasileiras analisadas não atendem às finalidades sociais e são formadas com propósito de desvirtuar a aplicação da legislação trabalhista e subverter o conteúdo social do artigo 7º da Constituição Federal de 1988. Verificou-se também que as ITCPs não conseguem romper completamente com os traços culturais da desconfiança, por estarem estruturadas de maneira frágil, dependentes de recursos estatais cada vez mais escassos. Esses fatores impossibilitam a conversão de capitais e a transposição da confiança e da cooperação do plano micro para uma escala que seja política e economicamente eficaz. / The reemergence of workers' self-management occurred in Brazil tagged along the ideology of flexibility of typical labor relations of productive restructuring from the 1990s. This study aims to contribute to the theme, critically analyzing the dilemmas of cooperative enterprise and how workers include themselves in them, from the institutional and the political culture theoretical perspectives. The methodology used is qualitative, with focuses from political science and sociology, in an interdisciplinary approach. The institutional analysis enabled the characterization of the phenomenon of worker cooperatives in Brazil taking as basis the tensions resulting from a dispute and from a definition of playing field in the world of work that go beyond the boundaries of the relationship between members and cooperatives and are defined in the judicial field. The cultural analysis made it possible to test whether the Technological Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (Incubadoras Tecnológias de Cooperativas Populares - ITCP), that are offered to perform social inclusion, promote citizenship, expand democracy, promote political participation and contribute to the equitable distribution of income, can break the cultural traits common in Brazilian and Gaúcha societies. What was found is that the Brazilian worker cooperatives that were analyzed in the survey do not meet the social purposes and are formed in order to misinterpret the enforcement of labor laws and subvert the social content of the 7th Article of the Federal Constitution of 1988. It was also found that the ITCPs fail to completely break the cultural traits of mistrust, for being structured in a very fragile way, dependent on state funds increasingly scarce. These factors hinder the capital conversion and the transposition of trust and of cooperation of the micro plan for a scale that is politically and economically efficient.

La ré-émergence de l’autogestion des travailleurs s’est produite au Brésil à la suite de l’idée de flexibilisation des relations de travail typiques de la restructuration productive de la décennie 1990. Cette étude prétend contribuer à la thématique, analysant sous forme critique les dilemmes de l'entreprise coopérative et la forme comment les travailleurs s’y sont insérés, à partir des perspectives théoriques institutionnalistes et de la culture politique. La méthodologie utilisée est quantitative, sous l’approche de la science politique et de la sociologie, sous un abordage interdisciplinaire. L’analyse institutionnaliste a permis de caractériser le phénomène des coopératives de travail au Brésil à partir des tensions liées à la dispute et à la définition du champ ‘action dans le monde du travail qui extrapolent les frontières de la relation entre coopérés et coopératives et qui sont définis dans le champ juridique. L’analyse culturaliste a permis de tester si les Incubateurs Technologiques de Coopératives Populaires (ITCP), qui se proposent de réaliser l’inclusion sociale, arrivent à promouvoir la citoyenneté, à répandre la démocratie, à encourager la participation politique et à contribuer pour la distribution égale des revenus, rompant ainsi avec les traces culturelles prédominantes de la société brésilienne et gaúcha. Ce qui a été vérifié, est que les coopératives de travail brésiliennes analysées pour cette recherche ne répondent pas aux objectifs sociaux et se sont constitués avec l'objectif de détourner l’application de la législation travailliste et de subvertir le contenu social du 7e article de la constitution fédéral de 1988. La recherche a aussi vérifié que les ITCPs n’arrivent pas à rompre complètement avec les marques culturelles de méfiance, une fois qu’ils sont structurés de manière fragile, dépendants de ressources de l’État, toujours plus limités. Ces facteurs empêchent la conversion du capital et la transposition de la confiance et de la coopération d’une micro-échelle pour une échelle qui soit politiquement et économiquement efficace. / A reemergência da autogestão dos trabalhadores ocorreu no Brasil a reboque do ideário de flexibilização das relações de trabalho típicas da reestruturação produtiva da década de 1990. Este estudo pretende contribuir para o tema, analisando criticamente os dilemas do empreendimento cooperativo e a forma como os trabalhadores neles se inserem, a partir das perspectivas teóricas institucionalista e da cultura política. A metodologia utilizada é a qualitativa, com enfoques da ciência política e da sociologia, em uma abordagem interdisciplinar. A análise institucionalista possibilitou caracterizar o fenômeno das cooperativas de trabalho no Brasil a partir das tensões decorrentes de uma disputa e de uma definição de campo de atuação no mundo do trabalho que extrapolam as fronteiras da relação entre cooperados e cooperativas e são definidas no campo jurídico. A análise culturalista possibilitou testar se as Incubadoras Tecnológicas de Cooperativas Populares (ITCP), que se propõem a realizar a inclusão social, promover a cidadania, ampliar a democracia, promover a participação política e contribuir para a distribuição equitativa de renda, conseguem romper com os traços culturais prevalentes da sociedade brasileira e gaúcha. O que se verificou é que as cooperativas de trabalho brasileiras analisadas não atendem às finalidades sociais e são formadas com propósito de desvirtuar a aplicação da legislação trabalhista e subverter o conteúdo social do artigo 7º da Constituição Federal de 1988. Verificou-se também que as ITCPs não conseguem romper completamente com os traços culturais da desconfiança, por estarem estruturadas de maneira frágil, dependentes de recursos estatais cada vez mais escassos. Esses fatores impossibilitam a conversão de capitais e a transposição da confiança e da cooperação do plano micro para uma escala que seja política e economicamente eficaz. / The reemergence of workers' self-management occurred in Brazil tagged along the ideology of flexibility of typical labor relations of productive restructuring from the 1990s. This study aims to contribute to the theme, critically analyzing the dilemmas of cooperative enterprise and how workers include themselves in them, from the institutional and the political culture theoretical perspectives. The methodology used is qualitative, with focuses from political science and sociology, in an interdisciplinary approach. The institutional analysis enabled the characterization of the phenomenon of worker cooperatives in Brazil taking as basis the tensions resulting from a dispute and from a definition of playing field in the world of work that go beyond the boundaries of the relationship between members and cooperatives and are defined in the judicial field. The cultural analysis made it possible to test whether the Technological Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (Incubadoras Tecnológias de Cooperativas Populares - ITCP), that are offered to perform social inclusion, promote citizenship, expand democracy, promote political participation and contribute to the equitable distribution of income, can break the cultural traits common in Brazilian and Gaúcha societies. What was found is that the Brazilian worker cooperatives that were analyzed in the survey do not meet the social purposes and are formed in order to misinterpret the enforcement of labor laws and subvert the social content of the 7th Article of the Federal Constitution of 1988. It was also found that the ITCPs fail to completely break the cultural traits of mistrust, for being structured in a very fragile way, dependent on state funds increasingly scarce. These factors hinder the capital conversion and the transposition of trust and of cooperation of the micro plan for a scale that is politically and economically efficient.

La ré-émergence de l’autogestion des travailleurs s’est produite au Brésil à la suite de l’idée de flexibilisation des relations de travail typiques de la restructuration productive de la décennie 1990. Cette étude prétend contribuer à la thématique, analysant sous forme critique les dilemmes de l'entreprise coopérative et la forme comment les travailleurs s’y sont insérés, à partir des perspectives théoriques institutionnalistes et de la culture politique. La méthodologie utilisée est quantitative, sous l’approche de la science politique et de la sociologie, sous un abordage interdisciplinaire. L’analyse institutionnaliste a permis de caractériser le phénomène des coopératives de travail au Brésil à partir des tensions liées à la dispute et à la définition du champ ‘action dans le monde du travail qui extrapolent les frontières de la relation entre coopérés et coopératives et qui sont définis dans le champ juridique. L’analyse culturaliste a permis de tester si les Incubateurs Technologiques de Coopératives Populaires (ITCP), qui se proposent de réaliser l’inclusion sociale, arrivent à promouvoir la citoyenneté, à répandre la démocratie, à encourager la participation politique et à contribuer pour la distribution égale des revenus, rompant ainsi avec les traces culturelles prédominantes de la société brésilienne et gaúcha. Ce qui a été vérifié, est que les coopératives de travail brésiliennes analysées pour cette recherche ne répondent pas aux objectifs sociaux et se sont constitués avec l'objectif de détourner l’application de la législation travailliste et de subvertir le contenu social du 7e article de la constitution fédéral de 1988. La recherche a aussi vérifié que les ITCPs n’arrivent pas à rompre complètement avec les marques culturelles de méfiance, une fois qu’ils sont structurés de manière fragile, dépendants de ressources de l’État, toujours plus limités. Ces facteurs empêchent la conversion du capital et la transposition de la confiance et de la coopération d’une micro-échelle pour une échelle qui soit politiquement et économiquement efficace. / A reemergência da autogestão dos trabalhadores ocorreu no Brasil a reboque do ideário de flexibilização das relações de trabalho típicas da reestruturação produtiva da década de 1990. Este estudo pretende contribuir para o tema, analisando criticamente os dilemas do empreendimento cooperativo e a forma como os trabalhadores neles se inserem, a partir das perspectivas teóricas institucionalista e da cultura política. A metodologia utilizada é a qualitativa, com enfoques da ciência política e da sociologia, em uma abordagem interdisciplinar. A análise institucionalista possibilitou caracterizar o fenômeno das cooperativas de trabalho no Brasil a partir das tensões decorrentes de uma disputa e de uma definição de campo de atuação no mundo do trabalho que extrapolam as fronteiras da relação entre cooperados e cooperativas e são definidas no campo jurídico. A análise culturalista possibilitou testar se as Incubadoras Tecnológicas de Cooperativas Populares (ITCP), que se propõem a realizar a inclusão social, promover a cidadania, ampliar a democracia, promover a participação política e contribuir para a distribuição equitativa de renda, conseguem romper com os traços culturais prevalentes da sociedade brasileira e gaúcha. O que se verificou é que as cooperativas de trabalho brasileiras analisadas não atendem às finalidades sociais e são formadas com propósito de desvirtuar a aplicação da legislação trabalhista e subverter o conteúdo social do artigo 7º da Constituição Federal de 1988. Verificou-se também que as ITCPs não conseguem romper completamente com os traços culturais da desconfiança, por estarem estruturadas de maneira frágil, dependentes de recursos estatais cada vez mais escassos. Esses fatores impossibilitam a conversão de capitais e a transposição da confiança e da cooperação do plano micro para uma escala que seja política e economicamente eficaz. / The reemergence of workers' self-management occurred in Brazil tagged along the ideology of flexibility of typical labor relations of productive restructuring from the 1990s. This study aims to contribute to the theme, critically analyzing the dilemmas of cooperative enterprise and how workers include themselves in them, from the institutional and the political culture theoretical perspectives. The methodology used is qualitative, with focuses from political science and sociology, in an interdisciplinary approach. The institutional analysis enabled the characterization of the phenomenon of worker cooperatives in Brazil taking as basis the tensions resulting from a dispute and from a definition of playing field in the world of work that go beyond the boundaries of the relationship between members and cooperatives and are defined in the judicial field. The cultural analysis made it possible to test whether the Technological Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (Incubadoras Tecnológias de Cooperativas Populares - ITCP), that are offered to perform social inclusion, promote citizenship, expand democracy, promote political participation and contribute to the equitable distribution of income, can break the cultural traits common in Brazilian and Gaúcha societies. What was found is that the Brazilian worker cooperatives that were analyzed in the survey do not meet the social purposes and are formed in order to misinterpret the enforcement of labor laws and subvert the social content of the 7th Article of the Federal Constitution of 1988. It was also found that the ITCPs fail to completely break the cultural traits of mistrust, for being structured in a very fragile way, dependent on state funds increasingly scarce. These factors hinder the capital conversion and the transposition of trust and of cooperation of the micro plan for a scale that is politically and economically efficient.

This article addresses the issue of cooperatives in the context of global economic crisis and presented as a suitable alternative to deal with high unemployment, and as the fulfillment of a social economy, protected and provided for by law and the Spanish constitution. Will be discussed the characteristics of cooperatives, its constitution and its organization. In addition, there will be mention of types of cooperatives, especially the cooperative mode of worker cooperatives. / El presente artículo aborda el tema de las cooperativas en un contexto de crisis económica mundial y las presenta como una alternativa adecuada para lidiar con las altas tasas de desempleo, y como el cumplimiento de una economía social, protegida y establecida por la ley y la constitución española. Se expondrá las características de las cooperativas, su constitución, su organización. Además, se hará mención a las modalidades de cooperativas, en especial a la modalidad cooperativa de trabajo asociado.

No description available.