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Commons Organizing: Embedding Common Good and Institutions for Collective Action. Insights from Ethics and Economics

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  • Laura Albareda

    (LUT University)

  • Alejo Jose G. Sison

    (University of Navarra
    Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America)

Abstract

In recent years, business ethics and economic scholars have been paying greater attention to the development of commons organizing. The latter refers to the processes by which communities of people work in common in the pursuit of the common good. In turn, this promotes commons organizational designs based on collective forms of common goods production, distribution, management and ownership. In this paper, we build on two main literature streams: (1) the ethical approach based on the theory of the common good of the firm in virtue ethics and (2) the economic approach based on the theory of institutions for collective action developed by Ostrom’s research on common-pool resources to avert the tragedy of the commons. The latter expands to include the novel concepts of new commons, “commoning” and polycentric governance. Drawing on the analysis of what is new in these forms of organizing, we propose a comprehensive model, highlighting the integration of two sets of organizing principles—common good and collective action – and five problem-solving processes to explain the main dimensions of commons organizing. We contribute to business ethics literature by exploring the convergence between the ethical and economic approaches in the development of a commons organizing view.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Albareda & Alejo Jose G. Sison, 2020. "Commons Organizing: Embedding Common Good and Institutions for Collective Action. Insights from Ethics and Economics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(4), pages 727-743, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:166:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-020-04580-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-020-04580-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Camille Meyer & Marek Hudon, 2019. "Money and the Commons: An Investigation of Complementary Currencies and Their Ethical Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 277-292, November.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bag, Surajit & Rahman, Muhammad Sabbir & Srivastava, Gautam & Shore, Adam & Ram, Pratibha, 2023. "Examining the role of virtue ethics and big data in enhancing viable, sustainable, and digital supply chain performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).
    3. Singh, Pramod K. & Chudasama, Harpalsinh, 2023. "Geo-information-enabled village level micro-planning for enhancing common good," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    4. Francesca Ricciardi & Cecilia Rossignoli & Alessandro Zardini, 2021. "Grand challenges and entrepreneurship: Emerging issues, research streams, and theoretical landscape," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1673-1705, December.
    5. Ricardo Zózimo & Miguel Pina e Cunha & Arménio Rego, 2023. "Becoming a Fraternal Organization: Insights from the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(2), pages 383-399, March.
    6. Wishal Naveed & Majsa Ammouriova & Noman Naveed & Angel A. Juan, 2022. "Circular Economy and Information Technologies: Identifying and Ranking the Factors of Successful Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Gregorio Guitián & Alejo José G. Sison, 2023. "Offshore Outsourcing from a Catholic Social Teaching Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(3), pages 595-609, July.

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