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Organization and Orientation: A Life Cycle Model of French Co-operatives

Author

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  • Eric Batstone

    (Department of Social and Administrative Studies and Nuffield College, Oxford)

Abstract

This paper assesses how far the theses of co-operative degeneration and decline apply to the French experience. After outlining the arguments concerning cooperative failure in terms of market, democratic and labour-oriented terms, the paper shows that a sample of 60 French co-operatives-particularly the more democratic of them-outperformed capitalist enterprises in economic terms and yet still maintained a strong labour orientation. The final section develops a life cycle model of co-operatives which indicates there is not a steady, long-term decline in economic performance, democracy or labour orientation.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Batstone, 1983. "Organization and Orientation: A Life Cycle Model of French Co-operatives," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 4(2), pages 139-161, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:4:y:1983:i:2:p:139-161
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X8342002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gouldner, Alvin W., 1955. "Metaphysical Pathos and the Theory of Bureaucracy," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 496-507, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Udo Staber, 1989. "Age-dependence and Historical Effects on the Failure Rates of Worker Cooperatives: An Event-history Analysis," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 10(1), pages 59-80, February.
    2. Chris Cornforth & Alan Thomas, 1990. "Cooperative Development: Barriers, Support Structures and Cultural Factors," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 11(4), pages 451-461, November.
    3. Anthony Jensen, 2011. "Saving companies worth saving: Spain pioneers a sustainable model of democratic corporate governance," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 32(4), pages 697-720, November.
    4. Thibault Mirabel, 2021. "Survival advantage of worker buyouts over newly created worker-owned firms," Post-Print hal-05429433, HAL.
    5. Menachem Rosner, 1991. "Worker Ownership, Ideology and Social Structure in 'Third-way' Work Organizations," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 12(3), pages 369-384, August.
    6. Gerald Callan Hunt, 1992. "Division of Labour, Life Cycle and Democracy in Worker Co-operatives," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 13(1), pages 9-43, February.
    7. Ronald Hartz & Markus Tümpel & Melanie Hühn & Irma Rybnikova, 2024. "Handling the organizing paradox: A multiple case study of German cooperatives," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 45(4), pages 1112-1136, November.
    8. Yohanan Stryjan, 1994. "The Formation of New Cooperatives: Theory and the Swedish Case," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 15(4), pages 565-594, November.
    9. Chris Cornforth, 1995. "Patterns of Cooperative Management: Beyond the Degeneration Thesis," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 16(4), pages 487-523, November.
    10. Silvia Gherardi & Atilio Masiero, 1987. "The Impact of Organizational Culture in Life-Cycle and Decision- Making Processes in Newborn Co-Operatives," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 8(3), pages 323-347, August.
    11. Carla Dickstein, 1988. "The Role of Cooperative Development Agencies in Developing Worker Cooperatives: Lessons from Philadelphia," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 9(2), pages 197-224, May.
    12. Roger Hadley & Lancaer Universiy & Maurice Goldsmith, 1995. "Development or Convergence? Change and Stability in a Common," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 16(2), pages 167-199, May.
    13. Catherine W. Ng & Evelyn Ng, 2009. "Balancing the Democracy Dilemmas: Experiences of Three Women Workers' Cooperatives in Hong Kong," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 30(2), pages 182-206, May.
    14. Mick Camey, 1992. "The Incentive Structures of Co-operative Retail Buying Groups," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 13(2), pages 207-231, May.

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