Making Mondragón: The Growth and Dynamics of the Worker Cooperative Complex (Cornell International Industrial and Labor Relations Reports)
"This important work deserves attention both from those with a special interest in cooperatives and from organizational sociologists in general."—American Journal of Sociology"We have in this book not only lessons and prescriptions for organizational practice, but also the first step into a new academic discipline—social anthropology of advanced organizations."—Organization Studies"Making Mondragónshould occupy a significant spot on the shelf of all organizational theorists, ethnographers of the workplace, and social scientists of administration. Once again, William Foote Whyte . . . forges new ground and cements his place as one of the premier analysts and qualitative methodologists of American social science. In a career marked by distinction, this book is no exception."—Administrative Science Quarterly"William F. Whyte was one of the first American scholars to give serious attention both to employee ownership in the U.S. and to the Mondragón worker cooperatives in the Basque region of Spain. . . . In this new book, Whyte and his wife and colleague, Kathleen Whyte, have provided the definitive narrative of the growth of the Mondragon cooperatives. . . . It is a remarkable story, and the Whytes' book provides a detailed description of how the co-ops developed. . . . Using extensive interview data, the Whytes provide a thorough political history. . . . While previous work has focused on the economic performance of Mondragón, this volume focuses on how Mondragón's leaders shaped the system and coped with challenges to it. It is a history compiled with care and obvious admiration. Anyone interested in the Mondragón story needs this book."—Employee Ownership Report"Making Mondragónis an extremely well-written, well-organized, and easy-to-read book. For scholars and students interested in industrial democracy, employee ownership, and cooperatives, the book provides detailed explanations, diagrams, tables, and case histories. For cooperatives and employee-owned firms elsewhere the book provides useful insights and the lessons that can be learned from the Mondragón experience."—Relations Industrielles"This well-researched study should be read by anyone with an interest in worker cooperatives, community economic development, and work redesign programs."—Contemporary Sociology"Making Mondragónis a superb organizational study of an unusual social experiment. I recommend it highly for anyone interested in developing alternative economic structures or for those interested in supporting local entrepreneurship and developing flexible, horizontal systems of small businesses."—Journal of the American Planning Association"Mondragón has become a name of magic in the history of worker cooperatives and worker ownership. This volume may well become a beacon pointing to the successful expansion of the concept of cooperative employee ownership. It is an extraordinary study of an extraordinary business enterprise."—Irving Bluestone, United Automobile Workers and Wayne State University