Does Worker Ownership Lead to Real Workplace Democracy? Here’s What the Evidence Shows.

In this panel from the TOP25 Worker Ownership Conference, four researchers examine the relationship between employee ownership, governance, and worker engagement. Philosopher Iñigo González Ricoy (University of Barcelona) draws on 50 years of European co-determination research. Andrew Pendleton (University of New South Wales) and Grant Rozeboom (Saint Mary's College of California) bring evidence from firm-level research. Jegoo Lee (University of Rhode Island) adds perspectives on participation and management practice. Moderated by Sharon Block of Harvard Law School. Key themes: • Two reasons for worker control: practical gains vs. the right to equal power • What the evidence shows about co-determination in Germany and Europe • Why the results of board-level representation are more modest than expected • Which forms of ownership best support real democratic management Chapters: • 0:47 Iñigo González Ricoy: The philosophical foundations of workplace democracy • 1:49 Two reasons to support worker control • 5:44 Co-determination: the European experience • 8:04 What the econometric evidence shows Learn more about the conference and The Ownership Project at HBS: https://www.hbs.edu/bigs/about/resear... #WorkplaceDemocracy #EmployeeOwnership #WorkerOwnership #HarvardBusinessSchool #LaborPolicy