The Mondragon Cooperatives

Workplace Democracy

22 Jul 201402:41

Summary

TLDRThe video transcript highlights a unique business philosophy where profitability and sustainability are important but equally essential are job creation and equitable wealth distribution. Workers collectively own the company, eliminating the traditional hierarchy of employers and employees. This cooperative structure ensures that all members are involved in decision-making and share responsibility for the company's success. The speaker emphasizes the commitment to the future of work, contrasting it with capitalist systems that often prioritize profits over people, and stresses the importance of preserving the cooperative legacy for future generations.

Takeaways

💼 The company focuses on generating profit but emphasizes the importance of equitable wealth distribution and job creation.
👨‍💼 Unlike traditional businesses with hierarchical structures, this company has no single boss; all employees share responsibility.
🤝 Employees are both owners and workers, meaning they have a vested interest in the success of the company.
🌍 The company aims to be competitive on a global scale, striving to compete with the best in the world.
🏗️ This cooperative model contrasts with traditional capitalist companies, where employees face layoffs during economic downturns.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Everyone within the company is considered equal, contributing to a collaborative environment without clear distinctions between bosses and workers.
💪 The company’s structure is seen as the future of the labor market, where participation extends from top to bottom.
🏡 The cooperative model is viewed as more than just a job; it's an integral part of the employees' lives, creating a deeper connection to the company.
👩‍👧‍👦 This cooperative approach is generational, with one family passing down ownership and responsibility from parents to children.
👨‍👩‍👧 The current generation feels a responsibility to maintain and grow the cooperative to pass it down to future generations.

Q & A

What is the main difference in the approach of the speaker compared to other business leaders?
-The speaker emphasizes the importance of both profitability and equitable wealth distribution, unlike other business leaders who focus solely on maximizing profit.
Why does the speaker believe that equitable wealth distribution is important?
-The speaker believes that equitable wealth distribution is important because it ensures more people benefit from the success of the business, which contributes to societal well-being.
How does the company in the script differ in terms of management structure from other businesses?
-In this company, there is no single boss. Everyone is their own boss, and all workers share responsibility for the success of the business.
What advantage does the speaker believe this cooperative business model provides?
-The speaker believes that this cooperative model allows the company to be more competitive, as everyone works together and has a vested interest in the success of the business.
How does the speaker view the role of work in their life compared to traditional employment?
-The speaker views work as an integral part of their life, not just a task to complete and leave behind, as they are involved in all aspects of the organization.
What does the speaker imply about job security in this cooperative model?
-In this cooperative model, workers do not face sudden layoffs, providing more job security compared to capitalist companies where workers may be dismissed during tough times.
What generational aspect does the speaker mention about the cooperative?
-The speaker mentions that they are the second generation in a family of cooperativists and that the business was inherited from their parents, with the goal of passing it on to future generations.
How does the speaker describe the experience of working in this cooperative compared to working for another company?
-The speaker suggests that working in the cooperative involves more personal investment and responsibility than working for another company, where the worker simply finishes their shift and goes home.
What does the speaker believe about the future of this cooperative model in the global economy?
-The speaker believes that this cooperative model can compete with the best companies globally and represents the future of the labor world.
What is the speaker's goal regarding the business and future generations?
-The speaker’s goal is to continue working hard to leave the cooperative as a legacy for their children, ensuring the continuation of the family tradition.

Outlines

00:00

💼 Importance of Profit and Employment in Business

The speaker highlights the contrast between the typical business focus on maximizing profit and their own perspective that, while profitability is crucial for sustaining a company, it is equally important to prioritize job creation and the equitable distribution of wealth. They emphasize that these values help extend the benefits of the business to more people.

👥 Shared Leadership and Collective Responsibility

In this paragraph, the speaker explains that their business operates differently from traditional companies where there is a single leader. Instead, all employees are co-owners and share the responsibility of driving the company forward. This collective approach fosters a more inclusive work environment where everyone contributes equally to the company's success.

🌍 Competing Globally with a Collaborative Model

The speaker discusses how their business model, which is based on cooperation and shared ownership, allows them to be more competitive in the global market. They believe that this approach is the future of the labor world and enables them to compete with the best companies worldwide by leveraging the power of many people working together.

🏠 A Shift from Traditional Employment

The speaker reflects on the difference between traditional companies, where employees work for someone else and clock out at the end of the day, and their own model, where work feels like a deeper part of life. They feel more integrated into the company, taking part in all aspects of its operation, which gives their work a greater sense of purpose and connection.

🔄 Security and Stability in Cooperative Employment

This paragraph addresses the stability offered by cooperative businesses compared to capitalist companies. While some companies may lay off workers during times of economic difficulty, the speaker reassures that in their cooperative, employees have greater job security. Even in challenging times, the organization supports its workers instead of letting them go.

👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 Second-Generation Cooperative Members

The speaker introduces themselves as part of the second generation of a cooperative family. Along with their two sisters, they are shareholders of the business, which was passed down from their parents. They emphasize the importance of continuing the legacy and working hard to preserve the business for future generations, ensuring that their children can inherit it as well.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Rentabilidad

Rentabilidad refers to the profitability or ability of a business to generate financial gain. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as an important factor for sustaining a company. However, the emphasis is on balancing profitability with other goals like employment creation and wealth distribution, showing that profit isn't the sole focus for this cooperative.

💡Generación de empleo

This concept highlights the importance of job creation. In the video, it is seen as a key value for the cooperative, contrasting with more traditional businesses that may prioritize profit over employment. By focusing on generating employment, the cooperative ensures that more people benefit from the enterprise.

💡Reparto de la riqueza

This refers to the equitable distribution of wealth. In the cooperative model discussed in the video, wealth is shared more fairly among workers, which contrasts with capitalist models where profits are often concentrated in the hands of a few. This focus on wealth distribution ties into the theme of creating a more inclusive economic model.

💡Cooperativa

A cooperative is a business owned and managed by its workers. In the video, the speakers describe how they all share responsibility and ownership of the company, eliminating the traditional 'boss' dynamic. This concept is central to the video’s message about collective management and shared goals.

💡Competitividad

Competitividad, or competitiveness, refers to the ability of a business to compete effectively in the marketplace. The video suggests that the cooperative can be competitive on a global scale by fostering a collaborative work environment, where every worker is invested in the company’s success.

💡Capitalismo

Capitalismo refers to the traditional capitalist system where private individuals or corporations own businesses, and decisions are made to maximize profits, often leading to layoffs during tough economic times. The video contrasts this model with the cooperative, which prioritizes job security and fairness.

💡Trabajo

The term trabajo (work) in the video is portrayed as more than just a means to earn money. It is described as an integral part of life within the cooperative, where workers participate in all aspects of the business. This contrasts with the detached experience in a typical corporation where work ends once the shift is over.

💡Sociedad anónima

A sociedad anónima is a type of corporation where ownership is divided into shares. In the video, it is used to describe a more impersonal form of business organization, where workers feel disconnected from the company’s leadership and decision-making process. This model is contrasted with the cooperative.

💡Herencia

Herencia (inheritance) in the video refers to both the financial and ideological legacy passed down from one generation to the next. The speaker mentions how their parents left the cooperative to them, and now they feel a responsibility to maintain and pass it on to future generations. This reflects the long-term commitment to the cooperative model.

💡Segunda generación

This concept highlights the intergenerational continuity in the cooperative. The speaker identifies as part of the second generation of a cooperative family, indicating that the business model and its values are being passed down, ensuring its sustainability and longevity. This reinforces the cooperative's role in building lasting social and economic structures.

Highlights

Entrepreneurs from abroad may say the most important thing is maximizing profit, but here, we emphasize that profitability is crucial for sustaining the business while also prioritizing job creation and equitable wealth distribution.

In our cooperative, the company is ours, but we are also workers. There isn't a traditional boss, as in other businesses; we are all our own bosses and must push forward together.

The cooperative structure allows us to be more competitive, potentially competing with the best companies globally. We believe this is the future of the workforce.

The traditional model of working for someone else, finishing the workday, and going home is evolving. Our approach is more integrated into our lives because we are involved in every aspect of the organization.

One significant benefit of being in a cooperative is job security. In capitalist companies, during times of unemployment, people are let go. In contrast, cooperatives offer more stability.

In this cooperative, if the company faces challenges, not everyone is affected the same way. Some might fare better than others, but overall, we maintain jobs rather than sending people away.

The speaker identifies as part of the second generation in a cooperative family. She and her two sisters are partners, continuing the legacy left by their parents.

The cooperative has been passed down as a family inheritance, and now they are working to ensure that this legacy is passed on to their own children.

Job creation and fair distribution of wealth are at the core of the cooperative's mission, setting it apart from profit-driven capitalist companies.

Cooperatives offer a more equitable business model where employees have ownership and decision-making power.

This cooperative model blends both entrepreneurship and labor, offering a balance between profitability and social responsibility.

Cooperatives can foster a stronger community bond as employees are more invested in the success and well-being of the business.

The speaker stresses that being part of a cooperative means taking ownership and responsibility for the company's success from top to bottom.

The cooperative model represents a shift from traditional business hierarchies, encouraging shared leadership and decision-making.

By focusing on sustainability, job security, and fairness, cooperatives offer a progressive alternative to conventional capitalist models.