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Buying into Capitalism? Employee Ownership in a Disconnected Era
Author(s) -
Brown Ross,
McQuaid Ronald,
Raeside Robert,
Dutton Matthew,
Egdell Valerie,
Canduela Jesus
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/bjir.12309
Subject(s) - capitalism , workforce , creativity , productivity , business , job security , labour economics , market economy , economics , economic growth , political science , polarization (electrochemistry) , law , chemistry , politics
This article considers whether employee ownership mitigates the negative workplace outcomes identified by the Disconnected Capitalism Thesis (DCT). Drawing on a programme of in‐depth interviews with workers and managers in employee‐owned businesses (EOBs), the article reveals how they are partially insulated from the vicissitudes endemic within contemporary capitalism. In contrast to the workplace outcomes envisaged within the DCT, these firms are characterized by strong workforce participation, high levels of employment security, active employee engagement and strong levels of employee creativity. Not only are these features beneficial for productivity and firm performance, they generate a form of ‘connected’ capitalism, partially offsetting wider negative systemic forces at play in the economy.