I am very interested in the idea of co-ops as an alternative to capitalist business models. How are co-ops organized? Do they rely heavily upon top down heirarchical structures? They seem to be more democratic. And more horizontally structured. Is this correct?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.My neighborhood is a cooperative. All of the residents buy a membership which allows them to live in a unit. We elect a board of 5 people who make the budget and policies and oversee the management, who run the cooperative on a day-to-day basis.
A2Jennifer
Level 8
Nov 13, 2018
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Are these like condominiums? Houses?
How big is the neighborhood? Any other benefits to living there? Sounds like a pretty cool arrangement.
@Bakunin 609 townhouses. Monthly charges cover water and gas (includes heat), maintenance, lawn care, snow removal. We try to organize some community events (community yard sale, spring flower sale, kids movie nights) but it’s hard to get people involved.
@A2Jennifer always hard to get people involved. Otherwise sounds like an almost ideal housing arrangement. Good on ya!
While I haven't personally dived into the co-op world, I've seen how monday.com consultants (no shade to them, they do great work!) can sometimes struggle with the limitations of traditional hierarchies. In a co-op, everyone's chipping in and sharing the rewards, which fosters a real sense of community and collective purpose. It seems like it could spark a lot of creativity and innovation, and maybe even lead to a more sustainable way of doing business. But I'm also curious about the practical challenges. definitely a learning curve involved, but the potential benefits seem worth exploring.
Not a lawyer. I think co-ops are employee owned; thus, the share holder employees vote on the board members and chairman. The extent of control by employees would, I think, depend on the company and laws of the country in which they operate. See: [en.wikipedia.org]
EdEarl
Level 8
Nov 13, 2018
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