Monday, September 14, 2009

The Mondragon Experiment

Mondragon is a community of worker cooperatives in Spain.



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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2009 at 6:13 AM

    The second-order co-op used to run the bank (see about 27:00 or 28:00) is interesting. Individual profit-taking is based on industrial profits; bank decisions are also governed in part by representatives of industry. In this way, the structure reminds the community that there can be manufacturers without bankers, but there can be no bankers without manufacturers.

    It's interesting that physicians are very reluctant to accept the 3:1 pay ratio but apparently there is no shortage of engineers!

    The computer tech seems to suggest that this documentary was made during the 1980s, perhaps even earlier. Then later they say 25 years of history. Wikipedia says MCC started in 1956, therefore it was probably made in 1981. But the ending says BBC MCMLXXX, i.e. 1980.

    Around 45:00 Oakeshott says that they split up companies at the 500-person mark. I think Malcolm Gladwell talked about a similar system with a lower number - perhaps 200 or 300 - based on the Dunbar number.

    It's interesting that supervisors are expensive!

    Only routine news seems to mention MCC lately:

    http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1141513.html

    http://www.basqueresearch.com/berria_irakurri.asp?Berri_Kod=2352&hizk=I

    http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1661/1/

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