The Economics of Worker Cooperatives

The economics of worker cooperatives is a branch of economic inquiry with a long and esteemed pedigree, dating at least from the work of John Stuart Mill in the mid-nineteenth century. Since then, leading economists have paid intermittent attention to the topic, but the collapse of state-sponsored socialism in Eastern Europe and growing discontent with loosely-fettered capitalism have resulted in a resurgence of interest in worker co-operatives as a method of enhancing productivity and reducing income inequalities without heavy government regulation. Professor Pencavel’s judicious selection of articles by leading scholars conveys the vigour and rigour of this new empirical research. His original introduction provides an authoritative guide to past and current thinking in this topical area and raises important issues, which point the way for further contributions to the already rich literature.