@GuerillaOntologist @Matt_Noyes

Bummer (to me).

This is one of the features or bugs of the ESOP model, depending on how you look at it. In the "broad-based employee ownership" space, I perceive there to be two (mostly implicit) ideologies: #SharedCapitalism (#ESOP) and #EconomicDemocracy (#Coop).

The former views the profitable sale of an EO company as a triumph, since the increased value of the firm is broadly shared. 1/

Me explaining #WorkerCoops to #ESOP folks as a guest on a recent ESOP podcast: https://t.co/mWfy7rMgj2 :)

#employeeownership #solidarityeconomy #economicdemocracy #sharedcapitalism

@GuerillaOntologist @tbeckett My org (the Vermont Employee Ownership Center) works with both #workercoops and #ESOPs, so I've definitely given this some thought. The two structures seem to be based on two distinct ideological positions: #EconomicDemocracy and #SharedCapitalism, respectively. Got into some good discussion on the nuances of their overlaps and differences with @ntnsndr and others at the recent #KelsoWorkshop.

@tbeckett It's a common framing device in employee ownership circles. Basically, for #sharedcapitalism, the broadly-owned firm is a means to distributing a firm's exit windfall widely (in addition to operating profit), thereby structurally generating lower wealth inequality. For the economic democrat, on the other hand, the worker owned firm is an end in and of itself, so its loss is a strategic setback.

Observation: A difference between #SharedCapitalism and #EconomicDemocracy is that the profitable sale of an #employeeowned company is a triumph for advocates of the former, but a tragedy for advocates of the latter.

#kelsoworkshop