Meo, 1 HUMANIZING THE WORKPLACE: An Ethnographic Exploration in Worker Cooperative Development Megan Meo Hampshire College May 2013 Committee Co-chair: Megan Lyster Committee Co-chair: Helen Scharber Honorary Member: Colin Twitchell Meo, 2 Meo, 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 5 PROLOGUE .................................................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 11 MY COOPERATIVE BEGINNING .......................................................................................................................... 11 THE PAPER ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 WHAT IS A COOPERATIVE? .................................................................................................................................. 15 THE IMPORTANCE .................................................................................................................................................... 17 CASE STUDY: CENTER POINT COUNSELING SERVICES .............................................. 21 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 THE TRANSITION ...................................................................................................................................................... 22 Why Co-op? ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 THE NEW MODEL ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Pay Structure .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Decision Making .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Accountability .................................................................................................................................................. 26 ABILITY TO ADHERE TO VALUES ...................................................................................................................... 27 Caring for the Community .......................................................................................................................... 27 Caring for Each Other ................................................................................................................................... 28 CASE STUDY: THE TOOLBOX FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL ACTION (TESA) .... 31 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 OWNERSHIP ................................................................................................................................................................ 37 OVERCOMING STRUGGLES THROUGH INTER-COOPERATION ............................................................. 38 CASE STUDY: VALLEY GREEN FEAST ................................................................................ 41 HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................................................ 42 Becoming an Owner ...................................................................................................................................... 44 STRUGGLES and BENEFITS of a MISSION DRIVEN ORGANIZATION ................................................. 44 WORKPLACE CULTURE .......................................................................................................................................... 47 CASE STUDY: NATURE’S BAKERY ....................................................................................... 49 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 49 NATE AND DAVE ....................................................................................................................................................... 50 STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................................. 50 OWNERSHIP ................................................................................................................................................................ 51 STEWARDS OF THE BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................... 53 CASE STUDY: THE CHEESE BOARD COLLECTIVE ......................................................... 59 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 59 HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................................................ 60 Decision Making .............................................................................................................................................. 62 Pay Structure .................................................................................................................................................... 62 ADAPTING AND CHANGING ................................................................................................................................. 65 MOTIVATION ............................................................................................................................................................... 66 SPREADING THE MODEL ....................................................................................................................................... 67 SYNTHESIS ................................................................................................................................... 71 INTRINSIC MOTIVATION ....................................................................................................................................... 72 Autonomy .......................................................................................................................................................... 75 Intrinsic Motivation within Cooperatives ............................................................................................ 76 Meo, 4 DEMOCRATIZATION OF POWER ........................................................................................................................ 78 User-Benefitting .............................................................................................................................................. 78 User-Owned ...................................................................................................................................................... 79 User-Controlled ............................................................................................................................................... 80 MUTUALITY ................................................................................................................................................................. 82 Cooperatives’ Roles in Strengthening Community .......................................................................... 85 Cooperation among Cooperatives: Building Cooperatively Based Economies ................... 88 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................... 90 APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................... 93 LETTER OF INFORMED CONSENT .................................................................................................................... 93 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 95 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................................ 97 INTERVIEWS CITED .............................................................................................................................................. 100 Meo, 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people who made this project possible. First and foremost I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, and brother for their constant support and encouragement no matter what I do. To my co-chair Helen Scharber, for her patience, advice, and positivity as I developed my research