Growth of sociedades laborales (worker-owned companies) in Spain and the Basque Country
Description
The concept of Sociedades Laborales (SLs) is unique due to its hybrid nature and the benefits this entails. Although their survival rate has been studied, there is still a vacuum regarding their growth in terms of employment. While the concept of SLs exists in all of Spain, the Basque Country and its Gipuzkoa Province are of particular interest due to their prosperous economy and availability of information. In this thesis, I used multiple different approaches. First, I applied the dynamic classification method to analyze the evolution of Spanish SLs and conventional companies. Second, I used the same method at the Basque Country level. Third, I carried out a cohort analysis of Basque SLs and Basque conventional companies. Finally, I described six case studies from the Basque Country which, while not representative of the whole population of SLs, illustrate firsthand how the SL model is performing in these companies. Findings indicate that SL Basque cohorts grow faster until year two, but then are surpassed by conventional firms; that there is no clear evidence that the SL model benefits companies of a certain size over the rest; that despite recent regulatory relaxations, the model still hinders growth due to restrictions on employment of non-owner workers. Despite these findings, I support that growth is obstructed by how the SL model is implemented rather than by a fundamental problem of employee participation as a concept.Fil: Scocozza, Giuliano Nicolás. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. ICDA; Argentina.