Competing with capitalist firms forces worker cooperatives into managerial domination and democratic decline.

Evidence

Cornforth summarizes the thesis as follows: […] worker co-operatives will have to adopt the same organizational forms and priorities as capitalist businesses in order to survive. As a result, […] cooperatives will gradually become dominated by a managerial elite who will effectively take decisions in the cooperative and so undermine democracy and the influence that other workers can exert (Cornforth, 1995, p. 488). — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 19

Categorization

• XREF: Resonates with the ‘iron law of oligarchy’ (Michels) and relates to ADDENDUM article on sacrifice as stabilizer—heavily contrasting, actually relates more to institutionalization theory. Also echoes the Yale/classical sociology conversation about formal rationality. — connects to: Worker cooperative governance needs dispersed countervailing power against both executives and members. — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 70; Effective democracy generates antagonism that can destroy cooperatives if not accommodated. — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 71; Cooperatives detached from movement ties undergo movement degeneration and democratic erosion — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 51 (+6 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 19

Related

• Effective democracy generates antagonism that can destroy cooperatives if not accommodated. (similarity 0.85)
• Cooperatives detached from movement ties undergo movement degeneration and democratic erosion (similarity 0.83)
• Worker cooperative governance needs dispersed countervailing power against both executives and members. (similarity 0.82)
• Adrian Josef Amon — Organizing the study of degeneration and regeneration in worker cooperatives A semi-systematic review from institutions to identity (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Cooperatives detached from movement ties undergo movement degeneration and democratic erosion #corroborates (0.90) — Adrian Josef Amon, Organizing the study of degeneration…, 51
• Oppositional workers’ organizations mirror capitalist structure and thereby absorb class struggle #corroborates (0.85)
• Capitalist rationalization attempts to co-opt worker militancy through co-operative management schemes #complicates (0.80)
• Competition among capitalists structurally demands constant technological change #qualifies (0.75) — Nick Srnicek, Platform Capitalism, 21
• Capitalism co-opts opposition and must be escaped rather than confronted #expands (0.72) — Andrew deWaard, Derivative Media, 468