Προς ένα συνεταιριστικό μέλλον: μαθαίνοντας από το Mondragon

Résumé

The successful consolidation of the cooperative model is far from a linear process. There is no recipe for success. In order to assess the potential of cooperatives and the trails that may lead to its dominance as a mode of economic activity, we need to put it in historical, social and economic context. The development of a critical mass of cooperative activities that will endure the test of history, depends on two sets of factors. First, a set of reproduction mechanisms: capital accumulation on cooperative terms (i.e. capital servicing labour), education and innovation, matching consumption with production and development of managerial and entrepreneurial culture. Second, a set of social instances and processes that embed the cooperative effort in the spatially specific social setting, in a dialectical pathdependent manner, so that it becomes part-and-parcel of local identity, not just in terms of production, but also in as many aspects of civic life as possible. In this context, the history of Mondragon is analyzed in its historical and spatial context, its relationship with the social capital, the institutional framework and the degree of local social embeddedness. Finally, the prospect of successful transfer of the cooperative model beyond the Basque Country is assessed.