Worker ownership in the united states: an emergent response to cultural forces

Worker ownership evolved in the United States as an emergent response to cultural forces. Historically, worker ownership embraced a variety of formats, each contingent on the peculiar mix of economic, political and social factors operant in the culture. At times, worker ownership has existed in terms of union cooperatives, profit sharing programs, employee stock ownership plans or social reform efforts. This article outlines the development of worker ownership in the United States and the concomitant social, economic and political forces that shaped that development.