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The unique ‘direct and integrated’ institutional arrangements of a democratic employee-owned business: The case of Gripple Limited

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The study investigates the ‘direct and integrated’ democratic employee-owned (for-profit) business (DEOB) model of Gripple Limited as part of GLIDE (Growth Led Innovation Driven Employee Company Limited), a non-profit industrial foundation. It draws on a programme of in-depth employee-owner interviews on the ability of institutional arrangements (collective processes and communal-relational strategies) to mitigate mission drift (an imbalance between commercial and social logics), downside drift (moving towards oligarchy) and socioeconomic inefficiency from the degradation of property (return and control) rights. The investigation of Gripple’s unique institutional arrangements includes an internal market-maker system (skin in the game) and incentive policies (sacrifices) as part of bilateral hostage posting.

Source: Economic and Industrial Democracy

DOI: 10.1177/0143831x251336571

Author: Marco GD Guidi

Institution: University of Glasgow

Language: English

Topic: Cooperative Studies and Economics

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650