Long time no see!!!
I am back in Euskadi finally. Well actually I have been for almost a months. But I have been getting a little lazy I must admit. But I am trying to turn over a new leaf I swear.
Want to start off with a quick up date and an interesting paper:
First of all I am back living in Onati, but instead of taking and am doing an internship at Ideko Technology Center which is the technology center that is owned by the companies of the Danobat group of MCC. Danobat is a Machine Tool group made up of 8 companies, a tech center (Ideko) and three foreign subsidiaries. I will provide a more detailed entry on Ideko and the group tomorrow. I have a previous post on Danobat already available. Quickly I want to explain what I am doing. I am working the Product development part of Ideko, which is the non-technical side. I am specifically in the Competitive Intelligence area, which is a whole system of information on the sector, technology, laws, patents, competitors of the companies that own Ideko with the goal of improving the products of Ideko, as well as helping in the launching of new products and in strategic decision making. I am researching cutting edge methods of carrying out CI for Ideko.
I am going to give the link for an article on the internationalization of MCC. It was written by Jose Mari Luzarraga, Ignacio Irizar and Dionisio Aranzadi Telleria. It was presented by Jose Mari at the CIRIEC conference in Victoria Canada. Jose Mari is the premier expert on the internationalization of MCC, he has visited EVERY subsidiary in China, Turkey, India, Poland, Mexico and Brazil and has investigated the impact of the subsidiaries on the cooperatives.
Here is the abstract:
The stability of local communities is threatened by globalization and the international industrial migration process. This article explores Mondragon’s international multilocalization strategy as an effective strategy to avoid de-localization and defend parent cooperatives employment while creating new jobs in developing countries. At the end of 2006, the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (here after MCC) located in the North of Spain, had 25 Globalized Cooperatives with 65 production plants abroad employing 14.601 people.
Based on the Mondragon cooperatives activity between 1996-2006, this paper:
- Measures the relationship of creating employment abroad and defending
employment at home.
- Analyses the impact that having production plants abroad has on the number of
members vs. non members’ evolution in the parent cooperative and in the
company as a whole.
This research includes analysis from 40 production plants in China, India, Mexico,
Brazil and Eastern Europe.
Here is the link: Luzarraga
30 comments:
You didnt leave a link to the article.
Im still having problems with the link.
I figured it out. Instead of http// it should be http://. Your missing a :
I was wondering what recent book that would recomend most out of the books that you posted.
Zapatista,
As far as new books in English. Well there is not really a new one per se that I am aware of. The most recent of the books I cited previously that is readily available is "Values at Work Employee Participation Meets Market Pressure at Mondragon"
George Cheney 2002. I would also recommend: From Mondragon to America: Experiments in Community Development Greg MacLeod 1998. UNfortunately there haven't been too much written recently in English. I think what would be most interesting would e to try to read articles o theses that have been published recently.
Hi All,
My name is Asier and I've just found out about this interesting blog. It's great, thanks.
I'm from Onati myself but have lived in London for few years. Now trying to go back home and I've just received a call regarding an interview with Ampo. So thanks for you previous post, Dan.
Zapatista,
I happen to be the nephew of Jesus Larranaga (one of the founders of ULGOR) and I have one of his books (badly written, by the way), "Interioridades de una utopia", in my parents place in Onati, which I can lend it to you if you want. You can also find more info here:
http://www.mcc.es/ing/informacion/publicaciones.html
Also, one of my cousins made a thesis on this subject, the MCC experience, and I can get you in touch with him, if you want.
Regarding M.U., if you tell me what info you need, I'll try to get it for you as well.
See you soon
Asier
Anonymous, Sounds great but I have the problem with only speaking enlgish which really kills me when searching for books on mondragon.
Aha, I understand... I did not think about that. Not sure whether there are books in english, but I'll find out.
Yeah well I already read Making Mondragon and plan on reading the books Dan Bianchi posted but Ive recently got detoured and been reading books on anarchism and Homage to Catalonia but I plan on getting back on track.
Ive got to say Im really impressed with Mondragon success and my goal in life has become to start something similar in the US. If I get the chance I plan to structure it on the Economic Democracy model by David Schweickart.
Indeed, the Mondragon Coops are a good model, its main problem is the nepotism that has created around it. But apart from this, it's democratic. So, I wish you good luck!
Anarchism? mmm, good subject, the only problem is that there isn't an example in the world that we could look at and say: yes, anarchism works. Probably, the anarchist movement during the spanish civil war is the main example we have.
As I said, I'm planing to move back to the basque country (or Hobbit Land, as a friend of mine used to say) soon, so you're invited for dinner in my parent's farm, where we usually gather to drink and eat and talk crap.
I would be delighted but I dont speak spanish.
...spanish is not needed, we speak basque, and also (bad) english.
Oh yeah, Euskera right? I really would but I dont know if could bear the cost of traveling to Spain. If I could find a way I would not pass up the opportunity to visit the Basque region and the MCC. It may sound a bit funny to you but to me Mondragon is like visiting the holy grail.
One thing though. You post as anonymous so if I ever got the chance I would not know how to reach you.
Asier,
Thanks for your post. I am glad you found my blog helpful. Good luck with the AMPO job. I didn't respond sooner because I was in the middle of my move back to Chicago. Hopefully I will find time to update this site again.
Agur!
Kaixo,
"holy grail"? well, on paper sounds great, but life/work in the mondragon area (Dan should know) is not that great. It is as unfair and mediocre society as everywhere else in the world, but quality of life, people and customs are not that bad. The problem is that it still promotes the mediocrity and uniformity of thought, probably something we have inherited from the dictatorship time.
From here we see (we used to see, I should say) america as a creative free country where everything is possible, a place for big thinkers and dreamers... but I guess it is not like that.
If you are interested in getting further info on MCC, my cousin (a funny and generous gentleman), will be delighted to speak to you. His name is Javier and this is his email:
txartes1@hotmail.com
My name is Asier and this is mine:
asiergaldos@hotmail.com
by the way, I've also been here:
http://rochdale.livejournal.com/26337.html
good one too!
Thank you for the info. I know heard of this mediocrity from interviews from Mondragon workers and I didnt mean to compare it to anything heavenly but I do believe that holds some of the keys to a better world.
As far as the US goes, youve seen too many American movies. Not to say great things dont happen but its just as often as winning the lottery ticket. Not to mention my tax dollars going to kill people in Iraq and filling the pockets of the rich. And the ignorance here is really bad. Some believe that the solution to the war is to drop a bomb and turn Iraq into a sheet of glass.
Yes, that is true. I read Failed State by Noam Chomsky and it's quite scary, but nowadays I try to forget about big abstract concepts like "country" and focus on small things, it's less stressful. Under Aznar (the previous Spanish president) Spain supported the Iraq war (the biggest mistake of our generation) despite having more than 95% of the population against it. Same thing happened in the UK.
Koldo Saratxaga is right, People is all it matters, if someone is happy produces more, improving his or her circumstances and place. That's the way to go.
My best friedns in London are a couple from Alaska, and they tell me the same thing, that ignorance is a plague in the USA, but as you say, I'm a big cinema fan (specially the american classics) and aslo HBO fan (Larry David, specially), so it's difficult to agree with them... Obama seems quite good too, fresh air after the Bush era...
Well Obama would be change but would he be real change. This will be the first election that I can vote in and Im already sick of the whole thing. Bc no matter who says what I know that nothing major will come. If anything a couple reforms like higher minimum wages and etc. but nothing actually worth going to the voting booth. I know its sad but true. Another thing of ignorance is a lot of people here either think that if Obama wins black people will rule over white people or Obama will push islam on the US even though he's never been a muslim.
everything sucks, you're right, here there everywhere... but, Obama does really seem a genuine character, but he won't drastically change the country because that's impossible, the ruling class won't let him. What's scary is the republican alternative, McCain, the war veteran... that's why voting is necessary, I think. Hillary, after all her lies, is almost out of the picture.
In the UK where there's a big respect for democracy (well, the tradition says so) they are planning to change the electoral law. They are thinking of two options:
a) Make the vote mandatory
b) Make people to vote two parties, the favorite and the second favorite.
The problem (what I see in the media, at least) is that america is divided in two (like Spain) and they are radically different points of view of america. But, believe me, from here it still looks a fascinating country, the Rome of our era (like China soon)...
I've found this, "Values at Work. Employee participation Meets Market Pressure at Mondragon".
and this one too:
"Making Mondragon"
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v5NDeW-vZu4C&pg=PA64&dq=jesus+larra%C3%B1aga+mondragon&sig=92WVJjNqJbQ2-ZRmOsGQ8YDtNi4#PPP1,M1
here is the link for Values at Work
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v5NDeW-vZu4C&pg=PA64&dq=jesus+larra%C3%B1aga+mondragon&sig=92WVJjNqJbQ2-ZRmOsGQ8YDtNi4#PPP1,M1
...sorry about my invasion of this respectable blog ;-), but I'm quite exited I'm leaving the sad and grey england and returning home again...
BTW, did you like Onati, Dan?
I have read Making Mondragon and plan to read the other.
Dont get me wrong this country is great but the people are misled and alienated from the reality of the world. Btw, what has made you go to England.
...being brutally honest, I would say that I came to England to scape from Euskadi, and also, to live and suffer in a foreign land (I came in '00). London was the perfect choice. I'm not such a big fan of England but London is absolutely unique, because it subsumes everything, the best and the worst and it's multicultural and multiracial. They also have great minds here (and great idiots too), it's in Europe (despite some english delude themselves thinking this is America), there are lots of good oportunities (well, not anymore) to grow professionally and personally,... lots of reasons, but mainly due to inner forces, restlessness, I came hunting for something, and now that I've found myself (sorry for being so pey pretentious), I'm done with this horrible, post-human, hostile, snobbish and money-driven society.
MCC has changed its name and its logo, this is the new one:
(note: it is in Euskera)
http://goiena.net/blogak/faroa/mondragon-humanity-at-work
Thats hilarious about England. I saw the new logo but what was their new name?
I finally got the job and have to say it´s been a big dissapoinment.
No system is the holy grail whatsoever
How long have you had it? Can you explain what exactly is disappointing about it? Is it militaristic as far as management?
I was wondering if you have heard of Semco? Its capitalist but a lot of worker participation. Here is a video its in english just so you know
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gG3HPX0D2mU
almost two months.
Why is so bad? well, in summary, Saratxaga is a behavioral thinker, that is, he "drives" people but he really doesn´t care about them, he just wants to feed his huge EGO. That´s why they´ve decided to leave Mondragon too. It´s fair to say that this is like a sect.
Who is Saratxaga? Is he the CEO of MCC?
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