Theorizing about Workplace Democracy Robert Dahl and the Cooperatives of Mondragón

Abstract

Robert Dahl is a well-known defender of workplace democracy. This article examines the assumptions and logic that inform his argument. Attention is given to his notion and criticisms of corporate capitalism, his laudatory depiction of the Mondragón cooperatives, and his strategy of social reform through the dissemination of scientifically established truth. Through the explication of Dahl's position on workplace democracy, several broader features of his social and political theorizing are illuminated, including his idealist approach to political change, his continual suspicion about centralized authority, and his ambivalence towards popular culture. © 1990, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.