ABOUT US
Institute for Economic Democracy (IED) is a non-profit working on employee ownership and democratic workplace participation. Our fields of operation are research, consulting, legislative work, and education. We are active in Slovenia and the general region.
IED works with established businesses and start-ups on ownership schemes that provide great incentive, reward, and ethical regard for employees and managers. We work with enterprises that are looking for ownership continuation model, provide digital solutions to platform co-operatives, and help setting up internal structures of worker co-operatives.
IED works with established businesses and start-ups on ownership schemes that provide great incentive, reward, and ethical regard for employees and managers. We work with enterprises that are looking for ownership continuation model, provide digital solutions to platform co-operatives, and help setting up internal structures of worker co-operatives.
Our newest book looks and learns from the most successful existing practice of employee-ownership in the world. American ‘Employee Stock Ownership Plans’ or ESOPs provide co-ownership for 14 million workers (10% of private workforce in the US) in 7,000 private companies. We have adapted the ESOP model so that it can easily be implemented in any business enterprise.
Our legal and business experts are preparing legislation to formalize and incentivize employee ownership in Slovenia. Our current focus is to establish the ‘Slovenian ESOP’ that takes into account both, the longstanding local co-operative tradition, and the successful American experience.
Our legal and business experts are preparing legislation to formalize and incentivize employee ownership in Slovenia. Our current focus is to establish the ‘Slovenian ESOP’ that takes into account both, the longstanding local co-operative tradition, and the successful American experience.
Slovenian and international educators from our experts’ board are offering educational programs on ownership culture, employee financial literacy, and leadership techniques for businesses that are employee-owned and those heading in that direction.
Reading materials
European ESOP
David P. Ellerman and Tej Gonza have collaborated with the EFES to create an 'European ESOP'; a generally applicable model for employee buy-outs based on both the longstanding European cooperative tradition and the contemporary American ESOP practice.
Slovenian ESOP: A model for employee buy-outs
New book by IED carefully studies the American Employee Stock Ownership Plan or ESOP and provides an adaptation, which is readily applicable to Slovenian economy.
Ownership continuation and employee ownership
How to transfer ownership onto employees?
We have created an accessible informational pamphlet that briefly explains how American ESOP works, why it is useful, and how to apply it to Slovenian business enterprises.
Government Aid and Covid-19
Employee-owners Do It Better
Slovenian ESOP: An overview
Prenos ESOP v Slovenijo: Generični model lastništva zaposlenih
D. P. Ellerman in T. Gonza
Ellermanova teorija demokratičnega podjetja
Beyond the Corporation: Humanity at Work
The Citizen's Share: Putting Ownership Back to Democracy
Property and Contract in Economics: The Case for Economic Democracy
David P. Ellerman
Understanding ESOPs
An Introduction to ESOPs
Scott Rodrick
Leveraged ESOPs and Employee Buyouts
Slovenian businessmen on employee ownership
ZapEmployee-owners have great affiliation towards the enterprise, their decisions are more economical and rational. The ownership entality is strengthening, because employees see their share as a long-term investment for which they are responsible with their actions, while they also expect their rights to be considered.
We are a collective. Ownership resembles family relationships; huge responsibility and necessity for continuous improvement of the quality of life with concern towards members (employees) and buyers.
Ownership introduces a possibility to influence the strategies of our company through the advisory board. Greater influence on the workplace conditions also brings greater responsibility for businesses and rights to the results of company’s success.
Most employees who become co-owners of our company want to become part of the success story that is Dewesoft, the story that puts our company at the very top of measuring technology in the world. They recognize the ownership as a success because they become part of the inner circle of people, who are the company (“We are Dewesoft.”). This creates better incentives for them. The right to ownership only comes after two years of working with us. This part itself became motivational.
From the very beginnings we are motivated by the most complex technology and the best service for the most demanding markets in the world. The crucial mechanism for constantly achieving best results is a proper motivation of employees. A decent wage, pleasant working environment, and professional challenges are the bare minimum in this industry; the other part that makes the difference is inviting employees into co-ownership of ideas, products, and businesses. We do so by creating employee-owned spin-offs where roughly 25% of our employees are co-owners. In the future, we will continue with this and improve the model.
Our legislative attempts are supported by
Institute for Economic Democracy
Contact: [email protected]
Business address: Dalmatinova ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana
Office address: Dunajska cesta 5, 1000 Ljubljana
Tax number: 21831629
Registration number: 8228850000
Founders of IED
Tej Gonza, Gregor Berkopec, Sebastjan Pikl, Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela, Marko Funkl, Leja Drofenik Štibelj, David P. Ellerman
Management
Tej Gonza, predsednik IED
[email protected]
Gregor Berkopec, vodja pravnega oddelka
[email protected]
Leja Drofenik Štibelj, vodja izobraževalnega oddelka
[email protected]
Sebastjan Pikl, vodja oddelka za politično komunikacijo
[email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Inštitut za ekonomsko demokracijo
