Technical Training and EnterpRse: Mondragon's Educational System and its Implications for other Cooperatives

Abstract

Most of the literature on the Mondragon cooperative system has largely ignored the significant role of education which gave impetus to the whole idea at the outset. Over time technical training, business skills and cooperative principles have fused together to become the engine driving Mondragon's organizations through decades of remarkable success. This paper provides a systematic analysis of these Basque developments, suggesting critical lessons and implications for cooperative development generally.