Problematizing the Cooperative Firm: A Marxian View on Paradoxes, Dialectics, and Contradictions

© 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. P oblema izing he Coope a i e Fi m: A Ma xian View on Pa adoxes, Dialec ics, and Con adic ions Jon Las He asa, Anjel E as ia and Ignacio B e osb aUni e si y o he Basque Coun y; bUni e si y o Za agoza ABSTRACT Schola s a e inc easingly u ning hei a en ion o coope a i e i ms, cha ac e ized by wo ke owne ship and managemen , as a way o o ganiza ions o add ess he economic, socie al and en i onmen al p oblems posed by co po a e capi alism. This enewed in e es s ems om he po en ial o coope a i es o os e an al e na i e economic sys em g ounded in democ a ic, solida y and en i onmen ally conscious alues. Howe e , p e ious s udies ha e no p o ided a comp ehensi e analysis o he con adic o y na u e o coope a i es wi hin a b oade in e - o ganiza ional and sys emic amewo k. Applying a Ma xian pe spec i e on pa adoxes and dialec ics, we heo ize ha coope a i e i ms ope a ing wi hin capi alis economies mus na iga e he ‘solida i y pa adox’ – he inhe en impossibili y o o e coming ma ke compe i ion h ough pa ial and limi ed solida i y s a egies. D awing on an examina ion o he Mond agon coope a i e g oup, we illus a e how such a undamen al con adic ion mani es s i sel in o mul iple pa adoxes ha a e in e wo en, mu ually cons i u ed and insepa able. The a icle con ibu es o c i ical managemen schola ship on coope a i es by o e ing a deepe unde s anding o how hese o ganiza ions pe pe ua e sys emic capi alis pa e ns. I also con ibu es o pa adox and dialec ics schola ship by heo izing ha pa adoxes a e no imeless and uni e sal bu he esul o pe sis en con adic ions inhe en o his o ically con ingen o ganiza ional o ms. Keywo ds: Con adic ion, Coope a i e- i m, Dialec ics, Ma x, Mond agon, Pa adox Two souls, alas, dwell wi h in his b eas ; The one is e e pa ing om he o he . Capi al, Ka l Ma x Jou nal o Managemen S udies 0:0 Mon h 2024 doi:10.1111/joms.13175 Add ess o ep in s: Jon Las He as, Depa men o Economics & Managemen , Uni e si y o he Basque Coun y, Leioa, Spain ([email p o ec ed]). This is an open access a icle unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License, which pe - mi s use, dis ibu ion and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. 2J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. INTRODUCTION In a con ex o g owing in e es in how di e se o ms o o ganizing help ackle, o ein- o ce, g and socie al, en i onmen al and e hical challenges (Adle e al., 2023; Gümüsay e al., 2022; Wicke e al., 2021), managemen and o ganiza ion schola s a e inc easingly ocusing on coope a i e i ms (de ined he e as wo ke - owned and managed companies) as hese i ms o e ideal examples o discussing how an al e na i e economic sys em, d i en by democ a ic, solida y and en i onmen ally conscious alues, could eme ge om wi hin p e alen capi alis ela ions (Delb idge e al., 2024; Du ays e al., 2020; Gümüsay and Reinecke, 2022). Coope a i es ha e long a oused subs an ial schola ly in e es and deba e ega ding hei po en ial and limi a ions in shaping a pos - capi alis economy (Jossa, 2005, 2020). Th ee majo pe spec i es s and ou : u opian, scep ical, and nuanced iews o he ela- ionship be ween coope a i e i ms and he capi alis sys em. The u opian pe spec i e en husias ically ad oca es he adical al e na i e cha - ac e o coope a i es is- à- is capi al- owned business en e p ises (De Cos e and Zanoni, 2023; Gibson- G aham, 2006; Jaumie , 2017; Ranis, 2019), ega ding hem as ‘ eal u opias’ (Gümüsay and Reinecke, 2022; W igh , 2010, 2019) ha p e igu e pos - capi alis solu ions ‘bo h by c ea ing imagina ies o an al e na i e u u e and by showing hei iabili y in hei e e yday p ac ices’ (Schille - Me kens, 2024, p. 458). F om his pe spec i e, schola s ha e emphasized he ole o coope a i es in emanci- pa ing he wo k o ce om class exploi a ion (Kocia kiewicz e al., 2021; Ranis, 2019; Zanoni e al., 2017), educing income and social inequali y (Ba ilana e al., 2022), and os e ing en i onmen al sus ainabili y (Delb idge e al., 2024). The scep ical pe spec- i e p o ides a de e minis ic c i ique o coope a i es, assuming ha hese o ganiza- ions a e una oidably doomed ei he o bank up cy o o degene a ion in o capi alis o ms o o ganiza ion so as o su i e in a ma ke economy (see Co n o h, 1995; Die enbach, 2019 o e iews o he degene a ion hesis). The nuanced pe spec i e p o ides a mo e complex pic u e ha acknowledges he pa icula ensions coop- e a i es ace in ealizing hei p inciples o democ a ic go e nance, solida i y and equali y while emaining compe i i e in a ma ke economy (Cheney, 2002; E as i e al., 2023; Kokkinidis, 2015; Pa anque and Willmo , 2014; Siedlok e al., 2024; Va man and Chak aba i, 2004). Unde his app oach, some schola s ha e ecen ly po ayed coope a i es as pa adoxical o ganiza ions ha ‘a e nei he ully demo- c a ic no oliga chic bu si es o con inuous and un esol ed con es a ion be ween oliga chic and democ a ic ensions’ (S o ey e al., 2014, p. 641; see also Ash o h and Reingen, 2014; Audeb and, 2017; G i in e al., 2022; Soe ens and Huyb ech s, 2023; B e os e al., 2024). We a gue ha he i s wo pe spec i es su e om he me hodological limi a ion o no ela ing coope a i es’ in e nal dynamics (i.e., hei con en ) o hei ex e nal en i onmen (i.e., he o m h ough which hose dynamics a e media ed and eal- ized), leading o unjus i ied and one- sided conclusions. On he one hand, u opian schola s ail o g asp ha coope a i es’ solida i y p ac ices a e necessa ily compe i i e as hey ope a e wi hin he cons ain s o ma ke compe i ion. On he o he hand, scep ical schola s ail o g asp ha compe i i e dynamics can pe sis , e en h ough 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 3A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. he expansion o he de elopmen o new o ms o solida i y. In his a icle, we build on he nuanced iew while add essing a key sho coming wi hin i . In pa icula , ex- is ing nuanced s udies acknowledge he ension be ween compe i ion and solida i y (e.g., B e os e al., 2024; Pa anque and Willmo , 2014; Ren e ia- U ia e and Las He as, 2022; S o ey e al., 2014), bu o en ea hem as sepa a e, opposing o ces, sugges ing ha a sus ainable balance can be achie ed o e ime h ough he igh s a egy. Consequen ly, nuanced s udies o e look ha bo h compe i ion and solida i y a e simul aneously essen ial elemen s cons i u i e o he coope a i e o ganiza ional o m. This o e sigh leads o ambigui y and inconclusi eness in hei assessmen o he ans o ma ional po en ial o coope a i es a a sys emic and in e - o ganiza ional le el. We d aw on Ma xian ca ego ies and me hodology, as well as ecen con ibu ions om pa adox and dialec ics heo ies (Be i and Cunha, 2023; Fa joun, 2019; Smi h and Lewis, 2011), o a gue ha he o ganiza ional bounda ies o he coope a i e i m impose hei own limi s on sys emic socie al ans o ma ion. This is because coope a i es en- coun e wha we coin he ‘solida i y pa adox’: hey ace he necessi y o compe e h ough pa ial and limi ed o ms o solida i y in o de o ensu e o ganiza ional sus ainabili y. Thus, coope a i es na iga e he s a egic pa adox o ha ing o imp o e membe and communi y li ing s anda ds while simul aneously keeping up wi h ma ke labou p o- duc i i y s anda ds and capi al accumula ion a es o emain p o i able. D awing on a c i ical examina ion o Mond agon (a g oup o membe - owned and managed coope a- i es ha is o en celeb a ed as he mos success ul and in luen ial coope a i e expe ience in he wo ld), we illus a e how such a undamen al ension mani es s i sel in i e pa a- doxes ha a e in e wo en, mu ually cons i u ed and insepa able. O e all, his a icle makes wo b oad con ibu ions. Fi s , by applying a Ma xian iew o dialec ics and pa adoxes o coope a i e i ms, we p o ide a uni ied amewo k o assess hei ans o ma ional po en ial, mo ing beyond one- sided analyses ha ocus solely on in e nal solida i y pa e ns (e.g., Ash o h and Reingen, 2014; Kokkinidis, 2015; Siedlok e al., 2024) o b oade con ex ual ac o s (e.g., McNally, 1993; Schweicka , 2018). This app oach e eals how o ganiza ional con adic ions and alues, hough seem- ingly sepa a e, a e ac ually in e dependen , highligh ing ha he coope a i e s uc u e i sel impedes sys emic ans o ma ion. Second, we con ibu e o pa adox schola ship by demons a ing ha dialec ics is no a ‘medium- ange’ heo y (Ha g a e and an de Ven, 2017; Schad e al., 2019) bu an open me hod o c i ique (Fa joun, 2017, 2019). Ou Ma xian analysis sugges s ha pa adoxes a e no uni e sal o imeless, as many pa - adox schola s a gue (e.g., Lewis and Smi h, 2022), bu a e ins ead ela i ely s able symp- oms o con adic ions inhe en in his o ically- con ingen o ganiza ional o ms, making hem open o subla ion o anscendence (Au hebung in Ge man). The emainde o he a icle is o ganized as ollows. Fi s , we e iew he heo e ical and me hodological ounda ions o pa adox and dialec ics heo ies and ou line se e al sho comings inhe en in pa adox schola s’ unde s anding o con adic ions and dia- lec ics. Second, we build a Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m by i s explain- ing how commodi y- p oduc ion makes hem ep oduce a pa icula o ganiza ional pa adox, o la e un old a dynamic se ing in which coope a i es a e d i en by ma ke compe i ion, he h us o capi al accumula ion and sou ces o class s uggle. Thi d, 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 4J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. we illus a e he heo e ical amewo k by analysing he solida i y pa adox h ough a mul i- dimensional, mul i- le el and in e - o ganiza ional c i ique o Mond agon. The inal sec ion summa izes he main heo e ical con ibu ions, p oposes se e al a e- nues o u he esea ch, and concludes wi h impo an implica ions o managemen esea ch. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL REMARKS ON PARADOX AND DIALECTICS Schola ly li e a u e on pa adox and dialec ics has gained g owing ele ance ac oss a wide ange o managemen sub- ields such as s a egic managemen , leade ship, in e - na ional business, and human esou ce managemen (Kelle and Sadle - Smi h, 2019; Lewis and Smi h, 2022). Despi e he mul iple o igins o pa adox and dialec ics ap- p oaches (Hahn and Knigh , 2021; Schad e al., 2016), hey all emphasize he ole o con adic ion as a p inciple o o ganiza ional change ins ead o ‘linea , a ional bina ies’ (Pu nam e al., 2016). Al hough he heo e ical and me hodological simi- la i ies and di e ences be ween hese wo app oaches emain uzzy, ecen a emp s ha e been made o compa e and in eg a e hem (Be i and Cunha, 2023; Ha g a e and an de Ven, 2017; Raisch e al., 2018; Schad and Bansal, 2018). Ou Ma xian app oach aims o b ing se e al new insigh s in o his ‘ ib an and polyphonic’ deba e (Cunha and Pu nam, 2019, p. 97). Pa adoxes ha e been de ined as ‘con adic o y ye in e ela ed elemen s ha exis si- mul aneously and pe sis o e ime’ (Smi h and Lewis, 2011, p. 382). As a me a- heo y, pa adox schola s de ine se e al gene al p inciples ha may be applied o mul iple heo- ies bu , abo e all, hey emphasize he on ological p inciple o con adic ion o ‘uni y o opposi es’ as cons i u i e o o ganiza ional eali y (Hahn and Knigh , 2021; Lewis and Smi h, 2014). Pa adox schola ship has o en been used as a p oblem- sol ing esea ch s a egy: he app op ia e esponse o pe sis en con adic ions being o ‘cope wi h’ seem- ingly incompa ible demands (i.e., logical in isola ion ye con adic o y when jux aposed) in o de o achie e peak pe o mance and long- e m o ganiza ional sus ainabili y (Lewis and Smi h, 2022). Acco dingly, pa adox schola s ha e highligh ed he o ganiza ional duali ies be ween s abili y and change, explo a ion and exploi a ion, compe i ion and coope a ion, con ol and collabo a ion, a ionali y and in ui ion, and discou se and ma e iali y, among o he s (Fa joun, 2010, 2017; Kelle and Sadle - Smi h, 2019). Simila ly, an impo an body o esea ch has emphasized he i econcilable ensions aced by hyb id o ganiza ions when hey combine mul iple, and o en con lic ing, s a egic missions a hei e y co e (Ba ilana e al., 2022; Jay, 2013). These include a a ie y o o ganiza ions ha ope a e acco ding o comme cial equi emen s while simul aneously pu suing al e na i e goals such as he labou ma ke in eg a ion o disad an aged people in wo k in eg a ion social en e p ises (Smi h and Besha o , 2019), he empowe men o local p oduce s om he Global Sou h in ai ade o ganiza ions (Huyb ech s e al., 2024), he p o ision o inancial se ices o poo people in mic o inance o ganiza ions (Ba ilana and Do ado, 2010), and he p omo ion o economic democ acy in wo ke coope a i es (Audeb and, 2017; B e os e al., 2024). 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 5A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. Wi hin pa adox schola ship, dialec ics has been equen ly p esen ed as a subdi ision o he o e all amewo k, pa icula ly in ela ion o he classical hesis- an i hesis ‘s ug- gle’ o ecogni ion. In his iew, he s uggle in ol es seeking absolu e powe o e he opposing pole, wi h he syn hesis eme ging as he esul o one pole domina ing he o he (Ha g a e and an de Ven, 2017; Pu nam, 2015). Thus, dialec ics is iewed as a ‘mid- ange’ me hod (Lewis and Smi h, 2022), as well as he ab up /non- linea momen wi hin a lea ning spi al and o ganiza ional ans o ma ion (Raisch e al., 2018). The e o e, he popula iew pe cei es pa adoxes as pe sis en , inhe en con adic ions o which a de- ini i e esponse is impossible and ye indispensable, hence he pa adox. In con as , dialec ics e e s o speci ic con adic ions ha a e con ingen and su moun able ( o a heo e ical e iew c . Be i and Cunha, 2023). Howe e , we conside his de ini ion o o ganiza ional con adic ions and pa a- doxes – whe e dialec ics is subo dina ed o pa adox due o he pe cep ion o i being ‘less pe sis en ’ – o be p oblema ic. I may e lec a ‘de ensi e mind- se ’ (Cunha and Pu nam, 2019) ha esis s econside ing he ounda ions o pa adox heo y while un- de aluing he c i ical and explana o y po en ial o he dialec ical me hod. We ag ee wi h au ho s who ha e ques ioned whe he wha is o en labelled a pa adox may ac ually be an ‘op imiza ion p oblem’, a me ely in e p e a i e dispu e, o an ideological ac ic o ei y pa icula pa adoxes in o de o p ese e a s a us quo (Be i and Simpson, 2021; Child, 2020; Gaim e al., 2021). The e a e h ee u he me hodological p oblems wo h highligh ing wi h he abo e dominan concep ions o con adic ions, pa adoxes and dialec ics. Fi s , pa adox schola s ha e simplis ically de ined dialec ics h ough he classical iad o hesis- an i hesis- syn hesis, bu o Hegel and Ma x, dialec ics has no sys ema ic me hod o en- closed way o hinking. In ac , Ma x and Hegel ac ually p edica e he opposi e: ha he co ec scien i ic me hod is o sc u inize ca ego ies (i we a e engaging in philo- sophical analysis) and his o ically de e mined ela ions (i we a e pe o ming ma e- ialis analysis) wi hou b inging unjus i ied assump ions o ex e nal elemen s in o he hough p ocess (Ma x, 1993b, 1999). Hence, dialec ics and c i ical hinking a e no abou imposing an abs ac iad, bu abou he manne in which he ‘ hinking p ocess de elops and demands o be hough [when] we gua d agains he assump- ions ha a e hidden in wha appea o be he simples and mos innocen ques ions’ (Houlga e, 2006, pp. 34–36). Second, he o ganiza ional pa adox and dialec ics li e a u e has unde s ood con adic- ion as ‘ he simul aneous p esence o wo essen ial elemen s ha a e connec ed o in e e- la ed ye di ec ly opposed’ (Fa joun, 2017, p. 90, emphasis added). F om his pe spec i e, con adic ion is abou add essing he in e dependence be ween wo essen ial elemen s ha can exis independen ly (‘ he good’ and ‘ he bad’), logical in isola ion bu absu d o i a ional when jux aposed (Lewis and Smi h, 2014; Pu nam e al., 2016). This is pa ic- ula ly e iden in he li e a u e on hyb id o ganiza ions, which has gene ally conside ed he in e play be ween con lic ing goals as a ade- o , whe e ad ancing one o en equi es comp omising he o he (Ba ilana e al., 2022; Child, 2020; Shephe d e al., 2019; Smi h and Besha o , 2019). Howe e , ou Ma xian iew on con adic ions is abou ecognizing he necessi y o g asp he ‘iden i y in di e ence’; ha he ull ealiza ion o one elemen canno ake 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 6J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. place un il i inco po a es he de e mina ions o ano he ha was ini ially posi ioned in opposi ion. Things come in o being h ough hei opposi e because hey a e pa ial and limi ed when unde s ood in isola ion om he eali y hey eme ge om. In o he wo ds, wha is dialec ical is no only he me hod bu eali y i sel . The e o e, he on ological p inciple o con adic ion is no abou how wo sepa a e o dis inc elemen s o m a new elemen (i.e., an unjus i ied a he han o ganic o de e mined ‘uni y o opposi es’), bu abou showing how ‘e e y eal o m ealises i s quali a i e de e mina ion by ans- o ming i sel in o a mo e conc e e o m, [because] he p ocess o de e mina ion is a p ocess o becoming ano he , i.e., a mo emen o sel - media ion’ (S a os a, 2016, p. 82). In sho , con adic ion is no wo dis inc hings abs ac ly pu oge he o make a new one – a he , i was al eady one hing wi h con adic o y o ces wi hin i , one hing agains i sel , e ealing i s inhe en po en ial o ans o m in o some hing else h ough i s oppo- si e. This implies ha he meaning we o iginally asc ibed o some hing is expanded and ans o med h ough i s opposi e – o example, solida i y can become calcula ing and compe i i e. As Todd McGowan s a es, he e is a dange in hinking o con adic ion simply as di e ence, because ‘di e ence c ea es he illusion o he possibili y o ha monious coexis ence’, bu ‘con adic ion, in con as , e eals ha no en i y can e e ha moni- ously coexis wi h i sel ’, sepa a e om he es (McGowan, 2021, p. 145). Dialec ics, hen, is he esea ch me hod ha ecognizes he con adic o y na u e o eali y, ha is, he impossibili y o sel - iden i y. A dialec ical app oach o con adic ions and pa a- doxes poin s o he openness o eali y, and ad oca es o a s ong p ocessual (Langley and Tsoukas, 2017), his o ical (Vaa a and Lambe g, 2016) and sel - c i ical (G odal e al., 2021) me hodology ha is la gely absen in pa adox s udies ( o excep ions, see Schad e al., 2016; Fa joun, 2019). This second lesson enables us o unde s and how coope a i es a e simul aneously compe i i e and solida is ic o ganiza ions. They canno be one hing wi hou he o he , in con as o non- dialec ical concep ions ha pe cei e hese wo o ganiza ional alues as dis inc a he han as di e en sides o he same coin – he ‘iden i y in di e ence’ o a speci ic o ganiza ional o m (Las He as and Messina, 2024). Thi d, he examina ion o o ganiza ional complexi y h ough pa adox lenses has gen- e a ed s udies in which he ela ion be ween dis inc and mul iple con adic ions and pa - adoxes is unde e mined, imp ecise o ad hoc (see, e.g., Audeb and, 2017; Palakshappa e al., 2024). Indeed, ecen calls om pa adox schola s u ge us o iew pa adoxes as in- e connec ed and nes ed ac oss space and ime, as well as o sc u inize how undamen al o unde lying con adic ions and pa adoxes can gi e ise o addi ional ones (Ja zabkowski e al., 2019; Schad e al., 2016; Schad and Bansal, 2018). Howe e , and al hough a weal h o o ganiza ional s udies ecognize he exis ence o ambiguous and con adic- o y o ces wi hin coope a i es (e.g., B e os e al., 2024; Siedlok e al., 2024; Soe ens and Huyb ech s, 2023) and o he hyb id o ganiza ions (Ba ilana and Do ado, 2010; Jay, 2013; Smi h and Besha o , 2019), hese s udies ha e no engaged in sys ema ically explaining how he ensions inhe en in a speci ic o ganiza ional o m can be exp essed in di e en , mo e de eloped and complex ways. This highligh s he impo ance o show- ing how mul iple con adic ions and pa adoxes de elop om a ounda ional one, as illus- a ed by he ‘solida i y pa adox’ he e examined. 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 7A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. In summa y, dialec ics challenges appea ances by g ounding hem in b oade his- o ical p ocesses and explo ing why hey appea in such a o m. This in e s he on ological p io i iza ion o pa adoxes o e con adic ions. F om a Ma xian pe spec- i e, pa adoxes eme ge when con adic ions appea o be ixed in ime, go e ning pa icula o ms o o ganiza ional li e and may disappea o mu a e when subs an ial ans o ma ions occu . In his sense, dialec ics in ol es ecognizing how o ganiza- ional ensions a e his o ically and poli ically add essed, and demons a ing ha ce ain con adic ions may become pa adoxes when o ganiza ional o ms become ei ied o na u alized. The pa adox hen ep esen s he p ac ical and ideological o m in which he pa icula con adic ion appea s o o ganiza ional ac o s and esea che s as in- su moun able. Ne e heless, pa adoxes a e eal because social ac o s a e unable o e lec on hemsel es and collec i ely ans o m he ansi o y, pa ial and limi ed na u e o he ela ions and o ganiza ions hey ha e c ea ed. In his sense, dialec ics is an encompassing and open me hodology ha inco po a es pa adoxes wi hin i s oolbox, impelling us o ques ion why pa adoxes become ixa ions o an inhe en ly open and dis up i e eali y. Mo eo e , as he case o Mond agon will demons a e, a simple con adic ion inhe en o a pa icula o ganiza ional o m mani es s in mul- iple and di e en pa adoxes. This implies he possibili y o add essing complexi y wi hou elying on unde - heo ized desc ip ions ha p esen pa adoxes as dis inc and sepa a e, a he han as he conc e e mani es a ion o a p ima y con adic ion; ha is, pa adoxes eme ge and un old h ough complexi y. COMMODITY- PRODUCTION, THE COOPERATIVE FIRM AND THE SOLIDARITY PARADOX Acco ding o Ma x, capi alism is a social o de in which weal h is exp essed in he o m o an ‘immense collec ion o commodi ies’ (1990, p. 125). While commodi y- p oduc ion and ma ke s ha e exis ed in o he social o de s, Ma x explains how i is possible ha he p oduc o human labou gene ally akes he social o m o a commodi y. In any complex socie y ‘ he e is implici ly a social di ision o labo in he di e se o ali y o use ul labo ac i i ies’, bu hei p oduc s need no necessa ily appea as commodi- ies (Hein ich, 2021, pp. 85–6). Human labou has always had a social cha ac e , bu ‘only he p oduc s o mu ually independen ac s o labo , pe o med in isola ion [i.e., p i a ely and independen ly], can con on each o he as commodi ies’ (Ma x, 1990, p. 132). Hence, i is no he sepa a ion o asks ha leads o commodi y p oduc ion; a he , i is he social s uc u e unde lying he di ision o labou ha e eals he social na u e o wo k (Ma x, 1990, p. 150). Building on he i s me hodological lesson om he p e ious sec ion, a dialec ical analysis o he coope a i e i m mus examine i s eme - gence wi hin i s social con ex . A i s simples conc e e le el, we can hink o he es ablishmen o a coope a i e occu - ing when (a leas ) wo wo ke s combine hei labou s eely and independen ly om di ec ela ions o dominance o mu ually engende he coo dina ed p oduc ion o commodi ies (c . Penca el e al., 2006, p. 25). Rega dless o he mo i es o he cons i u ion o he co- ope a i e (e.g., poli ical, inancial, and e hical), i s wo ke s eely ag ee o o ganize hei 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 8J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. labou s collec i ely h ough a di ec ela ionship o solida i y ha bonds hem legally in o he p oduc ion o commodi ies. These independen coope a i e- wo ke s ag ee o bes ow on each o he he igh o con ol hei espec i e indi idual labou - p ocesses. The e o e, when coope a i e- wo ke s es ablish a coope a i e, hey en e in o a legal con ac as equals, ag eeing o be pa o a pa icula poli ical ela ionship in which hei labou s a e o ganized di ec ly, h ough solida i y a he han indi ec ly, h ough he impe sonal ma ke . These wo ke s ex end hei indi idual eedom by sha ing democ a ic con ol o e hei labou ing capaci ies h ough a de e mina e ins i u ion, ha is, he assembly o coope a i e- wo ke s. This b eeds a coope a i e di ision o labou ha u opian schola s concei e o be ‘ adically dis inc ’ om adi ional capi alis i ms (c . Jaumie , 2017; Kocia kiewicz e al., 2021; Schille - Me kens, 2024). The e a e wo easons o his: i s , hese wo ke s ha e eely and independen ly en e ed in o a democ a ic and sol- ida is ic associa ion ha secu es hei igh o in e ene in he o ganiza ion o hei labou - p ocesses; and second, hey e ain he igh o a sha e o he p oduce and po en ial su plus, ci cum en ing he exploi a i e ela ionship be ween he capi alis and he wage- labou e (Ma x, 1993a, p. 511; Pa anque and Willmo , 2014, p. 616; Schweicka , 2011, p. 49–50). The e o e, u opian schola s assume wage labou and class exploi a ion as he undamen al ela ions o capi alism, a he han commodi y- p oduc ion. As a esul , hey po ay he coope a i e i m as a adical al e na i e be- cause i is bo h democ a ic and de oid o exploi a ion (e.g., Jaumie , 2017, pp. 231–5; Panse a and Rizzi, 2020, p. 22). As Da id Schweicka a gues: ‘using he ma ke o alloca e goods and se ices does no make a socie y capi alis , [ma ke ] compe i ion is no he an i hesis o socialism’; wha makes a socie y capi alis is ha ‘ he capi alis classes de i e hei weal h om hei owne ship o p oduc i e weal h, ha is, om cap- i al’ (2011, pp. 23–4). These analyses, howe e , ail o link he eme gence o coope a i es o he ma ke e- la ions ha media e hei ep oduc ion, he eby no malizing he sys emic con adic ions inhe en in hem. In his con ex , coope a i e- wo ke s canno plan o consciously o ga- nize he dis ibu ion o hei p oduc s o mee social needs, since i is only a e – no be- o e – ma ke exchange occu s ha hei p i a e and independen labou s a e ecognized socially, ‘in he mids o he acciden al and e e - luc ua ing exchange ela ions be ween p oduc s’ (Ma x, 1990, p. 168). The e o e, while coope a i e- wo ke s claim ha hei la- bou s a e o ganized acco ding o solida y alues, such solida i y does no ex end o o he commodi y p oduce s. In ac , he o ganiza ion o he socie al ep oduc ion in a ma ke economy popula ed by coope a i es gi es coope a i e- wo ke s di ec collec i e con ol o e he con en o hei p oduc (i.e., he labou - p ocess) bu simul aneously lea es hem powe less wi h espec o he social o m i akes (i.e., ma ke compe i ion). Thus, e en i all wo ke s we e in coope a i es, labou could no be conside ed ully coope a i e o he ex en ha each indi idual coop would be in ma ke compe i ion wi h o he coops and hei wo ke s. He e, a p ima y con adic ion eme ges, no om a bi a ily jux aposing wo opposi e alues, bu because bo h a e in insic o he o ganiza ion i sel . The un- ce ain y o whe he hei collec i e labou will mee a social need makes was e a po en ial ou come, along wi h mo e ex eme consequences, such as unemploymen , 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 9A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. compe i ion o su i al, inequali y, po e y, and ma e ial allou om economic c i- ses (c . Hein ich, 2021, p. 122; McNally, 1993, p. 164; Vidal e al., 2015, pp. 414–6). Hence, was e ul ma ke compe i ion and economic c ises we e ‘al eady p esen ’, as a social necessi y when labou e s main ained hei one- sided solida i y h ough ma ke in e ac ion. This made i ‘a ma e o chance’ whe he hei commodi ies would be sold o no (Ma x, 1990, p. 203). The de elopmen o a solida is ic o ganiza ion ha depends on ma ke success o i s su i al aises an impo an s a egic ques ion: How much solida i y can coope a i e- wo ke s exp ess di ec ly (wi h hei co- wo ke s) and indi ec ly (wi h he es o socie y) when he p oduc o hei labou s con on s hem as an ex e nal powe – speci ically, he necessi y o he commodi y o be sold in a com- pe i i e ma ke ? Should hey expand hei solida i y o include he es o commodi y- p oduce s, o should hey ins ead b eak hei poli ical bonds in o de o su i e as a p i a e and independen g oup o indi iduals? The s a egic ques ion o how solida is ic o mili an coope a i e- wo ke s may choose o be a ises om he coope a i e i m being simul aneously buil upon solida is ic and compe i i e o ces ha oge he p oduce a con adic o y uni y. The ep oduc ion o such a con adic o y uni y akes he o m o a ‘solida i y pa adox’ bo h objec i ely and in he eyes o i s membe ship. I is a solida i y ha go e ns he labou - p ocess in o de o engage wi h o he social ac o s compe i i ely h ough ma ke in e ac ion. The solida - i y pa adox ep esen s an ongoing s a egic con adic ion o he coope a i e- wo ke : being solida y wi h hei pee s o e he di ec con ol o e he labou - p ocess, and being equally opposed o he es o commodi y p oduce s h ough a ela ion o compe i ion. In o he wo ds, he pa adoxical consciousness o he coope a i e- wo ke becomes he necessa y ei ied consciousness ha p ese es i s collec i e es angemen om all o he commodi y p oduce s: a ai h ul ac o solida i y which seeks social uni y in he im- pe sonal and diso ganized ma ke . In his sense, i is p ecisely by clinging o his e y sel - gene a ed ‘absu d’ o ‘i a ional’ s a egic si ua ion ha coope a i e- wo ke s do no oppose capi alis ela ions bu ins ead ep oduce hem in a speci ic way: by becoming a com- muni y o commodi y- p oduce s who, a one and he same ime, sell commodi ies in he ma ke h ough a calcula ed o m o solida i y. Me hodologically, dialec ics has allowed us o ie wha we e ini ially concei ed as sel - de e mining and logical e hical alues o ‘a his o ically de e mined conc e e p axis’ (S a os a, 2016, p. 141), ha is, ha o commodi y- p oduc ion. Ins ead o conc e e elemen s being logical ‘in- hemsel es’ bu pa adoxical when ‘jux aposed o in e ela ed’ (Lewis and Smi h, 2022), dialec ics demons a es how con adic o y o - ganiza ional alues, such as ‘solida i y’, e eal hei pa adoxical na u e when pu in o p ac ice. This e eals ha hese alues migh also embody hei opposi e, hus becom- ing sel - unde mining due o he en i onmen in which hey a e ep oduced. This un- de lines how he ans o ma ional s a egy inhe en in he o ganiza ional o m o he coope a i e is lawed om he ou se : an o ganiza ion o mu ualized labou s ha sys- ema ically ep oduces compe i i e ela ions wi h o he social ac o s. Consequen ly, he pe sis en con adic ion unde lying his solida i y s a egy appea s in he o m o a pa adox. 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 16 J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. communi y o coope a i e- membe s who, in o de o p ese e hei jobs and income, op o de eloping an indi ec and exploi a i e ela ion wi h hose who only possess hei labou - powe . The pa adox o he coope a i e di ision o labou . F om hei incep ion, Mond agon coope a i es ha e impo ed p e ailing capi alis labou - p ocess sys ems, sou ced om dominan economies such as he USA, Japan, and Ge many, also playing a key ole in hei ins i u ionaliza ion in he Basque Coun y (Cheney, 2002). Un il he mid- 1980s, ela ions on he shop loo o Mond agon’s indus ial coope a i es we e based mainly on a Taylo is ic app oach (see Kasmi , 1996; Why e and Why e, 1991). Since hen, Mond agon coope a i es ha e ex ensi ely adop ed he dominan Lean Manu ac u ing and To al Quali y Managemen manage ial p og ams (Cheney, 2002; He as- Saiza bi o ia, 2014). Implemen a ion o hese pos - Fo dis models o wo k o ganiza ion has been ins u- men al in enhancing he compe i i e posi ion o hese coope a i es as well as ensu ing highe s anda ds o wo k sa e y, eamwo k, job en ichmen , and in o ma ion sha ing. In addi ion, Mond agon manage s emphasize he posi i e e ec s o he es ablishmen o less hie a chical and mo e lexible au ho i y and con ol sys ems, enhancing close man- agemen –labou ela ionships and p omo ing wo ke s’ in ol emen in p oblem- sol ing, con inuous imp o emen , and he day- o- day decisions ha a ec hei immedia e a ea o wo k (see Bas e e xea e al., 2019). Howe e , i is e iden ha he in oduc ion o dominan egimes o manage ialism and p oduc i i y has no been de oid o au ho i a ian elemen s ypical o capi alis i ms, as igid disciplina y and supe iso y p ocedu es a e applied in assembly lines in o de o ma ch wo ke s’ hy hms o hose o he machines, wi h a clea sepa a ion being made be ween manual asks and in ellec ual asks, o ensu e ha labou p o- duc i i y keeps up wi h ma ke ends. Indeed, e hnog aphic s udies ha e e ealed how he in oduc ion o lean p oduc ion sys ems in Mond agon coope a i es has e- sul ed in lowe le els o employee sa is ac ion, wi h wo ke s epo ing g ea e s ess, highe wo kload and exhaus ion, and inc eased p essu e (Bas e e xea e al., 2019; Cheney, 2002; Kasmi , 1996). Mo eo e , he in oduc ion o hese p e ailing manage ial p og ams has no been in esponse o shop- loo wo ke s’ aspi a ions o sel - managemen and au onomy a wo k, bu a he o manage ial conce ns o echnical e iciency, quali y imp o emen and cus- ome ocus. Se e al quali a i e s udies ha e documen ed how he ene a ion o lean- based managemen and o al quali y p inciples has displaced Mond agon’s adi ional cul u e o subs an i e sel - managemen and democ a ic pa icipa ion in a ou o shal- low, manage ially- d i en o ms o wo ke pa icipa ion ha a e con ined o low- le el decision- making in he wo k a ea, o ien ed owa d educing p oduc ion cos s and en- hancing p oduc i i y, and assessed in e ms o employee mo i a ion and commi men o business goals (B e os e al., 2018; Cheney, 2002; He as- Saiza bi o ia, 2014). As a esul , a signi ican numbe o shop- loo wo ke - membe s inc easingly pe cei e Mond agon’s o mal p inciples o sel - managemen and au onomy as me e he o ic and comple ely de- ached om hei daily wo k (see, e.g., Azka aga e al., 2012; He as- Saiza bi o ia, 2014; Bas e e xea e al., 2019). 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 17A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. The e o e, while coope a i e- wo ke s ha e o mal igh s o pa icipa e in go e - nance s uc u es, he limi s ha ma ke ela ions impose on he o ganiza ion o he labou - p ocess subjec hem o he law o alue and capi alis accumula ion. This compels coope a i es o adop managemen me hods simila o hose o hei cap- i alis coun e pa s in o de o main ain a e age p oduc i i y a es (Ma x, 1993a, pp. 294–301). C ucially, con a y o he iew ha coope a i e alues a e being unde mined by an inc easingly complex and aliena ing capi alis di ision o labou , as sugges ed by he ‘degene a ion hesis’ (Kasmi , 1996, 2016), a Ma xian c i ique helps us unde s and ha i is h ough he i m- d i en p ac ice o coope a i e alues ha he mu ualized di ision o labou o coope a i e- wo ke s has been p ese ed amids global compe- i ion. Wha is a s ake, hen, is no he deg ee o isomo phism wi h capi alis i ms, bu he s eady and g adual need o encompass managemen and labou - p ocess me h- ods de eloped by hei an i he ical capi alis i ms, ha is, he eal subsump ion o coope a i e di ision o labou o capi al accumula ion. Acco ding o Kasmi (2016, p. 57), ‘wo ke - owne ship did no shield [coope a i e- wo ke s] om ac o y egimes ha we e de ised o p o i maximiza ion and wo kplace discipline’. Howe e , his mimicking e eals he opposi e – ha he capaci y o coope a i es o a icula e an idiosync a ic coope a i e di ision o labou ha p oduces and sells commodi ies h ough he adop ion and ine- uning o dominan managemen me hods ac ually in eg a es indus ial coope a i e employmen in o global compe i ion and no de- spi e i . The e o e, he o iginal pe cep ion o so e eign y and di ec con ol o e he collec i e labou s ha subo dina es capi al o labou p o es o be he e e se: p i a e and independen p ac ices a e subsumed by ma ke o ces in he endless expansion o labou p oduc i i y and capi al accumula ion. Thus, his second pa adox a ises h ough he con adic o y ac ha coope a i e- wo ke s mus na iga e he unde lying o ces go e ning he wo commodi ies hey pe soni y (money- capi al and labou powe ). Consequen ly, he imp o emen o coope a i e- membe s’ wo king condi ions and in ol emen in decision- making a he shop- loo le el (i.e., he alo iza ion o hei labou - powe ) has been p omo ed h ough he ep oduc ion o exploi a i e manage ial me hods ha seek g ea e su pluses (i.e., he alo iza ion o hei money- capi al). The pa adox o pay egali a ianism. Mond agon’s ‘pay solida i y’ p inciple s a es ha wages a e se acco ding o p inciples o solida i y be ween wo ke s wi hin each coope a i e, be ween coope a i es and wi h wo ke s in con en ional capi alis en e p ises in he egion. Du ing he ea ly de elopmen o Mond agon coope a i es, when all he wo ke s we e membe s, hey ag eed o a compensa ion policy ha es ablished a maximum a io o 3:1 be ween he highes and he lowes sala y in o de o p omo e economic democ acy. This a io, which also applies o p o i dis ibu ion, has been expanded a numbe o imes h oughou Mond agon’s his o y in o de o ensu e success ul ec ui men o quali ied manage s, enginee s and analys s. In pa icula , i was i s expanded o 4.5:1, hen o 6:1, and inally o he cu en 12:1. Widening he pay a io has allowed he coope a i es o a ac and e ain highly- skilled op manage s and hus acqui e he manage ial capabili ies necessa y o h i e in global 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 18 J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. ma ke s (B e os e al., 2020; Cheney, 2002), while main aining an in e nal wage dis i- bu ion ha is s ill subs an ially mo e comp essed han in capi alis i ms ( he a e age CEO- o- wo ke pay a io is 127:1 in Spain, and 354:1 in he USA (Fe dman, 2014)). Compa ed o capi alis i ms o simila size in he same sec o , Mond agon ank- and- ile wo ke s ypically ea n a ound 30 pe cen abo e he ma ke a e age, while op manage s ea n a ound 30 pe cen less han he ma ke a e age. The decision o align Mond agon income o ha o hei compe ing labou ma ke s e- lec s he need o Mond agon coope a i es o bow o ma ke imposi ions and se com- pe i i e wages o a cad e o high- le el manage s. In addi ion, al hough he 12:1 a io in ol es an excep ionally equi able di e en ial compa ed o capi alis i ms, i is a a io o hose o ou kind (calcula ed by he membe s o he membe s) and does no include he en- i e wo k o ce (e.g., subcon ac ed wo ke s and o eign employees). Fo example, Basque wage- wo ke s ea n a ound 80 pe cen o he wages paid o coope a i e- wo ke s, e ec i ely educing labou cos s and inc easing labou p oduc i i y and co po a e p o i abili y as in any o he capi alis i m (Bakaikoa e al., 2004). I we conside he alue o owne ship and he sha e o p o i s and he many pe ks o membe ship – such as job secu i y, p i a e heal h insu ance, ea ly e i emen , double e i emen pensions – he 12:1 a io would be educed among membe s bu signi ican ly inc eased compa ed o non- membe s. The e o e, income inequali y becomes he esul o conc e e ‘solida y s uggles’ o e he de e mina ion o he p ice o wage- labou and money- capi al, which in no way en ails a sys emic ans o ma ion o capi alis ela ions (Ma x, 1990, p. 375, 1993a, pp. 269, 361–368). In capi alism, sala ies canno be ‘ ai ’ because hey ep esen he con ingen o m in which ce ain wo ke s secu e hei ma e ial ep oduc ion h ough compe ing agains o he s. The hi d pa adox a ises om he con adic ion o implemen ing egali a ian pay schemes o mi iga e capi al accumula ion dynamics (i.e., equalizing he p ice o labou - powe ) by o e ing compe i i e wages (i.e., buying labou - powe a ma ke p ices). This app oach, howe e , ep oduces income inequali y as i seeks o e ain o a ac skilled wo ke s wi h di e en capabili ies and ul ima ely sus ain he o e all paymen scheme. The In e - O ganiza ional Con adic ions and Pa adoxes o Mond agon Mond agon coope a i es a e igh ly linked h ough a ious sup a- coope a i e go e ning bodies, elec ed by owne - membe s o he i s - ie coope a i es. These bodies play a c ucial ole in s eng hening solida i y and in e - coope a ion among he membe - coope a i es and enhancing hei capaci y o deal wi h he challenges o an inc easingly compe i i e and global- ized ma ke economy (Bakaikoa e al., 2004; Why e and Why e, 1991). Unlike con en ional capi al- owned business g oups, he Mond agon g oup has a se ies o in e - o ganiza ional solida i y mechanisms and ools ha a e collec i ely unded by he membe - coope a i es. The mos impo an mechanisms o in e - coope a i e solida i y include a p o i - pooling sys- em whe eby pa o he losses o coope a i es in c isis a e co e ed by using su pluses om o he coope a i es, and he eloca ion o wo ke - membe s among Mond agon coope a i es in o de o p ese e jobs (Azka aga e al., 2012; E as i e al., 2017). Despi e being con ede a ed unde he umb ella o he Mond agon g oup, each i s - ie coope a i e is au onomous and i s so e eign y esides legally in he gene al assembly, whe e all he membe - owne s a e ep esen ed and can democ a ically decide on he 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 19A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. o ganiza ion’s policies, s a egies, and go e nance. Thus, in e - o ganiza ional coope a- i e solida i y a ises om an indi idual commodi y- p oduce di ec ly ela ing o o he s h ough he gene al assembly, which hen se es as he go e ning body h ough which hey collec i ely decide o es ablish solida i y ies wi h o he coope a i es. In he ollow- ing sec ions, we a icula e wo pa adoxes ha e lec he con adic ions o Mond agon’s in e - coope a i e solida i y s a egies unde ma ke compe i ion. The i s pa adox, e- la ed o calcula ed solida i y, is illus a ed by he exi o I iza om Mond agon; he second pa adox, ela ed o compe i i e solida i y, is illus a ed by he bank up cy o Fago - Elec odomés icos. The pa adox o calcula ed solida i y. Th oughou Mond agon’s his o y, se e al coope a i es ha e democ a ically decided o lea e Mond agon and s ike ou on hei own, mainly due o hei dissa is ac ion wi h he g oup’s in e - coope a i e solida i y equi emen s. Some o he mos p ominen cases include I iza and Ampo in 2008, and mo e ecen ly in 2022, O ona (an ele a o manu ac u e employing 5500 wo ke s) and Ulma (a highly di e si ied indus ial business employing 5200 wo ke s). The case o I iza epi omizes se e al aspec s o he solida i y pa adox. The Basque- based manu ac u e o luxu y buses and coaches employs a ound 3400 wo ke s in i s 13 p oduc ion plan s in Spain, Mo occo, B azil, Mexico and Sou h A ica. A e se e al yea s o losses, in 1991, I iza ecei ed assis ance om he o he Mond agon coope a i es h ough inancial con ibu ions and o he in e - coope a i e solida i y measu es such as he eloca ion o 65 o i s wo ke - membe s o o he Mond agon coope a i es. The in e - coope a i e assis ance ecei ed, oge he wi h he adop ion o a ious in e nal measu es such as he in oduc ion o a new managemen eam and he coope a i e’s eo ganiza ion unde an inno a i e managemen and wo k o gani- za ion sys em, led I iza o become, in he ea ly 2000s, he mos p o i able coope a- i e in Mond agon and he one ha con ibu ed he mos economic esou ces o he g oup’s in e - coope a i e unds. Howe e , in 2008, I iza ’s gene al assembly app o ed he managemen ’s p oposal o de ach om Mond agon, wi h 75 pe cen o he membe - owne s o ing in a ou . O icially, I iza ci ed i s depa u e om Mond agon as a esul o he di e ences be ween i s o ganiza ional model, which was ‘mo e ho izon al and pa icipa i e’ and based on ‘g ea e lexibili y and agili y in decision- making p ocesses’, and he mo e igid and o hodox o ganiza ional cul u e o o he Mond agon coope a i es. None heless, esea che s obse ed ano he , pe haps mo e impo an , unde lying ea- son: he lack o solida i y wi h o he coope a i es, e lec ed in I iza membe s’ wide- sp ead pe cep ion ha he coope a i e could be compe i i e wi hou Mond agon’s in e - coope a i e assis ance, and hei eluc ance o con inue ans e ing a pa o I iza ’s p o i s o less e icien and compe i i e coope a i es (see, e.g., A ando and He ce- Leze a, 2023). I iza ’s s a egic esponse o he ‘e hical’ pa adox o ei he p omo ing coope a i e alues o main aining hei au onomy was o ac ‘une hically’, ul ima ely unde mining Mond agon’s in e - coope a i e sys em. By i s ecei ing inancial aid and hen sepa a - ing om Mond agon’s in e - coope a i e sys em, I iza ’s coope a i e p ac ices e ol ed, leading o he p oduc ion o comme cial ehicles on a global scale. As Ma x pu i , ‘i 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 20 J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. is no because he is a leade o indus y ha a man is a capi alis ; on he con a y, he is a leade o indus y because he is a capi alis ’ (1990, p. 451). In essence, ou a gumen sugges s ha in con ex s whe e expanding solida i y is jus one o many op ions, p o i - abili y calcula ions also become one o he p ima y d i e s o o ganiza ional su i al, wi h he dynamics o class s uggle shaping i s conc e e mani es a ion. Hence, he abil- i y o su i e he compe i i e s a egies o o he s shows he inhe en ly expansi e and su plus- d i en logic ha coope a i es mus adhe e o. In he coope a i e i m, solida i y becomes a calcula ed decision always subjec o economic conside a ions and he op ion o wi hd aw. In e - coope a i e solida i y, he e o e, becomes a di e en o m o in e - o ganiza ional compe i ion. This ou h pa adox eme ges om he unde lying con adic ion o in e - o ganiza ional solida i y s a egies being simul aneously es ic ed by p o i abili y equi emen s. I e eals he p o isional and ins umen al na u e o solida i y among compe i o s who mus secu e inancial s abili y o su i e (i.e., collec i ely alo izing hei labou - powe s and money- capi als while emaining independen om and in compe i ion wi h o he coope a i es). The pa adox o compe i i e solida i y. The bank up cy o he home appliance manu ac u e Fago - Elec odomés icos (1959–2013), lagship o he Mond agon g oup and i s la ges coope a i e o decades, is pa icula ly ele an o unde s anding how solida i y mee s he limi o capi al accumula ion. A i s peak, in 2006, Fago employed o e 11,000 people a 18 p oduc ion plan s in six coun ies, al hough coope a i e membe - owne s ep esen ed only one- hi d o he o al wo k o ce. In he a e ma h o he global inancial c isis, Fago cu o e 3000 jobs in he Basque Coun y and ano he 3500 in i s F ench and I alian subsidia ies be ween 2007 and 2013. The ac ions aken o a oid job losses among Fago ’s membe - owne s elied on Mond agon’s in e - coope a ion mechanisms: mainly, he edis ibu ion o su pluses om o he coope a i es o Fago (su pluses ha we e inc eased by he decision o he wo ke - membe s o many coope a i es o empo a ily educe hei sala ies), inancing om a ious in e - coope a i e unds, and he empo a y eloca ion o Fago ’s wo ke - membe s o o he Mond agon coope a i es. Despi e he ema kable solida i y endea ou s o Mond agon coope a i es, Mond agon’s gene al council inally decided no o lend Fago any mo e money, a guing ha helping Fago u he would jeopa dize he su i al o he o he coope a i es – Fago ’s deb wi h Mond agon’s coope a i es amoun ed o €240 million by ea ly 2013 (E as i e al., 2017). In Oc obe 2013, Fago decla ed bank up cy and, sho ly a e , he coope a i e was dis- sol ed and sold o in pa s o p i a e compe i o s. In an unp eceden ed la ge escue ope a ion, an employmen solu ion was ound o all Fago coope a i e- membe s. As o 2023, 1405 o he 1736 ini ially edundan coope a i e- membe s had a de ini i e solu ion (p ima ily in he o m o pe manen eloca ion o o he coope a i es and ea ly- e i emen ag eemen s), while he es we e in a ansi o y pe iod o empo a y eloca ion in o he coope a i es. By con as , sala ied, non- membe employees a bo h he Basque and o - eign plan s, no eligible o Mond agon’s in e - coope a ion mechanisms, los hei jobs. In sho , Mond agon’s ad anced and ex ensi e sys em o in e - coope a i e solida i y con ibu ed decisi ely o Fago ’s abili y o su i e longe han many o he capi alis 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 21A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. compe i o s in he home appliance indus y. Ne e heless, and independen ly o Fago ’s he y go e nance and managemen mis akes (c . Bas e e xea e al., 2022), i s demise clea ly shows ha unp o i able coope a i es a e doomed o disappea in he long un, ega dless o he s eng h o any in e - coope a i e and sup a- coope a i e solida i y sys em. Mo e speci ically, as discussed in he sec ion on capi al accumula ion, I iza and Fago con on ed he challenge o how o alloca e hei esou ces in h ee ways: (i) consuming all su pluses and expanding he p i a e weal h o he coope a i e- wo ke s; (ii) ein es ing su pluses in hei own coope a i es in o de o upg ade o expand employmen ; o (iii) inancing o he coope a i es (a ixed in e es a es) as equi ed by Mond agon’s in e - coope a i e solida i y sys em. To make an unequal and c isis- p one sys em look a ional a all, u opian schola s o en eso o p omo ing unmedia ed (i.e., abs ac and unde e - mined) e hical and mo al p inciples in ended o p ese e he cohesion and sus ainabili y o he coope a i e (e.g., De Cos e and Zanoni, 2023; Gibson- G aham, 2006; Schille - Me kens, 2024). Un o una ely, none o hese s a egies is o ally e ec i e since he pu - sui o hese p inciples depends on he ma ke equi emen s and a ying ac o s such as in e es a es, he expec ed e u n o ein es ing su pluses in hei own coope a i es, and he class s uggles media ing he expansion o in e - coope a i e solida i y mechanisms o e o ganiza ional sus ainabili y. Reso ing o he ex e nal in ol emen o s a e- like agencies (such as he Mond agon Co po a ion) in he alloca ion o capi al in es men s may ‘sol e he p oblem in heo y bu no in eali y’ (Co n o h e al., 1988, p. 43) because s a e agencies a e subjec o capi al accumula ion equi emen s (Jessop, 2016), and ace he unsol able con adic- ion o how o econcile wo mu ually- unde mining aims: p ese ing in a- and in e - o ganiza ional solida i y and emaining economically iable p ojec s. The socialis s a e eme ges, hen, as he ex e nal poli ical agen ha implemen s easonable egula ions in o de o p ese e social cohesion wi hin a c isis p one sys em. Howe e , u opian (Gibson- G aham, 2006; Schille - Me kens, 2024; W igh , 2019), degene a ion hesis schola s (see Co n o h, 1995), and hose mo e nuanced s udies (E as i, 2015; He as- Saiza bi o ia, 2014; Va man and Chak aba i, 2004) do no explain why he s a e would be a capable agen in p o iding a cohesi e solu ion when i has o p ese e he economic independence and so e eign y o coope a i es. Howe e , as De ine (1989) explains using he examples o Yugosla ia and Hunga y, coope a i es s uggle by lobbying he s a e and igh ing o a ou able egula ions and iscal policies o p o ec hei own p i a e in e es s in ela ion o o he coope a i es. In e - coope a i e solida i y mechanisms a e hus con adic o y in na u e because hey ha e o simul aneously supp ess he dis up i e endencies o capi al accumula ion and in e - coope a i e s uggles (c . Ma x, 1993a, pp. 478–505). In sho , p ese ing he solida i y o some may be o he de imen o o he s. The unde lying con adic ion o pu suing in e - coope a i e solida i y h ough compe i i e o ganiza ional s a egies sugges s ha while coope a ion among coope a- i es s ands ou as a basic coope a i e p inciple (i.e., mu ualizing hei labou - powe s and money- capi als), i encoun e s a minimum capi al accumula ion h eshold, whe e p io i izing collec i e wel a e may challenge indi idual inancial sus ainabili y (i.e., coope a i es need o acc ue and ein es su pluses in o de o keep hei a e age p o- duc i i y s anda ds). This i h pa adox, he e o e, eme ges when coope a i es a emp 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 22 J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. o expand hei solida i y ex e nally h ough inancial mechanisms ha , d i en by p o i abili y equi emen s, pu a s ain on he sus ainabili y o hei solida i y s a egy. DISCUSSION In his a icle, we employ he analy ical amewo k o dialec ics and Ma xian analysis o examine how he ‘solida i y pa adox’ exp esses, in mul iple ways, he con adic o y con- sciousness o a coope a i e- wo ke who simul aneously pe soni ies he in e es s o he capi alis and he wage- labou e . We de elop he c i ique in h ee s eps: i s , we ques ion he gene al assump ions o he li e a u e dealing wi h pa adox and dialec ics; second, we apply dialec ics’ insigh s and Ma xian ca ego ies o he s udy o he coope a i e i m a a mo e gene al and sys emic le el; and hi d, we ocus on he speci ic case o Mond agon. In wha ollows, we ou line he a icle’s con ibu ions o c i ical managemen schola ship on coope a i es and o he b oade ield o pa adox and con adic ion s udies. We hen p opose h ee key di ec ions o u u e esea ch, and las ly conclude wi h some inal ema ks. Theo e ical Con ibu ions Fi s , his a icle con ibu es o c i ical managemen schola ship on coope a i es by cla i ying he ans o ma ional po en ial o hese o ganiza ions wi hin a sys emic amewo k and by deepening he heo e ical implica ions o conside ing coope a- i es as con adic o y o ganiza ions in which bo h compe i ion and solida i y become hei opposi es. Coope a i es necessa ily appea pa adoxical o hei membe s be- cause hey cling o his pa icula o ganiza ional o m wi hou being able o ans o m he sys emic con ex in which hey exis . The solida i y pa adox eme ges because commodi y p oduce s abs ac hei solida i y ies om he compe i i e ela ions hey sys ema ically ep oduce and, hus, unconsciously pe pe ua e he s a us quo. To pa a- ph ase Ma x’s opening quo e, wo souls dwell wi hin coope a i e- wo ke s’ b eas s, one e e pa ing om he o he , since coope a i e- wo ke s canno econcile hei solida i y- based p ac ices wi h hei embeddedness in he b oade dynamics o ma ke compe i ion. In u n, he o ganiza ional o m o he coope a i e i m poses i s own limi s o socie al ans o ma ion as i does no challenge he way in which ma ke s media e he ul il- men o social needs. By e isi ing he simples con adic ion o he coope a i e i m and he pa adox- ical consciousness o na iga ing i , as well as he mul i- dimensional, mul i- le el and in e - o ganiza ional con adic ions and pa adoxes o Mond agon, we show how bo h u opian and degene a ion schola s a e mis aken in adop ing a one- sided iew ha ocuses only on he good o bad aspec s o an o ganiza ion. An essen ialis app oach o bo h o ganiza ional solida i y and compe i ion ob ia es he con adic o y na u e o o ganiza ions, and how hese o ganiza ional alues a e sel - unde mining when a icula ed h ough pa icula o ganiza ional o ms. In con as , he ew s udies ha acknowledge he con adic o y na u e o coope a i es (B e os e al., 2024; E as i e al., 2023; Siedlok e al., 2024; S o ey e al., 2014), and o he hyb id o ganiza ions (Ba ilana and Do ado, 2010; Jay, 2013; Smi h and Besha o , 2019), ha e nei he 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 23A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. conduc ed sys ema ic analyses no de eloped encompassing heo ies o explain why hese pa icula con adic ions a e in insic o such o ganiza ions, why hey pe sis , and how hey ela e o o he appa en ly dis inc bu somewha simila con adic o y o ganiza ions. This a icle explo es how he pa adoxical na u e o coope a i es eme ges om hei speci ic his o ical se ing wi hin he capi alis sys em, which o ces coope a i e- wo ke s o sus ain he exis ing o de by main aining ela ionships ha a e nei he pu ely compe - i i e no pu ely solida is ic bu embody bo h a he same ime. Ma ke compe i ion and capi al accumula ion enable solida i y s a egies o ake conc e e shape in he o m o co- ope a i es and, ice e sa, conc e e solida i y s a egies mus be inhe en ly calcula i e o su i e ma ke compe i ion. Hence, coope a i es gene a e an idiosync a ic pa adoxical consciousness because hei membe s pe soni y he o ces o wo mu ually unde mining commodi ies: money- capi al seeking highe p o i s, and labou - powe seeking o secu e be e wo king condi ions. By deploying a one- sided analysis and no loca ing coope a- i es wi hin a b oade ecosys em, u opian, scep ical and nuanced s udies o e look how hese o ganiza ions ac i ely ep oduce o ans o m a de e mina e o ali y. Ou Ma xian analysis acknowledges he po en ial o coope a i es in ad ancing class solida i y and gene a ing posi i e ou comes; in pa icula , educing income inequali y among co- wo ke s (Ba ilana e al., 2022), p omo ing g ea e wo kplace pa icipa ion and democ acy (Kocia kiewicz e al., 2021; Zanoni e al., 2017), and/o de eloping mechanisms o in e - coope a i e employmen and inancial solida i y in he ace o eco- nomic p essu es (A ando and He ce- Leze a, 2023; E as i e al., 2017). None heless, we also unde line he impo ance o no conside ing hese ic o ies o achie emen s in isola- ion, bu as solida i y s a egies ha enable hese o ganiza ions o ep oduce and expand compe i i ely. Fundamen ally, ou sympa he ic c i ique o he coope a i e i m does no es on p esupposing highe e hical coope a i e models, o sugges ing a ‘ eal al e na i e’ could exis only i coope a i e- membe s simply o ganized be e , unde he aegis o ‘less ego is ic’, ‘mili an ’ and ‘solida y alues’ (e.g., De Cos e and Zanoni, 2023; Panse a and Rizzi, 2020; Ren e ia- U ia e and Las He as, 2022). On he con a y, we pe cei e he successes and ailu es o coope a i es as he esul o he ension in ol ed in applying coope a i e alues while na iga ing ma ke compe i ion. Second, ou Ma xian analysis o he coope a i e i m also en iches schola ly deba es and esea ch me hodologies ha add ess socie al g and challenges (Adle , 2019; Vidal e al., 2015) h ough he lenses o pa adox and dialec ics. Speci ically, we discuss he sho comings o p e ailing app oaches o pa adoxes and dialec ics by a guing ha pa - adoxes eme ge no as pe sis en and anshis o ical con adic ions (Schad e al., 2019; Smi h and Lewis, 2011, 2022) bu as his o ically de e mined ones, a ising om speci ic and con ingen social ela ions. In o he wo ds, a Ma xian pe spec i e o o ganiza ional pa adox schola ship allows us o loca e pa adoxes his o ically a he han in a imeless and uni e sal amewo k, hus opening up he possibili y o hei anscendence. This insigh has bo h schola ly and socially implica ions (c . Wicke e al., 2021) as i edi ec s a en ion om in a- o ganiza ional o in e - o ganiza ional ela ions, emphasizing hei mu ually cons i u i e and con adic o y na u e. As ou analysis e eals, adop ing he dialec ical me hod as a s ong p ocess app oach (Be i and Cunha, 2023; Fa joun, 2017, 2019; Langley and Tsoukas, 2017) p o ides 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 24 J. Las He as e al. © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. managemen and o ganiza ional schola s wi h a esh pe spec i e ha c i ically exam- ines he pa adox schola ship’s ‘co e ounda ions’ (c . Schad e al., 2019). I shows ha o ganiza ional pa adoxes a e no ‘absu d and i a ional’ when con adic o y o ces a e jux aposed (see, e.g., Lewis and Smi h, 2014; Pu nam e al., 2016), bu a he a e he essen ial s a egic consciousness ha pe pe ua es o ganiza ional con adic ions in speci ic con ex s. In his sense, ou Ma xian engagemen wi h pa adox and dialec ics li e a u e in e s he on ological p io i iza ion o pa adoxes and con adic ions, high- ligh ing he pa ial and p o isional na u e o he o me . Thus, dialec ics should no be seen as a ‘middle ange heo y’ (e.g., Ha g a e and an de Ven, 2017; Schad and Bansal, 2018) bu an open me hod o o ganiza ional c i ique. This insigh enables managemen schola ship o b eak ee om he me hodological cons ain o aking ce ain o ganiza ional o ms o g an ed, os e ing a b oade pe spec i e – owa d in e - o ganiza ional and sys emic pa e ns – ha highligh s he con ingen and p o- isional na u e o pa adoxes. This shi places ac ual socie al p oblems, a he han schola ly deba es, a he o e on o ou a en ion and ques ions how ou analyses migh be ein o cing he s a us quo. Ou mul i- dimensional, mul i- le el and in e - o ganiza ional sc u iny o Mond agon s a egies ela ed o wo k o ganiza ion, pay equi y, employmen and in e - coope a ion has also e ealed how a ounda ional pa adox may mani es i sel in mul iple ways, ha is, how he ‘solida i y pa adox’ becomes complex and di e en ia ed in i s own de elopmen h ough conc e e o ganiza ional p ac ices. C ucially, his occu s no because pa adoxes a e on ologically dis inc o sepa a e om each o he (e.g., Palakshappa e al., 2024), bu because hey a e he conc e e exp ession o an unde - lying con adic ion ealizing i s po en ial. These insigh s con ibu e o ecen calls in he managemen li e a u e o a deepe unde s anding o he o e lapping na u e and complex in e connec ions o pa adoxes and o explo e how a ounda ional pa adox can mani es i sel in mul iple pa adoxes ha a e in e wo en, mu ually cons i u ed and on ologically insepa able (Hahn and Knigh , 2021; Ja zabkowski e al., 2019). The co olla y o his a gumen is ha add essing g and challenges and na iga ing sys emic ans o ma ions h ough pa ial and limi ed o ganiza ional analyses will in- e i ably lead o inadequa e ou comes, since he pe spec i e om which hey a e ap- p oached will be unawa e o i s assump ions and sel - posi ed limi a ions, and so, i will unconsciously emain sel - de ea ing. Di ec ions o Fu u e Resea ch We iden i y h ee p omising a enues o u u e esea ch. Fi s , we ha e shown how commodi y- media ed ela ions p oduce pa icula con adic ions ha ake he o m o solida i y pa adoxes wi hin he s a egic managemen o coope a i es. The o e all ame- wo k is one o capi alis ela ions, meaning ou conclusions canno be di ec ly ansposed o o he o ganiza ional o ms, such as hose o a planned socie y (e.g., Laibman, 2022). In hese socialis o ganiza ions, social ac o s in e ac h ough (mo e o less) consensual poli ical p ocesses, and so a e media ed by di ec o ganiza ional ies and p ocedu es a he han he indi ec and impe sonal ela ions ha ma ke s necessi a e. The e o e, ou analysis demons a es ha i is ma ke p o i abili y p edominan ly ( a he han o he 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License 25A Ma xian c i ique o he coope a i e i m © 2024 The Au ho (s). Jou nal o Managemen S udies published by Socie y o he Ad ancemen o Managemen S udies and John Wiley & Sons L d. poli ically- de e mined pe o mance p essu es) ha ul ima ely in o ms he s a egic em- pla e o o ganiza ions such as Mond agon. Fu he esea ch is needed o explo e how o he social o de s and o ganiza ional o ms may na iga e in e - o ganiza ional poli ical con adic ions while p ese ing social cohesion. Second, he mul iple solida i y pa adoxes iden i ied in he case o Mond agon a e no necessa ily uni e sal o all coope a i es, bu may be speci ic o la ge and complex ne wo ks o coope a i es ope a ing in highly compe i i e and globalized ma ke s. In ac , his single- case analysis poin s o he need o u he esea ch in o he a iega ed o ms in which a simple con adic ion may un old, depending on he di e en s a egies adop ed by coope a i es. The analysis o smalle , less complex coope a i es ope a ing in local niche- ma ke s could lead o he disco e y o o he con adic ions and s a egic pa adoxes. In addi ion, his o ically sensi i e analyses could show whe he some con a- dic ions a e mo e salien han o he s, and whe he he o m in which ce ain con adic- ions a e cons ued and go e ned may gene a e new con adic ions and pa adoxes. The In e na ional Coope a i e Alliance’s hep alogue on coope a i e p inciples (i.e., open and olun a y membe ship; democ a ic membe con ol; membe s’ economic pa icipa ion; au onomy and independence; educa ion, aining and in o ma ion; coope a ion among coope a i es; and conce n o communi y) could se e as a poin o depa u e o unde - s and how di e en coope a i es pu he coope a i e p inciples in o p ac ice, how hey p io i ize ce ain p inciples o e o he s, he speci ic dynamics ha eme ge om his, and how di e en pa adoxes a e legi imized in o de o p ese e o ganiza ional cohesion and sus ainabili y. Thi d, ou p esen a ion o he pape ’s cen al a gumen s o Mond agon’s lead- e s was me wi h some scep icism; hei esponse was basically o emphasize ha Mond agon coope a i es mus p agma ically adap o global ma ke equi emen s i hey a e o su i e. P agma ism has been iden i ied as a guiding p inciple ha can con ibu e o econciling compe ing demands in some coope a i es (Ash o h and Reingen, 2014; Audeb and, 2017; Soe ens and Huyb ech s, 2023). Howe e , in i s wo s exp ession, p agma ism can lead o a lack o e lexi i y and sel - c i ique among a majo i y o membe - owne s wi hin coope a i es, pa icula ly e iden in Mond agon (Azka aga e al., 2012; B e os e al., 2020; Kasmi , 1996). The e o e, we encou - age schola s o adop c i ical pe o ma i i y- in o med esea ch me hods (Reedy and King, 2019), based on playing a c i ical, ac i e, p oduc i e ole aimed a ans o ming o ganiza ional p ac ice wi hin coope a i es in o de o econ igu e, ad ance and ex- end solida i y p ac ices unde global ma ke equi emen s. In his way, schola s may collabo a e wi h coope a i e p ac i ione s in wo king h ough pa adoxes collec i ely and e- imagining u u e social a angemen s o go e ning he coope a i e i m (see G i in e al., 2022; Wicke and Schae e , 2015). Mo eo e , ac ion- o ien ed, c i ically engaged esea ch ep esen s a way o wa d in he dialec ical analysis o coope a i es, as i may lead o new, p ac ice- based insigh s in o he a ied and dis inc i e con- adic ions aced by coope a i es and he ways and ex en o which hese o ganiza- ions con ibu e o sol ing socie al g and challenges (Gümüsay e al., 2022; Wicke e al., 2021). 14676486, 0, Downloaded om h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joms.13175 by Readcube (Lab i a Inc.), Wiley Online Lib a y on [19/12/2024]. See he Te ms and Condi ions (h ps://onlinelib a y.wiley.com/ e ms-and-condi ions) on Wiley Online Lib a y o ules o use; OA a icles a e go e ned by he applicable C ea i e Commons License