Module 1 – What is Employee Ownership?
Explore the concept of employee ownership from the ground up — what it means, why it matters, and how it gives workers a direct financial stake in the businesses they build.
Module Description
Introduction
In the first module of the course, you will learn about how businesses are commonly owned. By the end of the module, you will understand how employee ownership differs from common ownership models…and you will be able to name three relevant economic trends. Let’s get started.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the concentrated ownership of stock and financial assets in the US and globally.
- Describe predominant models of business ownership.
- Define employee ownership.
- Understand why business owners may sell their businesses to their employees.
- Learn from real-life individuals who drove these types of models in their own organizations or new businesses.
- Name relevant economic trends.
- Describe where employee ownership is found.
Lessons
Begin with Lesson 1 below and work through the lessons in order. Each lesson includes short videos and reading materials.
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1) Welcome and Course Introduction
2) How Business Ownership Usually Works: Ownership Models in Business
3) What is Employee Ownership?
4) Our Own Words – Reading with links to video resources
Read here5) Where is Employee Ownership Found?
6) Greetings from the Founders of Two Companies
7) Visual Guides to ESOPs and Worker Cooperatives
Read here -
1) Where Do Most Employee Owned Firms Come From?
2) How Can Regular Employees Buy a Business?
3) A Stunning Set of Statistics: The “Silver Tsunami”
4) Five Reasons Why Business Owners Sell to Employees (Required Reading)
Read here
