Massive New Study Illuminates Employee Attraction, Retention, and Engagement

A new worldwide study of 86,000 employees by Towers Perrin finds that only 14% of the respondents were highly engaged, defined as "the willingness and ability to contribute to the organization's success." In most counties, most employees were "moderately engaged," but a quarter or more were not e

Max De Pree: 1925 to 2017

Max De Pree was the CEO of employee-owned Herman Miller, the maker of iconic business furniture, for seven years and the author of several books, including Leadership Jazz.

McCain Endorses ESOPs

In a letter to the ESOP Association, Senator John McCain has said that "for millions of Americans owning a stake in the company they work for is extremely rewarding. Many Americans are able to 'work for themselves' through their participation in Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).

McKay Nurseries Wins Business Enterprise Trust Award

McKay Nurseries, a wholesale and retail nursery in Waterloo, Wisconsin, has been named a winner of the Business Enterprise Trust award for 1997. The award is given to four individuals and companies each year by a foundation created by Norman Lear and based in Stanford.

Media Coverage

The Atlantic ran an article by John Case called "The Life-Changing Magic of Turning Employees into Owners."

Media Coverage

Darren Dahl, a blog-writer at Forbes who has been focusing on employee ownership, wrote about the comparison between worker cooperatives and ESOPs in his

Media Covers Many Employee Ownership Events

Employee ownership is often covered by various news organizations, but the list was especially long—and interesting—this week. Here is a selection:

Media Highlights

Oregon Business referred to employee ownership as "the ultimate company benefit" in an article that profiles Swinerton Builders, Charter Mechanical Contractors, an

Median Sale Price for Businesses Down 27% in 2008

Business Valuation Resources in Portland, Oregon, estimates that the median sale price of a closely held company fell from $551,000 to $400,000 in 2008. Presumably, it is down even farther now. Median net sales fell from $1.03 million to $804,000.