Cooperatives vs Flexible Business Networks

[Laurent GUERBY]

FYI, not really a small business, but a cooperative:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondrag%F3n_Cooperative_Corporation
<<
Mondragón Cooperative Corporation (MCC) is a group of manufacturing and
retail companies based in the Basque Country and extended over the rest
of Spain and abroad. It is the world's largest worker cooperative.
[...]
In the 1980s, the various companies responded to pressures of
globalisation by joining together as the Mondragón Cooperative
Corporation . The MCC is now the Basque Country's largest corporation,
the seventh largest in Spain. It is considered the world's largest
worker co-operative. In 2002 the MCC contributed 3.7% towards the total
GDP of the Basque Country. It has 38 industrial plants abroad, and this
figure is expected to rise to 60 plants by 2005.
[...]
>>

Laurent

On Fri, 2005-05-27 at 18:41 -0700, Derek Neighbors wrote:
> I think it is worth investigating how Best Western (the largest hotel
> chain in the world) operates.  It is non-profit franchise that could
> best be described as the worlds largest co-op.
> 
> http://www.answers.com/topic/best-western
> 
> Worth debating at least.