Cooperatives exist in a liminal space within American capitalist socio-economic structures. Externally, hierarchy is seen as a norm and standard to uphold. Internally, strong democratic currents demand individual accountability and participation. Staff can be stuck in the middle, relying on structures familiar to external partners in order to generate relationships while at the same time ensuring the mission and culture of the cooperative is maintained to member standards. This session will look at the case study of ICC Ann Arbor’s recent flattening of the finance department and extrapolate the benefits, strengths, and feasibility to cooperatives of all sizes and forms.
