Brett Fairbairn Fellow in Co-operative Thought and Ideas Centre for the Study of Co-operatives

1. Engaging Members:Action Research to Get and Keep Your Members InvolvedCohesion and Democratic Character On Co-op Gala Share, Learn, Grow Burlington ON 18 October 2006 Brett FairbairnFellow in Co-operative Thought and Ideas Centre for the Study of Co-operatives University of Saskatchewan, Canada

2. Outline • Why is democracy important to co-ops?What is democracy? • Practical ideas to take away and test • Alternative democratic practices • Self-Assessment of Democratic Character in Organizations Workshop materials: • Copy of overheads • “Six Views of Democracy” • Self-Assessment questionnaire

3. Why is democracy important? • Definition of a co-op: “autonomous association of people” who meet their common needs through a “democratically controlled enterprise” (ICA 1995) • Various writers have argued democracy is the thing that makes co-ops distinct • Also definitive for the social economy • Democracy produces legitimacyDemocracy produces trustIt produces decisions and leaders(Imagine the cost of not having these!)

4. What is democracy? • Despite (because of?) its fundamental importance in our society, there is no clear definition • People feel it is important, but respond negatively to many of its manifestations • It is often most clearly expressed in oppositional terms, i.e. denunciation of things as undemocratic

5. Democracy is… • (1) “Rule by the people” (demos+kratos) • (2) Electing leaders to make decisions • (3) Liberty: the freedom of the individual • (4) Justice for all • (5) Informed deliberation • (6) Dignity and autonomy; values

6. A common paradox • Democracy is most often associated with voting… • … but people distance themselves from voting processes and results • In co-ops, members have the vote but do not seem excited about using it • Are we looking for democracy in the wrong place? Perhaps there is something we are missing?

7. What is democracy? (cntd.) • Does democracy always involve voting? • In ancient Greece, some positions were filled by random lot. Is this democratic? Why? • Is democracy only European? • Thought experiment: imagine a decision being made in a traditional village by means of “talking circles” and a consensus pronounced by hereditary or clan leaders. • Is this democratic? Why? • On what basis do you judge?

8. Is democracy a way of thinking? • For some people, democracy is a social philosophy, not only a procedure • This is why people in co-ops and the social economy value democracy • So: A democratic organization is one whose structures, culture, and cognitive processes express an underlying set of values • Values may be long-lasting, butexpressions change over time

9. What values are democratic?(a work in progress) • Equality • equity, fairness • respect, dignity • Inclusion • openness • harmony, solidarity, mutuality • participation • Self-determination • autonomy, freedom, liberty • responsibility, accountability

10. Ideas: democratic procedures without voting (1) • Randomly select ordinary members to serve on committees, or conference participants to speak on panels • Random selection confers a different kind of democratic legitimacy • It speaks to populist ideas of democracy, the importance of what ordinary people think • It avoids excessive self-promotion or recruitment through narrow networks

11. Ideas: democracy without voting (2) • Run talking circles in committee meetings or table discussions • Each person is invited to speak in turn • No one can interrupt • You hear from everyone • No individual can dominate • If a consensus is needed, you can keep repeating the process • There is an opportunity for cross-cultural education

12. Ideas: democracy without voting (3) • Use a variety of more interactive techniques in large meetings • (Table discussions and report-back are a well-used example.) • Obtain frequent audience response • “twinkling”, “clickers” • Ask the audience questions • Roving “interviewers” with microphones – “person in the street” interviews • Reaction panels of ordinary participants talking about what they just heard

13. Ideas: democracy without voting (4) • Use participatory techniques that draw in members on a short-term basis but also involve enabling them to educate themselves about issues • Action research - “interactive focus groups,” advice from members with education built in • Member committees to study specific issues over a period of time, ending with presentation of recommendations directly to the board

14. Ideas: democracy without voting (5) • “e-democracy” techniques • Internet feedback • Digital brainstorming – moderated real-time discussion (see the Globe and Mail online) • On-line member panels • “Deliberative polling” – small-group online discussion accompanied by random sampling • Virtual question periods – “ask the CEO” • Scenario modelling – show several different choices (e.g. facility designs; financial policies) and invite member feedback

15. Democracy without voting:Democratic character of organizations • Organization benefits or outcomes • Interactions with key stakeholders (e.g. clients or members) • Goods and services • Staff-client/member transactions • Locations and spaces • Communications • Decision-making • Other internal relations – staff • External relations • Community and other stakeholders

16. Discussion • When is the word “democracy” used in your organization? • What do people appear to mean by it? • Who uses the word? • Where do you think democracy is evident in the life of your organization?

17. A self-assessment of democratic character • 2003 CARD II Leadership Development • Côté and Fairbairn “Diagnosis of Democratic Functioning” • Expanded concept: how democratic values are communicated in all aspects of an organization’s activities • Action-research project 2006-7CASC research forum, May 2006CCA Congress, June 2006 • “Open-access” self-assessment tool

18. Introduction to the self-assessment tool • 84 questions – approximately 8 pages • Questions of perception and judgement (self-analysis) • Practical purpose: intended to structure thinking to focus on areas that can be improved • Suitable for groups • Voluntary use and reporting of results

19. Working with the questionnaire • Work through the questionnaire, answering with respect to one specific organization you are part of • For today, skip to sections that interest you; don’t worry about every question • When you are done, form a group of 2 or 3 with people near you, and begin discussing what was easy or difficult, straightforward or revealing

20. Discussion • Where did you rate your organizations at a high level? At a low level? • Has the questionnaire given you ideas for specific things to investigate or work on? • What was hard to answer or did not apply? • Could your board of directors, staff, or other stakeholders do this assessment? • Would it be useful to have a database of results (benchmarks)?

21. Closing thought • Research is the creation of new knowledge • We are all researchers

22. Comments and Questions Welcome Brett Fairbairn Professor of History and Fellow in Co-operative Thought and Ideas Centre for the Study of Co-operatives University of Saskatchewan 101 Diefenbaker Place Saskatoon SK S7N 5B8 Canada Tel. (306) 966-8505 Fax (306) 966-8517 E-mail brett.fairbairn@usask.ca Check out the centre’s website! http://www.usaskstudies.coop