When is Co-operative Compleat?

Moving along from the basic discussion about shareholder involvement I notice that David Cameron is now promoting the idea of Co-operatives as part of moral capitalism. Is this really (as he says) historic Conservative Party policy?

Well I think we can leave that question unanswered – the more important point is that fundamentally the political argument is shifting in favour of models that are more integrated with overall societal needs. In general they are becoming more Compleat.

What is missing from all of this is any thought-through guidance as to what that actually means. The Compleat Biz remains one of the few works out there that provide the answers.

I was engaged in dialogue last week with someone who questioned whether it is possible to construct models of business that make the shareholder community more responsive rather than merely being the providers of capital. The answer seems to lie in the political will-power to change the paradigm of the last 60+ years.

On that basis lobbying of politicians should continue unabated to make sure we seize the current opportunity to build a better society for everyone by restructuring the prevailing model of capitalism. (Coincidentally it is likely to be far more profitable as well.)