Degrowth and Commons-based Peer Production Organisations: understanding the Role and Implications of an Alternative Mode of Production in achieving a Degrowth Society

This thesis identifies a research gap on the role of economic organisations in connection to degrowth and problematises that past research fails to view economic organisations as encompassed by capitalist structures. The thesis seeks to contribute to the degrowth discourse by filling part of this research gap by researching the role of economic organisations in achieving degrowth and the resulting implications for these organisations. The thesis makes use of Gramsci’s conceptualisation of hegemony and counter-hegemony to define degrowth as a counter-hegemony seeking to overcome the capitalist hegemony. The thesis finds that economic organisations must operate in line with a mode of production that can fit degrowth (such as commons-based peer production) and aim to shape society’s superstructure to help enable a degrowth transition. The resulting contradiction of aligning with an alternative mode of production is further unfolded using Luhmann’s social systems theory together with the concept of counter-hegemony. This theoretical investigation highlights that organisational social systems aligned with degrowth counter-hegemony face a paradox in having to embrace uncertainty in their social systemic reproduction. The thesis’ empirical findings show that economic organisations (on the example of commons-based peer production organisations) can align with degrowth through awareness of the afore mentioned contradiction and aiming to overcome it. These economic organisations require a strong alignment with degrowth counter-hegemony in their decision premises, particularly cognitive routine (the conceptualisation of the organisations system environment). The thesis highlights that such an alignment might only be achieved and ensured by keeping a relatively small organisational membership. The concept of scaling-wide is therefore proposed to create degrowth aligned networks of economic organisations that could further help to ensure counter-hegemonic reproduction. Ultimately, the thesis also makes a plea to the degrowth discourse to take charge of research on economic organisations in connection to degrowth to ensure counter-hegemonic alignment

From creative destruction to convivial innovation. A post-growth perspective

In this paper, we argue that the notion of Creative Destruction underpinning classical innovation management theory as well as having crystallised into technological determinism and productivism has come to a dead-end. Framing innovation's ultimate goal as the endless pursuit of economic growth is unrealistic if we wish to address pressing environmental challenges. We show that Creative Destruction historically emerged as an ideology from a specific set of values and worldviews at the cradle of Western capitalism and its need for valorisations. Capital valorisation imposes its logic on innovation, definition of needs, consumption, and organisation of work. The mantra of ‘innovate or die’ and its underpinning values represent a hegemonic view on technology aligned with the capitalist mode of production. We argue that a counter-hegemonic view emphasising conviviality and use-value is possible instead and needed to address the environmental and social challenges of our time. We posit that the (re-)emerging mode of production, commons-based peer production (CBPP) has such potential. Indicative cases show that innovation underlined by counter-hegemonic values already exists, albeit in the cracks of the dominant system and in constant danger of co-optation. Governmental institutions need to support these alternative practices of innovation.Axencia Galega de InnovaciónUniversidade de Vigo/CISU

The need to align research on economic organisations with degrowth

For an ever-increasing number of scholars, the continued ecological degradation and intensified climate change are the result of the pursuit for economic growth. The degrowth discourse acknowledges that the growth imperative is due to capitalism’s need to accumulate. Businesses are forced to accumulate through continuous profit seeking in order to survive in the competition created and constantly facilitated by the capitalist economy. We argue that businesses can never become fully sustainable as they are the fundamental form of capitalist economic organisation. From a degrowth perspective, ‘true’ sustainability is inherently incompatible with capitalism, meaning businesses are thus similarly incompatible with degrowth. Utilising Gramsci’s terminology of hegemony, we argue that growth-based capitalism is society’s current hegemony whereas degrowth represents a sustainable counter-hegemony. Businesses therefore reproduce this unsustainable hegemony. This chapter argues there is a need for a research agenda on alternative forms of economic organisation in line with degrowth’s counter hegemony. This new research agenda must recognise degrowth’s incompatible with any capitalist economic manifestations on the microeconomic level. Hence, this research agenda means decidedly leaving behind any attempts to find a common ground between degrowth and capitalism, its structures and agents. You are not authenticated to view the full text of this chapter or article.Peer reviewe

Business in a strongly sustainable society?

This chapter investigates the relationship between business and a strongly sustainable society by framing it as a question. It argues that even though such a relationship is far from straightforward, in simple yes-and-no terms, the answer to the question of whether business and a strongly sustainable society can co-exist is 'no'. This is because business, as an inherently capitalist mode of production, existing for the purpose of capital accumulation, is not compatible with a truly strongly sustainable society, which opposes material growth and capital accumulation. Not only is ‘business as usual’ impossible in a strongly sustainable society, but so is reformed business (i.e., improved but not fully transformed), which retains at its core the imperative of profit-making and maximisation, while simultaneously attempting to supplement it with consideration of the environment and of people. This chapter argues that only after undergoing a radical, all-encompassing transformation will businesses, as social entities, become suitable for a strongly sustainable society. Such a transformation means going beyond business; each business becoming an alternative economic organisation. Going beyond business requires a significant change in the way we are in and relate to the world, rather than knowledge of concrete organisational forms and practices.