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Panel Proposals

Culture and Engagement

Participatory Decision-Making as EO Connective Tissue

Wednesday, April 8, 2026
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM CDT
Location: 206
CE: 1
CE Type: SHRM
Education Level: For All Levels
There are small, medium, and large ESOPs, worker cooperatives, EOTs, and direct share ownership companies. While their differences are most often emphasized, this session celebrates their similarities. Participatory Decision-Making (PDM) can be employed in companies of all structures and sizes. Its common denominator is hearing many voices and promoting worker engagement. This workshop explores commonalities between disparate types and sizes of employee-owned companies and how all have the potential to share the principles and practices of PDM. The audience will have opportunities to describe specific PDM successes, barriers, and obstacles in their companies and get help with solutions.



NCEO Publication: Beyond Engagement

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify actionable practices from different employee ownership structures (ESOPs, cooperatives, EOTs, DSOs) that you can adapt to strengthen participatory decision-making at your company
  2. Apply strategies to increase worker voice and engagement in decision-making processes, tailored to your company's size and structure
  3. Develop solutions to overcome specific barriers to participatory decision-making you're currently facing, with peer input and proven approaches