Management and Organizational Practices Survey: A Preliminary Analysis of Employee Equity Shares, Management Practices, and Establishment Outcomes

The General Social Survey has consistently found in four national surveys since 2002 that about a fifth of U.S. adult workers report having employee equity in the companies where they are employed. Existing studies also find that employee owners generally have lower turnover and absenteeism, more company pride and loyalty, greater willingness to work hard, greater access to information and participation in decision making, and more control over their work-life balance. There is also evidence that employee share ownership is associated with higher market-level pay and benefits. A team led by economic sociologist Joseph Blasi will examine the incidence of Employee Stock Ownership Plans in the U.S. Census 2010 and 2015 Management and Organizational Practices Survey.  They will explore the relationship between employee share ownership and employment growth, productivity levels and growth, wages, and employee characteristics. The key purpose of the analysis will be to assess the interactions between employee share ownership and management practices on firm outcomes.