The entrepreneur-salaried employee-associate

Abstract

Purpose The increasing number of self-employed workers in France transforms the historical work relationship. In this perspective, the case of entrepreneurs who works in Business and Employment Cooperatives (BECs) with the status of entrepreneur–employee–associate is studied. They combine two legal status of self-employed and employee which were previously legally and institutionally separated. BECs question the forms of relationships governing production and labor. This paper aims to determine to what degree this combination of relationships improves the autonomy of entrepreneurs and reduces the risks of autonomous activity. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative action research combined with a pragmatic approach using abductive reasoning was carried out in three BECs. It is based on participant observations and interviews. Findings The results show that three types of relationships are embedded in the labor relations of cooperative activity: the entrepreneurial relationship, the employment relationship and the associate member relationship. This configuration contributes to achieving autonomy in the organization of labor and the reduction of risks linked to entrepreneurial activity. However, the complexity of the embedded relations, the persistence of asymmetry and the contrast between the rules of cooperatives and companies limit the ambition of BECs. Practical implications They determine the ability of BECs to invent appropriate mechanisms to empower their entrepreneur members. Originality/value This study combines an action research stance with a pluridisciplinary approach. It offers new perspectives for understanding the mutations that modes of production and labor mobilization are going through in a period of change toward a post-Fordist paradigm.