 them meet on common ground, the perception of fairness, much less actual fairness, is virtually impossible. No one is equal in status, so fairness and justice, which can only truly function among equals, are out of the question.
There is, in fact, only one proven method to provide a foundation for fairness and justice in the workplace, and to lay the groundwork for effective conflict resolution. And that is to make sure that every worker has power, and the only way to do that is to ensure that every worker has the equal opportunity and effective means to become an owner of that organization.
Capital Ownership Within a Business Enterprise
To many people it seems as if expanded capital ownership is touted as a panacea as a result of all the problems it has the potential to solve. That, however, is a misleading way to look at it. Expanded capital ownership has the potential to solve so many problems because having ownership — and thus having power — is an inherent part of what it means to be human.
To deprive people of ownership (and thus power), or the means of acquiring and possessing capital, is to deny human nature. And that causes more problems than anyone ever thought of solving by abolishing private property. Nature is unforgiving, and always takes revenge.
True conflict resolution depends on people meeting together as “power equals” and getting matters settled, not only with fairness and justice, but with the perception that fairness and justice are the guiding principles. And that is one reason why having worker-owners, instead of mere workers, is so important to build solidarity and get everyone pulling together in the same direction.
It is, after all, an ancient dictum that “Power naturally and necessarily follows property.” In order to have the power to change the institutions of your organization or institution, or to resolve conflicts between individuals in a just and fair manner, you must have the power to do so and the right that comes only from ownership.
That is why any system that conforms to the principles of the Just Third Way must include capital ownership as an integral part of that system. When a society or institution has both people with power, and people without power, there is going to be conflict. Everyone in an organization must have power.
No leader or manager can truly resolve conflict simply by imposing desired conditions from above or silencing dissent by fiat. That only whitewashes a problem and lays the groundwork for bigger problems in the future, whether institutional or personal.
True conflict resolution depends on people of equal status, and that means everyone has an equal opportunity and access to the means to become capital owners. They can then organize to study and correct the problems that are causing the conflict at both the individual and the institutional level.#30#