Academic Center for Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
Employee ownership refers to various wealth-sharing mechanisms available to employers and employees. Typical forms of employee ownership include Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), where shares are held in a trust for employees, often with tax benefits; direct share purchase plans, where employees buy shares directly, sometimes at a discount; and cooperatives, where each worker holds an equal ownership share and voting rights. Profit-sharing is another model where employees receive a portion of profits, indirectly linking them to ownership.
Supported by the generous Ford Foundation’s Grant, Wilson College has proudly joined the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership, coordinated by the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing, at Rutgers University. The University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership is a first-of-its-kind international academic network dedicated to fostering collaboration among university-based initiatives that advance the study and practice of employee share ownership.
Primary Goals of the Academic Center for Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
Contribute to the development of scholarly and pedagogical resources of the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership.
Support the development of the Wilson College Faculty’s scholarly and teaching interests related to employee ownership and profit-sharing.
Provide academic resources to complement Wilson College’s Iowa Center for Employee Ownership (IA-CEO) in support of its mission.
2024-25 Wilson College Rutgers Fellows
The Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University fosters scholarly research on employee ownership and profit-sharing models through a globally competitive fellowship program. Each year, the Institute selects a diverse cohort of fellows to advance studies of employee ownership and its impact on businesses, the economy and communities.
Wilson College Coordinator for the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership
Atul Mitra serves as the Wilson College Coordinator for the University Consortium on Employee Share Ownership. He works within a collaborative network of about twelve major universities that have joined together to advance employee share ownership studies. Through his role, he helps connect new initiatives with established resources and facilitates mutual support among participating institutions. His work contributes to enhancing scholarship and supporting program development across member institutions.
Employee Ownership Related Teaching Resources
- Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership
- Online Coursera course: Our Share: Employee Ownership as a Wealth Sharing Tool
Employee Ownership Related Scholarship Resources
- Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing - Research Briefs
