A better way of doing business? : lessons from the John Lewis Partnership

Abstract

The book is a rich account and analysis of the John Lewis Partnership. The JLP is well-known, revered, and admired, enjoying an enviable reputation for commercial success and principled business practice. And yet, among the public, commentators, and government, it is not known well at all. This book offers a deeper, more analytical understanding, revealing the tensions and dilemmas that characterize even this most well-intentioned of organizations. The US/UK model of the firm, emphasizing shareholder value and openness to the market, is prone to a number of problematic consequences, for employees, suppliers, and sometimes shareholders. JLP represents a contrast to this model—one with implications beyond the small niche of mutually-owned firms