Empowerment in Leasehold Cooperatives and its Influence on the Member/Management Relationship

• Published in: Housing and society Vol. 29; no. 1-2; pp. 13 - 22
• Main Authors: Skobba, Kim, Ziebarth, Ann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01.01.2002
• ISSN: 0888-2746; 2376-0923
• DOI: 10.1080/08882746.2002.11430468

Members of leasehold cooperatives hold an incomparable position. While they have greater responsibility than renters do, they lack the equity stake and ownership responsibilities that limited or market-equity shareholders possess. In this case study, members of nine leasehold cooperatives completed a survey measuring management satisfaction, communication, and control over decision-making to explore the presence of empowerment among leasehold cooperative members when their control over their building is limited. The findings suggest that empowerment occurs even when there is no equity provision and few responsibilities in co-op operations. However, when empowerment exists with low member responsibility, the relationship between members and management may be troublesome. This indicates that there are beneficial outcomes from increasing resident responsibility and that limiting opportunities for members to participate can lead to conflict and tension between residents and management.