Cooperative societies in the Arctic as a heterodox approach: The case of Greenland

Why does cooperatives’ comparative micro-efficiency not break through as macro efficiency? Using a Heterodox approach, cooperatives at the macro level have not shown the ability to change the dominant authoritarian modes of production based on capital hiring labor to labor hiring capital. Ontologically perceived knowledge about this discrepancy would suggest we know why the inconsistency is present. A neoliberal preunderstanding may claim that cooperatives have not hitherto outperformed enterprises because they are less efficient and appealing to entrepreneurs than traditional enterprises. Nonetheless, the problem of what reality is leads to the concept of an everyday consciousness based on a seeming reality, surface phenomena, or experience. There is, in other words, something tangible or existing; the problem, however, is whether we see this correctly. The two authors have revisited the phrase that one cannot see the wood for the trees. The lack of an overview of invisible conceptual and explanatory layers leads to flippant conclusions. Neo-liberals base their lax assumptions on a deceivable surface phenomenon and conclude the presence of an alleged inefficiency instead of an inadequate institutional setup incompatible with democratic businesses. Epistemologically speaking, we may, instead of flawed recognition, perceive the world right by including knowledge of institutions and their importance for the viability and efficiency of enterprises.