Nonprofit Expanding ESOPs Interviews WORC’s CEO Dr. Ellen G. Frank-Miller on Ownership Structure vs. Ownership Culture, and Why You Need Both to Succeed
WORC’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Ellen G. Frank-Miller, was interviewed by Expanding ESOPs on July 31, 2025. The interview, “‘The Ownership Culture Fairy Is Not Going to Wave Her Magic Wand” dives into the distinct difference between ownership structure and ownership culture, outlining why companies that implement ESOPs alongside positive changes in operational and managerial practices reap the most benefits for their businesses, employees, and communities.
WORC and Expanding ESOPs work on different but reinforcing sides of the employee ownership puzzle. While Expanding ESOPs creates the conditions that incentivize employee ownership, WORC helps individual companies maximize the impact of their ownership structures.
The key is understanding that ownership structure and ownership culture are distinct things. Implementing ownership stakes will only get companies so far, and it won’t automatically create the ownership culture that generates positive business outcomes. Championing ownership culture through managerial and operational behaviors has a big impact, regardless of full or partial ESOP status:
“the extent to which [worker-owners] have ownership stakes is not nearly as predictive of ownership culture as the extent to which the company uses practices that ignite an ownership mindset.”
Employee autonomy, communication between leadership and workers about how and why goals are reached, and collaborative management practices that engage employees are just three key elements of successfully building an ownership culture.
WORC’s Ownership Impact Index® measures these elements and more to give companies a targeted diagnostic tool using advanced mathematical models to track progress and see exactly how employee ownership pays off, and where ownership culture still needs to be fostered.
Frank-Miller explains that creating and maintaining ownership culture is not just essential and multi-faceted, it’s a science; to dive into her first-hand expertise, read the full interview here.
