New Books Network Dovev Lavie, "The Cooperative Economy: A Solution to Societal Grand Challenges" (Routledge, 2023)
Mar 27, 2026
Dovev Lavie, a strategic management professor who turned to systemic economic reform, presents a cooperative, tech-enabled alternative to current market design. He discusses wealth concentration, Big Tech power, data privacy and overconsumption. Short sentences outline algorithmic price-subsidies, consumption and profit limits, voluntary community platforms, and calls for experiments and civic involvement.
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Design Norms Not People To Unlock Pro Social Behavior
- Lavie proposes replacing homo economicus with a system that fosters pro-social behavior through design rather than trying to change personalities.
- He cites psychology experiments showing many people are conditionally pro-social and adapt to prevailing community norms.
Create A Digital Cooperative Platform With Community Rules
- Build a digital cooperative platform that prioritizes equality, sustainability, and well-being over profit and supports two-sided markets, barter, and donations.
- Make the system community-level, require social responsibility from all stakeholders, and encode rules into platform design.
Replace Some Taxes With Algorithmic Price Subsidies
- Use price subsidization instead of taxation so buyers pay different prices based on declared income, letting higher earners directly subsidize lower earners.
- Make contributions visible through private feedback and social norms so donors see community impact and feel rewarded.
