I’m so pleased to share with you that today I have an opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor newspaper entitled, “Even big companies are embracing a democratic style.”

There is also a seven-minute audio interview that I did with the Monitor’s opinion page editor, Josh Burek. You can listen to the interview by clicking here.

The piece appears in both print and online form, reaching an audience of over five million people worldwide.

People usually think that only small or mid-size firms can operate democratically. So for years now, I’ve wanted to write a piece about how large, Fortune 500 companies can run democratically as well. The opportunity finally presented itself when the first Fortune 500 company, DaVita, made this year’s WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces 2008.

In the piece, I explain how DaVita, the largest dialysis provider in the US with 30,000 employees and over $5 billion in sales, made a remarkable turnaround when it embraced a democratic style. As I state in the op-ed, the impact to the bottom line was huge:

“As a result [of embracing a democratic style], DaVita dramatically reduced its turnover rate, stimulated organic growth above the industry average, and became the industry leader. Net operating revenue grew from $1.45 billion in 1999 to $5.26 billion in 2007. And over the past five years, DaVita’s stock has soared 279 percent, while the S&P 500 Index has returned 52 percent.”

I also raise this question –

Do big businesses have a responsibility to be organized democratically because of the power they wield?

I think they do and I hope my op-ed further awakens business leaders to the power, potential and responsibility they have to embrace a democratic management style.

I hope you enjoy the piece – let me know what you think!