Alternative Trading Organizations: Shifting Paradigm in a Culture of Social Responsibility

Alternative Trading Organizations (ATO) are nonprofit businesses that market crafts, gifts, and food from developing countries through mail-order catalogs and retail stores in many regions of the world. Combining functions of exporters and retailers, ATOs work directly with producer groups on product design, quality control, management, and shipping. This article profiles ATO organizational culture through three emergent themes: social responsibility for artisans, creative tension toward emerging behavioral norms, and organizational analysis for change. The ATO profile points to an emerging paradigm shift as ATOs integrate, within a culture of social responsibility, dual emphases on artisan producer groups and on North American consumers. The profile is intended both to document the organizational culture of ATOs and to serve as a baseline for further analytical and comparative analysis of ATOs operating in a variety of settings and across time. Challenges for the future of alternative trade are identified by assessing the profile within the broader socio-economic framework of the highly competitive, international market for handcrafts. Questions for further research are identified.