Employee ownership can help align the incentives of all the firm’s workers with those of the shareholders. Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), if correctly implemented, can make all employees think and act like owners. As part of the ESOP, employee participation groups (comprised of members elected by fellow employees) meet regularly to discuss ways to increase productivity and the firm’s value and, therefore, the value of the employees’ stake. About 10,000 firms, many of them privately owned, currently have ESOPs in place. ESOPs can be difficult to implement for an international firm. Some countries ban stock options or limit ownership of foreign shares. For a firm residing in such a country, an ESOP plan needs to be designed to meet specific, local requirements.