Week 12

     As I listened to the article, "What's a Business for?" by Charles Handy. He discussed capitalism, our economy, and the importance for virtue and integrity. He even shared that integrity directly affects the economy. The real justification for the existence of businesses was "something" and investors don't care. He talked about "the American disease" because business was "the key engine of progress" but things have changed and some things were neglected. It has become very self-consumed according to Handy. Everything from education, healthcare, and food, and housing is involved. Everyone is playing a game with rules that are fed by fraud and only profitability. It's not necessarily better for everyone. Buying businesses or stock market focus is now a huge way to steal back from share holders. This was an eye-opening article for me. It was bold and straight forward. He suggested that perhaps we can learn something from Europe. There is something important with not only being there for the money. The purpose of the business is not just to make a profit. It's to make a profit so that it can make the world a better place. He talked about how "the employees are treated as the property of the owner." This really hit me and resonated. My spouse has been laid off 5 times. 

    Charles Handy suggested solutions such as that all business should think as charitable organizations do, where they look at outcomes for others. Another solution that was presented is to work on allowing employees to be treated as members. They will then more likely take an interest into what the company is about and it will be an ethically sound place that is respected and builds a community rather than only focuses on how to grow the money. If integrity and value isn't important in the company, it will hault the community and create a cycle of stresses and constant workforce changes rather than sustainability and overall business and personal health. More corporate democracy is important according to Charles Handy and it gave me thought on how I can ensure that any business I start, grow, or am a part of can be centered in ethically doing right by all and for the community.  

Charles Handy, "What's a Business For?," Harvard Business Review, December 2022, BYUi (www.byui.edu : accessed 5 July 2024). 

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