Recently I was watching a young apprenticeship program on TV, to my surprise I heard someone tell the young apprentices that business is all about profits. Although apprenticeship provide an increasingly effective training route for young people and companies, i differ with the traditionally Capitalist argument.
Profits are important without doubt, but it's hardly sufficient in the highly networked 21st century. With the international economic recovery uncertain, it's obvious we can no longer rely on job security or investment returns to protect us from hard times. Business model don't last as long as they used to and incumbents increasing face the risk of disruption.
Some go even further and say that capitalism is good because it is moral, the purer the form of capitalism, the more moral it is. Is capitalism perfectly moral enough to sustain itself over many generations? Some say yes, but I would not go that far. I think a capitalism that lacks outside moral influence and pressure, would sooner or later fail.
Capitalism is not in itself sufficient to create values, it depends on what human and religious values we ourselves bring to our affairs. To the extent that this values fail, we would all descend toward a lawless, inhumane, cut-throat society that will no longer harbor our civilization.
21st century businesses and companies are more than instruments for generating profits, they are also vehicles for accomplishing societal purposes and for providing meaningful livelihoods for those who work in them. The value that a company creates should be measured not just in terms of short-term profits or paychecks but also in terms of how it sustains the conditions that allow it to flourish over time. These businesses deliver more than just financial returns; they also build enduring institutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment