Comments on: Famine and Capitalism: A Professor’s Email Exchange with A Student http://www.businesspundit.com/famine-and-capitalism-a-professors-email-exchange-with-a-student/ Entrepreneurship, Startup Companies and Business Philosophy Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:09:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sam http://www.businesspundit.com/famine-and-capitalism-a-professors-email-exchange-with-a-student/comment-page-1/#comment-859 sam Tue, 02 May 2006 12:30:07 +0000 http://www.businesspundit.com.php5-6.websitetestlink.com/?p=2658#comment-859 the reason behind poverty in developing countries is not merely misdirected profit-oriented planning , but , also , poor political will and haphazard planning. to alleviate the lot of these countries , more needs to be done than merely focussing on one trope. the reason behind poverty in developing countries is not merely misdirected profit-oriented planning , but , also , poor political will and haphazard planning. to alleviate the lot of these countries , more needs to be done than merely focussing on one trope.

]]> By: laurence haughton http://www.businesspundit.com/famine-and-capitalism-a-professors-email-exchange-with-a-student/comment-page-1/#comment-858 laurence haughton Fri, 28 Apr 2006 22:02:32 +0000 http://www.businesspundit.com.php5-6.websitetestlink.com/?p=2658#comment-858 The professor isn't really listening to the student IMHO. The student writes "the emphasis on maximization is the problem." The professor responds "it is nothing more, or less, than a recognition of the fact that people need incentives to produce, transport, distribute, retail, etc., they need prospect of making a return on their investment, even a very, very good return, as a potential reward for having undertaken a subtantial risk." No professor the student is right. The fact is that every business needs to make it clear to investors, suppliers, employees, and customers what priority they attach to the goal of "maximizing profits." Is it the "purpose" of their business? Is it a condition that sustains the business over the long run? Is it the outcome of achieving another purpose? And when push comes to shove (as it inevitably does) does profit get shoved or does it supercede every other promise made and principle expressed? We know what C. Montgomery Burns would say. What would you say? The professor isn’t really listening to the student IMHO.

The student writes “the emphasis on maximization is the problem.”

The professor responds “it is nothing more, or less, than a recognition of the fact that people need incentives to produce, transport, distribute, retail, etc., they need prospect of making a return on their investment, even a very, very good return, as a potential reward for having undertaken a subtantial risk.”

No professor the student is right. The fact is that every business needs to make it clear to investors, suppliers, employees, and customers what priority they attach to the goal of “maximizing profits.”

Is it the “purpose” of their business? Is it a condition that sustains the business over the long run? Is it the outcome of achieving another purpose?

And when push comes to shove (as it inevitably does) does profit get shoved or does it supercede every other promise made and principle expressed?

We know what C. Montgomery Burns would say. What would you say?

]]> By: Diego http://www.businesspundit.com/famine-and-capitalism-a-professors-email-exchange-with-a-student/comment-page-1/#comment-857 Diego Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:43:36 +0000 http://www.businesspundit.com.php5-6.websitetestlink.com/?p=2658#comment-857 For more on the debate b/w profit and business you might be intersted in this WB blog that I read. The FDI and CSR topics might interest you the most. <a href="http://psdblog.worldbank.org/" rel="nofollow">http://psdblog.worldbank.org/</a> For more on the debate b/w profit and business you might be intersted in this WB blog that I read. The FDI and CSR topics might interest you the most.

http://psdblog.worldbank.org/

]]>