The founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, coined the term Conscious Capitalism to describe the purpose of business over and above maximizing profits. Ultimately business is a human endeavor and should be aiming at the betterment of human life. However, most economists and business people are trained from a very early point in their careers to think exclusively in terms of profit. This has something to do with the nature of the stock market and the financial emphasis of stock holders.
Nonetheless, there is a good argument to be made that the most successful companies don’t rely on ponzi schemes or things that are harmful for to people. In fact, with ever increasing access to information by way of the Internet, consumers are smarter than ever and one thing is for sure: companies that make bad decisions end up paying for it.
If you look at the best companies, companies like Apple, Google and even Whole Foods, they inevitably create products and services that get people want. Things that get people talking: things that make life better. Things that people can’t live without, and don’t mind living without.
Here’s a graphical look at three different businesses and the various ways that good businesses are making human-centric decisions.
Image source: Best-Business-Schools.org
With capitalism, big business and globalism all getting a bad rap, now more than ever is the time for the best businesses to invest in the betterment of people and humanity as a whole.
