BUS 110 W12

        I had a hard time reading the assignment this week. The article is worded very formally and just didn't excite me. I know this shouldn't matter, but it will hopefully explain why my post this week might be a little flat. Sorry. 

        An economy needs to have virtue and integrity because the consumers are the reason the economy will flourish or falter. According to the article "What's a Business For?" by Charles Handy, "The purpose of a business...is not to make a profit... It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better." When a business puts their consumer before their excessive profits, the consumer is more likely to frequent that business, thus raising profits in a sustainable way. The business needs to be run by owners, not investors. The investors are focused on the profit - to the detriment of everything else. They can take their money and invest anywhere else if that business fails. The owner who invests their own money into a business is likely to focus on the better good that business can do rather than the profit beyond what the business needs to thrive. This is where virtue and integrity come into play. The integrity of an investor is never called to account for their actions - the business owner is always accountable. The consumer never sees the investor, they just know that they are making money as the stockholders and not doing any "work".

        Two solutions proposed by Handy that I agree with are "long work is not necessarily good work" and making the business as a community. I like that these solutions can go hand-in-hand to improve the workspace for everyone. A shorter workweek can improve the lives of the employee because they feel that their time is valued away from work as well as on the job, so they are willing to work harder while they are on the clock. Treating your business as a community can instill a sense of purpose in the employees. They will feel included instead of as property to the business. All of these lead to a higher level of integrity and virtue for everyone involved - the employees, the employers, the investors and the consumers.