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I don't think it's ever reasonable to expect a business to do something that is not in their self interest; their existence is predicated upon selfish behavior.
by zweben 16y ago
I don't think it's ever reasonable to expect a business to do something that is not in their self interest; their existence is predicated upon selfish behavior. When companies take socially conscientious actions that would appear to go against the company's best interest, they are almost always doing so after weighing the relative benefits of increasing public goodwill and maintaining direct profits and finding goodwill to be of greater benefit.
I would argue that the same thing applies to individuals; that no rational actions are truly outside of self-interest, because we do what makes us happy, even if the action itself would appear to be selfless.
- lolcraft 16y agoA more interesting, if obvious, related question: shouldn't we, through our political representatives, demand that corporations carry a little bit more of social responsibility? That would be the rational thing for us to demand, since a more liberal Pakistan would make both us and Pakistanis happier. Nowadays it is a matter of corporations' interest rather than law.
- dhimes 16y agoI think corporations confuse self interest "short term financial maxima," just as individuals confuse happiness with pleasure.