4 ms·

corporations are not democratic institutions

• teg4n_ 4y ago
  maybe they should be
• noasaservice 4y ago
  That's a good question: Why not? The USA "ideals" taught in school say that democracy and democratic republics are the best forms of government.... yet (almost) all our companies are autocratic dictatorships.
  • candiddevmike 4y ago
    Because it's under the guise of meritocracy, where if you just work hard enough, say 60 hours a week, you too can become CEO someday.
    • noasaservice 4y ago
      "Meritocracy " isn't a thing, since the "merit deciders" (ala kingmakers) decide whatever they want. (Or the next question in that line: who decides what merit is and who has it?) And, the gist also has very strong vibes of Ronald Wright's misattributed John Steinbeck's quote: “John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/328134-john-steinbeck-once-said-that-socialism-never-took-root-in https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/328134-john-steinbeck-once-...
    • JohnJamesRambo 4y ago
      60 hours of golf is a lot.
  • twblalock 4y ago
    The actual machinery of government is not a democracy either. People who work at Federal agencies have to do what their managers tell them to do. We elect the head of the executive branch. The rest of it is basically run like a bunch of corporations. We certainly don't elect the people who work at the IRS, for example.
  • robotresearcher 4y ago
    The people to whom the org is responsible are the (Greek) demos[1]. For governments, this is the people. For corporations, this is the shareholders. Corporations are somewhat democratic WRT their demos. [1] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demos https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demos
• seppel 4y ago
  Well, they are to quite some extend. But on the level of the owners / shareholders.
• deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
• missedthecue 4y ago
  In essence, they are. Shareholders elect board members who hire for important roles. This is similar to democratic governments. In no democracy will voters elect the Minister of Energy or Transport or Defense or Labor or the foreign secretary. This is chosen by the elected officials.
  • ClumsyPilot 4y ago
    > In essence, they are. Shareholders elect board members who hire for important roles. shareholders don't have all equal vote. Employees have no vote. Its closer to aristocracy if anything
    • missedthecue 4y ago
      Employers deserve to get vote as much as parts suppliers should. The company is a customer of employees, buying their labor. Do you think US Steel should get to vote on what Ford Motor Company does? That just seems totally backwards.
      • ClumsyPilot 4y ago
        You claimed it's a democracy - obviously that's not the case. If you think it shouldn't be a democracy, thats fine, but is just an opinion and not a factual claim. You are, ofcrouse entitled to your opinion. Classically company consists of employees just like your body is made uo of organs. When you damage them by treating them badly, you damage the company. In neoliberal idea employees are disposable and company is not harmed when you harm them. Company is a separate entity that lives by itself, like a holy spirit, maybe it posseses the stock market on the 'brand value', i don't know. The current stunt by Elon musk will show who is right, if Twitter does well when he is done destroying the talent pool, then you are right. If the company combusts, then you are wrong.
        • missedthecue 4y ago
          I am a neoliberal, which is why I think that.