| | Andrew Bates:For them, the end of their business and its profits is the continued practice of their careers (think Howard Roark, or even Dagny or Hank). While they certainly like profits (which can help them stay in business or expand their operations and overcome new challenges), these are not the practitioners' ultimate end.
Personal motivation takes many forms - mental workout, physical challenge, professional pride, a sense of belonging, getting rich or getting food on the table - all of them equally valid, whatever makes people happy without hurting others is by definition good... but that is not the issue.
The issue was Social responsibility of business - business is a legal entity with no responsibility save that of operating within the frame of the law, and the agreements they have entered - as in that is their obligation and duty. The purpose of commercial enterprise is to generate money, the purpose of anyone owning, running or working in that business may be whatever they choose, and pursuing that purpose is the reason they need the business to be profitable, profit is the common denominator for all aspects of business. Setting profits as the described goal of a business - it's highest value - will most likely work against that goal, but a goal it is nonetheless.
Treating people with respect is good, i certainly aim to do so, but only because i have so chosen - it's not an obligation - it's a commodity i offer expecting mutual respect as ROI.
I live in a country with a liberalistic government, a power they use to confiscate 70% of our property in taxes, for redistribution to the common good, i'm trying to run a small business in a country where it is illegal to terminate the employment of pregnant women for whatever reason, in a country where it is the employers responsibility to pay full salary while these women go home and take care of their newly born children for 52 weeks, i live in a country where all business legislation for the last 40 years have been designed to protect the worker from the employer, while not one single piece of legislation has been made to protect the employer - or removed from the employee - and i get angry whenever i see this 'them against us' mentality - the employer and the employee are working together in a way that is beneficial to both, and they both hold an equal amount of power over each other.
I pay my employees considerably more than average, i allow them more than average vacation, i respect them for who they are and what they do, and i show that respect, i strive to keep my customers happy, i strive to keep my subcontractors happy - but its not an obligation, it's simply a sound way to ensure that i can sell high quality at a high price. - only once did i offer less than normal to an employee, she came waving her agreements from the union demanding her rights... and though i was part of no agreement with any kind of union i let her have exactly what the union had managed to negotiate on her behalf, poor creature.
Forget the duties and obligations, remove the legislation and let the business that doesn't treat its employees well lose its employees, its customers and its profits.
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