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What Will it Take for Business to Improve Lives?

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  • David Korten

    (Living Economics Forum)

Abstract

The proper purpose of any human institution is to improve the lives of the people who depend on it. If we support that proposition, then is there any place for a private-purpose corporation? The question becomes especially urgent as society and the human species face growing threats.This paper posits that the private-purpose corporation, and the neoliberal ideology that affirms it, are major drivers of the social and environmental destruction we daily witness. If that is the case, then what might be essential features of business institutions that would better serve humanity? What might be the role of a Theory of Community. And what might that mean for business education? This paper provides a broad framework for exploring those questions from a humanistic management perspective. It addresses the foundational issue of human purpose, describes the growing momentum for moving societies toward an ecological civilization, and notes the Earth Charter as a valuable source of ethical principles. Finally, it identifies the outcomes the formal institutions of an ecological civilization must serve and concludes with five design principles that these institutions will need to honor to support lives of diversity, beauty, creativity, and meaning for all.

Suggested Citation

  • David Korten, 2019. "What Will it Take for Business to Improve Lives?," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 101-110, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:4:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s41463-019-00059-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s41463-019-00059-5
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    Cited by:

    1. James P. Walsh, 2019. "Who Will it Take for Business to Improve Lives? The “Man” in the Mirror," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 111-117, July.
    2. Jonathan Ying, 2020. "The Importance of the Discussion Method in the Undergraduate Business Classroom," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 251-278, December.
    3. Michael Pirson, 2019. "Managing Towards a World that Works for all," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-4, July.

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