[Dialogue] Change belief

[George Holvombe]

Question: is there any other reason for a company to cease to exist other than the loss of profits?  Depending how you answer the first question; is our actual moral judgments therefore defined by what corporations do?


George Holcombe
14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Mobile 512/252-2756

“...we have the choice: we can gratefully cultivate the relationships that make us part of a vast network, or we can take them for granted and allow them to wither and die.”  Brother David Steindl-Rast, Deeper than Words

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 11, 2011, at 10:36 AM, R Williams <rcwmbw at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Doris,
>  
> I have no interest whatsoever in defending Coca Cola, but here's another story about them.  In 2007 Chairman E. Neville Isdell stated that a guiding principle in the future growth of the company would be, "We should not cause more water to be removed from a watershed than we replenish."  After decades of having focused on managing their use of water after it came into the plant, they realized that if there was no water to bring into the plant, internal efficiency was a moot point.  They realized that they would have to pay attention to the larger water management system.  This caused them to put long-term water sustainability at the center of their business.  This was all spurred by a unique partnership they formed with the World Wildlife Federation, strange bedfellows indeed.  The whole effort was led by internal corporate change agents and operations persons from across the company.  Perhaps they could be called the "sensitive and responsive" ones within the company.  Obviously Coca-Cola was motivated by its own enlightened self-interest, of which profit is a part, as they saw their future success interwoven with the sustainability of the resource for the whole region.  In a partnership, partners invariably have different goals tied to a common need.  WWF had their interests as well.
>  
> I contend that profit is not a dirty word and, as George suggested, is absolutely necessary for a company to survive.  It's when profit "maximization" becomes the driving force that it becomes a problem, particularly if the focus is short-term.  By the way, as all of us well know, even non-profits have to generate a surplus, i.e. take in more than they spend,  or else they're cease to exist.
>  
> Randy
> 
> From: Charles or Doris Hahn <cdhahn at flash.net>
> To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 9:49 AM
> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Change belief
> 
> You could Coca Cola, especially for the damage done without remorse in India 
> where the water table has dropped dramatically where Coke pumps it out for their 
> drinks.
> Doris
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "sunwalker at comcast.net" <sunwalker at comcast.net>
> To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
> Sent: Wed, August 10, 2011 9:58:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Change belief
> 
> Speaking of counter to community, I have a new "Axis of Evil" list (which I am 
> working to learn to forgive & pray for vs. holding nasty thoughts for their 
> downfall) - it is headed by Monsanto. 
> 
> Sunny
> Sunny Walker Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lee Early <lees.mail at comcast.net>
> Sender: dialogue-bounces at wedgeblade.net
> Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:53:54 
> To: Colleague Dialogue<dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
> Reply-To: Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at wedgeblade.net>
> Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Change belief
> 
> The eating quote, as we used it in LENS when a little differently.  . . . to say 
> that profit is the purpose of business is like saying that eating is the purpose 
> of life.  If profit is not the purpose of business - - what is the purpose - - 
> what is the purpose of YOUR business?  
> 
> 
> It is also a bit of a squeeze to say that profit is the measure of how well a 
> business serves it's community.  I'm sure you know of at least a couple of 
> profitable business that run counter to community service in almost every way.
> 
> Attached is another take on profit.  
> 
> 
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