The Corporation Joel Bakan Presents Arguments - 872 Words

In the book, The Corporation Joel Bakan presents arguments, that corporations are nothing but institutional pathological psychopaths that are â€Å"a dangerous possessor of the great power it wields over people and societies.† Their main responsibility is maximizing profit for their stockholders and ignoring the means to achieve this goal, portrays them as â€Å"psychopathic.† Bakan argues that, corporations are psychopaths, corporate social responsibility is illegal, and that corporations are able to manipulate anyone, even the government. A corporation is an artificial person established by the law. It nurses the same rights as humans contrariwise; they are not equally responsible for their actions. A corporation cannot face the same charges a human would: if illegal actions took place. Bakan illustrates the traits of a corporation to closely resemble the traits of a psychopathic individual human being. These traits are, but not limited to: â€Å"1) unconcern for others, 2) incapable of maintaining relationships, 3) disregard for others safety/health, 4) repeated lying, 5) incapable of experiencing guilt, and 6) failure to conform to social norms.† Therefore, executive’s means for earning high returns for shareholders can be seen as a trait of a psychopath. Yet, the corporation’s attributes are not based on the qualities of the executives outside of their careers. As Bakan would say, â€Å"the people who run corporations are, for the most part, good people, moral people.† According toShow MoreRelatedThe Corporation - Book Review1670 Words   |  7 PagesThe Corporation: A Book Review Joel Bakan’s book, The Corporation: the Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, is a decisive look into the mind of the corporation, or big business. It outlines the importance of profit in business and how ruthless corporations are willing to be in order to bring in substantial revenue. The book uses a historical timeframe to portray the ruthlessness of business ever since the idea of the corporation arose in the 17th century. It provides an insight into a worldRead MoreAnalysis : The Corporation Joel Bakan878 Words   |  4 Pagesbook, The Corporation Joel Bakan, presents arguments: that corporations are nothing but institutional pathological psychopaths that are â€Å"a dangerous possessor of the great power it wields over people and societies.† Their main responsibility is maximizing profit for their stockholders and ignoring the means to achieve this goal. This in results portrays them as â€Å"psychopathic.† Bakan argues that: corporations are psychopat hs, corporate social responsibility is illegal, and that corporations are ableRead MoreThe Corporation - Ethical Analysis2751 Words   |  12 PagesModern day corporations display every one of the previously listed characteristics. Is it right that an institution, whose power now rivals that of the State that once created it to seek the better welfare of its citizens, display the psychological traits of a dangerous personality disorder? Many say no: there is a rising discomfort with the corporation and its pervasion into every sphere of human life and it is this uneasiness that has prompted many academics to further study the corporation and itsRead MoreThe Myth of Csr5260 Words   |  22 PagesFair Trade coffee. In fact, CSR has gained such prominence that the Economist devoted a special issue to denouncing it earlier this year. Although some see CSR as simply philanthropy by a different name, it can be defined broadly as the efforts corporations make above and beyond regulatio n to balance the needs of stakeholders with the need to make a profit. Though traces of modern-day CSR can be found in the social auditing movement of the 1970s, it has only recently acquired enough momentum to meritRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesWhilst their writing is accessible and engaging, their approach is scholarly and serious. It is so easy for students (and indeed others who should know better) to trivialize this very problematic and challenging subject. This is not the case with the present book. This is a book that deserves to achieve a wide readership. Professor Stephen Ackroyd, Lancaster University, UK This new textbook usefully situates organization theory within the scholarly debates on modernism and postmodernism, and provides