What role should the corporations play in our life

What Role Should The Corporation Play in Our Lives and Society, If Any?

Coroprations are large firms that exist as a legal entity owned by shareholders who divide profits that are generated through the firm’s operations.1 A number of corporations is increasing within last years. It is undeniable that in contemporary world corporations influence people and their lives. Corporations play some important functions in society, such as employing people, producing goods that are commonly used in society, investing in development the industry and so on. The results of corporation’s operating could have both advantages and drawbacks. The first positive aspect of corporation is the fact that people can develop teamwork. Everybody works individually, but they all create the entirety. The work is divided into some parts of the one integrity. Everybody is responsible for something different and that makes the employers feel indispensable and responsible for the special areas. Teamwork has become an integral part of the modern workplace. The companies used to adapt hierarchical structure but they realize that their staff is more effective when they work together. It is true that there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team as teamwork requires collaboration. Moreover teamwork may be useful in our private life, for instance family life while people do something together.

The whole idea is presented in a Thomas Woodrow Wilson’s quotation, “We should not only use the brains we have but all that we can borrow“2. He implies that the key to success is sharing ideas with other people. A great exaple is Ilan Gluck, a man who works in Deloitte Company. He decribes his teamwork on his blog and presents teamwork as a skill that he learned and developed at work in a corportion.3 What is more, in corporations the remuneration is quite high. The highest remuneration is for those, who occupy the most important positions in the company. There is no doubt that there is a lot of work, which is full of stress. All in all, the salary is quite satisfactory. There are many bonuses, financial allowances and and rewards for those who have the best outcomes of the work. For instance, in Continental, the corporation, which deals with cars and the staff connected with them, they offer “additional payments such as holiday pay and a Christmas bonus. But that is not all: as part of group working, employees receive additional remuneration if the targets are met “.4 On the other hand Naomi Klein, a Canadian activist, who is famous for criticism of corporate globalisation has a completely different oppinion. In “NO LOGO”, a book, which is a manifesto against exploiting people in global corporations, she summarizes the system of payment in these words, “You make us rich, you get a healthy cut. But if we take a hit, then you take one too”5. She implies that the money people earn is strictly related to the results they achieve in the company and it is not as high as people think. Apart form that, many people who work in corporations have their career path planned by Human Resources Departmens of the corporations. As a result, to get a promotion, people should fulfill some requirements. The main advantage of that is the fact that in general the rules of promotion are transparent. In Mc Donald’s they offer a career path to help employees who want to advance.6 They claim thay it is easier to stay on track and plan for a successful career when they know McScholars tutition will match, where they want to go.

In addition, working in the corporation is a great opportunity to broaden horizons and a big chance to gain experience in our career. However corporations have some important disadvantages. Firstly, people do not realize that corporations became a dominant institution in their lives. They deal with big companies almost at every area of their lives. It is commonly said that corporations rule the world. People are just victims of marketing policy. Many information and news in the media is filtred, so it is possible that they are only partially true. People are surrounded by brands and logos of companies that are working internationally. On the face of it, there is nothing bad that a company thrives in many areas in the world. However it is worth saying that in general they don’t obey the rules of work ethics, morality and fairness. For instance in 2010, Mark Hurd resigned as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. following an internal investigation into his relationship with a contractor. The investigation ultimately found that Mr. Hurd hadn’t violated the company’s sexual-harassment policy, the company said, but concluded that he had run afoul of the company’s code of conduct.7 Every company claims that the most important merit for them is to serve the public good – nothing more misleading. Money is on the first place of the hierarchy in the companies. Their aim is to return the costs of production with extra financial benefits. The higher the benefit, the better for the corporation.

What is more, another negative impact of corporations is destroying nature and environment. The aim of the corporations is easy – money and financial profits, so others factors are not relevant for them. Many companies, especially those which produce goods, pollute rivers, produce many greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. It’s impossible for them to conform to social rules with respect to lawful behavior. Sometimes they prefer to pay a fine for polluting the environment because it is cheaper than to resign from a business contract that will bring more financial profits. The truth is that corporations are not guided by public good, but only by their own financial interest. For instance, Allegheny Energy, an US energetic company appears to take proactive steps, including spending $1.2 billion on clean air technology. It’s also is on the third place in „The 15 Worst Companies For The Planet”, a ranking prepared by Newsweek.8 What is more, many corporations just exploit people. A good example of that are companies that produces clothes. Leading retailers – including Zara, Gap, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon Accessorize, New Look and Primark employ thousands of women working 14 hours a day for poverty pay in Bangladesh.9 The people, who are responsible for preparing the clothes obtain such a low remuneration that they are not able to help their family to survive, eat and finally live. The corporations wants to minimize the cost of production and maximize the profits during selling the clothes by exploiting people who work long hours and they sue the clothes almost like a robots.

The corporations should be: “as a family and work together, as a telephone system and reach everywhere, as an eagle and always be ready, noble, visionary and inspired”10. They should respect their employees more and compete with others in a fair way. Corporations should give up their despotic character but on the other hand some economist claim that the despotism in economy is safe for the market. Corporations determine almost every area of the society and our lives and partially they rule the policy and situation on the market. They have impact on the financial situation around us and as well as our mental health as working in a corporation is stressful and full of haste.