Good Night,

I was watching The Corporation (http://www.thecorporation.com/) this week and it's a good film that could give a different point of view about the responsibilities within corporations (or organizations).

The Question at this time is...
Do you think corporations are the root cause of the problem, or is it consumerism, capitalism, or all three?

For your information the film says that the cause of many problems around world is about the bad behaviors from the corporations and their value of "always looking for money".

Well, it's no so easy to say that...Just imagine for a second.
You are a business management student and you get a great idea of starting a new business in town. Ok, your business is about selling typical clothes from the Americas (just as an example). You open your business and you start working at. 1 year after your business has grown and you have 2 stores. 5 years after your business is a big business in all the country and it's conformed by several managers (marketing, human resources, financing, design and others...). Also, you start to contract a lot of employees as sellers, in the shipping area and management.
Now, your business is a big organization, but this would not happen if your product did not have demand from the consumers.
You start to get a lot of money, so you have to think in what else you could invest that money and get more money every day...

The previous example could be a little and bad one about the start of an organization. But that's the way of how a business starts.
Now, somebody says that it's vey bad for the humans the creation of the Corporation.

I dont think so...i think that is a natural process, because the human has to survive within a big economy and a globalized world. You have to get money to eat, study, live, travel, for all the things you need and want you have to get money.
Maybe, when the corporations grow and make more and more money and they start a financial race about who gets more and who has more power to control the market and the economy is when the problem starts.

But, just say that the corporations are the root cause of the problem? consumerism or capitalism?
First, we can not live without corporations, cause they are source of work and economy.
Second, always is going to be consumerism
Third, not only in the capitalism model there are corporations. Within the socialism the Government has corporations, the Government is a corporation.

So, the problem is not made by corporations, the problem starts when the people change the conception of having money and managing a lot of money and power. The human always wants more and more...And if nobody could control this, always is going to happen.

In my concept the fount of problem are the laws and rules that control the corporations and the interest that the Governors have in that kind of business.

Dave.

CORPORATE CULTURE.....

Hi there...in this time I'm going to write a little bit about the corporate culture and what i think about it and how it's linked to national identity.

"Corporate culture is a term used to describe the collective beliefs, value systems, and processes that provide a company with its own unique flavor and attitude. Businesses of all sizes posses some type of corporate culture, in that every company has a set of values and goals that help to define what the business is all about.
At the foundation of any company culture are the standards that govern the operation of the business. These standards are usually expressed in terms of the policies and procedures that define how the company will operate. This will include how different departments or functions relate to one another in the production process, the line of communication established between management and departmental employees, and rules governing acceptable conduct of everyone who is part of the company. This basic organizational culture makes it possible to develop other layers of corporate culture based on these foundational factors."

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-corporate-culture.htm

Ok that is the academic point...this blog is supposed to be critical and give different points of view.

I think that the corporate culture is very linked to national identity...the enterprises that work within a country and that contract national workers have to take in count things about religion, beliefs and other cultural issues. Why? Because if you are a Musulman worker and you go to an enterprise from the US and within the enterprise they need you to believe in other religion or they need you to modify your own beliefs or customs...you are not going to be a good worker and you are going to be out in days.

So, the organizations have to mix their politics and values with the customs of the country where they are going to be.

Ok, i would like to make a comparative point about the national identity and the corporate culture...Maybe this point is going to be a "red point" because could be very controversial, so I'm hopping to be clear and waiting for the comments.
Well, if you see, if you are a north american enterpriser and you are the Regional Manager from a big company of the US, and in USA you have a perspective that Bolivia is a very poor country and the enterprises over there are not succesful as yours, when you are going to negotiate with that organization, you are going to subestimate the person that will be around the table talking to you. BUT, it dependes in what vision and what good information you have about the other party.
It's very important to know that you could not subestimate anyparty around negotiation, because that subestimation could finish the negotiation in a bad way and maybe that commercial partner was a good supplier or a good client...so...REMEMBER THIS!

Well...hopping to see your points of view

Thanks again

Culture!

Everybody has different customs, different ways of dressing, of saying HI!!...things that make people different.
That difference is very linked with "who are we?"...with "where are we from?"...but the most important, linked to our IDENTITY.
Well...Im from Colombia and when i go to another country, i have the same customs that i have in my country. Im very kind, friendly, happy...and that is going to make me different to others. For me, in this moment, culture is what makes you different from other people...its what makes you unique.

But, I think that is a very open topic and must be discussed with other people and be based in what the theories say. So, Im going to expose some definitons and articles about culture and their links.

"Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations"

http://www.unesco.org/education/imld_2002/unversal_decla.shtml

"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Edward B. Tylor in his book, Primitive Culture, published in 1871

"Culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group. "

The Center for Advanced Research of Language Acquisition CARLA http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html

Ok, so here is the blog and it would be nice if you could write something about your personal definition of culture and tell us how is your culture and what you think that makes you different from others in if this is linked with your culture.

Be nice, you and me could have different points of view.

Dave.