Scott Petty

Professor Noel
bus 1050
4/25/2015
MY RENAISSANCE
The chapters in the the textbook gave me awakening to the beauty that can lie hidden
in any given paragraph or sentence. It is one thing to be able to merely read, but another to be
able to really analyze it and begin to see a deep meaning. One of my favorite examples is a
metaphor about a squirrel pushing a wheel in the dependence effect. The squirrel being
applauded by an onlooker to keep up with a wheel it is pushing is similar in thought to a
consumer urging the production companies to keep up with consumer wants. When this is
analyzed it can be said that both the squirrel and the manufacturers are trying to keep up with
something that they themselves set in motion to begin with, and this cycle is being
encouraged by the onlooker, or consumer. This chapter had so much personal meaning to me
because it shined a light on my own unfortunate spending habits, I found it very personal
when comparing wants, needs, and the cycle that society falls into trying to keep up with each
other. Wants are more glamorous, they are addictive; the chapter points out that the actual
want of an expenditure takes on it's own life, and the need that a purchase is meant to satisfy
becomes less important than the craving for the big purchase.
Civilizations all through history have had their own urges for wealth and wants; Rome
had their fair share of issues for this reason. Trade was a huge priority, and I found it very
interesting that the legions main job was to protect trade in the empire. Great port towns rose
up and the urge for higher and higher profits began to take focus. It is interesting to draw
comparisons to those times and to the industrial revolution, in terms of profit focus. Slaves
rose up due to conditions they endured in ancient Rome, it seems very similar to steel
workers being mistreated and striking, having to endure much violence all in the name of fair
treatment for labor workers. Speaking of the Roman empire, it is interesting to note that the
downfall of the empire did not actually happen due to the love for profit, it was actually
triggered by the new found adoption of Christianity. This really confused me at first, because
I would have thought it may have taken place due to the greed and obsession with violence,
but in fact it was the opposite. It was Rome's new found morals and ideals having to due with
profit focus, violence, and other acts that were considered sinful or even evil, that created a
societal clash. How can a society built on trade, questionable entertainment and a high
opinion of wealth survive when all those things then become sinful? It made me wonder what
could become of a country, even in today's world, that adopts an official religion.
The working poor is a subject that upset me a bit, because it seems like we haven't
figured out all these problems of alienation and disassociation with ones work that have
haunted production laborers for so long. During the industrial revolution in Victorian England
new inventions made it possible to create textiles in large quantities, this produced the need
for factories, and production (unskilled) laborers. People moved in from the country to
factory towns in huge amounts, creating the need for large amounts of cheap housing. The
living conditions were awful, and the factory owners hired and fired without care for the
employee's health or welfare. It didn't matter much to a factory owner if someone was injured
on the job or if they needed more pay to get by, they were nothing more than and expense and
a liability. Now looking forward to steel production in America, workers demanded fair
treatment and better ways of laborers to be heard. Labor unions were formed so the needs of
the unskilled worker could be voiced to the powers that be in the industry. When I think of
this I think back to reading Andrew Carnegie's chapter on labor and management. One thing
that really stood out to me was his idea of the employees having a stake in the company they
work for. This would really put a stop to the feeling of alienation and the problems associated

with it. Also the idea of pay fluctuation that is agreed upon by non formal bodies outside of
court, so the need for strict labor unions and court proceedings can be avoided. His ideas
seem very smart to me yet companies that subscribe to thoughts like that are few and far
between. In our right to work state what would be the incentive for a company anyways? It is
frustrating to think of these issues.
I have always been very interested in biology and human interaction based on the
natural instincts in a group of people. It is interesting how the book puts this in the context of
business, it allows it to be analyzed, what behavior in business in good for the progress of
people as a whole. Do people need to be controlled, should they bow to religious or
governmental demands, or just allowed to naturally do business as they see fit. Adam Smith
had great ideas for a Capitalist way of thinking, basically a free market is one in which every
merchant is free to compete for business and by doing this the needs of people will be met.
This was a bit different way of thinking and not everyone was convinced it could work, also
it was met with disapproval from many religious members due to feelings that a merchant life
was evil. It really bothered me when I read about how much religious institutions stuck their
nose in the dealings of business through the ages, there seems to be no logical reason for it in
any way. But capitalist thought became popular and religious opinion changed due to it's
success, and the man once called an anti-christ was now just doing a necessary evil. Even
the United States founding fathers held his ideas to be very important to the future of the
Country.
I was drawn to chapters 21 and 22 because of my interest in management and how
people in authoritative positions utilize different tactics to keep people on task, but also
keeping workers interested in the work they are doing. These chapters explain different
management ideas and issues with certain things on the topic. One of my favorite things I
took from chapter 21 is that when authority is considered an absolute it becomes a problem,
because authority is basically just a concept and people that have it are given a certain
amount of discretion to act how they see fit in certain situations. I have always been
fascinated with the relationship between manager and worker, the interactions between them
and the skills needed in those situations. If authority is considered an absolute then even the
slightest stray from what is to be done can be considered punishable, but when considered a
concept by a manager, they may let the rules be more like guidelines to follow. Even though
Peter Drucker's chapter was not read, he has ideas that are simply amazing when it comes to
manager and employee relations. One of my favorite ideas of his is to treat an employee as an
asset. An employee should be given the encouragement to further their skills and knowledge
for the companies benefit. When treating an employee like this it benefits both parties, the
company will have a more dedicated worker and also a worker who is much more skilled in
the area they are working in, thus increasing the value they can give to the company.
One of the greatest chapters in the book in my opinion, is the steel labor job through
the eyes of the worker himself. It actually gave me shivers to explore so intimately into
someones personal life of hard labor in that industry. What better way to actually understand
the alienated feelings one could have building the same thing over and over again,
understanding one is a low skilled laborer and doesn't have much say due to their position or
really anything invested in it at all. It takes you on a ride through the feelings one has of do
the same thing day in and day out, then having to to the bar to relax before going home.
When I read about the need to become a different person at work and at home it really made
me feel a bit of sympathy for the struggle that one would go through in that situation. It made
me feel angry at a system that would treat people like machines, and not find a way to adjust
working conditions and jobs in order to give more satisfaction. Also the part when it was said
that he didn't want his son to become like him, or have to work how he works, it really made
me think of the struggle that must go on.

Gandhi was so intelligent and his thoughts on mass production and society really
inspired me when I read them. The groaning of the world is what he calls the world that is
basically suffering due to the obsession with mass producing wants, many times at the
exploitation of people and other nations. I completely agree on his thoughts of a purposeful
life; people really should consider others, and consider the things that can help another
human. The purposeless life he says, is people indulging so much for themselves, many times
at the detriment of others.
I think that business is a good thing, and a healthy thing in society when machines are
used for good purposes and not bad; when labor is not displaced but flourishes; when humans
treat each other with respect. It is interesting to read the chapter on the social responsibility of
business after that, it is not really contrary to the main ideas, but it makes the point that a
business has but one goal, and that is profit. The chapter argues the point that something that
is best for the worker and society might not necessarily be the things that people demand
from a company, like limited pollution, higher wages etc. I tend to agree with many of the
things in this chapter, but at the same time on an emotional level I want companies to feel the
need to have peoples health, welfare, happiness, in mind.
What I take away from this textbook is that the issues that plague our society when
thinking of business and labor issues are never simple, and there are many different opinions
and ways of looking at business in society. The opinion I have is that, consumers are the
ultimate owners of a business; a company can analyze and prioritize all they like, but if a
consumer disagrees with practices they may not buy products. The company lives and dies
based on what a consumer thinks of them, so in that case a company is only as good as their
image. Xerox is a good example of this, they actually obtain a huge amount of business based
purely on their Eco-friendly policies and such. This shows just how strong image is, and in
my opinion it is the strongest thing a company can posses. Consumers know when a company
treats employees unfair, or if they are responsible for mistreatment here or abroad, consumers
are not unwilling to boycott due to such things, and that should be understood by every
company that does any kind of business. If companies aren't careful they could end up on the
other side of the Xerox phenomenon, and actually start losing business based purely on their
lack of an Eco-friendly mindset. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what a company
makes or how fantastic it is, if the people will not support a company then everything else
makes little difference.