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by Rajen Kumar
No Escaping Social Media
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Apr 2012EMRC, Brussels Associates with SME WORLD as its New Media Partner
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Develop a Culture of Trust, Quality and Excellence
Jan 2009
Michael smith in his book “Beyond the Bottom Line”, writes that at the turn of the century, 51 out of the hundred highest revenue generating institutions in the world were business corporations, and not nation states. The wealth of some businesses exceeded the GDP of nations and humanity virtually put all its faith in the business corporations and market institutions to deliver well being.
However it has shown that enormous business power as it is has served only a minuscule number of people, while in fact excluding most from the growth process. The world's three richest people had personal wealth more than the combined GDP of over 30 poor nations. How can one believe that capitalism can ever become compassionate, natural or transformational?
In the near collapse of several vital sectors of the market economy and enterprise world wide, it first seems that even the 'single bottom line', one of creating just money was not achieved sustainable, leave alone the creation of environmental and social value. So this is nothing but the fundamental failure of overall character and ethics and the perversion of the 'creative and distributive integrity of value creation' enshrined in a business enterprise.
While there is bound to be extensive debate over this assault on public trust, the secrets of long lived companies of Japan bring us relief. 20,000 companies in Japan are more than a hundred years old; 1200 of them more than 200 years, 600 over 300 years, 30 companies 500 and more, 5 more than a thousand years and 1 is 1400 years. Why do so many long lived companies exist in Japan? In Japan, business has not only to make money but it should ultimately go beyond and serve the greater purpose and wellbeing of the society.
Most companies in Japan are not really big ones and they are into production of goods for daily consumption-food, clothes, provide shelter, build temples and carve Buddha sculptures.
In Japan, business is about religion in practice, every moment, everyday- such as a deep concern for employees, respect for customers, ethical pricing, and understanding supplier's difficulty and so on. Innovation and change are on high priority - more as self expressions of creativity and if the need arises as tools for survival. Most important is the emphasis on empowering people, creating a culture of trust, quality and excellence all the time.
Everyone tries to find their own benchmarks, not expecting too much clarity from an external standard or definition. This is interesting as most present day initiatives focused on sustainability of business come from a proactive domain. They are voluntary and depend on the motivation of self-driven employees. Social responsibility is also important, but it is deeply integrated to behaviour and action rather than the usual external face to an otherwise self serving business process.
In Japan, employees approach work from a mindset trained in Zen which was originally founded by Bodhi Dharma. It helps value the work of people, perfection, mindfulness and excellence at work place or fairness in engaging employees.
It further sets objectives for the self such as to attain a higher goal for one's life which presumably extends to serve the larger purpose of the enterprise as well.
Let us not lose sight of the basic purpose of business- service to create well-being.
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More Learned than Educated, You were!
I was speechless. Rather hesitatingly I asked him, “So, what have you decided, Sominder ?” His reply was curt and candid, “I have told the doctors that I don’t want to live life as dumb. Only...
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