Kalysta Revie

BUS 1050
4/29/15

Personal Philosophy of Business

At the beginning of this course my philosophy was to never do anything halfway;
anything that a person does and puts their name upon should be done to the best of their ability.
This idea is still one to live by yet it seems more personal now. Business takes more than an
individual trying very hard. It takes cooperation between management, labor, capital and the
community. It means staying educated in the most current advances of your industry. Business
models should include flexibility
Being successful in business, to me, will mean creating a place where those who work
with me, whether for me or I for them, will feel as though I was attentive to their individual
needs while always acting in the interest of the business. There is a line drawn in business where
actions taken in the name of business are not meant to be personal; I suggest that business is
always personal. A business is not a strange alien force, it is a human creation, controlled by
humans. The first goal of business may be to create a profit, but if that profit was not benefitting
society as whole then the free market system would not be allowed to function as it does.
The free market in the U.S. is always at risk of individuals who represent labor becoming
resources rather than people. Karl Marx (1844) feared capitalism would allow large corporations
to take advantage of labor. With no regulations to reel them in he probably would have been
right. In a system with no internal reward for labor both the business and individual suffer. I have

seen first-hand the frustration of working with a company that thinks little of their employees,
and the work that it being done. Companies who pay minimum wage and leave little room for
error have a difficult time retaining employees, especially skilled workers. I see the necessity of
regulations to monitor companies from taking advantage of labor and I see the truth behind
labors demands.
Cooperation between management and labor is crucial to maintaining a successful
business. Andrew Carnegie spoke of the benefits that could reach a business willing to put the
needs of their employees into consideration. His writing in 1889 reflected a time when the
struggle between labor and capital were prominently evident. Companies who reward their
employees for exceptional work will more often acquire the exceptional work they have been
seeking. They will coax other talented employees away from competitors pushing them even
further ahead. Carnegie believed, as do I, that a world in which management thinks for the good
of their employees and not just for the good of profits is a world in which the problem of capital
and labor will be permanently solved to the satisfaction of both (p. 196).
Being able to work with those around me in finding solutions that can benefit both parties
is a crucial skill, yet I know that as a manager I will most likely not be friends with everyone. As
Peter Drucker (1909-2005) says Popularity is not leadership. Results are.(252).
Positions of authority are not often the most liked people in the business, but that is not
their job. The responsibility of management is to enforce rules to increase efficiency, they must
keep labor moving toward the goal of profits. Management is most effective when they are
helping labor improve itself; teaching and providing opportunity for growth are good ways to
help labor improve and entice the best kind of employees.

Most important is the ability to critically evaluate every decision. Not every situation will
be the same and I will need to choose between cooperation and the responsibilities of leadership
at times. There will never be one universally correct way to handle any situation. Trying to work
towards a cooperative solution is the best practice yet if that cannot be done the responsibility of
the position means acting in favor of the business. If a solution cannot be reached that is both
good for the business and leaves me feeling as though my character is intact, than perhaps it is
time to follow Chris Arnades (2013) example and find a new line of work. Perhaps there is no
perfect business philosophy but for now I will continue to try and finish everything to the best of
my ability, while staying true to my own moral character.

References
Arnade, C. (2013, November 25). Here's why Wall Street has a hard time being ethical.
Retrieved April 29, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/nov/25/wall-streethard-time-ethical
Carnegie, A. (1889). An employers view of the labor question. In C. M. Boardman & A. N.
Sandomir (Eds.), Foundations of Business Thought (2007, pp. 193-202). Boston: Pearson
Custom Publishing.
Drucker, P. (1909-2005). Not enough generals were killed. In C. M. Boardman & A. N.
Sandomir (Eds.), Foundations of Business Thought (2007, pp. 251-253). Boston: Pearson
Custom Publishing.
Marks, K. (1844). Alienated labor. In C. M. Boardman & A. N. Sandomir (Eds.), Foundations
of Business Thought (2007, pp. 203-214). Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing.