기업의 목적은 오로지 이윤 극대화뿐일까?

경영학에서는 기업의 목적은 이윤 극대화라는 이론을 중심으로

‘어떻게’ 이윤을 극대화 하는지에 대해서만 연구하고 ‘무엇’이 그 이익인지,

그 목적과 가치가 무엇인지는 생각하지 않았다.

이 논문에서는 이윤 창출은 최종 목표가 아닌 한 가지 방법이며

기업이 오랫동안 살아남을 수 있는 사회제도적 기관이 되어가고 있는지를 생각해야 한다고 한다.

기업이 이익창출과 사회적 가치를 목적으로 한다면 다음 6개 측면에 대한 변화를 볼 수 있을 것이다

: 공동의 목적, 장기적인 관점, 감정적 관계, 공동체 구축, 혁신, 자기 조직화

[Abstract]

Corporate leaders have long subscribed to the belief that the sole purpose of business is to make money. That narrow view, deeply embedded in the American capitalist system, molds the actions of most corporations, constraining them to focus on maximizing short-term profits and returns to shareholders at the expense of worker safety and health, the environment, and society in general. In this article, HBS professor Kanter argues that a very different logic informs the practices of most high­-performing and sustainable companies: An institutional logic.

These companies believe that they are more than money-making machines; they are a vehicle for advancing societal goals. They deliver more than just financial returns; they also build enduring institutions.

At great companies, institutional logic takes its place alongside economic logic in research, analysis, and managerial decision making. Six facets of institutional logic—a common purpose, a long-term focus, emotional engagement, partnering with the public, innovation, and self-­organization—radically alter leadership and corporate behavior and form the building blocks of a more sustainable competitive advantage.

[Reference]

“How Great Companies Think Differently”, Rosabeth Moss Kanter (2011.11, HBR)