College American Business Conscious Capitalism Discussion

Post for classmate 1: In many organizations, being people centered is considered soft, irrelevant, and unrelated to profitability. Based on the video: “Everybody Matters: A Documentary Short Based on the Best-Selling Book” and the assigned readings on conscious capitalism, contemplate the conscious capitalism principles (e.g., conscious leadership, stakeholder orientation, conscious culture, and higher purpose) as a framework. Consider at least two companies that successfully adopted this business philosophy to gain success and combat traditional corporate approaches. How do these companies embody the tenet of “higher purpose” and create deeper meaning by focusing their goals beyond profits and inspiring stakeholders? What connections can you identify between the four principles of conscious capitalism and the Christian concept of putting others before oneself? Conscious capitalism is such a remarkable topic to discuss so early on in the curriculum. It really sets the stage for every person taking this course that your journey to become a leader is going to be different than you may have experienced from leadership while you have been working. With that being said, it will then be the framework from which you learn and grow during this MBA program. Conscious capitalism is a business philosophy that was developed by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, and Raj Sisodia. (Kenton, 2018) They argued that both business and capitalism is good. The philosophy is the act of a business running in a socially responsible economic and politically conscious way. (Kenton, 2018) They believe the business should serve all stakeholders of the company and not just management and shareholders. (Conscious Capitalism, 2021) This is a different way to look at capitalism philosophies of the past where productivity and profit were of highest value. There are several companies leading the way and changing how they lead their company. The first example is Southwest Airlines. They lead with what they call the “triple bottom line approach” where they focus on profit, social costs, and the environment. (Big Impact HQ, 2021) One of the ways they embody the four tenets of conscious capitalism is to put its employees first. By doing this they are then driving business forward as when employees feel valued and cared for, they then do their best which overall benefits the company. Another company employing conscious capitalism is Trader Joe’s. Not only do they care for their employees, but they also recognize and combat social issues including food waste and hunger. (Big Impact HQ, 2021) By doing this, they are a champion for a more sustainable world. Both of these companies have loyal customers and therefore improved profits. They have obtained this loyalty from consumers just by focusing on all stakeholders and investing into the social needs of the world. Each company that has adopted the conscious capitalism business philosophy has created a company that elevates humanity, meaning they all have a higher purpose.

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Classmate 2 post: Understanding organizational behavior is an incredibly impactful component of business success whether one is an owner, manager or general employee. When considering the general concept of organizational behavior there are three perspectives to be considered: the individual, the group and the organization. While these three parts of an organization are interconnected, they must also be

recognized individually. For example, one of the most important things to discern on an individual level is what will motivate someone to work well, for motivating factors can vary greatly depending on an individual’s personal background (Griffin, Phillips & Gully, n.d.). Taking the time to assess this can be beneficial in two ways, including giving an understanding of how to motivate current employees and also helping managers hire future employees who will respond to the organization’s established style of motivation. Analyzing organizational behavior from the group perspective is also valuable because nearly all workplaces will require collaboration to a large degree. Gaining insight on how individuals function as a group can lead to effective conflict resolution and increased team cooperation when it is necessary for people to work together. The third and final perspective to analyze is the organizational perspective,

which has a very significant impact on overall success because individual and group dynamics are greatly affected by the overall culture of the organization as well as the style of management. Considering management involves planning, leading, organizing and controlling resources and people. it is vital to look at a business from an organizational perspective and check if the managers operate in

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