There is a very dangerous mindset that some corporations encompass. This mindset allows them to do business without much consideration of the effects of that business. Many corporations will do all that they need to do in order to achieve goals that they have set for themselves, but they neglect the issues that could potentially be involved in the goals. This way of thinking is very external. It is the pushing aside of future external problems so that progress can be made in that particular moment. The problems that may arise later are called externalities. These problems are created when a corporation makes a decision to do something that looks good at the time but can later have consequences. The corporations may even be aware of the tolls it could take but they try to externalize them, or in other words ignore them, for the benefit of their business. Pushing the problems onto someone else is not uncommon. They have this way of thinking that seems to say, "That is not my job so let someone else do it." Corporations have profit to uphold and deadlines to meet so they have to do what they can to get the job done, even if that is ignoring problems or expecting someone else to deal with them. Externalities are not a good thing. In fact, I think that corporations who fall into this mindset are doing nothing but harm to our future and the future of generations yet to come. For instance, South Western Energy Company has been drilling for oil by means of hydraulic fracking and in turn causing hundreds of earthquakes. They are externalizing the effects of this drilling even though these effects are very obvious. They are trying to expand their profit but at the same time they are doing damage. This example shows that certain corporations are running a successful business but they are causing harmful effects in the meantime. Some companies do not even cause harmful effects they just push aside issues that need to be resolved. They let someone else take care of these issues instead of dealing with them. The point that I want to make is that corporations who have externalities need to deal with them instead of pushing them into someone else’s hands or ignoring them all together. I believe that externalizing problems may better the business at that time but in the long run it will turn out bad. If corporations know that a goal they are trying to achieve cannot be achieved without some type of problem occurring down the road, they should reconsider. It is scary to think that some corporations choose to push problems aside that could have negative effects on our society. I think that corporations should strive to eliminate externalities and choose more appropriate alternatives.
Dear Blogger,
ReplyDeleteI remember going over this exact topic in class, and it raised many questions in my mind. Your blog seems to hold the same kind of questions as my own mind conjured up while watching the corporation segment. This connection instantly draws me in.
What stood out to me was your example of what externalities are. Your use of hydrolic fracking is a very serious case of externalities that I believe does need to be avoided. I never really thought of how that could be an externality and just how serious it can get if we do not do something about this.
When you say that Corporations need to reconsider when they have these externalities, I am torn between this. In the case that you gave, yes, a corporation should find a different way to do this. But in the case of, let's say, a road being used. This is unavoidable. Some externalities happen, and sometimes it is not all the corporations fault, but since society for the most part hates them, we seem to always blame them.
Thank you for writing, your topics are interesting and I believe I will come back, especially if you think a bit more outside of the box with these topics.
Your reader,
Blue Jay
Dear Britney,
ReplyDeleteMost corporations have the same mindset. They are only concerned about themselves. Like you said in your blog many corporations do things that make them look good at the time but have consequences later. Many corporations think that they can get away with the consequences. They think that the public has a short memory and that they can manipulate them into thinking whatever they want. Another thing that you mentioned was that corporations try to blame others for their problems. That makes the corporations look like it is doing the right thing even if it is not. It also distracts most people from the real problem. Thank you for writing Britney. The mindset that corporations have has a big impact on American society. Corporations need to be focused on doing the right thing instead of trying to cover up all of their wrongdoings.
Junco