Profit motive vs. LO LO23622

Brian Gordon (briangordon@livetolearn.com)
Tue, 14 Dec 1999 21:20:01 -0700

Replying to LO23590 --

Robert,

I wrote:
>> Southwest Airlines is an example of a company to which profit is
>> important
>> and which has done extremely well over a 20+ year period of time -
>> financially and in other measures. However, to Southwest, profit is not
>> the main objective. Providing inexpensive airfares so that more people
>> can afford to fly is what drives the company.
>

You wrote:
>But since our system IS based on profit motive, and that profit motive
>drives almost everything, railing against it seems a bit pointless without
>offering alternatives.

Did I not offer an alternative (the way Southwest goes about its business)
in the example I gave?

You also wrote:
>I'm sure we would all agree that many things in the world could be better
>(including the weather), but trying to get companies to move off of profit
>motivation is about as useful as asking the hurricanes to please not come
>to Florida.

The weather is not currently under human control; however, decisions about
how to run our organizations are. Just because most companies currently
operate under the assumption that profit is the primary goal does not mean
that they always will, or that they cannot be persuaded otherwise (perhaps
by examples like Southwest Airlines).

Brian

briangordon@livetolearn.com
Live to Learn
www.livetolearn.com

-- 

"Brian Gordon" <briangordon@livetolearn.com>

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