Take Some and Give Some: Business & Society Integrated
Despite the amassed amount of significant accomplishments achieved by companies as corporate citizens, there exists an ambiguity of their true aggregate impact on society, and what society really needs back from them in return. This is when we, us-as a society of consumers, re-evaluate if we have set adequate expectations in the definition: corporate social responsibility. Business power is analogous to a massive iceberg. If an iceberg is seen as the great number of ways, and intensities business can impact society, there are two levels. On the surface, business’s influence on our society is easily observable. Business determines what is bought and sold, who is hired, who is fired, and the commercials we watch (Welsh). Unseen and often neglected, beneath the surface there is a more deeply rooted societal impact. Businesses can potentially influence the structure of government, societal values and cultural trends. Due to this, there is great controversy about how business power and operations impact our current values and ideals. Epitomizing this concept in a more specific sense is the potentially harmful marketing and promotional practices of companies. Many large businesses utilize their influential power through marketing; emulating and glamorizing harmful lifestyles and messages to children and young adults alike. Multiple viewpoints from powerful companies and various theories such as Market Capitalism, Dominance Model, Deontology, and Consequentialism will be used to analyze the economic, social, and moral implications of this issue.
McDonald’s, Altria Group, and Urban Outfitters embody the idea of corporate business power trickling into our everyday culture. While these companies operate on different business models, and sell different products, they share the commonality of promoting potentially