College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
The Good Society (Kenneth Galbraith)
1) Galbraith proposes "On one side, there are now the rich, the comfortably endowed and those so aspiring, and on the other the economically less fortunate and the poor, along with the considerable number who, out of social concern or sympathy, seek to speak for them or for a more compassionate world." Is this an accurate portrayal of today's "economic and political alignment." (p 7)
2) Is there a way to repair the disconnect between the "ineffective stockholders" and the control of the "immobile corporate bureaucracy"? Is this situation any different that socialism? (p15 - 16)
3) Galbraith debases the concepts of traditional socialism and classical capitalism. What should be the relationship between the state and enterprise? (p16 - 19)
4) We have seen examples of corporate abuse, monopolistic manipulation (energy producers), larceny (S&Ls), insider trading, corporate raiders. How much corporate freedom should be allowed? (p28)
5) In your good society in there equal distribution of income. If not, why If so who controls the distribution. What is the role of the corporation in equity? (p 59)
6) Galbraith states that inheritance; personal empowerment (management controlling their compensation) and perversions of the financial world have no social justification. Do you agree and what role does your good society take in dealing with these issues? (pp 60 - 61)
7) Is there a responsibility to ensure availability of the following, health insurance, unemployment compensation, socially adequate minimum wage (p65 - 67) How about childcare, education, retirement?
8) What is the corporation's role in protecting the environment? Voluntary, regulated? (p 80)
9) Galbraith describes "four factors that force public intervention and regulation". Is intervention necessary? Is there another way to achieve the desired ends? (p76)
10) Regarding migration - Are there restrictions in your good society? Is your society highly educated? If so, who does the menial labor tasks? Who can businesses hire? What is the societies responsibility to immigrants? (p 91)
11) Galbraith describes bureaucratic inflation, empire building, which creates inefficient organizations. When this is recognized and downsizing (firing) normally occurs causing substantial human misery. Do corporations have any direct moral responsibility in these situations? If so, how much and what actions should be taken? (p 106 - 108)
12) Does your good society participate in free foreign trade? How do corporations respond to globalism? Ultimately, who is the corporation responsible to, the shareholders, the employees, the nation, the world, the universe? (pp 114 - 117)
13) What are your "good societies" responsibilities to the world? "That's another country, they are not our problem." (p 131)
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