Lot of folks like to demonize corporate and business world, while assuming that the government and no-profit sector does not suffer from greediness etc. This lady convincingly talks about why both have their share of greedy and good people and really as I keep on saying neither should be blindly trusted. Some quotes:
[People] fail to differentiate between business leaders and dismiss the whole sector as greedy, uncaring, and destructive. Yet, even with much evidence of greed and wrongdoing in the public and social sectors, that same categorical condemnation is not present.
In fact, you can make a vital contribution in any of the three [public, private, social] sectors, because all three are needed for a society to function well. (If just one sector is weak or absent, the result is usually a failed state. Think of the former communist states that tried doing away with private business, or the chaotic warlord states without effective government.)
Mother Teresa became a symbol of charity ... If we asked the question, "Where does goodness lie?" it was in the heart of Mother Teresa,
Julius Walls, Jr.? Mr. Walls is CEO of Greyston Bakery, a $6.5 million for-profit enterprise in Yonkers, New York. Greyston bakes gourmet pastries for the New York City market and supplies brownie bits and other baked items for Ben & Jerry's ice cream worldwide. Greyston delivers high-quality goods while maintaining its policy of hiring and promoting the very people who have the hardest time finding good work. Nearly the whole workforce, including supervisors, consists of men and women who once were either in prison, addicted to drugs, on public assistance, or homeless. Some even go on to start their own businesses with help from Greyston, which also has a foundation for community development in Yonkers. The goodness here lies in Mr. Walls and in his colleagues. They work in the private sector.
This headline in the San Francisco Chronicle on May 13, 2007, demonstrates this point: "The Teachers Who Cheat: Some help students during standards test—or fix answers later—and California's safeguards may leave more breaches unreported." There have been similar stories around the country. The St. Petersburg Times wrote: "A former United Way executive pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing nearly $1.9 million to buy expensive show horses in what is believed to be the biggest embezzlement case in the agency's history." Sadly, it is all too easy to cite examples of corruption in the public sector as well, such as the recent Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. All three sectors are equally open to corruption or virtue.
Morality, ethics, and the ability to make the world a better place are not the domain of any one sector. It is individuals, and how they conduct themselves in the world, that matter. As you complete your college work, I hope you will take at least one course in entrepreneurship to learn how to translate your creative ideas into enterprises that create value for society. I hope you remember the many young people around the world who seek the opportunities afforded by entrepreneurship. And, I hope your story is told one day as an example of how you placed opportunity and choice in the hands of others. I hope people know through your actions that you used your unit of potential for good—whether in the private, public, or social sector.
