Esej o Corporate Social Responsibility: Profit vs. Principle - 257 slow

The Mandate of Shareholder Value

The debate surrounding corporate social responsibility: profit vs. principle centers on whether a firm’s primary duty is to its owners or to society at large. Traditional economic models prioritize fiscal returns, yet contemporary ethics philosophy suggests that businesses must operate as moral agents within a global community.

Milton Friedman famously argued that the sole social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. From this perspective, managers are agents of shareholders; diverting funds toward social causes without a direct financial mandate is viewed as an undemocratic tax on investors. Friedman contended that social problems should be the province of the state, not the boardroom. However, this narrow focus often ignores the negative externalities, such as environmental degradation or labor exploitation, that corporations may impose on the public to lower costs.

• 100 slow
• 250 slow
• 1000 slow
• 2000 slow