Politics of Business
The politics of business has become more complicated in today’s climate. More corporations are using their money to lobby government policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels. Most corporations will have to remove their conservative ideals and align themselves with the left-wing to pass legislation. Alexander Djerassi has seen the best and worst of politics in business. A corporation with an overtly liberal stance on social issues such as gay marriage will be challenged by its employees. It might lose business because of its stance on social issues.
Negative politics can be highly destructive for a business. When a company tries to serve both the employee and owner, it creates hostility and resentment. This hostility is not healthy for a business and helps no one. Positive politics can help maintain productivity and help build a healthy work environment. Positive politics can also help a business owner retain his employees.
The first principle of business is that a business must serve the customer. It is illogical to think that a business can do business with its employees if it does not approve of social conscience or socially conscious employees. Many companies have replaced their advertising with “green” advertising. This type of advertising promotes environmental responsibility for the company while simultaneously increasing the bottom line. The values of socially conscious employees can help both the owner and the employee.
The second principle of business is never to forget who owns the business and to leave the politics to the customers. When a company becomes too involved with the politics of the community, it loses its unique branding. It seems like the corporation is part of all the problems in the world rather than an entrepreneur who is solving his problems. It is illogical to think that a business should seek to protect itself from government regulation if it can easily accomplish through voluntary action what it could quickly achieve without regulation. A business owner who is skilled in politics can use that skill to help his business succeed. A business owner should also be careful in what he speaks about concerning politics.
The third principle of business is that if a business serves the public, then that business will be successful. In other words, a business needs to appeal to the general public to stay successful. By carefully catering to the public, a business can increase customer loyalty and increase customer satisfaction. A business that successfully appeals to the public always receives positive word-of-mouth advertising that helps it grow.
The fourth principle of business is that people are afraid of the loss of their freedom. The owner can hire people who will act as agents of the business. The owner also has the power to refuse to work with people who have certain behaviors that interfere with the freedom of others. A business that is run in this manner will continue functioning even when the owner is not there. Alexander Djerassi understands that if a job has policies against business politics, individuals will still use it.