Thursday, September 20, 2012
The Predatory Society
Do businesses practice deception? Check out a review of Paul Bloomberg's, "The Predatory Society". Insteresting review. I highly recommend the book!
http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1135&context=marketing_papers&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dthe%2520predatory%2520society%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CB8QFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Frepository.upenn.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1135%2526context%253Dmarketing_papers%26ei%3DizlbUOeLEIHA8ASHvYDIBg%26usg%3DAFQjCNGqryct_lHcot-2FFmSBVHZ4fU4aw#search=%22predatory%20society%22
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The book review was pretty interesting because it was talking about businesses being dishonest and whether or not people knew of dishonestly occurring in businesses and if they trusted businesses. As soon as a started reading the review I was like oh man hear we go with businesses and their shady practices. We read this for class in our own textbook about all the things businesses have done knowing it probably wasn’t exactly the right thing to do but they did it any way because they benefited from it. One thing I found interesting about the article is how it says one solution to the dishonesty problem in business is not to regulate because it just causes more dishonesty. Wow that’s odd so if there going to be dishonest with or without regulation might as well regulate. Also the article talks about how it is better for businesses to be honest with their customers because it will get them more profit when they are establish long term relationships. This might be true but I think only to a certain extent will companies be honest because I do believe it all comes down to profit. In the end the article did relate to what will are studying in class because after all people who commit white-collar crime have a problem being honest people.
ReplyDeleteThe author of this article, J. Scott Armstrong, argues that sociologists are prejudiced against marketers, thinking them dishonest. Studies cited a majority of people, not just sociologists, believe this also; and, how could we not when most every day we hear of another corporation that has caused harm: the tobacco industry defending a terribly harmful product, the diamond industry defending its product’s origin and manipulating supply to maintain high profits, US oil companies selling domestic oil to China, bailed-out banks and car companies that are supposedly too big to fail, and the list goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteArmstrong believes that honesty is high in US businesses today and increasing. He cites a study in which retailers were surveyed on issues of honesty: their responses show that they are much more honest now than they used to be, so it must be true if they say so. Armstrong states that honesty is good for making relationships with customers, which leads to increased profits. That’s true, but if dishonesty is never revealed, who is the wiser? Even if a business is caught cheating, it can call it an incident or pay a fine and go on with business as usual, and the public will soon forget.
Armstrong’s point that regulation is not needed because businesses are highly honest and that regulation would just make public servants corrupt, is probably wrong in the former and probably right in the latter—what a shame!
Armstrong likens deregulation to “Freedom” but misses the point because even freedom must have rules and regulations or a state of chaos will exist.
This review is about all this dishonesty that takes place in businesses today in order to try and make them more money. J. Scott Armstrong believes that if these business would just be honest that would come about better in the end, because people would trust them. I don’t think these businesses can be trusted, because they are so greedy for money and power. Money and power makes people do strange things and I don’t think that is right, because no matter how much money you have when you die you cant take it with you. There are many examples of dishonesty within businesses and it has been going on for so long that I don’t even think that it can be changed at least no time within the near future until punishments are put in place.
ReplyDeleteNo one should practice deception, but that doesnt mean that no one will do it, society especially. Society follow trends, so if what's going on in the world is deception, then most of society will partake in deception. The way businesses get ahead is by cheating or using the low man to surpass other competitors. It's not fair but life isn't fair so the corporate world will do what they have to do to keep their business afloat.
ReplyDeleteThe book review was interesting, in my opinion. The author states that sociologists are “biased against marketing people” I believe that there are a lot of businesses that are dishonest in order to make a dollar, and there is very little business that practice honesty. Every time you turn on the television, there is something on the news, about a business being deceptive. I also, agree that the businesses need more regulation, because when there are checks and balances in place, the businesses can be held accountable for their dishonest actions.
ReplyDeletethere's a saying in the streets: "Tricks come a dime a dozen and a sucker is born everyday." This is a dog eat dog world and has always been that. Cain tried to replace Abel so he killed him. The story is anold and ongoing one. That's just the way of the world.
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