World Journal (New York) - World Journal (New York) - Weekly Supplement
企業嘗試不再利潤至上
資本主義重塑
●In a volatile world jolted by protest, revolt and environmental alarm, capitalism is showing signs of twitchiness.在一個示威、反抗和環境示警衝撞的動盪世界中,資本主義也出現顫動的跡象。
●For decades, business has been all about maximising profits and keeping owners happy. Now, thousands of companies and organisations are experimenting with broader values – purpose over profit, staff and communities ahead of shareholders – in order to meet the mood of the times.數十年來,商業關注的一直都是盡力擴大利潤並使持有者開心;如今,數千家企業和組織正在實驗更廣泛的價值,包括企業宗旨重於利潤、優先考慮員工和社群勝於股東,以期符合時代風氣。
●Driving this shift in consciousness is a phalanx of upstart, sustainable businesses. They cluster under different groupings – Conscious Capitalism, B Corp, The B Team, Just Capital – but all share the same central objective: to reshape capitalism for an environmentally endangered age.推動這波意識改變的是一群初嶄露頭角的永續企業,他們因不同團體聚集,包括非營利組織「自覺資本主義」(Conscious Capitalism)、B Corp、The B Team和Just Capital,但所有企業都有共同的核心目標:為環境岌岌可危的年代重塑資本主義。
●The best of these boast laudable motivations. In the past, if you wanted to change the world, you went into politics or joined a campaign group. Given the shift of power and resources to the private sector over recent decades, the smart money is increasingly on business to deliver solutions.這些企業的佼佼者吹捧值得讚揚的動機。過去如果你想改變世界,你會從政或加入活動組織。有鑑於最近數十年權力和資源改流向私人企業,精明的投資者也逐漸利用企業來提供解方。
●Not business as usual, that is. Plastering products with eco labels or providing perks to employees will make not a jot of difference if, behind the scenes, companies are still happily burning fossil fuels and browbeating suppliers.也就是說,企業沒辦法照舊經營。如果企業背後仍開心燃燒化學燃
料並威逼供應商,那麼就算使用有環保標章的石灰產品或提供津貼給員工,那麼也無法帶來些微的差異。
●“If businesses really want to be part of this movement for change, then great. But that change has to be radical and transformational. If not, it’s empty words and spin,” says Katie Hill, a spokesperson for the ethical certification body B Corp, which now counts over 3,100 registered members in over 70 countries.
道德認證機構B Corp發言人凱蒂希爾(Katie Hill)表示:「如果企業真想成為這波改變運動中的一部分,這樣很好,但這項改變必須徹底又能帶來重大變動;若非如此,那就淪為談空話和杜撰內容。」該機構現有逾70個國家超過3100名註冊會員。