Uses both political and democratic studies perspectives as well as economic, philosophical and managerial to provide a practical insight into the issues like the extensive economic power of large enterprises and changing balance of power between public and private sector, regulation and the governance of large private entities.

Reports the results of a major qualitative transnational study on the role of business in democratic transitions and economic development conducted over several years by the Institute for the Study of Economic Culture of Boston University, headed by Berger, and the Centre for Development and Enterprise in Johannesburg, headed by Bernstein. Includes case studies of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Spain as well as the US and South Africa. The contributors, business scholars and social scientists, use the new light the findings throw on how business shapes societies to explore the implications for the future. Distributed in the US by Continuum. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This dissertation deals with the feasibility of having large publicly traded corporations in the United States organized and operated on the principles and practices of workplace democracy. While the United States appears to be a model of democratic society, there seems to be widespread acceptance that democracy is limited to the civic lives of citizens. the research problem involves the interpretation of the term democracy and the legitimacy of expanding the term to include workplace democracy. There are reasons that the ideal of workplace democracy has not been embraced in the United States, which is a primary theme in this dissertation, and includes the issue of the primacy of the corporation as the avatar of capitalism and the reluctance of people to interfere with this economic system. Three methodologies were utilized: a philosophical inquiry was undertaken into the meaning of democracy and how this concept is translated into the everyday lives of people; discussion groups were organized to gather data about the ideas of people who work in large publicly traded corporations and their beliefs about workplace democracy; a case study was done of the world's largest worker cooperative, Mondragon CC of Spain. the key findings demonstrate that people do not understand the concept of workplace democracy, primarily because they have not been raised in institutions that practice democracy. Second, the economic system of capitalism is considered to be a highly effective one for economic growth, and people appear to believe that workplace democracy would not contribute to this success. Finally, the case study of Mondragon CC, the world's largest worker cooperative, demonstrates that a large democratic business can compete and prosper in a capitalist environment. the theoretical implication of this research is that workplace democracy can satisfy the need for the attainment of higher levels of participation and self-determination for all organizational members. Then there is the practical implication that the for-profit business organization be profitable and viable for the long term. Further research is required to reinforce the findings reached in this dissertation.

This is the first book to provide a precise description of how companies can put purpose into practice. Based on groundbreaking research undertaken between Oxford University and Mars Catalyst, it offers an accessible account of why corporate purpose is so important and how it can be implemented to address the major challenges the world faces today.

Silver WINNER of the 2021 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Ethics WINNER of the 2021 Jim Deva Prize for Writing That Provokes From the author of The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power comes this deeply informed and unflinching look at the way corporations have slyly rebranded themselves as socially conscious entities ready to tackle society's problems, while CEO compensation soars, income inequality is at all-time highs, and democracy sits in a precarious situation. Over the last decade and a half, business leaders, Silicon Valley executives, and the Davos elite have been calling for a new kind of capitalism. The writing was on the wall. With income inequality soaring, wages stagnating, and a climate crisis escalating, it was no longer viable to justify harming the environment and ducking taxes in the name of shareholder value. Business leaders realized that to get out in front of these problems, they had to make social and environmental values the very core of their messaging. Their essential pitch was: Who could be better suited to address major societal issues than efficiently run corporations? There is just one small problem with their doing well by doing good pitch. Corporations are still, ultimately, answerable to their shareholders, and doing well always comes first. This essential truth lies at the heart of Joel Bakan's argument. In lucid and engaging prose, Bakan lays bare a litany of immoral corporate actions and documents corporate power grabs dressed up as social initiatives. He makes clear the urgency of the problem of the corporatization of society itself and shows how people are fighting back and making gains on a grassroots level.