This book considers Thorstein Veblen's central preoccupation with the dark places of business enterprise, an integral part of the old institutional economics. Combining the contributions made by Karl William Kapp and Philip Mirowski, it proposes the systematization of an adjourned institutional theory of social costs of business enterprise useful for the analysis of contemporary crises. The Dark Places of Business Enterprise explores the research potential of the theory of social costs for the analysis of actual business behavior in the current globalized privatization regime. It begins with a detailed outline of Veblen's critique of business enterprise and market competition before illustrating the methodical enrichment of this approach through Kapp's work. Finally, it concludes by proposing the integration of the Veblenian-Kappian approach with Mirowski's theory of markets and business doubt manufacture. The resulting theory of social costs will shed light on the ubiquitous business control of society under the now dominant computer-based technological infrastructure. This interdisciplinary foundation of the theory of social costs, encompassing knowledge from computer science and engineering to natural sciences, provides the tools required to analyze this great transformation.

Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

K. William Kapp’s heterodox theory of social costs proposes precautionary planning to pre-empt social costs and provide social benefits via socio-ecological safety standards that guarantee the gratification of basic human needs. Based on arguments from Thorstein Veblen, Karl Marx, and Max Weber, social costs are conceptualized as systemic and large-scale damages caused by markets. Kapp refutes neoclassical solutions, such as bargaining, taxation, and tort law, unmasking them as ineffective, inefficient, inconsistent, and too market-obedient. The chapters of this book present the social costs of markets and neoclassical economics, the social benefits of environmental controls, development planning, and the governance of science and technological standards. This book demonstrates the fruitfulness of the heterodox theory of social costs as a coherent framework to develop effective remedies for today’s urgent socio-ecological crises. This volume is suitable for readers at all levels who are interested in the theory of social costs, heterodox economics, and the history of economic thought.

This new edition of The Economics of Business Enterprise provides a comprehensive survey of the theory of the firm from the perspective of New Institutional Economics. It continues to emphasise the role of the entrepreneur within the firm and the emergence of institutional responses to rent seeking. Neoclassical, Transactions Cost, Austrian, Public Choice and Property Rights perspectives are contrasted and used to analyse private governance arrangements, contemporary developments in organisational form such as ‘the sharing economy’ and the regulatory framework.

Mission driven—business as a vehicle for change. The current business-for-profit model rewards short-term thinking, narrow self-interest, and a social-and-environmental-costs-be-damned attitude. Non-profits, while more focused on the greater good, tend to be inherently resource-challenged and rely on increasingly scarce grants and donations to sustain their existence. Social enterprise is an exciting, blended model driven by the desire to create positive change through entrepreneurial activities. The Art of Social Enterprise is a practical guide which supplies everything you need to know about the mechanics of social entrepreneurship including: Startup – envisioning and manifesting intention Strategic planning – balancing social and monetary value Maintaining an even keel despite the inevitable challenges associated with being an entrepreneur. This valuable resource also provides an unparalleled legal perspective to help you take advantage of established legal organizational forms, recent statutory creations, contract hybrids, certification programs and more. Aimed at emerging as well as established social entrepreneurs, for-profit leaders who want to introduce an element of social responsibility into their companies, and non-profit organizations who want to increase their stability by generating income, The Art of Social Enterprise is the definitive guide to doing well while doing good.