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The Enlightened Capitalists
- Cautionary Tales of Business Pioneers Who Tried to Do Well by Doing Good
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Professionals & Academics
Non-member price: $58.79
Publisher's Summary
An expert on ethical leadership analyzes the complicated history of business people who tried to marry the pursuit of profits with virtuous organizational practices - from British industrialist Robert Owen to American retailer John Cash Penney and jeans-maker Levi Strauss to such modern-day entrepreneurs Anita Roddick and Tom Chappell.
Today’s business leaders are increasingly pressured by citizens, consumers, and government officials to address urgent social and environmental issues. Although some corporate executives remain deaf to such calls, over the last two centuries, a handful of business leaders in America and Britain have attempted to create business organizations that were both profitable and socially responsible.
In The Enlightened Capitalists, James O’Toole tells the largely forgotten stories of men and women who adopted forward-thinking business practices designed to serve the needs of their employees, customers, communities, and the natural environment. They wanted to prove that executives didn’t have to make trade-offs between profit and virtue.
Combining a wealth of research and vivid storytelling, O’Toole brings life to historical figures like William Lever, the inventor of bar soap who created the most profitable company in Britain and used his money to greatly improve the lives of his workers and their families. Eventually, he lost control of the company to creditors who promptly terminated the enlightened practices he had initiated - the fate of many idealistic capitalists.
As a new generation attempts to address social problems through enlightened organizational leadership, O’Toole explores a major question being posed today in Britain and America: Are virtuous corporate practices compatible with shareholder capitalism?
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What listeners say about The Enlightened Capitalists
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- Brian Burke
- 19-09-2019
Honest and surprisingly optimistic
O’Toole does a great job portraying the challenges and opportunities facing modern capitalism. A bleak reality with a few shining stars.
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- Ali Alderete
- 17-01-2020
Enlightening material
All the stories in this book are inspiring, that are complemented by the experience of the author.
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