Should we develop a law requiring corporations to have more uniform values?

Question

Corporations can have any value system they want in this country. For example a retailing company I worked for considered proper buying (buying and having what the customer wants to purchase) to be extremely important, and salesmanship was not as important. Another Company in retailing took the position that salesmanship was the most important thing in life and business. Both companies are no longer in business.

One company I worked for regards "chain of command" as extremely important and my current employer regards the concept of "chain of command" as not team-oriented.

One company I worked for regards interpersonal skill as the most important skill and another company promoted people to management positions who openly call their subordinates morons or idiots, therefore, interpersonal skill is not highly regarded.

These value differences can cause tremendous difficulty for some in changing jobs.

Answer 1

You've got to be kidding.  If you want a uniform value system, consider communism, pretty much a failed idea.

Our system is all about having choices.  If every company operated with exactly the same values, why would you need more than one company in any industry?  They'd all be just about the same. Think about it and I'm sure you'll agree that our society is the best you'll find without having to impose someones ideas about uniform values. (Have you thought about who would police these uniform values?)

Answer 2

Such a proposal would have a chilling effect on innovation of management and business techniques.  If we had laws that required that management behaved a certain way, then companies would not be free to try new ideas.

Besides, who decides which management style is better?  The best way to affect change is to allow the market to decide.  The company who promotes those whom call their subordinates idiots, will soon find that the only people willing to work for them are in fact idiots.  Because the smart workers have moved on to work for a company that appreciates them.