Nickname: sancool

Review: I am in absolute agreement with Malik's views. Companies do need to make money but the wealth needs to be shared by a wider audience not a select few. I am from India. It's quite interesting to see that in the past five years or so, MNCs like Unilever, P&G, J&J, and so on have slashed prices by as much as 33-40% on the top brands without any stripping down of product features, and yet the operating margins are very healthy (can you imagine the obscene profits?).These very corporations have been laying off people, ostensibly towards a tighter cost efficiency regime. And at the same time, the top management salaries have reached stratospheric levels-- classic example of cost control only at the bottom end!

Date reviewed: Jan 2, 2006 11:28 AM

Nickname: Icemanager

Review: I agree with Malik's point of view. I work for a mom and pop business, and at times it seems to be going the same route as the corporate world. It's difficult to resist the allure of high profits and a lack of caring for anyone but yourself. Managers need to think about their employees' needs before their own. As managers, we have a chance at making a difference in the working world. Everyone is capable of making waves. Money isn't the only language out there.

Date reviewed: Dec 31, 2005 9:39 PM

Nickname: Abdellatif

Review: Many more management students from the third world should be heading to St-Gallen rather than the US.

Date reviewed: Dec 31, 2005 6:42 PM

Nickname: Greenbook

Review: I find it good that a magazine on US business would publish an article on the way business should be done. (The European way). Bear in mind, Europeans have a 2000 year head start on America when it comes to humanity. The fact that there is only one comment other than mine leads me to belive that US managers don't know or care about life, living, humanity, ethics, and morality. Shareholder value is important, but people should always come first. These are the most basic facts of life, how could any one not know this? Infected indeed.

Date reviewed: Dec 31, 2005 3:00 PM

Nickname: Petrograd

Review: Nod, it's really sad. It's spreading too, but I guess it has gotten deepest into American society. Still, it's not good for anyone. Quick profit for shareholders, but meanwhile many people (not to mention the environment) suffer greatly. It'll take quite a bit to change the minds of the many from that, and not just in the US.

Date reviewed: Dec 31, 2005 3:26 AM

Nickname: mr.fuse

Review: "They are entrepreneurially led enterprises. Shareholder value, stakeholder value -- they were never infected by these terms," Malik says." Finally someone agrees with my point of view but being American, people think I'm nuts when I air the same views here. The stock market has "infected" this country to its core. At least in the popular TV series "Star Trek," the greedy Forengee aliens have rules of acquisition in which they live by. But to many companies in this country, any rules are to be broken then quickly rat out the competition when caught to take them down as well. And who cares about the employee in these "human blenders"? The employee and that's it.

Date reviewed: Dec 30, 2005 5:10 PM