Guardian – Why doesn’t apple employ more US workers

[Shawn Miller]

[Bobby Mosca] “A business should not operate for the interest of its employees, but for the interest in its customers.”

US corporations are required by law to act in the best interests of their stockholders. The legal obligation for these companies to make money quite often puts the interests of employees, customers and the general public at odds. It’s a tough balancing act, to be profitable AND conciencous of your impact on people (employees,customers, the general public)… but it can be done. Obviously, some companies are better at it than others.

Shawn

[Bobby Mosca]

“US corporations are required by law to act in the best interests of their stockholders.”

I understand your larger point, but not exactly. For one, and this is just semantics, but the stockholders and the corporation are one and the same. But I know what you mean… The agents of management are charged to act in the owner’s interest, but only as that interest is defined by the owners. There are numerous legal operating/reporting requirements (OSHA, EEOC, DOL, SEC, etc), but nothing that says the actual decisions and actions must be in anyone’s particular interest.

You’re right about the rest. It is a balancing act, but I believe toward one goal: to keep and/or add customers.