¶ … Marx, Sartre (Existentialism), and Skinner (Behaviorism) apply in the business sense (organizational ethics)?
On the surface, it might seem counter-intuitive to assert that two of modern capitalism's most dedicated opponents and critics, Karl Marx and Jean Paul Sartre, could provide advice for a manager in a contemporary organization. But by listening to their criticisms, a manager can help counteract exploitative workplace influences and create a more positive and productive environment.
For example, one of Karl Marx's primary criticisms of capitalism was that workers manufactured more than they could ever need or use, and received only a wage in return. This meant that workers were alienated from the product they produced, and felt little sense of accomplishment or connection to what they created, in contrast to workers in agricultural times. Factory workers slaved on property rented out by an owner who did not labor with his hands. The owner merely collected rent and/or used the property and the worker's bodies to make a profit for himself. Sartre discussed the radical alienation of modern human beings from modern society, noting that previous social bonds had been severed by industrialization, and human beings were terribly, radically free of old ethical systems in a manner that was profoundly disturbing. Humans had to learn to use freedom in a positive, rather than a negative fashion, said Sartre.
A modern manager, cognizant of such critiques, thus must try to create a workplace where a sense of connection to the product, place, and community is fostered. For example, at Google, workers are encouraged to use company time and equipment to pursue their own projects. Google is a place where workers can eat free meals, take free fitness classes, and combine work and pleasure. This creates a sense of togetherness, rather than fosters angst, alienation and exploitation. Skinner's concept of behaviorism, or rewarding positive behavior, is transformed so that giving back to the organization with creative input and ideas is reinforced. Google's mindset shows a sophisticated evolution beyond the concept of giving a worker a crude 'carrot' in the form a small bonus when he or she succeeds in fulfilling a mechanical objective like producing a particular number of widgets.
