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Quickies: It’s Business Time

2012 at 5am     Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Maybe it’s the crazyinsane work schedule or the daunting (but incredibly satisfying) Toni Morrison re-read project, but I’ve been finding lately that I can’t focus on fiction. In the zero-sum game of allotting imagination energy, work and Toni get pretty much everything (okay, “Smash” is getting a tiny and embarrassing bit, too) and leave me incapable of building worlds and stepping into others’ lives in my mind. So I’ve been binging on nonfiction (like the superawesome The Power of Habit), and much to my surprise, I’ve found myself reading several business-y books.

First up is The 20% Doctrine by Ryan Tate. If you’ve read much about Google in the last few years, you’ve probably heard about their “20% Time” policy, which allows all employees to spend 20% of their working hours on projects for their personal enjoyment, the assumption being that workers are happier, healthier, more innovative, and more productive in the long-term when they’re allowed to experiment, explore, and flex their creative muscles. In The 20% Doctrine, Tate investigates how other companies–both within the tech industry and well beyond it–have implemented and benefited from encouraging employees to goof off while on the clock.

And it’s really interesting! At least, it was to me, particularly in the context of my work at a start-up that exists primarily in a creative industry but is also tech-based. I have a lot of control over my days and flexibility in how they’re structured, and I’ve been playing with applying something like the 20% doctrine to my work life. (Honestly, it’s more like tacking an extra hour or two of creative time onto my workday than it is using existing work time for creative projects, but it is making me happier and more productive, regardless.) The book also fed my current obsession with workflow (ask me sometime how not checking my email first thing in the morning has changed my life!) and reminded me how valuable learning about other businesses’ best practices can be. Because I’m now the kind of person who uses phrases like “best practices.” Oy! Moving on.

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In Ethical Chic: The Inside Story of the Companies We Think We Love, Fran Hawthorne looks at six BIG companies that are perceived by the public as being highly ethical to find out, well, if they really are. Hawthorne hits Tom’s of Maine, Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Timberland (Who knew they had this reputation? Not I.), and American Apparel, discussing her research about how they source materials, treat their workers, and interact with their communities. She does a nice job of pointing out the way that consumers equate “cool” with ethical–maybe it’s wishful thinking?–and the feedback loop that’s created when a company decides to make their practices more ethical in hopes of becoming hipper. There are no earth-shattering revelations here, and the writing is dry at times, but there are some fascinating bits, I appreciate that Hawthorne set out to question assumptions and look at evidence instead of accepting spin.

And now I have a question for you–because it’s a question/quibble I had during the reading–do you consider how a company prices its products to be a factor in determining how ethical it is? Maybe my capitalist spirit is showing, but I’ve never thought that high price, in and of itself, is unethical or immoral. Hawthorne, though, seems to disagree me, docking proverbial points for things like five-dollar lattes, which not everyone can afford. It’s not something I’d thought of before, and I was surprised to see it included as a criterion. What do you think?

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Filed Under Book Reviews
6 Comments
 

Comments

6 Responses to “Quickies: It’s Business Time”

  1. Rita Hernandez on April 20th, 2012 5:48 am

    I’ve never thought that a high price point was unethical. I’m as liberal as they come but as long as it isn’t a service that is a public work, I’ve figured you price according to supply and demand. No one died if they couldn’t afford a latte. And they do use their profits for some good.

  2. Ellen on April 20th, 2012 6:34 am

    I had never thought about high price points and whether they’re ethical or unethical – but it’s an interesting question. I’ll definitely be looking at Ethical Chic; had never heard about it before, but I’ve been becoming more interested lately in how some companies are perceived as more ethical than others. Toms shoes have really been grating on me lately, because the company has (perhaps very good-heartedly – it seems so) linked their product with the ideas of being ethical and Helping People. But, of course, giving free shoes to children who don’t have shoes doesn’t address the underlying problem of poverty, and it also does a lot of harm compared to, say, paying local companies or people to make shoes for these children. I know I’m rambling a bit – but I’ll take this as a sign that I should read Ethical Chic immediately.
    Ellen´s last [type] ..Review: Edith Durham’s High Albania

  3. Sara on April 20th, 2012 8:32 pm

    I guess it would depend on what kind of “ethic” the company is selling itself on. Tom’s of Maine is known for natural or organic health products; they focus on environmental issues rather than issues of class, and natural and organic products are more expensive, so they can charge more without messing with their particular “ethic.” Other companies might be trying to appear more globally ethical, addressing such issues as poverty or living wages or other public issues regarding class. In those cases, charging high prices would contradict their public ethic. So places that market themselves as being a good bargain (like WalMart and Sam’s Club) violate their ethic when they regularly dupe their customers into spending more on many products while giving them a bargain on only some.
    Sara´s last [type] ..The Countdown has Begun; the Stack has been Assembled

  4. Shane on April 23rd, 2012 9:39 pm

    I’d never thought that a high price point was ethical or unethical. But reading this makes me interested in checking that book out, and read what Hawthorne has to say. 20% Doctrine is interesting book as well and I’ll definitely buy a copy of it soon. Among these 2 books, which one do you enjoyed the most? Thanks for sharing!
    Shane´s last [type] ..How To Pick Up Girls

  5. Sherry B on April 26th, 2012 3:31 pm

    I certainly do not agree that a product’s price is proportional to its ethics. To the quality of their work, I guess? I have known so much brands which are expensive but with low ethics.

    Thanks for sharing!

    -Sherry B
    Sherry B´s last [type] ..how to seduce a woman

  6. Andrew Warner on April 27th, 2012 1:11 am

    I guess ethics really don’t immediately come into mind to large companies when it comes to setting price points – after all, they exist solely to make money. It’s not right or wrong… it’s just how things are, for good or bad.

    Andrew W
    Andrew Warner´s last [type] ..click here

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