coordinated by Pilar Ficapal-CusíISSUE 8 (NOV 2017)
The objective of managing organizations is to generate justice
Justice has always been considered a concept that is very separate from business management and has only been considered legitimate as a social objective. Economic theory has never produced anything that is specific to organizations. In particular, one of the fathers of economics, Adam Smith, wanted to show what was good for the world, which can be paralleled with the concept of eudaimonia (happiness) proposed by Aristotle. In a simplistic view of economics, the ‘invisible hand’ implies that companies must maximize profits and that doing so would already contribute to this social eudaimonia. That is their role. Rethinking this objective proposed by Smith, we can see that eudaimonia can only be achieved if, when companies are analysed, their decision-making incorporates values and virtues. This requires them to decide the goals they have to set and consider the benefits as results that will only be realised by making the right decisions or, in other words, with the inclusion of these values. In this essay, our aim is to show that generating justice must be one of the basic objectives when running a company because, if this objective is not incorporated within the decision-making process, the decisions made incorporating injustices can result in the same organizational structure. For companies, therefore, decision-making must generate justice and, as such, it cannot be directed in any way. This justice must be applied with Aristotelian logic or, in other words, on a case to case basis that judges each situation on its individual merits. This is how you can generate profits, which you will never be able to ascertain whether or not they have been maximized, but which are satisfactory, thereby achieving the ultimate goal of eudaimonia. This would align what Aristotle said with what Adam Smith proposed.
ODS
Doctorate in Management Sciences from the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, degree in Law from the UOC and Industrial Engineering from the UPC. She has published several articles both in specialist academic magazines and in information magazines aimed at a professional audience.
PhD in Industrial Engineering, MBA from IESE and PhD in Management from the Northwestern University. He was previously a Professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and was part of the team that founded the institution. He has published around twenty books and several articles, both in specialist academic publications and scientific journals aimed with professional readerships.