Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader

Chapter 36. Preserving Integrity, Profitability, and Soul

David Batstone

Think about how much of our lives we spend at work," the executive of a New York publishing house said wistfully to me. "Then consider how ambivalent—and perhaps a bit ashamed—most of us feel about the corporations who employ us."

He is not alone. Corporate workers from the mailroom to the highest executive office express dissatisfaction with their work. They feel crushed by widespread greed, selfishness, and quest for profit at any cost. Apart from their homes, people spend more time on the job than anywhere else. With that kind of personal stake, they want to be part of something that matters and contribute to a greater good.

Sadly, those aspirations often go unmet. Trust ...