20th Anniversary Edition Commentary on Chapter 12: The New Responsibilities of Business

AS WE ENTER the new age, every institution in society is being challenged. I can’t remember why I named the closing chapter of The Digital Economy “The New Responsibilities of Business,” but in hindsight it was a good choice to call on business leaders to think differently about their roles in the new age.

Let me pick up two of the big issues where a lot of water has gone under the bridge: the nature of the corporation and the future of democracy. Then I will provide some closing thoughts.

Corporations in Society and in Change

It was many years ago that I first heard the optimistic adage, “Companies do well by doing good.” Back then advocates of so-called ...

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