Business

A list of business-related articles in this website.

Entrepreneurship – the narrative of destructive creation

Entrepreneurs are often assumed to play a heroic role in the economy, with some shades of tragedy. In a second excerpt from his new book Brian Davey argues that the heroism of entrepreneurs may be somewhat exaggerated, whereas the tragedy is probably downplayed. Co-operative approaches to doing business generally prove to be more compatible with the real world.

Re-thinking business structures – how to encourage sustainability through conscious design choices

In this week's chapter from Fleeing Vesuvius, Patrick Andrews argues that business could be the most powerful force in the world in achieving higher levels of sustainability and resilience. Unfortunately, its potential is blocked by laws and by hierarchical structures that mean that shareholders’ interests are put before those of society and the planet. Some firms, however, are adopting new structures that free them to place proper emphasis on social and environmental concerns.

The Ecology of Money

The Ecology of MoneyRead The Ecology of Money online

In The Ecology of Money, Richard Douthwaite argues that just as different insects and animals have different effects on human society and the natural world, money has different effects according to its origins and purposes. Was it created to make profits for a commercial bank, or issued by a government as a form of taxation? Or was it created by its users themselves purely to facilitate their trade? And was it made in the place where it is used, or did local people have to provide goods and services to outsiders to get enough of it to trade among themselves? The Briefing shows that it will be impossible to build a just and sustainable world, unless and until money creation is democratized. Richard says that it is potentially the most important thing he has written.

Living in the Cracks

by Nadia Johanisova

Living in the CracksA Look at Rural Social Enterprises in Britain and the Czech Republic

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Living-and often thriving-in the cracks between the business world and the state system is an amazing variety of organisations which, according to some economists, theoretically shouldn't exist. That's because their goal is not to make profits but to meet social needs which both the market and government either can't meet nearly as well or have totally ignored.

The Second Feasta Review

Growth: The Celtic Cancer, Why the global economy damages our health and society

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A new issue of the Feasta Review was published in November 2004. "The aim of the Review is to present in a permanent form some of the thinking that has been going on in the Feasta network since the previous one appeared" says John Jopling, who edited it with Richard Douthwaite. "It is three years since the last issue and there's a lot to report."