Kim Alexis Mirasol

11494972

HRM535M (Tuesday, 6PM-9PM)

Reaction Paper on The Business of Business is the Human Person: Lessons from the
Catholic Social Tradition
Recently, I attended a seminar that focused on how employees should behave at work
and the speaker emphasizes that the treatment from our managers and colleagues should not
be taken personally; and we would need to act diplomatically at all times. Honestly, I dont
entirely agree with the speaker because I firmly believe that I deserve to be treated as
positively as the bosses are treated. Lloyd Sandelands has written an article that questions the
clause to make a living what it means in our current situation and what it actually means
following the Catholic Church. Today, we see employees as material assets of a company
rather than super-natural beings. Unfortunately, the profitability of the company is what
defines it the higher the profit, better reputation of the company. This is a similar thought
with employees Sandelands mentioned that there is a tendency to treat workers as to
means to ends rather than ends themselves. From what I understand, this article highlights
that businesses should cater to human beings, improving lives, instead of human beings cater
to businesses for the benefit of the employers.
While it is true that profit plays a vital role in sustaining a business, however it cannot
be the only measure for the success of the organization. Business leaders would also need to
consider the welfare and development of their staff. Sadly, the truth is the company invests on
employees as if they are machines. The thing is we, employees, succumb to the demands of
the company so that we can get the compensation to survive and reach our aspirations. More
importantly, we may have other people who depend on us. This mentality limits us to be
autonomous and independent-minded subjects who take part in the creative will of God.
Ideally, human beings are free to choose the organization that they wanted to work for and
would have the right to make decisions that would contribute to the unity of the management.
Nothing personal, its just business. A very common expression in a company
especially when it is said to an employee who has been demoralized when he or she couldnt
meet the demands of the entity. To make that person feel better, we just say Its nothing
personal but we lose confidence and self-esteem. As discussed by Sandelands, business can
and must take a stand for making human lives. Most companies today take advantage of
their impact to peoples lives, making them (the people) expendable to the organization. Also,

they influence these people that they are not essential to the organization and thinking that
they can be replaced easily. To think there are many people unemployed who are educated;
and were one of the lucky ones who have jobs that would secure our food on the table and a
roof above our heads. Furthermore, for the company to keep us, we need to adjust to their
demands and keep ourselves more knowledgeable to avoid competition. With these problems,
we would need a business leader who can change the way we think about business how
business should cater to the employees and not the other way around.
Today, similar to what Sandelands mentioned in the article, to make a living is
closely associated to to make a buck. According to him, we should be looking at that
expression as something greater to just make a buck, we should see it as to make a life. In
order to make a life, we should be embodying the gifts of God His likeness and knowledge.
God has provided us the world we live in and what it can give to us; and He has given our
knowledge so we could be stewards of the Earth. In our current situation, large companies
developed ways to preserve our resources in such a way that everybody will get a part of it.
Sadly, it is not distributed equally and they have limited the rights of the people to get what
they need. For the most ideal to happen, our business leaders should learn to give themselves
to the employees.
Its a challenge to identify what would be the common good for everyone and to a
person. We need to consider the interests and well being of each individual as they vary in
beliefs and culture. It would be difficult to support all individuals with different ideas and
opinions. Business leaders usually rely on the government to determine the common good.
However, with their current impact to the employees, they should have the ability to identify
the common good and develop a plan to apply it. Once we overcome this, we also resolve to
identify each individuals rights as a person with access to the level of well-being necessary
for his full development. As mentioned previously, God has assigned us to be the stewards
of this world and everyone has a responsibility to take care of it and its resources. Also, all of
us should have equal share of the earth.
As every individual should have equal rights to this world, he or she should be able to
contribute to the society as well. Given that different people have different ideas, and one
idea can contradict another, our business leaders should device a way so that everyone will be
in an agreement. This also applies to the competition of the company. They should see their
competition as challenges to improve their services to both their customers and employees.

In conclusion, employees should not be treated as material assets of the company.

Business leaders should be able to give them the right to develop and actively contribute to
the company without defining them based on their performance. I strongly believe that a
subordinate is never expendable to a great leader.
Resources:
Sandelands, L. (2008). The business of business is the human person: lessons from the
catholic social tradition. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(1), 93-101.
doi:10.1007/s10551-008-9751-y