Profits and livelihood

Muhammad Salem Al Ali

September 15, 2022

A close friend, a businessman with money and investments, told me about a proposal made by one of the managers, and its summary was to lay off some employees, distribute their work to the rest, in addition to using some automated and smart systems to fill vacancies and ensure business continuity.

And how happy the friend was with this proposal, which would save him a lot of expenses, he even praised the owner of the idea, who, according to his opinion, is one of the owners of creativity and innovation, and sang it in front of me, citing the genius idea that came at the conclusion of the proposal, which was to allocate these cash savings All for the sake of social responsibility initiatives, which will finally put him in the spotlight and make him a contributor with a positive impact on society.

The conversation is over, and I still have a question that occupies my mind: What is the fault of the laid-off employees and what is their fate?

Will this social responsibility benefit them and feed their children?

There is no doubt that companies today, especially the largest ones, have become enjoying a great deal of flexibility and proactivity, so when they sense a decrease in profitability or demand, they immediately take quick decisions to intervene and adjust their human capital to levels that will allow them to return to profitability, and this The secretariat has justifications in some cases, but the sad thing is that some companies dispense with their employees in pursuit of the social balance, without this being related to their performance as much as it is a rearrangement of their priorities and directing their expenses, as if the stability of employees and creating job opportunities for more of them, It does not meet societal needs, nor is it a form of obligation!

Some may argue with me, saying: My brother, stop theorizing, for competition today is very intense, and there is no place for a virtuous company, and companies in general will not seek to achieve social goals unless this reflects positively on the interests of investors, so the best social responsibility is the one that comes in the form of huge donations And major projects, events and events, because they support the community on the one hand, and raise the institutional reputation of the business owner to the highest levels, to then enjoy better financial performance and an increase in sales, not to mention his distinguished appearance in the eyes of the press and media.

To those I say, let us put aside the concepts of altruism and self-interest and the related philosophical debates about which one comes first. Rather, let me assure you of my knowledge and my full conviction that both social responsibility and profitability today are two competing priorities, and we cannot adopt one without the other. There is money, and therefore there is no role here and no hand in society, and without social responsibility the business will be motivated only by profit, which in this case is purely utilitarian, and will not serve a greater purpose.

However, the reality confirms that social responsibility can take many forms, not only economic, environmental and developmental, but it can be moral, legal and considerate in the first place, because these are the livelihoods of people we are talking about here, and I do not see a higher responsibility than that we preserve, support and nurture them. Especially when this has a limited impact on us, and few repercussions, and if the responsibility in that case is hidden and not visible to people's eyes, it is in essence an act of good, and the benefactor is rewarded, sooner or later, and his reward is a blessing, growth and prosperity in business, and this is precisely what was absent from My dear friend, and about his genius employee, so let him excuse me when I say to them in conclusion: Why do you consider what is apparent and leave what is hidden?

Founder of Suhail Smart Solutions

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