Unraveling the Global Money Transfer System

Corporations are increasingly being considered "persons" in the eyes of American law. With that shift, more and more rights are being attributed to them. But, with rights, don't responsibilities also follow?

From an ethical perspective, if corporations are considered "persons," they are to be held accountable for their actions in the same manner as individuals. Business enterprises, more than they presently do, need to systematically be aware of, assess, and take responsibility for their impact on the individuals and communities affected by their strategies, values, decisions, and behaviors.

Following this line of thought, should business organizations not have civic roles and be expected to assume reasonable responsibility for being good corporate citizens and organizational members of the communities where they reside as well as the larger global society whose markets they serve and profit from? If they are civic members, are they not to contribute to the enhancement of the well-being of communities—local and global—beyond generating revenue for them?

There are no easy answers to these complex and multifaceted questions. But in light of the devastating global impact of the current economic downturn, it is time to courageously engage in a dialogue that explores them and begins to surface some solutions. With that thought in mind, here are some initial points about organizations as responsible members of communities.

Corporations are part of a social ecosystem, and their success depends upon the viability and health of the entire system. They do not exist in isolation. Nor do they achieve their goals without the assistance of others. They function as a complex system of stakeholders—an intricate, interdependent web of networks.

Its role and function entail enabling the whole community ecosystem to thrive, not only its own survival. It has a responsibility to do so because it is an integral component of the system. It is to be an active, contributing ethical citizen. Such a notion of business organization is emerging in the new notion of (certified) benefit corporations.

Organizational integrity is characterized by:

- Understanding and valuing the entire human and environmental ecosystem in which a business enterprise exists, as well as its role in it.

- Seeking reasonable mutual benefit for all stakeholders, including the environment.
- Critically reflecting on the organization’s impact upon the overall system — individuals, organizational partnerships, families, communities, global societies, resources, for instance — and taking ownership for enabling the system to evolve.

- Being an engaged civic member, enhancing the various communities in which it is a member by fostering quality of life, promoting the health of the overall common good, and enabling prosperity by encouraging the flourishing of life in all of its forms.

Thus, when determining a business organization’s purpose and responsibilities, it is not merely about the organization increasing revenue and doing no harm, but about how the organization can be an engaged citizen, improve the local and global communities, contribute to their growth, and enable the flourishing of human potential.