Cover of: Social Evolution, Corporate Culture, and Exploitation
Ekkehart Schlicht

Social Evolution, Corporate Culture, and Exploitation

Section: Articles
Volume 160 (2004) / Issue 2, pp. 232-242 (11)
Published 09.07.2018
DOI 10.1628/0932456041438777
  • article PDF
  • available
  • 10.1628/0932456041438777
Summary
It has been claimed that the market fosters selfishness and thereby undermines the moral basis of society. This thesis has been developed with an emphasis on market exchange. Everyday life is, however, predominantly shaped by interactions in the workplace rather than by shopping behaviour. This essay places emphasis on firm organization, rather than market interaction, in moulding cultural traits. Firms emerge in markets and thrive by kindling cooperative attitudes. In this way, the market generates nice traits in an indirect way: it encourages firm organizations that foster mutualism rather than selfishness.