Assignment

Prepare a 3 page paper using APA format discussing problem. Be sure to address each question in this problem.

Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Please include citations to support your ideas.

Problems to Ponder - Problem #1

Paul Krugman, Nobel economist at Princeton, states, "At the heart of capitalism's inhumanity-and no sensible person will deny that the market is an amoral and often cruelly capricious master-is the fact that it treat labor as a commodity" (The Accidental Theorist, Norton, 1998, p, 15) Is it true that capitalist employers treat their workers as "commodities"? Give examples.

Contrast Professor Krugman's views with those of Bill Marriott, president of Marriott Corporation, who said:

"One of the important things...is (to) counter the notion that big corporations are faceless machines....When employers know that their problems will be taken seriously, that their ideas and insights matter, they're more comfortable and confident. In turn they're better equipped to deliver their best on the job and to the customer. Everyone wins: the company, the employer, the customer. The philosophy of putting employers first particularly important in our industry, because Marriott is in the people business, not just the service business...I've said again that our associates are number one. It won't hurt to say one more time. Without the hard work and dedication of our team, Marriott wouldn't exist. Period. That's why taking care of our employees is a top priority for the organization. (The Spirit to Serve, HarperBusiness, 1997, pp. 5, 35, 126-127)

Are employees treated as "commodities" at Marriott? Is their labor policy "cruelly capricious" or "caring"? Is Marriott the exception to the rule among big companies?