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The Corporation vs The Num Num

I have a vision that I caught back in 1997. I caught it whilst I was sitting at my desk in my offices in middle England, overlooking a field of cows. The vision was one that was born of my core ethics and my like for all things IT. It is a simple vision at heart, involving a few simple ingredients:
  • a group of IT specialists, or just consultancy type folk, who get along, and are very good at what they do.
  • the same group possess high morals that prevent them from causing mass harm to others
  • the same group possess a desire to try to run a company that is carbon neutral (I had the idea before the term was formulated)
  • these people operate a fairly profitable business, helping people achieve IT stability and designing and installing quality systems
  • these people have agreed to donate 10% of all profit to greenpeace
  • these people have agreed to donate 10% of all profit to local schools
  • these people have agreed to donate 10% of all profit to 3rd world charities for free water
Originally I called it Greenpeace IT, since I believed it needed underwriting by the organisation.

I've just watched The Corporation. It is a most amazing documentary and I strongly recommend it to anyone who has an idea of what really matters in life (and if you are all about profit, then you are not really one of those people, so sorry, its not one of your type of films).

That dvd, has made me realise that my vision can still become a reality.

The idea of a sustainable, carbon neutral organisation, that actually does what the main capitalist companies do, but ethically, morally, and responsibly, is NOT UTOPIA.

The only thing stopping it from actually happening is that initial meeting of that group of people, who would form that company.

Its not impossible, I can see it now. The documentary featured the CEO of Interface carpets, he went from being uninterested in environmentalism to being passionate about sustainable companies, and has reduced his carbon output by 33% in the past few years. He's showing it can be done.

And then you have this - the laws of life and capitalism dictate that you do NOT need to make 85 billion dollars of profit just to be successful. You are successful if you are able to make a living and keep your customers happy. And the new criteria is that you are not a DRAIN on society in the process, but a valuable CONTRIBUTOR.

My company wouldnt need to make 100million in profit. It wouldn't need to make 500,000 in profit. It would only need to make 10 pounds in profit, of which we would donate it all. The more we make, the more we donate. Whats in it for us? A good decent salary to try to lead a socially responsible life at home, and the knowledge that the company is viable and thus profit goes back to society.

Now tell me, what is wrong with that vision?
Why wouldnt it work?
Why haven't I done it yet?

What makes a big IT firm successful? the profit or the people? And if the people sign up for my vision and we donate our profits are we successful?
--
tnn

Comments:

  1. Blogger swisslet says @ 8:25 am
    I'm in. When do we start?

    ST
  2. Blogger Crucifer says @ 11:58 am
    Me too.
  3. Blogger Jenni says @ 6:42 pm
    Let me know when you are ready to start a US branch office.

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