Why this is needed:
What can be said about the existing corporate structures of America other than everything about it is wrong and failing? Corporate greed and CEO wages have created a bottomless pit of waste and excess designed to fail. The workers in large industries have been marginalized, reduced in their humanity and robbed of their life force energy. Greed fuels a “keeping up with the Joneses” society, with no focus on what truly creates enjoyment, connecting with ourselves and others. The few may have vast amounts of wealth, but little overall happiness; proving you cannot buy the most important things in life. The unequal distribution of wealth creates many problems; but the core issue is what we, as a society value. The time to redefine the metrics for success is now. Imagine a world where no one is homeless, everyone is fed, clothed and sheltered, earns a living wage and has time to enjoy their life and family. At present, both parents typically have no choice but to work; they are not caring for nor teaching their own children. The fact that the average American has to work 5 days a week to get 2 off is incredulous. It’s no wonder suicide, alcoholism and mental illnesses prevail. One of the single largest worries of Americans is always not enough money; it’s time all Americans earn a living wage and increase their free time to enjoy life. Indeed, the ideas behind these structures must change if we are to progress as a species. As a corporation is currently a legal person, companies use this as a way to escape liability for questionable dealings; making it far too easy for them to justify putting toxic substances in our products whether intentionally or accidentally, creating unsafe products not thoroughly tested, using actuaries to cut corners for profits and more.
Solution:
- Abolish the corporate person with legal rights of an individual.
- Make the Executive board of directors fully accountable for their actions with full liability resting with them, as Trustees.
- Eliminate excessive layers of management.
- Eliminate all monopolies. Mergers to be closely scrutinized to be of benefit to all employees and the communities they serve.
- Cooperative management structure to be implemented with equal shares of profits to all employees. Cooperatives are running quite successfully all around the world in all sectors of industry; look to these models for implementation. Management Board to be elected by the member-owners for a term agreed upon in the bylaws of the company.
- Implement a fair wage for all, commensurate with the profitability of the business to provide a living wage so all may prosper. Implement a 4-day work week.
- Implement Purpose, People and the Planet before excessive profits, which means businesses are focused on the customers and communities they serve, the employee owners as well as the health of the planet.
- Encourage fiscal self-reliance for businesses and employee-owners. This will be taught to all, as profits should first be used to fuel and fund scalability, sustainability and growth. Typically, cooperatives invest in their communities, fueling local support for community needs and startup companies.
- Industry is encouraged to no longer compete, but to create standardized products or at minimum, share their developments with their competitors and work together to make better products for the people. Let the quality or function of the products speak for themselves and drive the sales, instead of clever marketing without intrinsic value of the products. Again, thinking must change to an “everyone gains” mindset.
- All products shall reduce packaging, sell in bulk where possible, and consider environmental impact of their waste as a primary concern in creating all goods. Contaminating our environment (dumping toxic waste in rivers is one very small example) and destroying our ecosystem stops now. All the largest offenders will be accountable for cleaning this up, and a review board will be convened to address this issue.
- All lobbying for use of materials or ingredients which are harmful to humans, animals or the environment will be identified and terminated, for those that are deemed somewhat harmful or potentially harmful, the continued use must be plainly stated to consumers. Informed consent must be given by the consumer.
Who gains:
Everyone involved with these new company structures will gain; Companies will gain more prosperity in a positive energy flow by shifting focus away from profits-first, to purpose and people before profits, better quality products and a happier workforce will result. Employee-owners gain with a living wage, a share of company profits and having their voice matter in the operation of the company and 4-day work week.
Who benefits:
Employee-owners benefit from higher confidence, less stress, more overall enjoyment of their job which now has purpose, and more time to enjoy their family and community lives. Families benefit from having more connected partners, parents and children with more balanced lives on all levels. Communities will benefit from all of the above with happier people which means less crime, and more support for community or locally-owned startups. This will greatly assist in restoring our impoverished communities where industry changes leave entire towns financially devastated. Consumers benefit from better products which are designed “for them” not sold “to them”. Correcting Industry will benefit from a more positive energy overall which benefits the planet.
