Page 34 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

BUSINESS

The Truth about
PROFIT!

Chioma Phillips

sn’t that the primary driver of that customers will never really and mishandle employees for
businesses, governments and get a fair price and citizens ‘not doing enough’ towards the
Ipseudo-businesses around the will not really get a break from ‘bottom-line’ in a situation where
world? Profit. Total revenue minus governments. No. They will get they have increased targets and
total expenses. The singular ‘value for money’, or convinced to shrinking markets to contend with,
pursuit that provides people in do it ‘for the greater good’ which finance officers to mishandle and
the world with the drive to get is another way of saying that manipulate suppliers … all the
up every morning and repeat they will be charged as much as while calling it savvy business
mundane tasks into oblivion and possible while being given some know how… the list goes on. At
absolute mindlessness. That small trimmings on top so that the end of the day they receive
creates corporate structures and governments and businesses accolades in the form of awards or
requires corporate governance so can assuage their corporate guilt ample news coverage about just
that no one gets too greedy in their at charging so much in order to how ‘successful’ they are because
pursuit such that they turn on and please their shareholders with their ‘profit’ has shot through the
cannibalize the very organization profit – or pay themselves such roof… or they recovered from
they are said to be serving. hefty salaries. a loss-cycle. In other words –
And this pursuit has birthed rejected basic human compassion
countless strategy upon strategy. One company exec once in order to grow their bottom line or
Business strategy, sales and confessed about the ‘ridiculous’ feed a development agenda that is
marketing strategy, HR strategy, profits they were making on one fueled purely by ego. After all, it’s
financial strategy, operations particular line of business. Partly not personal, it’s just business (or
strategy, communications embarrassed and partly proud at development).
strategy, IT strategy, PR and their ability to dupe the consumer.
Advertising strategy, internet Some governments tax their The Real Cost of the Pursuit
strategy, social media strategy… people into the ground, all the while of Profit
subset upon subset upon subset paying public ‘servants’ sky high Already struggling families forced
of maneuvering all aimed at amounts and misappropriating the to tighten their belts when one
providing their companies or rest. parent’s income stream is cut
governments (which are really run The quest for profit has led off. Fewer purchases made of
like companies these days – and to many businesses opting to already over-priced goods and
I used to think that was a good increase prices, governments services. Inability to afford basic
thing) with the winning edge. The to increase taxes, companies necessities or get your family the
end game? Profit. Because with to cut corners in production or care they need. Health impacted
it comes ‘prestige’ or the love and service quality, employers to fire by stress or poor diet. Businesses
worship of men. workers so they can have more suffer because they’re not able
for themselves and their well-paid to generate more revenues and
The pursuit of profit has ensured c-suite, employers to threaten so they go through spending