The Acquisitive SocietyTawney, R. H. (Richard Henry)
Philosophy
The Acquisitive Society
Tawney, R. H. (Richard Henry)
Economics; Industries; Social problems
Thus interpreted, public ownership does not appear to confront the
brain worker with the danger of unintelligent interference with his
special technique, of which he is, quite naturally, apprehensive. It
offers him, indeed, far larger opportunities of professional
development than are open to all but a favored few to-day, when the
considerations of productive efficiency, which it is his special
_metier_ to promote, are liable to be overridden by short-sighted
financial interests operating through the pressure of a Board of
Directors who desire to show an immediate profit to their shareholders,
and who, to obtain it, will "cream" the pit, or work it in a way other
than considerations of technical efficiency would dictate. And the
interest of the community in securing that the manager's professional
skill is liberated for the service of the public, is as great as his
own. For the economic developments of the last thirty years have made
the managerial and technical _personnel_ of industry the repositories
of public responsibilities of quite incalculable importance, which,
with the best will in the world, they can hardly at present discharge.
The most salient characteristic of modern industrial organization is
that production is carried on under the general direction of business
men, who do not themselves necessarily know anything of productive
processes. "Business" {171} and "industry" tend to an increasing
extent to form two compartments, which, though united within the same
economic system, employ different types of _personnel_, evoke different
qualities and recognize different standards of efficiency and
workmanship. The technical and managerial staff of industry is, of
course, as amenable as other men to economic incentives. But their
special work is production, not finance; and, provided they are not
smarting under a sense of economic injustice, they want, like most
workmen, to "see the job done properly." The business men who
ultimately control industry are concerned with the promotion and
capitalization of companies, with competitive selling and the
advertisement of wares, the control of markets, the securing of special
advantages, and the arrangement of pools, combines and monopolies.
They are preoccupied, in fact, with financial results, and are
interested in the actual making of goods only in so far as financial
results accrue from it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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