Summary
Course Description: The corporation is a controversial institution. It is the central institution that introduces us to the concept of capitalism. Among its virtues are the provision of jobs for employees and wealth for owners. Corporations serve as a site where innovation and productive common endeavors can take place. Corporations have also been charged with being the primary locale for the exploitation of workers and neglect of the public interest. This course will review the complex history of corporations and the debates that have surrounded them with an emphasis on understanding specific strategies to improve corporations in the interest of making them more inclusive and democratic. We will review four specific “verbs” that illustrate how those strategies actually take place in the real economy. We will review laws and public policies that have influenced corporate behavior. Finally, we will examine techniques to create increase democracy and participation within the enterprise.