Krugman v. Marriott
Paul Krugman, an MIT economist, states, âAt the heart of capitalismâs inhumanity-and no sensible person will deny that the market is an amoral and often cruelly capricious master-is the fact that it treats labor as a commodity.â (The Accidental Theorist, Norton, 1998,p.15) Is it true that capitalists employers treat their workers as âcommoditiesâ? In what sense is the marketplace âcruelly capriciousâ? Give examples.Contrast Professor Krugmanâs views with those of Bill Marriott, president of Marriott Corporation, who said: â One of the important thingsâ¦is [to] counter the notion that big corporations are faceless machinesâ¦When employees know that their problems will be taken seriously, that their ideas and insights matter, theyâre more comfortable and confident. In turn, theyâre better equipped to deliver their best on the job and to the customer. Everyone wins: the company the employee, the customer. The philosophy of putting employees first is particularly important in our industry, because Marriott is in the people business, not just the service businessâ¦Iâve said again and again that our associates [employees] are number one. It wont hurt to say it one more time. Whithout the hard work and dedication of our team, Marriott wouldnt exist. Period. Thatâs why taking care of our employees is a top priority for the organization.â (The Spirit to Serve, HarperBusiness, 1997, pp. 5, 35, 126-127)Are employees treated as âcommoditiesâ at Marriott? Is their labor policy âcruelly capriciousâ or âcaringâ? Is Marriott the exception to the rule among big companies?Please in 2 page paper using APA format,
