One of the major flaws with this business can do anything mindset is that all human outcomes cannot, ultimately, be measured. Sometimes they can, but most are elusive, particularly over time. The problem is when business-minded government officials solely look at the bottom line, financially, and fail to look at human systems, long-term results, scientific evidence, Etc. Just because something may cost less on the surface and in the short-term, does not mean that is the valid path for advancing democracy, Public Health, transportation, Environmental integrity, equal opportunity, etc etc. We need people in government who can remember that they are impacting lives of humans, not simply trying to avoid spending taxpayer money.
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This is the legacy of the Protestant belief that wealth is a sign of God's favor. No amount of experience with idiot bosses or rich criminals can shake our bedrock American assumption that the rich are smarter and more virtuous than the rest of us.
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This argument - about the inapplicability of business tools and skills - is flawed and betrays a simplistic understanding of what business disciplines are truly all about.
The broad applicability of “business” experience is not about applying a “capitalist” or “market” or “commercial” philosophy.
Business disciplines apply broadly in other fields because it is in business (and in business education) where “management science” is most directly developed, taught, and studied
Management is the art/science of coordinating resources towards some end (any end). Organizational Management, maximizing efficiency, strategy, planning, measurement...these skills are just as applicable to an academic department head, a non-profit leader, a ships captain, or the leader of a free healthcare clinic.
Anyone who is in a position where they seek to accomplish goal, objectively measure their progress, or improve a process would benefit from understanding many basic management “tools and skills.”
Most of us in the business world freely accept that many areas of society are best NOT based on a “profit motive” mentality. But when we see experts in healthcare, government, non-profits, etc operate with basic inefficiency and untrained organizational management, we shudder and wince.
Many of these business skills and tools you so quickly dismiss could do worlds of good for professionals in other areas who seek to measure the effectiveness of whatever they do, and find ways to do it better.
if you define business as an enterprise with a mission, revenues (whether from taxes or paying customers) and operating costs, then many best practices from the business sphere are directly related to how to best manage large government bureaucracies, therefore many of his arguments are empty.
The analogy of a squid at a dog show is so extreme as to weaken the argument. Yes, definitely, business is a much different arena, and military and education are also much different arenas. The better analogy is an urban guard dog moving into a rural canine shepherd's role.
A sufficiently astute business person could make the transition to government; certainly seasoned business people with personal qualifications have the potential to add important contributions to national leadership.
The best preparation for government appears to be prior government experience - the state governor who becomes a US senator or President, or the Canadian provincial politician who becomes a federal Member of Parliament who in time becomes Prime Minister.
Senior military service has been highly valued in the US because it has been at war or in low-intensity armed conflict for large parts of its history. But, senior military officials have been disasters in numerous other countries.
Business and education can also be a worthy preparation for government service, as shown by numerous, excellent senior government officials in the US.
Entertainment may be good preparation for campaigning, but not be good preparation for government, as evidenced by the experience of several countries including a notable current example. The exception may be a former US president who, importantly, had prior experience as a governor of a large, populous state.
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@Peter McCann: I believe you have your comparison a bit backward. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that a "successful businessman or businesswoman" has a good chance of being a good political leader, because of the talent, education, intelligence, energy and/or drive of the individual, not a result of being a "business" person. It is the individual, not the career, that can indicate or drive success in other areas. All these arguments that a "businessperson" is uniquely qualified over any and all other persons to move into the political arena is just so much bunk, very shallow and misdirected reasoning.
Well said, Anand. Seems like everything is comparable to business, football or lines from The Godfather movies.
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During my work career, I heard way to many football to work analogies. The worst one was, “ moving the goalposts”. The goal posts are never moved on a football field. But, are always moveable in the world of business.
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This is so true yet many of the masses believe otherwise.
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@Thinking Out Loud
And the international organizations, particularly the United Nations system. Under the current circumstances, I am refraining from saying anything about governments at the national level.
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And this has made a major mess of education.
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