Business Quote by Daniel Katz
“It is a commonplace executive observation that businesses exist to make money, and the observation is usually allowed to go unchallenged. It is, however, a very limited statement about the purposes of business”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Myth of the Rational Manager, Daniel Katz, 1974
Businesses are often reduced to profit-making, ignoring broader social and ethical roles.
In simple terms: Business purpose is more than profit.
Key Takeaway
Consider wider impacts.
Themes
profit
purpose
ethics
strategy
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Corporate planning
- entrepreneurial ventures
- social enterprises
Key Concepts
Stakeholder theory
corporate social responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities beyond profit should businesses uphold?
- How can profit and purpose coexist?
A Different Perspective
Profit focus can neglect societal duties.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)