---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The workmen in a factory may have a…"
description: "\"The workmen in a factory may have a shadowy, unknown absentee \"employer\" - the thousands of individual owners of stock - whom \"management\" represents a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/fulton-j-sheen-675_demand_the-workmen-in-a-factory-may-have-a-shad_1528591.jpg"
---

#  The workmen in a factory may have a shadowy, unknown…

![“The workmen in a factory may have a shadowy, unknown absentee &quot;employer&quot; - the thousands of individual owners of stock - whom &quot;management&quot; represents and tries to please by extra dividends. The workman's livelihood is at the disposition of strangers who make a single demand of their…” quote by Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/fulton-j-sheen-675_demand_the-workmen-in-a-factory-may-have-a-shad_1528591.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/fulton-j-sheen-675_demand_the-workmen-in-a-factory-may-have-a-shad_1528591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/fulton-j-sheen-675_demand_the-workmen-in-a-factory-may-have-a-shad_1528591.jpg)

> “The workmen in a factory may have a shadowy, unknown absentee "employer" - the thousands of individual owners of stock - whom "management" represents and tries to please by extra dividends. The workman's livelihood is at the disposition of strangers who make a single demand of their representatives: higher profits.”

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Corporate shareholders, often distant, control workers' livelihoods, prioritizing profit over people.

**In simple terms:** Shareholders control workers for profit.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for worker‑centered policies.

Themes

economics labor rights corporate governance

Mood

critical concerned

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

- union negotiations
- profit‑sharing
- ethical investing
- policy reform

Key Concepts

shareholder theory power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards protect workers from profit‑driven decisions?
- How can ownership be more democratic?

A Different Perspective

Profit motives can conflict with employee well‑being.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Disposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disposition/) [Dividends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dividends/) [Dividends Workman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dividends-workman-5666876/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Employer Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employer-thousands-5666880/) [Employers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employers/) [Extras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extras/) [Factories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factories/) [Factory Shadowy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factory-shadowy-5666877/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Livelihood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/livelihood/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Owners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners/) [Owners Stock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owners-stock-5666879/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Workman Livelihood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workman-livelihood-5666878/) [Workmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workmen/)

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