Literature, Business, and Social Change Paper - Essay Example

Running Head: LITERATURE, BUSINESS, AND SOCIAL CHANGE Literature, Business, and Social Change In APA Style By University Social changes inevitably affect business organizations. As they cope with the changes in their external environment, companies must constantly examine their position and devise strategies in order to promote their aim of profit maximization. Aside from these, the growing consciousness among the global business scope about the perils of ignoring societal change necessitates the use of literature in order to raise the awareness of people of the efforts made by business organization.

In one hand, literature also mirrors what is happening in the larger society including the changes introduced and instituted by profit maximizing firms. It is irrefutable that there has been a shift towards corporate social responsibility as business organizations recognize the change in consumer buying behavior. In contrast to the typical buyer whose main considerations are price and product quality, customers are now keen on the externalities which a manufacturer makes in a society where it operates.

Social changes bring about this change in consumer attitude which companies take advantage by launching their own corporate social responsibility programs. For example, the giant retailer Target documents how it contributes 5% of its annual income to education, arts, and social services to specific localities (Target 2008). The company constantly supports projects which uplift the quality of living and improve the condition of the lower income strata. Literature plays a huge role in documenting these efforts made by business organizations in order to communicate these to the public and earn their support.

It should be noted that most companies now distribute their annual corporate social responsibility report aside from their annual reports. The company also publicizes these programs through the use of leaflets, flyers, television advertisement, and even in its online website. Literature thus, plays a huge role in supporting company's effort of capturing the inclination of buyers towards more socially responsible companies. On the other hand, literature mirrors the social changes which are brought about by business organizations.

A good example of this is Maya Angelou's Woman Work which illustrates the daily routine and the emotional struggle a typical housewife. This documentation of a wife reflects the situation of a patriarchal society where women are only confined to doing household duties. The woman in the poem laments, "I've got children to tend, the clothes to mend" It should be noted that if the poem is written to capture the lifestyle of the modern day woman which is exempt from the typically tedious jobs through the use of technologically advanced appliances, it will be very different.

There will be no mention of moping the floor, of shopping for food, of weeding the gardens, and cleaning the house. Instead, there will be online shopping, washing machines, dishwashers, and laundry dryers. In fact, the modern woman will not even worry about the household as she has the same opportunity of working outside the home to support the family. In this piece of literary work, the importance of the role played by business organization in making housework easier as well as providing opportunities for women will be highlighted.

ReferencesMaya Angelou. (1989) Woman Work. Retrieved 29 February 2008, from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/woman-work/Target 2008. Target Website. Retrieved 29 February 2008 from http://www.targetcorp.com