The Role of Business: Positive Lens vs. Profit Maximizing

Abstract

Within the Ross School of Business, a debate took place a few years back that continues today regarding the role of business. It was sparked by discussion surrounding a “Positive” Pillar as a part of the school strategy. More of the background can be found in the case, “Emphasizing the Positive: Forming a Strategic Identity for the Ross School of Business”. As the case points out, this pillar was distinct from a new field of study, started at Ross, on Positive Organizational Scholarship; however, a positive lens informs one part of the debate in an important way. The debate centered around the following question: What does “Positive” mean and does it differ from the more traditional view of profit, or in modern parlance, shareholder value maximization?

Keywords: positive business, value maximization