Corporations

I was genuinely surprised by how far we have come in terms of business. We began in the 17^th and 18^th century with trading companies that were chartered by monarchs who wanted to expand and make more money. About a century later we transitioned towards large industrial companies which had monopolistic power. These companies only cared about growing and dominating the industries they were in and did not take their employees or the effects of their businesses on the world into account. A nice surprise was that by the 21^st century people really took note of how their poor actions and selfish business decisions can have lasting effects on the environment. Companies now a day are constantly thinking of new ways to become sustainable and help give back to the world. After our class discussion, my perception of businesses truly changed.  I thought most businesses simply have the goal of making a profit but it is much more than that. Businesses want to minimize the negative impact they have on the world, the environment, societies, and even the economy. In fact, some companies take their goal a step further and want to have a positive impact. I think that in 20 years corporations will be even more advanced. All companies will reduce their use of fossil fuels in order to avoid serious climate change and in anticipation of a future where fossil fuels could become scarce and expensive. Furthermore, corporations will all sell products in recyclable packaging but there will be an even more significant transition to purchasing products online. Food business will see a shift away from fast food restaurants and towards more healthy, organic, gluten free places. I don’t think that in the future we will ever see a time similar to that of John Rockefeller’s where one man owned almost 90% of all the oil in the united states. Monopolies are a thing of the past and a move towards small sustainable businesses in a thriving economy is what is to come for us.