Do I really want to work at a firm that would ask this question?

[StellaBlue]

...on the application?

"What reservations or considerations do you have about free enterprise, and making profits?"



WTF?!

My draft answer is

"All companies have an ethical responsibility to the community in which they do business; thus, commerce is regulated by law (such as anti-monopoly legislation). I have no reservations about legitimately earned profits."



Which is really a bit of a fudge, since I lean kinda Socialist. In the democratic, social-contract, European sense.

[Robb]

1. Could just be a thoughtful question

Or, could be a way to weed out anyone that doesn't just say "none!" :D

Either way, looks to me like you're in good shape.

[Bill McBlueState]

2. I'm an academic, so I don't know anything about the real world :)

but I would leave out the middle section and just say

"All companies have an ethical responsibility to the community in which they do business. I have no reservations about legitimately earned profits."

I think that middle part could open up a debate about whether laws that regulate commerce necessarily encourage a company to behave ethically.

[begin_within]

3. I think they're trying to find out your political orientation. Creepy.

[tjwmason]

4. That is wierd.

I would probably put on my academic economist hat and give a highly jesuitical answer.

"It is the basic nature of a business to make profits, and the free-enterprise system is predicated upon the notion that businesses will strive to achieve those profits."

That is all true - but it doesn't really answer the question (it saying nothing about my views), I would then continue:

"however significant elements of market failure have been observed ever since the beginning of formulised economic analysis which clearly demonstrate the need for external regulation of business; this will in many cases significantly reduce the potential for making profits where those profits would conflict with other, greater, aims which society should be persuing."

but just "forget" to put the second part on the application, the person reading it would assume I'm a free-marketeer.

Then at the interview (presuming it gets that far) I'd be very wary to see what sort of company it is - I don't think I'd like to work for a business which thinks that all of its employees should believe in unrestricted capitalism.

[kay1864]

5. I would switch it around

"I have no reservations about legitimately earned profits. However, all companies have an ethical responsibility to the community in which they do business"

And then in the interview, try to find out what sort of company it is. Then you can decide if you want to work there.

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. That's a bit of a jump from 'Are you a team player?'

But it's asking the same thing: Would you rock the boat if/when this company engages in questionable business practices to achieve higher profits?

I'd consider how much I wanted/needed the job, then probably respond along these lines:

"I believe there's a level of profit margin with which a business should be satisfied and ask itself if higher profits would continue to incorporate business practices that are in the common good."

[StellaBlue]

9. Bzzz. Wrong answer.

It's a law firm.

There is no ceiling on profits.... right?

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. Well...

I suppose some people think so. :eyes:



So I took off my hat
I said, "Imagine that
"Me, workin' for you"

[StellaBlue]

11. I just mean it's not the same as a publicly-traded company, you know?

AND thehead dude is really active in his Presbyterian church in the "nice" part of town. Dunno if that's good or bad. The type of law they practice is largely politically neutral, though they must need rich clients to keep the boat floating.

Anyway... I've dropped it off, we'll see what happens.

(when did it become okay to use a comma instead of a semi-colon, as seen above???)

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. 1983

The Punctuation Anti-Sedition Act.

[Mutley]

14. ...

:spray:

:D

[patcox2]

7. Say "no."

Its truthful. You are answering something not asked, read it literally and simply and answer it simply. You don't have to caveat you anwer with "legitimate profits" and community obligations, thats all unsaid.

[trackfan]

8. I would cite this little poem I wrote about 10 years ago:

Robbers

How can a person take money,
buy raw materials cheaply,
pay, to the workers who add the
value, extremely low wages,
then sell the new, value added
product, and take up the lion's
share of the increase in value?

Well, not really...but I would want to.

[tigereye]

13. how about "I want to eat

but I also want others to be able to do so." ;)

strange question. I've only worked for non-profits most of my career, so I have never been asked a question like that.

[Sugar Smack]

15. I think you gave them as good as you got!

:applause: And I mean, KUDOS to you!

[radwriter0555]

16. "Let them eat cake" would be the appropriate answer if it's a REPUBLICAN

corp... and if not, your answer was very nice.