National Happiness: A Neo-utilitarian Corporate Objective or a Social Responsibility?

Abstract

Businesses form an inseparable part of our social fabric whereby their actions and activities have far reaching implications on the wellbeing and happiness of individuals and the communities in which they operate. While societal happiness has been a topic of interest for scholars and policymakers in recent years, its intersection with organizational research and practice is largely unexplored. This paper commences with a review of the scholarly and philosophical arguments related to two competing notions of the corporate objective: shareholder primacy versus stakeholder primacy. Through this review I argue that while instituting stakeholder happiness enhancement, as a universal corporate ..