Saint Mary’s College of California – Executive MBA Program
GMAN 503: Economic Analysis – Summer 2014
MONEY CAN BUY HAPPINESS:
This discussion postulates that altruistic consumption rather than self-oriented, individual consumption can lead to personal and corporate happiness. The development and promotion of corporate social responsibility initiatives will engender corporate altruism, stimulate economic opportunity and, ultimately, advance happiness within and amongst corporations.
BY
Alexander C. Johnson
Executive MBA Candidate
September 22nd, 2014
Introduction
Money and happiness are dominant components of the quintessential American Dream, but what else do they have in common? Money is a tangible, man-made construct and happiness is an emotional expression resulting from the utility one gains in his or her work, life, relationships, consumption, wealth, etc. Americans spend much of their time and energy each day trying to find ways to earn and increase money and happiness in their lives. Countless immigrants from around the globe make extreme and sometimes life-threatening sacrifices to gain entry to America for themselves and/or their families in pursuit of the American Dream. After a closer inspection of this American Dream it could seem that money cannot buy happiness. Indeed, material possessions oftentimes fall short of fulfilling mankind’s lofty expectations for happiness. Society at large supports the concept that money cannot afford true happiness for a variety of reasons; narratives to bolster this premise are abundant in religious teachings, ethical texts, and ever-popular yet seldom successful self-help books. These texts popularize society’s association between money and material possessions with negative implications such as egotistical, self-involved behavior and petty, shallow, or short-lived happiness (call to mind the lottery winner who eventually files for...