There is a witch hunt to create bonuses that are seen as the main culprit of the crisis. The media are full of it and everyone is angry. But the cancer is not much deeper, namely in our greed? We realize that man is worth much more than its monetary value and that our happiness is not in terms of financial wealth can be expressed?
We are addicted to money and our money anesthesia often forget that we are more than money. The rich countries of the G-20 in their conference on November 15, 2008 in Washington decided to basic steps to overcome the crisis and in the future. Interestingly, the major world leaders to get an agreement in principle, aimed at "strengthening and regulating the financial markets. They also express our human happiness in money. In this culture it is understandable that the concept of a bonus to impoverished economic concept.
It is therefore important to ask what is actually a bonus. Literally means good bonus. Goodness is for Plato a property and its spiritual significance. In an economic context verschraalt goodness and spiritual understanding itself to an economic value with no room for humanity. The criterion of goodness is only whether something is good for economic growth. Who contributes is good and deserves reward.
The crisis is in fact a human crisis and its recovery is only possible by expanding the human mind is not a human thinking. This requires an awareness of economic growth and growth of human well-being. A company that for the well being sensitive will also invest in a healthy working environment where people enjoy working and where the weaker groups to their full advantage. The leadership is good and deserves a bonus. A banker who invests the pension fund of its people to ensure their retirement is good and deserves a bonus.
I know a big company that each year based on a questionnaire, consider who is best appreciated in the work and who gets a bonus. Then comes the bonus concept in a different light, namely, to do something great for the people to create.
Bonus has everything to do with kindness, good for me, good for others and good for nature. It is an image of a spiritual power that others do well and bring to imitation. A positive attitude is a bonus for positive spiral of goodness trigger and so we are better able to overcome the crisis.
| Kind regards, Paul de Blot Professor of Business Spirituality Nyenrode Business Universiteit |  |
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Your position gets me right in the heart. Bonus is now in the rich countries, a synonym for money, possessions and wealth. In less fortunate areas of the world can have a bonus if you manage to survive. Or you can ensure that children are better off than yourself. All good intentions does the world really mostly in monetary terms values, such as economic growth. While all this economic growth the world now eroding faster and impoverished. The poor are still poorer and the rich even richer.
As long as we think only in economic terms, and all the other important aspects of human growth and dignity refrain, we are heading for a scorched earth.
It's spring and good weather, an excellent bonus!
Sincerely, Ilse Ham
Ilse @ Ham: Thank you Ilse and I glad you feels the same. Enjoy last spring
Dear Mr. de Blot,
It strikes me that the discussion about the bgrip "bonus" there are some things to mingle that deserve to be distinguished. For me there is the berippen 'variable pay' and 'bonus'.
In the European practice of many bedriven has been since the 90's a system of "variable compensation" was introduced. The idea is that the seniority-based salary system previously has been transformed into a "fixed" portion (Based on experience / seniority) and a 'variable' part based on the performance of the employee. Her term 'bonus' is actually linked to a much limited phenomenon of 'exceptional performance', which has become particularly fashionable in the financial sector.
In the hectic day of his two terms interchangeably gan run and the 'variable pay' and 'Bonus' advanced degree and over a ridge into a scapegoat of the crisis made.
Your article in the greed-related connotations to the term 'bonus' (h) I recognize. Much less true of the concept of variable pay bale. There is nothing wrong in my eyes making distinctions in performance and belning people by linking them to goals. This fits the definition of 'goodness'. Condition is that the goals "right" are made. So I can imagine that an employee (variable) is rewarded by such a number of people to coach or to a higher level. Or a reward for effort in the field of knowledge.
It is difficult these days to keep the shades to see and recognize, but I believe that the 'good' can be encouraged by rewarding the good.
yours sincerely
Edwin Chest
@ Edwin Chest: You're right that bonus confused with variable pay. Goe you understand
Dear Paul,
A tricky subject. I think the underlying problem goes further than "we" know. For where does the feeling come from or where it is felt that a distinction should be created?
Looking to nature than many people say that nature is dualistic. The yin-yan principle. Dark and light. Cold and warm. Life and death. It seems to be the natural imbalance that creates the balance. But balance is different for everyone.
The above is a transfer of beliefs. It is our learned image. It's the only way we view nature.
If the point now would change the image that all is one and there is no dualism does exist the world would change? If one can choose to live then one would choose to die? When all is dead then it is life and vice versa. If we conclude that it is actually nothing but we understand both what is at stake. If everything is one is 'nothing' is also part of all this and it is nothing special that 'nothing'. The 'nothing' is everything. You have no more dualism. If you realize you can never separate from the system life then chaos after chaos comes to life and living. You and your part also contributes to that single system. There is even a system. Nature. Life. God. In that one system is everything. So everything is the same but different. 1 +1 = 3.
Compare it to the Internet. Whether you're a 1 or a 0 it does not matter because you are part and contribute to that particular system ... Internet. It is also the 'triangle'. Internet in the upper corner, the ones in one corner and zeros in the other corner. Where the zeros or ones are does not matter. It remains that triangle. Zero and one are interchangeable.
So it is with nature. Life. Life in the upper corner. The man in one corner a woman in the other corner. We are interchangeable. We are the same one-man-but different. Male or female. It is a divine triangle.
To cut a long story short, I can only mention one thing. Maybe worth thinking about.
The scandals surrounding the pyramid which is the most powerful one is the shining example that "we" humans are unable to fill the pyramid with interchangeable 'lenders'. It will take time before the first "Divine Ponzi scheme" will be invented.
Secondly, it is a pyramid scheme shining example that man is not skilled enough to translate the natural dualism financial dualism. It is thought that it was successful with the introduction of interest. This is the dualism in the financial world. But it is a pyramid on its head. He falls. As rich as rich rich and poor keeps cradles. So the pyramid is top heavy. And as life lives from themselves as living far from the financial world.
While many people think that we are on the right track. In my opinion we are not on track.
The system is unjust to the day. Our children are born to the financial system to perfection. They are not born to live. They are born to work. For man believes that we must work to live. 50-50 is the best.
And but insist that capitalism is a good system.
Could it be that we capitalist good (money) dividing communist and communist good that we (the human) capitalist divide?
Greetings,
Everything depends to a total change of consciousness. Do not think that distinction. Indeed it is a theological argument.
Ignatio Loyola would also have meant that?
Is the saying, "Go forth and multiply" similar to "Unite and Divide"?
@ Reza, Go ... is about reproduction and distribution of wealth and Unite
@ Reza: All systems are relatively good. The criteroium is that they are human.
Worldwide, more prosperity possible when more is produced. So there should be more national product manufactured to consumer spending as possible. Only when this globally successful, it will be possible to assist disadvantaged areas, so that it can develop in the direction of the developed world. Yes, they are disadvantaged. That they will slowly catch up.
In the meantime, the developed world by producing. Not to agriculture (however useful) and also with little industry, but is most effective selling specialist supplies dienstverlening.Dat good money. Not the service of the young Mac Donald.
So in this direction have WSE to gehoeftigen from third world to fulfill their portion of gross national product to create.
Kalff @ Hans: Hans thanks for your comment. You're right
Dear Mr. de Blot,
Great to hear some other sounds and great that it comes from someone with a chair at Nyenrode. Hopefully the students pick up your messages so that they create a different future!
Kind regards,
Eric Huysmans
PS I have recently sent an email with the offer to write articles for your magazine
Huysmans @ Eric: I also hope the students. Your articles are always welcome. Send him a draft
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your perspective on bonuses from the bonus culture, as it has grown to absurd excesses led.
Although I can not find the word witch hunt, I want it to count the group is highly critical towards the bonus culture.
Goodness is a measure by human thought, which indeed the bonus in any form can give a new meaning and sense can make. So I remember that bonuses or perks were better treated and given the 70/80iger years. After the rise of the spreadsheet culture in which everything was reduced to figures, the figures translate equals money. Since then, the man and the goodness pushed back, the exceptions.
Especially the big companies were opaque prisoners of this culture! Money was a manifestation of anonymity. Not what you've done well, but how big is your bonus was the talk.
We must continue to raise awareness of human happiness as the only meaningful basis for us to see, think and act.
With warm regards,
Arnold van der Beek
@ Arnold van der Beek: I'm so glad you think about Arnold
Unconditional and humble ..
Humanity in general and perhaps "businessmen" in particular seems in the last 60 years at a furious pace just a motivation to pursue, the accumulation of wealth in the form of material and money. Nobody, including myself, is spared from. I think we can get awareness on the unconditional use of our talents, for an employer or to society, from the "bondage". Our inner hunger is not stopped by a bonus, in fact I think fueled .. An inner hunger that we fill ourselves with the outside instead of focusing on soul food, and from there a "greater" and "grander" motivation to develop.
When we in the service of our talent does not have a goal as a feeling voldaner to gain recognition for and in all humility to receive. That is unconditional ..
@ Cor Strik: It is indeed the service Cor