[DFT] Fw: [ChivalryToday] Bullies, Business and Chivalry

[Seanan mac Tighearnain]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Farrell" <scott at ChivalryToday.com>

Bullies, Business and Chivalry
By Scott Farrell
©2002 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

Combining chivalry and business is one of the greatest challenges
involved in Chivalry Today. Although we admire the gentle and noble
qualities of the Knightly Virtues, we've been conditioned to think that
doing business requires a sense of drive, determination and achievement
that is not compatible with the Code of Chivalry.

Arguably one of the best examples of modern business philosophy is
Microsoft - a corporation which was built on state-of-the-art
technology, by outside-the-mainstream innovators, and which rose in less
than two decades from obscurity to global recognition. Today, every
entrepreneur wants his or her business to grow up to be Microsoft.

By the admission of its own executives, Microsoft's business practices
have been fairly ruthless. According to a report in the "New York
Times," Microsoft pressured its suppliers to cut their bottom lines so
drastically that many of them were within a hair's breadth of operating
in the red. And that's how Microsoft treated its friends.

Microsoft's competition suffered much worse treatment. Banking on the
company's market clout, Microsoft edged out other software products by
threatening to boycott manufacturers who did not include the company's
programs on their computers. It was just this kind of business practice
that attracted the scrutiny of the federal government, which, after
close examination, decided that Microsoft had become a monopoly, and
threatened to dismantle Microsoft on the basis of unfair trade practices.

In short, one of the most successful and recognized businesses in the
world had been acting like a bully; pressuring its allies and
suffocating its competitors.

Facing a forced restructuring, Microsoft struck a deal with prosecutors
to avoid government intervention. Since then, the company's executives
have begun to reevaluate their priorities. According to news reports,
there is a new factor which has been added to the performance
evaluations of Microsoft employees: respect. Everyone from the president
of the company to the people who answer questions on the technical
support hotlines is now being graded, not just on their programming
expertise or marketing savvy, but on the level of respect they
demonstrate for suppliers, customers and fellow employees.

The federal anti-trust lawsuit was the wake-up call to Microsoft,
reminding them that profit and chivalry are not mutually exclusive.

Of course this doesn't mean Microsoft is going to surrender its position
as an industry leader anytime soon. As analyst Steve Bodow observed on
NPR's Marketplace, "Microsoft hasn't become a kitten. They're just
becoming a well-behaved lion."

When discussing chivalry in business, it is worth remembering that the
Code of Chivalry was created as a conduct manual for professional
warriors. Chivalry mandated that these warriors guard their allies'
flanks, work within the chain of command, protect their injured friends,
and even allow their adversaries to rise with dignity after they had
been defeated. Chivalry's only restriction on the spirit of competition
was that a knight refrain from taking unfair advantage of an opponent.

Win by using your own strengths, not by exploiting others' weaknesses,
and in victory or defeat, always treat others with respect. Chivalry
Today turns out to be a sound business philosophy, even for one of the
most recognized corporate giants of the 21st century.

= = = = = =

There is something new at Chivalry Today!

Our readers are always submitting new stories of modern knights in
shining armor, and several have recently been added to the "Portraits in
Chivalry" section at Chivalry Today. You'll find quick links to these
stories in the box labeled "Sharing Chivalry" in the left-hand
navigation bar at www.ChivalryToday.com .

= = = = = = =

Interested in reading Chivalry Today columns from the past? Don't
forget, you can access several of Scott Farrell's recent essays on
chivalry and the knightly virtues on-line, including:

- Five Quests for Justice

- The Seven Knightly Sins, and

- Chivalry Beyond 9-11

Just visit the Yahoo Groups subscriber service at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chivalrytoday/

= = = = = = =

Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with friends,
family and colleagues via other e-mail lists, discussion groups and
on-line forums (please include all titles and attributions). All
material copyright 2002 Scott Farrell and Shining Armor Enterprises.
Visit us on-line to learn more about the Code of Chivalry in the modern
world at www.ChivalryToday.com


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.419 / Virus Database: 235 - Release Date: 11/13/2002