Following up on some of Bob's postings on Capital University's winter commencement, last week's Economist has an excellent article (registration required) making a very similar point to Bob's - namely that profit-seeking organizations are prosperous only to the extent they help others satisfy their wants.

An excerpt:

[The thinking behind corporate social responsibility] is wrong. The goal of a well-run company may be to make profits for its shareholders, but merely in doing that - provided it faces competition in its markets, behaves honestly and obeys the law - the company, without even trying, is doing good works. Its employees willingly work for the company in exchange for wages; the transaction makes them better off. Its customers willingly pay for the company's products; the transaction makes them better off also. All the while, for strictly selfish reasons, well-run companies will strive for friendly long-term relations with employees, suppliers and customers. There is no need for selfless sacrifice when it comes to stakeholders. It goes with the territory.*

*"The Good Company," The Economist, 22 January 2005.