After reading “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits” by Milton Friedman (in Canvas), “A Note on Comparative Capitalism”, “The Double Bottom Line: Profit and Social Benefit” article and the “New Belgium Brewing Company” Case (all 3 in HBS pack). Answer the following questions. Each answer should be a maximum of one page single spaced (12 pt font, 1 inch margins).
1) Using the Comparative Capitalism article (including the ending exhibits), if you were deciding on a location for a major new business, which country ( US, Germany, Japan, Sweden or China) would have the strongest case for the business and why. Feel free to briefly describe the business if that is important in your selection process.
2) If you were Katie Wallace at NBB, what would you recommend to the board of directors and employees regarding becoming a certified B corp? Provide some “pros and cons” of the choice you make. Please explain your answer using only the case or any other documents produced contemporaneously (before May 2012).
3) If Friedman is supporting “shareholder capitalism” and the Double Bottom Line article is supporting “stakeholder capitalism”. Which business model would you support if you had $1000 to invest in the stock of a corporation? Is this answer consistent with your answer for NBB above? Please explain your answer with information from the readings and your own thinking as well.
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