“Corporate Social Justice Warriors”

Ben & Jerry’s has recently come under fire for its decision to remove its ice cream products from sale and production in Jewish communities within East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), what the company considers “Israeli occupied territories.” The action has been labeled “anti-Semitic” by the Israeli government and others. Some have even accused Ben & Jerry’s of helping terrorists. The company denies the charges, but what it cannot deny is the fact that it does business with a Muslim food group, IFANCA, that is linked to terror and bigotry, itself. Maybe it is time for Ben & Jerry’s to close up shop not only in Israel, but everywhere.

Understanding the sociology of organizations

America’s major institutions have gone woke the same way that someone goes bankrupt: slowly, then all at once. How is it that so many of us have had the experience of being in a diversity-training session divided into racially segregated “affinity groups” or reading yet another sackcloth-and-ashes statement from management and thinking: They can’t possibly believe this, right? Any answer should begin with the dominant theory from the sociology of organizations: neo-institutionalism and isomorphism. The theory explains that organizations go beyond their core competencies to imitate market leaders and to meet the demands of their trading partners, the regulatory state, and key employees.

American companies’ embrace of radical ideas appears both sudden and inexplicable. In internal trainings, companies from Disney to Lockheed-Martin ask their employees to “challenge colorblind ideologies” and “deconstruct their white male privilege.” Firms spend vast sums of money on such trainings, on diversity-related speakers, and on maintaining a progressive image. Employees find themselves wondering why their workplace has transformed into a progressive propaganda center.