3rd including me. But I maintain it’s because I’m pedantic about the wording of the questions rather than what I think they’re actually trying to ask.
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I have been called pretentious for using “one is” (equivalent to the German “man ist”) to avoid this specific confusion. I’m sure that there have been a great number of misunderstandings purely because anglophones insist on speaking in the vernacular. Then again, I have also been pulled up for using the plural “yous” which tends to be more of a Celtic thing.
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Better than mine! And I’m English 
Yes but then they wouldn’t be able to announce that they’re SENDING those DIRTY IMMIGRANTS AWAY.
The sad part of the last few years in British politics is that I’m descending ever closer to @cynicaloldgit in cynicism.
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What do you think “an experience of business” would bring to a role in crafting legislation that wouldn’t otherwise be found elsewhere?
Now you’re just being polite. The thing is, my English is good enough to realise that it’s not good enough, but not good enough to do much about it.
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How long have you got? The government is the country’s biggest business. A handle on how it’s done when it’s YOUR money might be handy when you’re spending mine. As any MP is battling the civil service, knowing what should be done against what is done, rather important.
Perfect example. Again.
For those who are wondering about this, it’s a technique used a lot to try to maximise consistency of answers to get a better reading on the underlying question being asked.
If your answers are less consistent it’s supposed to change the score, if I recall correctly.
So do you think it’s just business in particular or any large organisation?
The way I see it, business in your view has only one goal, which is to maximise profit. On the other hands, the government has to juggle multiple, often conflicting goals.
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On a side note, this is probably the most civil this thread has been with the frequency of posts we’re seeing…
A business has to run at a profit (or at least not at a loss). So they get the job done to the required standard at a market acceptable price with the minimum of wastage and the maximisation of productivity. What a government we’d have if they could achieve that. You don’t learn how to actually do that by studying law courtesy of daddy’s wallet at Oxbridge.
Head teachers (as a perfect example) run schools. They’re managers of decent sized businesses. I read through the section on business management on Mrs NPQH, it was sub GCSE level. High schools can have an 8 digit budget and higher. That’s serious money. The head there should be an accomplished business manager, not a teacher. Employ good teachers to implement the teaching but the business is the critical aspect. Being chair of the finance and pay committees at Jnr’s school taught me just how hideously wasteful people can be when they’re spending other people’s money. I’m currently working on a simple project in schools to save thousands. Hadn’t occurred to anybody that this was possible.
Also very much a scouse word.
Yous lot. Are yous coming to the pub tonight.
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That’s not unique to businesses though. Any organisation with a finite amount of resources will always have to contend with that.
I’d agree that you do need professional administrators to run such organisations, or at least the management of that.
I’d agree that financial education and training on organisational efficiency is very important. However the implication that a business is necessarily efficient is false. I’ve worked in some rather successful businesses that were terribly inefficient. I wouldn’t say that many of those people working in there were necessarily people I would want in charge of government, even if my sole goal of government was that it is efficient.
For example, I recently read the perspective that despite the latest fad of companies laying off workers en masse now that growth is starting to slow (and I mean fad in terms of the latest round, not that it’s a new development), most academic research suggests it costs companies more than it saves, and it has long-term harm. Many businesspeople would make for terrible candidates for running government.
I’d argue it’s mainly “courtesy of daddy’s wallet” that’s doing the heavy lifting there. Anyone who’s had to balance their finances while working part-time and studying full-time will have had to develop similar skills to what you’re describing.
You do learn valuable skills at law school, or at least you should, that are absolutely vital for the work of government.
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Why should a school be run as a business?
That question doesn’t mean that all fiscal responsibility gets thrown out the window but the idea that services should be run as a business is one reason why the UK is in the mess it is.
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I don’t disagree on your point, but I think @Klopptimist was simply referring to minimising wastage, but as I have argued, that’s not unique to businesses.
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Almost all organisations with a bank account and money are a business. Foodbank, charity shop, PTA, Scout group etc etc etc.
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A school is a business! Budget, employees, needs to deliver results, sell itself, keep numbers up, pay bills etc etc.
No but it’s more prevalent in the private sector because they tend to care about the money spent as it’s the bosses. The waste I’ve seen in governmental contracts……
In the very broadest sense that they have accounts and are audited that’s correct. However, the ultimate aim may be different. The Scout group isn’t going to morph into a Boys’ Brigade simply because that is were the real money is to be made.