Mercedes Hurst Discussion Paper - Other People's Money (1991)

Throughout this entire movie there was a battle between entrepreneur, Jorgy and liquidator, Lawrence Garfield. Garfield was known for buying and selling companies to make profit but when he offered to buy the New England Wire and Cable Company, Jorgy declined. That is when he Garfield began his mission to take over the company. Jorgy hired his step daughter, a lawyer, Kate, to help him fight Garfield but they often didn't agree on what step to take next. This shows that running a business is not always a straight line. Kate and Garfield also had a slight romance going on, however they both still kept their eyes on their end goal.

Watching this movie from both perspectives was so interesting to me and showed how different people think in an entrepreneurial way. Jorgy and Kate often disagreed on the best way to save the company and it was interesting to see the choices they were going to end up making together to benefit the business in the best way possible. This shows how complicated it can be to run a company and make decisions as a team. Being an entrepreneur is not always black and white.

Whether Jorgy or Garfield won the case had a huge impact on society, or the shareholders and customers of the company, in this case. In Garfield's defense the company was already struggling and if he won the case, when he sold the company the shareholders would end up with a few dollars in their pockets, therefore they would gain more than they would lose. In Jordy's case his main focus was to save the business and he was not realizing it was in a shrinking market. He believed that the company would recover. Although, his intentions were pure, it wasn't in everyone's best interest. They both made good points in their speeches but it was up to society who they trusted in more. The decision would effect the shareholders money, which is important to most people, especially shareholders. This shows that the outcome greatly effected the shareholders and it wasn't a clear choice for them but they had to choose who to vote for based on their best opinions.

On the other hand, society also majorly impacted the situation. In fact, the outcome was solely in the hands of the shareholders at the meeting. Whether they voted for Jorgy or Garfield would change their lives and the lives of the two business owners. Garfield winning the case would obviously impact him and the shareholders along with their money. Jorgy winning the case wouldn't change much other than the business continuing to fail unless it did end up recovering, and of course it would also affect the shareholders money.

Entrepreneurship and society directly interacted in this case. They each needed each other to finish the case and it affected one just as much as it did the other. Both the entrepreneurs and society had things to lose and things to gain, choices had to be made by them both to attempt to make the best choice for now and the future. This happens all the time, it was just very obvious in this situation considering the outcome of the entrepreneurial argument relied on societies choice. Society is what drives entrepreneurship, that is what causes entrepreneurs to be successful or not.

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