Orit's Third Summary and Response

Summary of “How Steve Jobs Made Business Cool Again, 1981”

By: Virginia Postrel

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-26/how-steve-jobs-made-business-cool-again-1981-virginia-postrel.html

According to Virginia Postrel's article "How Steve Jobs Made Business Cool Again, 1981"   in the Businessweek (August 26^th, 2011)   Steve Jobs made a significant cultural change of the perception of businesses and work.

Until 1981 the business executives and managers were known in the public only for their business activity and financial achievements. Doing business until then was perceived as boring, impersonal and the objectives at that time were financial.

In 1980 young entrepreneurs' of which Steve Jobs was one of them built up very successful business, became millionaires in their 20s and became heroes, celebrities and role models. The initiative and drive was making money but it was as well based on aspirations, pleasure and self-expression and satisfaction.  These people kept working very hard although they had more money than they knew what to do with and that they could spend. This was a cultural change. Business and work became a passion.

These businesses that started at Silicon Valley in a garage grew rapidly and became a new workaday reality and cultural norm. In different to the past the business became known and big source of interest to the public like sport and fashion. The traditional models of managers were replaced by young brilliant, arrogant college dropout entrepreneurs' not well dresses and without a tie.  The concept of work changed too. The work started filling a large part of people's life and in order to be satisfied and do a good job people need to love what they do and believe in it (Steve Jobs speech in 2005, Stanford University).

According to Virginia Postrel the change in the norm and the new concept of work offers greatness and self-fulfillment but also perpetual dissatisfactions. As the objectives are now not only making money but also having satisfaction and leaving a cultural mark the risks in achieving it are high and the work becomes the people identity.

Response

I think that Virginia Postrel explains very well the cultural change Steve Jobs and the other young entrepreneurs' made in the way people think of  businesses and work.   It is not any more only a place people make money. It is as well a place where people should be creative, find interest and get aspirations and satisfaction.  The work became a very import part of people's life.  I fully agree with Steve Job's statement in his speech that people need to love what they do. We are spending most of our time at work and it is important to enjoy and have satisfaction from it. We will then do a great job.