56 57 At the same time, social and political pressure is redefining the corporate mission, with demands for more care for employees and sustainability. However, many of these promises are difficult to maintain without sacrificing profits or efficiency. To be efficient today, CEOs must manage intangible capital, coordinate data and resources with agility, and focus on the long-term interests of the company, avoiding ideological drifts and media distractions. The election of Donald Trump in the United States appears to have initiated a backlash against traditional economics, but it is still too early to consider the flag of social responsibility lowered. In such a fluctuating context, critical thinking becomes a key skill for navigating uncertainty and making informed decisions. For the American Economic Association, Siegfried and Colander have emphasised the importance of critical thinking in economic analysis. This skill is articulated in two levels: little-think, which concerns the use of established tools within the discipline, and big-think, which involves the ability to question existing models and assumptions. In a context where economic responsibility requires bold choices, critical thinking becomes an essential tool for tackling market complexity and anticipating its developments. Sometimes, recourse to lyricism may seem like a shortcut, but Dylan Thomas wrote in a famous 1947 poem: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night. These verses are an anthem to responsibility, urging us not to yield in the face of the inevitable. Uncertainty is a constant in the social sciences and in economics. An experiment published in PNAS in 2022 demonstrated how the same dataset can lead to opposite conclusions: out of 73 research teams, 50% did not reach a consensus, while the remainder split evenly between those who supported one thesis and those who opposed it. Only 5% of the result variability could be explained by the methodologies adopted, while 95% stemmed from a hidden universe of uncertainty. In the face of this complexity, economic responsibility becomes an anchor. It cannot be reduced to a mere statistical error or a marginal variable in economic models. Nor can we succumb to the fatalism of those who give up on influencing reality. Uncertainty must be accepted, but also governed through critical thinking. In evolutionary biology, the debate between contingency and convergence also helps to interpret economic phenomena. Convergence suggests that every event follows an inevitable fate, while contingency explains evolution as a series of continuously transforming micro-events, often unpredictable. Economics follows similar dynamics: a responsible entrepreneur knows that the market is not perfectly controllable, just as it is impossible to predict with certainty the impact of every decision. Accepting this complexity does not mean abandoning action, but rather acting with greater awareness. The concept of path dependency, illustrated by Borges in The Garden of Forking Paths, shows how past choices influence the future, limiting the available options. In economics, this translates into the distinction between systems based on strong and weak ties: In strong-tie contexts, success depends on a few key elements. A football team with an extraordinary star player may win thanks to his or her talent, even if the other players are mediocre. In weak-tie systems, however, the result depends on the weakest element. In a rowing eight with coxswain race, one rower out of sync is enough to slow down the entire crew. Economic sustainability moves along this delicate balance: it cannot rely solely on a few factors of excellence, but must ensure widespread solidity. And how can we ensure this balance? An interesting study on the London subway shows the value of adaptation and continuous experimentation. During a 2014 strike, commuters were forced to change their habits. The result? 5% of people found more efficient alternative routes, which they continued to use even after the strike ended. This example suggests that many economic choices stem from sub-optimal routines. Active experimentation – even when forced – can generate positive changes, both for individuals and businesses. We experienced this during the Covid years, when forced digitalisation accelerated processes that were once considered almost impossible to achieve. A responsible business keeps a steady course, navigating the sea of uncertainty, attentive to the dimension of meaning, the ultimate significance of what is done.
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