Purposes
The following list details the general purposes of the various sectors within the community.
|
For-Profit Businesses |
Government |
Nonprofit Businesses |
| They are there to make a profit. | They can produce goods and services, for example, the postal service or fire service. | They provide services where government fails. |
| I take possession of the goods or services myself. | They can regulate what the for-profit world does, for example, telephone service. | They may provide private goods, for example, National Geographic. |
| They allow a simple transaction to take place. I pay the price and I get the product. | They have coercive power. They can tax you or make you purchase a license. | They are concerned about client satisfaction. |
| They rely upon customer satisfaction. |
They may promise to provide services in order to win elections. |
They are not in business to make a profit. |
| Payment is voluntary. No one is forcing you to purchase it. | They may only do what the community demands. | They may provide public goods, for example, parks, schools, health care. |