The elements of the Meaning Capital of a firm are worth their meaning. Each of them means something and plays an active role in the context of a community. Here is a clear and simple example how .
“The pearl” is a short novel by John Steinbeck. Kino, a poor fisherman finds a pearl. He knows it is valuable and thinks his life is going to change. As he wants to sell it, the merchant claims it hardly has any value because it is too big. Kino refuses the bargain and goes to town for a better deal. The pearl attracts thieves and jealousy and Kino’s journey becomes a march to evil. He ends up throwing the pearl back into the sea.
The main character of the novel is neither Kino nor the pearl ; it is the value of the pearl. But Kino ignores the rules of demand and supply and things will not work according to what he wants.
The pearl has no value in itself apart from the system of exchange which is organized collectively around it. To every actor, it means something by convention like any currency. Kino’s belief in the real value of the pearl is but a dream which drives him to misfortune.
The value and meaning of the pearl are outside it, not inside ; they totally depend on the collective structure using it as a sign. The same goes for the Meaning Capital of a firm ; it is full of "pearls" that would be meaningless outside its context.
Steinbeck’s “The pearl” is both an efficient and enjoyable introduction to the way it works.
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