The Canadian Profile: People, Institutions, Infrastructure. 2nd ed.

David Robinson is an economics professor and dean of the Faculty of
Social Sciences at Laurentian University.

Imagine that you are training Canada’s future business leaders.
Increasing global competition demands that managers know more and
respond more quickly. Their decisions will be influenced by, and will
inevitably change, Canadian society. You want those future leaders to
understand the opportunities, the competition, and themselves.

You would like to bring to class experts on all aspects of Canadian
society and institutions, on how government works, on industrial policy,
trade, and globalization. You could assign readings from a variety of
sources. Ideally you would commission a set of strategic briefing
papers, but you don’t have to. Jerry Dermer, a professor of business
and public policy at York University, has already done the job admirably
in these two volumes.

In his introduction Dermer writes that “social responsibility demands
that [managers] look beyond the scope of their own narrow interests.”
His selection of topics and authors covers Canadian history and culture
as well as the global economic environment. Together, the 18 papers
succeed in developing social understanding as well as business acumen.
In an ideal world every university student would read and discuss these
briefings.

Whether they read David Foot on the effect of changing demographics, or
Edward Grabb’s surprising review of differences between Canadian and
American attitudes toward democracy, they will find the prose clear and
accessible. John Saywell’s review of the sociopolitical environment
provides historical depth and balance. Brean’s review of
macro-economic issues covers the basics of a first-year economics course
quickly and accurately, and is remarkably readable. Barrow sets the key
facts about Canada’s international competitiveness into a historical
framework. The 13 other essays are no less informative. End-of-chapter
questions can be used by students to review, or by instructors to prompt
class discussion. Independent readers will find it useful to read them
before reading the essays.

There is not much new in these briefings but there is a great deal that
all Canadians should know, and that Canadian managers must know.