I am constantly irritated by false dichotomies--when someone asks a question designed to force you into one of two viewpoints based upon an assumption that the two are mutually exclusive, when they are not.
No wonder it seems no one can think any more--we are bombarded with black and white choices when usually the true answer should be somewhere in between. We just aren't given that option. When we don't select one or the other polar end, somehow we're avoiding the question. You see a lot of this approach on quasi-news shows.

But the question that got me on the soapbox was in an e-newsletter I get. The question was: "What should come first in HR: People or Business?" It's a chicken or egg question.
The bottom line is business. If the business is not successful, there won't be any people to deal with. However, if it is true (and it is) that the competitive advantage of almost all businesses is the knowledge and skills of its people, then if you're not paying attention to the people piece, you may not be in business long. So there is no choice between the two extremes--paying attention to people makes a business successful. Making good business decisions keeps us all employed. The true choices lay along the spectrum between the two. Good managers will focus on blending elements of both ends for the best option.