In this we paper we explain why maximizing shareholder value should be the sole objective function for governing the corporation and why that objective function is, on balance, good for all stakeholders. Shareholder value maximization is the ideal corporate goal because it is the best among all...

The stock market convulsions and corporate scandals of 2001 and 2002 have reignited debate on the purposes of the corporation and, in particular, the goal of shareholder value maximization. We revisit the debate, re-examine the traditional rationales, and develop a set of new arguments for why...

Freeman et al. (2004) offer a spirited rebuttal to our paper The Corporate Objective Revisited from the perspective of stakeholder theory. However, they fall short in making a case against the logic of shareholder value maximization. The authors confound issues of value and values, ignore the...