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Shareholder primacy

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178:, advanced the theory of shareholder primacy which says that "corporations have no higher purpose than maximizing profits for their shareholders." Friedman said that if corporations were to accept anything but making money for their stockholders as their primary purpose, it would "thoroughly undermine the very foundation of our free society." His article, "A Friedman Doctrine: The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits", was published September 13, 1970, in 25: 136:'s opinion, it stated that "There should be no confusion... A business corporation is organized and carried on primarily for the profit of the stockholders." It is commonly asserted that the case established a precedent that managers had to maximize shareholder profit, but the status of the court's statement on the topic is disputed, with some legal scholars arguing that it constitutes 200:
is an employee of the owners of the business. He has direct responsibility to his employers. That responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires ... the key point is that, in his capacity as a corporate executive, the manager is the agent of the individuals who own the
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interests should be assigned first priority relative to all other corporate stakeholders. A shareholder primacy approach often gives shareholders power to intercede directly and frequently in corporate decision-making, through such means as unilateral shareholder power to amend
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election contests. The shareholder primacy norm was first used by courts to resolve disputes among majority and minority shareholders, and, over time, this use of the shareholder primacy norm evolved into the modern doctrine of minority
114:, "If private property were truly respected, shareholder interest would be the primary, or even better, the sole purpose, of the corporation." However, the doctrine of shareholder primacy has been criticized for being at odds with 617: 695: 648: 35: 553: 153: 607: 499: 585: 468: 301: 438: 69: 685: 358: 115: 638: 721: 535: 612: 580: 144: 273:
John F. Olson (May 2007). "Professor Bebchuk's Brave New World: A Reply to 'The Myth of the Shareholder Franchise'".
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Milton Friedman. "A Friedman Doctrine: The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits".
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published its alternative view, focused on long-term benefits for a broad range of "stakeholders."
242: 197: 504: 282: 180: 545: 509: 444: 434: 405: 321: 254: 216: 95: 241:"On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world." In August 2019, the 397: 325: 313: 231: 193: 236: 189: 175: 111: 99: 643: 500:"A Friedman Doctrine: The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits" 424: 223:, is also widely credited with helping to popularize the idea of shareholder primacy. 162: 715: 686:"America's top CEOs say they are no longer putting shareholders before everyone else" 473: 137: 690: 540: 165:'s introduced the idea that "shareholders are the corporation's 'true owners'." 340: 158: 90: 227: 549: 513: 448: 409: 401: 286: 389: 317: 375: 230:, known for promoting shareholder primacy during his tenure as CEO of 669:
Posner, Cydney (August 22, 2019). "So Long to Shareholder Primacy".
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Shareholder primacy was first articulated in the decision of
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deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a
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corporation ... and his primary responsibility is to them.
493: 491: 462: 460: 458: 43: 576:"How shareholders jumped to first in line for profits" 226:The doctrine waned in later years. In March 2009, 671:Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance 140:, or judicial comments that lack binding force. 186: 32:The examples and perspective in this article 8: 143:In their 1932 publication on foundations of 608:"Jack Welch's legacy: serving shareholders" 426:The Modern Corporation and Private Property 390:"Why We Should Stop Teaching Dodge v. Ford" 154:The Modern Corporation and Private Property 639:"Jack Welch Elaborates: Shareholder Value" 70:Learn how and when to remove this message 498:Friedman, Milton (September 13, 1970). 265: 423:Berle, Adolf; Means, Gardiner (1932). 219:, a former student of Friedman at the 467:Palladino, Lenore (October 1, 2019). 359:"The truth about shareholder primacy" 7: 234:, stated in an interview with the 14: 300:Smith, D. Gordon (Winter 1998). 110:James Kee wrote in 1995 for the 23: 698:from the original on 2019-08-19 651:from the original on 2020-11-04 620:from the original on 2020-03-04 588:from the original on 2019-07-28 556:from the original on 2019-07-22 345:, vol. 13, The Free Market 116:corporate social responsibility 16:Concept in corporate governance 357:Gordon Pearson (25 May 2012), 302:"The Shareholder Primacy Norm" 1: 684:Wartzman, Rick (2019-08-19). 118:and other legal obligations. 536:"The Stock-Buyback Swindle" 534:Useem, Jerry (2019-07-22). 145:United States corporate law 46:, discuss the issue on the 745: 606:Tong, Scott (2020-03-03). 574:Tong, Scott (2016-06-14). 306:Journal of Corporation Law 342:The Ethical Corporation? 394:SSRN Electronic Journal 388:Stout, Lynn A. (2007). 129:Dodge v. Ford Motor Co. 431:Transaction Publishers 339:James Kee (May 1995), 213: 171:Capitalism and Freedom 134:Michigan Supreme Court 105:shareholder oppression 378: (Mich 1919). 221:University of Chicago 210:. September 13, 1970. 722:Corporate governance 402:10.2139/ssrn.1013744 376:204 Mich 459 87:corporate governance 52:create a new article 44:improve this article 275:Virginia Law Review 243:Business Roundtable 198:corporate executive 83:Shareholder primacy 505:The New York Times 318:10.2139/ssrn.10571 208:The New York Times 181:The New York Times 168:In his 1962 book, 96:corporate charters 255:Friedman doctrine 217:Michael C. Jensen 80: 79: 72: 54:, as appropriate. 734: 707: 706: 704: 703: 681: 675: 674: 666: 660: 659: 657: 656: 635: 629: 628: 626: 625: 603: 597: 596: 594: 593: 571: 565: 564: 562: 561: 531: 525: 524: 522: 520: 495: 486: 485: 483: 481: 464: 453: 452: 420: 414: 413: 385: 379: 373: 367: 365: 354: 348: 346: 336: 330: 329: 297: 291: 290: 270: 211: 194:private-property 174:, the economist 132:in 1919. 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Index

worldwide view
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create a new article
Learn how and when to remove this message
corporate governance
shareholder
corporate charters
corporate board
shareholder oppression
Mises Institute
corporate social responsibility
Dodge v. Ford Motor Co.
Michigan Supreme Court
obiter dicta
United States corporate law
governance
The Modern Corporation and Private Property
Adolf Berle
Gardiner Means
Capitalism and Freedom
Milton Friedman
The New York Times
free-enterprise
private-property
corporate executive
Michael C. Jensen
University of Chicago
Jack Welch
GE

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