Who is in charge? A property rights perspective on stakeholder governance

Abstract

The fields of strategy and organization are dominated by the stylized idea that the purpose of the firm is to maximize returns on investment for equity shareholders. This idea is based on simplifying assumptions about externalities, contractual ties, investments, and the nature of competition. As a result, the dominant conceptualization of the firm’s purpose as shareholder value maximization may lead to serious misunderstandings regarding the firm’s contractual obligations. Furthermore, the idea of shareholder value maximization may lead to problematic and inaccurate