[pyre]

  > The purpose of a corporation by definition is to 
  > maximize the bottom line for the shareholder

That is a definition without qualification. What is the bottom line for the shareholder? The stock price tomorrow? The stock price in 10 years? The dividends paid out this year? The dividends paid over the next decade?

If I push up the stock price $100 over 2 years, but in the process destroy the brand in a way that causes the business to drop in value and eventually close over the next 3 years, have I increased shareholder value?

What if I cut the customer-service budget, saving money and causing customers to hate the company? What happens when an incumbent shows up in the market, and steals away most of my customer base? Did that create shareholder value?

Reciting "money++ is the only thing that matters" as the definition of a corporation is brain-dead.

[wallawe]

"Reciting "money++ is the only thing that matters" as the definition of a corporation is brain-dead"

That wasn't my intention, and my definition was ambiguous, you are right. I wrote that off the top of my head. To be more accurate, it is "to maximize shareholder value."

This includes building a solid brand name and maintaining a good reputation via ethical practices.