Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
  1. Home
  2. Search

Refine search

Refine search

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

1 results

Value Creation and the Role of Firms in Society

Value Creation and the Role of Firms in Society
  • Constantijn van Aartsen
  • Published online:
    06 July 2026
    Print publication:
    03 December 2026
  • It is widely agreed by proponents of shareholder and stakeholder capitalism that firms are needed to create long-term value. While they debate whose interests this value creation should serve and how it should be measured, they rarely question the concept of value itself or whether firms should have this social role. This consensus is striking since the meaning of value is often unexplored and inadequately defined. This Element addresses that gap and challenges this consensus. It explores the nature and meaning of value, examines how value creation became the social role of firms, and asks whether firms should have this social role. It shows that the role of firms is not to create economic value for shareholders or stakeholders but to provide goods and services in ways that are consistent with social values. The analysis also offers a new, relational theory of the firm to help enable this paradigm shift.