The objective of this chapter is to show that the focus of modern corporate law theory on the concerns of shareholders is historically and geographically contingent. In doing so, it traces shareholder-stakeholder debates through the 20th century. The most obvious example is the simple...

The public debate is rife with polarized views of how to deliver essential services such as education, health, and security. While some tout privatization as a way to supplant bad governments, others warn that private firms maximize profits at the expense of socially oriented service attributes....

The economic reforms envisaged by the Syrian government are principally aimed to raise the overall efficiency of economic activities and to improve significantly the productivity of labour and capital. Irrespective of the degree of competitiveness and efficiency of private companies, the...