A detergent manufacturer decides to clean up the waterways it uses even though no federal, state, or local laws require the firm to do this. The firm's managers believe that the cleanup will improve the company's image and benefit the environment. This scenario is an example of shareholder capitalism.

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The shared value creation framework proposes that managers maintain a dual focus on shareholder value creation and value creation for society. It recognizes that markets are defined not only by economic needs but also by societal needs. It also advances the perspective that externalities such as pollution, wasted energy, and costly accidents actually create internal costs, at least in lost reputation if not directly on the bottom line. Nobel laureate Milton Friedman stated his view of the firm's social obligations: "There is one and only one social responsibility of business-to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud." This notion is often captured by the term shareholder capitalism.

A Detergent Manufacturer Decides to Clean Up the Waterways It