The end of shareholder value thinking

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss a trend in business strategy thinking which has been detrimental to the continuity of organizations, so that managers will reevaluate where they should aim their efforts at in respect to improving their organizations. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a literature study, the outcomes of the current debate between the Anglo‐American and the European strategy thinking movements, and numerous discussions during workshops with management teams. Findings In line with the findings of current high performance organizations research, a long term focus of management is one of the most important capabilities management has to develop in order to safeguard the continuity of the organization. Practical implications In lieu of the scandals that rocked the business world these last two decades and looking at the main task of management – safeguarding the continuity of the organization by making sure the organization earns its place in society, replacing shareholder value thinking with shareholder value thinking is highly recommended. Originality/value This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on how to make organizations more corporate responsible.