"To what extent does a company exist only for the benefit of its shareholders?” Critically analyse this statement by discussing the place of agency theory , its alternatives, the problems of putting these theories into practice.”

"To what extent does a company exist only for the benefit of its shareholders?” Critically analyse this statement by discussing the place of agency theory , its alternatives, the problems of putting these theories into practice.” Order Description Instructions & Requirements Knowledge • You should show familiarity with relevant facts and definitions • This type of knowledge is necessary to provide a context for your essay but an essay based on lists of facts alone is unlikely to provide much insight into a topic. DO NOT just list facts. DO include facts to help you to build your argument. Literature • Why refer to literature? To show that you are aware of earlier thoughts on the subject. • The prior literature will probably show different viewpoints. You can use these to help you debate the issues. • It is useful to read a variety of different types of material e.g. refereed journals, professional journals and internet-based material. DO NOT just list literature and summarise the main points. DO organize it so that you compare and contrast different views and identify major themes. DO NOT try to include everything from an article. Some of the article may not be relevant to your essay. Do select only the material that is relevant. Originality • It is not enough to give the views of others. You also need to show that you have thought about the topic and formed your own views. E.g. try to give examples of your own and point out weaknesses or limitations in the view of others DO NOT just give your opinion without justifying it. DO try to provide reasons for the view you hold. Structure • Plan your essay carefully. Organise your material so that your argument is logical and clear. • The INTRODUCTION should state the topic / question you are addressing, your terms of reference, aims and how you are going to address them. You may wish to summarise your argument in your introduction so that the reader can understand your position. • The BODY of your essay can take many forms but should be logical e.g. background concepts and necessary factual information, historical development, main themes in the literature, arguments for and against a point of view. You may wish to use headings to make your structure clearer. You can use the first and last sentences in a paragraph to show how your argument is developing. • Your CONCLUSIONS should flow logically from the body of your essay. No new material should be included in your Conclusion but you can pull the earlier work together and give your own views. You may also wish to identify problem areas, unresolved issues, aspects that have not been researched fully and how things might develop in the future. DO organise your material so that it flows logically Counter arguments is required. Intro- brief discussion about shareholder theory and stakeholder theory and purpose of this report. Agency problem- Explain agency problem and relate to topic. Shareholder perspective- Explain with detail with references in context to topic Stakeholder perspective- ....................................................................... Agency theory- In relation to topic with real life exapmle Ethics theory- Discuss ethical theory with example Conclusion