I'm not sure how it is over in the UK, but here in the US publicly traded companies are expected to always do whatever makes their shareholders money. Investors

I'm not sure how it is over in the UK, but here in the US publicly traded companies are expected to always do whatever makes their shareholders money. Investors can even sue companies if they believe the company is acting against their financial interests. Companies have some leeway in how to interpret this goal, but publicly traded companies will only ever do the "right thing" if it is a net positive (or at least neutral) for their shareholders. Owners of privately owned companies, on the other hand, can choose to do things they believe are good, even if it will be a net negative after factoring in the potential good PR.