Your sentence brings up this interesting discrepancy between what something might mean, and what it actually means. "Increasing shareholder value" could concei

Your sentence brings up this interesting discrepancy between what something might mean, and what it actually means. "Increasing shareholder value" could conceivably mean long term growth and doing everything right for a win-win-win situation. It makes sense, in a way. But really it's much more nihilistic than that. There could be one majority shareholder that smashes the company and fucks over minority stake holders, causes a bad outcome for everyone except him/herself, and finds a legal way to execute the plan. That is a real thing that happens, and can be done as legally and with as much validity as treating everyone well to encourage long term growth. The shareholders own the company, and it's theirs to do what they want with, even if that means picking up their toys and going home.