MIT financial economist Simon Johnson rethinks capitalism with better key market incentives.

Daisy Harvey

2019-11-23 08:33:00 Sat ET

MIT financial economist Simon Johnson rethinks capitalism with better key market incentives. Johnson refers to the recent Business Roundtable CEO statement that focuses on better stakeholder value maximization for employees, customers, and suppliers. Johnson proposes 3 primary issues when we reconsider capitalism in response to the neoliberal consensus. First, market incentives are often positive in some contexts. It is not enough for entrepreneurs to raise capital to promote good social causes. Entrepreneurs often need to come up with a sustainable business model that promises steady future profits. Only profitable ventures survive the test of time, so founders and most senior executive managers often tend to fixate on near-term profitability.

Second, powerful policymakers and interest groups can distort sensible economic analysis to bolster the consensus view of business sustainability. It would be better for all parties to strike a delicate balance between public efforts and private motives. However, ulterior motives cannot align well with good causes.

Third, the private sector typically cannot take into account negative externalities.  In this light, the public sector may need to play an important role in advancing basic science for better health care, infrastructure, technology, and so on. On balance, this consideration helps enhance macro policy outcomes in light of climate change and economic inequality.

 


If any of our AYA Analytica financial health memos (FHM), blog posts, ebooks, newsletters, and notifications etc, or any other form of online content curation, involves potential copyright concerns, please feel free to contact us at service@ayafintech.network so that we can remove relevant content in response to any such request within a reasonable time frame.

Blog+More

Dr Karl Ulrich explains that many elite universities now provide massive open online courses (MOOCs) for lifelong learners to achieve their medium-term goals for better intellectual focus, immersion, personal growth, and self-improvement.

Charlene Vos

2025-08-09 11:31:00 Saturday ET

Dr Karl Ulrich explains that many elite universities now provide massive open online courses (MOOCs) for lifelong learners to achieve their medium-term goals for better intellectual focus, immersion, personal growth, and self-improvement.

Wharton e-commerce entrepreneurship professor Dr Karl Ulrich explains that many top-notch universities now provide massive open online courses (MOOCs) for m

+See More

Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson show that good inclusive institutions contribute to better long-run economic growth.

Monica McNeil

2023-06-14 10:26:00 Wednesday ET

Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson show that good inclusive institutions contribute to better long-run economic growth.

Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson show that good inclusive institutions contribute to better long-run economic growth. Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson

+See More

Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing announces his retirement in March 2018 with an incredible rags-to-riches life story.

John Fourier

2018-03-11 08:27:00 Sunday ET

Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing announces his retirement in March 2018 with an incredible rags-to-riches life story.

At 89 years old, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing announces his retirement in March 2018. With a personal net worth of $35 billion, Li has an incredible ra

+See More

Broadcom announces its strategic plans to move its legal headquarters from Singapore to America.

Daphne Basel

2017-11-03 06:41:00 Friday ET

Broadcom announces its strategic plans to move its legal headquarters from Singapore to America.

Broadcom, a one-time division of Hewlett-Packard and now a semiconductor maker whose chips help power iPhone X, has announced its strategic plans to move it

+See More

U.S. automobile and real estate sales decline despite higher consumer confidence and low unemployment as of October 2018.

Fiona Sydney

2018-10-27 09:34:00 Saturday ET

U.S. automobile and real estate sales decline despite higher consumer confidence and low unemployment as of October 2018.

U.S. automobile and real estate sales decline despite higher consumer confidence and low unemployment as of October 2018. This slowdown arises from the curr

+See More

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen now protects the European circular economy and green growth from 2020 to 2050.

Dan Rochefort

2019-12-22 08:30:00 Sunday ET

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen now protects the European circular economy and green growth from 2020 to 2050.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen now protects the European circular economy and green growth from 2020 to 2050. The new circular economy r

+See More