Playing the Long Game: How to Save the West from Short-Termism

We obsess about what our politicians are doing, but ignore that our companies are no longer investing, instead they are focusing on next quarter’s profits in order to justify ever higher executive compensation. This is in turn accelerating the West’s economic decline versus the East. While the short-term focus of business is becoming widely acknowledged, we are not doing enough to reverse this. Looking at the less known history of companies shows us the choices we can no longer afford to ignore. Some current reforms need to go further and some areas that need reform are currently being ignored. Encouraging our businesses to invest again is one of the most important issues of our time.