Ask HN: Should all corporations be public benefit corporations?
The General Corporation Law (Title 8, Chapter 1 of the Delaware Code) was recently amended by Senate Bill No. 47, effective August 1, 2013, adding a new subchapter XV, which authorizes the creation of Public Benefits Corporations. As defined in the GCL, a PBC is a for-profit corporation intended to produce a public benefit and operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. The PBC is to be managed in a manner that balances stockholders' pecuniary interests, the best interests of those materially affected by the corporation's conduct and the public benefit for which the PBC is formed.
Personally, I believe the world would be a better place if corporate citizens tried to be _good_ citizens. I would almost go as far to say that the default corporation should be a PBC-like entity and you should have to file extra paperwork to ignore your civic duty and only be beholden to the traditional corporate goal of maximizing profit for shareholders.
Thoughts? I'm looking for thoughts from both a moral and economic perspective, though I am less sure what those would look like.