Nothing focuses the mind of a chief executive, or of anyone else for that matter, like the prospect of vast wealth and the possibility of being sacked. The increasing single-mindedness of top executives on increasing their share prices by cutting costs and improving their products is reverberating throughout the economy. The good news: American corporations have become more productive, and their goods and services dramatically better. The not-so-good news: All jobs and earnings have become less secure, and wages and benefits of routine production workers have eroded.
— Robert B. Reich, The Future of Success