Although the concept of shareholder value (or as it was previously referred to, residual
income) dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, its wide-spread incorporation into
management thinking has only recently gained momentum. This is largely to do with the
renewed efforts of business schools and consulting firms that are advocating shareholder
value and Value Based Management (VBM; the revival of the residual income concept is
often associated with Stern et al 1995). The principle is simple enough: firms create
shareholder value by earning returns in excess of the cost of capital.