Your article is focusing on maximizing shareholder value, and I agree that is an important goal of corporations.  But it is not the only goals of today's corporations.  Corporations have goals such as providing high quality innovative products to their customers, amongst many other goals. So I disagree with your premise, and the premise of the authors of the Economist article,

Orthodox market ideology rests on a mistaken understanding of the principle -- its own principle -- that corporations should maximise shareholder value. A correct understanding of this principle undermines the reasoning that requires corporations to behave in a manner that has some have termed "psychopathic".

Companies are very capable of balancing and executing on multiple goals--they can walk and chew gum at the same time.  The company you and the Economist article  describe might indeed by a psychopath, and just as there are human psychopaths (that become totally fixated on one object in life), there are certainly examples of business psychopaths.  But just as it would be inaccurate to label the human race as psychopathic because of the actions of a few, it is similarly inaccurate to libel the business community with the same logic.

As an example, following is the mission statement of Medtronic, the worldwide market leader in Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management.  First, a very short history for those unfamiliar with the company:

Medtronic was founded in 1949 by Earl E. Bakken and the late Palmer J. Hermundslie.

Since developing the first wearable external cardiac pacemaker in 1957 and manufacturing the first reliable long-term implantable pacing system in 1960, Medtronic has been the world's leading producer of pacing technology. Today, Medtronic is the world's leading medical technology company, providing lifelong solutions for people with chronic disease. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, our operations are primarily focused on providing therapeutic, diagnostic, and monitoring systems for cardiovascular, neurological, diabetes, spinal, and ear, nose and throat markets.

Next, the company's mission statement, which sets the tone for the way the company is run:

The Medtronic Mission

In 1960, Earl Bakken, with the help of the company's board of directors, produced a formal statement of Medtronic's objectives. Nearly a half-century later, the Mission Statement continues to serve as both the ethical and practical framework for Medtronic's operations. It reads as follows:

To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.

To direct our growth in the areas of biomedical engineering where we display maximum strength and ability; to gather people and facilities that tend to augment these areas; to continuously build on these areas through education and knowledge assimilation; to avoid participation in areas where we cannot make unique and worthy contributions.

To strive without reserve for the greatest possible reliability and quality in our products; to be the unsurpassed standard of comparison; and to be recognized as a company of dedication, honesty, integrity, and service.

To make a fair profit on current operations to meet our obligations, sustain our growth, and reach our goals.

To recognize the personal worth of employees by providing an employment framework that allows personal satisfaction in work accomplished, security, advancement opportunity, and means to share in the company's success.

To maintain good citizenship as a company.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of us have friends and relatives who are living high quality lives due to some of these Medtronic products.  

Thank God there are a lot more Medtronics out there than Erons.