Why is shareholder wwealth maximization be a beter operating goal than profit maximization?

Why is shareholder wwealth maximization be a beter operating goal than profit maximization?
A firm's operating goal should be to maximize shareholder wealth as it is shareholders who are the owners of the firm. Profit maximizing however is more of a personal/management oriented type goal as it only benefits those running the company. This problem is known as the Agency issue, and it is directly related to the asymmetry of information problem that all firms suffer from.

Typically, higher ranking persons in a company, usually managers, know a lot more about the firms operations than do subordinates and common stock holders; this information may be exploited so that only profits and managements' personal pay packets are maximized, and shareholders who funded the firms operations by their purchase of ordinary equity benefit none as they experience no gain through increase in share value.

In order to overcome this issue, several things can be done. For example, monitoring techniques can be put in place to ensure management is acting in shareholder interest and not their own, or alternatively, management pay packets can be directly linked to the goal of maximizing shareholder wealth. If and when this goal is achieved and shareholders realize gains, management may be paid a cash bonus or an allotment of shares.

Put simply, shareholder wealth maximization should be the firms operating goal simply because they are financing the firms operations with their investing in the firm; to act against their interests is unethical, but still not unheard of.