&gt;A company that&#x27;s willing to make a product for a 20% margin might not be willing to make that same product for a 5% margin. &#x2F;&#x2F;<p>Generally those doing the actual manufacture are probably perfectly happy to do it if they get the same wage. The share-holders perhaps won&#x27;t want to invest, but then we&#x27;re back to profit motive.<p>A company can in theory continue to pay all the employees and make zero profit, it can succeed in all it&#x27;s goals except in paying out a large return for investors.