Increasing share price helps the company, since selling shares (either from a reserve or via dilution) is how the company raises money.

The other way to raise money is via loans, but guess what the loan conditions are based on ? Mainly shares price.

Your second point, that a companies ability to raise money is only used to give out exec bonuses, is a nutcase view. You are assuming most companies are absolutely corrupt. Whilst some corruption does exist, most companies use their budget to fund new or existing products. Otherwise they would go bankrupt pretty soon (baring state funded companies).