90747 - Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to present the fundamental theories that deal with (i) the role of companies in society and the meaning to be assigned to profits and to share value, (ii) with the relationships with stakeholders and (iii) with the business ethics. Specifically, the objective of the course is to achieve a level of knowledge that allows students to interpret the transformations taking place in the relationship between business and society as the consequence of the evolution of information technology. The course is articulated in two sections. A first section introduces the theoretical background while, in a second section, the economic and socio-political role played by companies such as Google, Facebook e Amazon will be analysed.

Course contents

 

What business ethics is?

Moral dilemma in business decision-making

Stakeholder theory

The concept of Corporate Sociale Responsibility

Traditional normative ethical theories

Alternative normative ethical theories

Descriptive ethical theories

Ethical management: Tools and processes

Specific ethical dilemmas: The relationship with shareholders

Specific ethical dilemmas: The relationship with employees

Specific ethical dilemmas: The relationship with consumers

Specific ethical dilemmas: The relationship with Suppliers and competitors

Specific ethical dilemmas: The relationship with civil society

Readings/Bibliography

Texts:

Crane, A., Matten, D., Glozer, S. e L. Spence. 5° Edizione. 2019. Business Ethics. Oxford University Press.

Arnold, D. G., Beauchamp, T. L. and N. E. Bowie. (2020). Ethical Theory and Business (10th Edition). Cambridge University Press.

 

Other materials:

• Coen, D., Grant, W., e G. Wilson. 2011. The Oxford Handbook of Business and Government. Oxford University Press.
• Dardot, P. e C. Laval. 2016. La Nuova Ragione del Mondo. DeriveApprodi.
• Habermas, J. (1996). Between Facts and Norms. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Mitnick, B. M. 1993. Corporate Political Agency. Sage.
• Picketty, T. 2020. Capitale e Ideologia. La Nave di Teseo.
• Rasche, A., Morsing, M. e J. Moon. 2017. Corporate Social Responsibility. Cambridge University Press.
  
• Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.
• Scherer, A.G., e G. Palazzo (2007). Toward a political conception of corporate responsibility: Business and society seen from a Habermasian perspective. Academy of Management Review, 32(4): 1096-1120.
• Zuboff, S. 2019. Il Capitalismo della Sorveglianza. LUISS University Press.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Written test and individual essay.

Office hours

See the website of Edoardo Mollona