B2652 - RESPONSABILITÀ SOCIALE D’IMPRESA E WELFARE AZIENDALE

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will:

a) understand the main sociological categories and analytical tools needed to examine corporate social responsibility and workplace welfare, both within organisations and at the local and territorial level;

b) be able to identify the different meanings and approaches associated with workplace welfare, the instruments deriving from them, and their impact on broader welfare systems;

c) understand and critically assess the digital tools—such as apps and platforms—that characterise current workplace welfare initiatives, as well as the key features of digital welfare within the platform society.

Course contents

The course examines corporate social responsibility and workplace welfare from sociological, organisational, and territorial perspectives. After tracing the development of the concept of corporate social responsibility, it explores its main meanings, areas of intervention, and instruments, with particular attention to the internal dimension of organisations and to policies aimed at promoting employee well-being.

Workplace welfare is considered not merely as a set of benefits and services, but as an expression of organisational cultures, corporate strategies, and different understandings of responsibility towards individuals, families, and local communities. Specific attention is devoted to work–life balance measures, support for parenthood and caregiving responsibilities, the promotion of gender equality, health protection, and the adaptation of working times and arrangements.

The course also focuses on the rationales that shape corporate action, distinguishing between welfare based on convenience, primarily driven by fiscal, reputational, or competitive incentives, and welfare based on conviction, rooted in organisational culture and aimed at transforming working conditions. It further analyses the impact of workplace welfare measures, inequalities in access related to company size and territorial context, the role of digital platforms, and forms of collaborative governance involving companies, public institutions, and Third Sector organisations

Readings/Bibliography

Books

Becattini, G. (2015), La coscienza dei luoghi. Il territorio come soggetto corale, con una presentazione di A. Magnaghi e un dialogo tra G. Becattini e A. Magnaghi, Roma, Donzelli, collana «Saggine», n. 264, pp. XVI–224.

Macchioni, E. (2014), Culture e pratiche del welfare aziendale, Milano-Udine, Mimesis.

Rizza, R. e Bonvicini, F. (a cura di) (2014), Attori e territori del welfare. Innovazioni nel welfare aziendale e nelle politiche di contrasto all’impoverimento, Milano, FrancoAngeli.

Parti da studiare:

• Parte prima: capitoli 1, 2 e 3;
• Parte seconda: capitoli 7 e 8.

Treu, T. (a cura di) (2023), Welfare aziendale, Milano, IPSOA.

Parti da studiare:

• Introduzione;
• capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 e 8;
• casi aziendali ENI e Lamborghini.

Papers

Crespi, I. e Macchioni, E. (2026), «Bridging the Gap: Implementing Work–Life Balance Policies for Gender Equality in Italy», Social Sciences.

Olivelli, F. (2020), «L’inquadramento sistematico del welfare aziendale», Rivista del Diritto della Sicurezza Sociale, fasc. 1, pp. 103–124.

Porter, M. E. e Kramer, M. R. (2011), «Creare valore condiviso», Harvard Business Review Italia, gennaio-febbraio, pp. 69–85.

Viganò, F. e Lallo, C. (2020), «Il paradosso del non uso delle misure di conciliazione famiglia-lavoro. Uno studio empirico italiano», Stato e Mercato, n. 2, pp. 363–390.

Viganò, F., Macchioni, E. e Lallo, C. (2022), «La conciliazione famiglia-lavoro come nuovo rischio sociale secondo una prospettiva di genere. Un’analisi quantitativa nel settore elettrico italiano», Autonomie locali e servizi sociali, n. 1, pp. 67–91.

Reports

Censis ed Eudaimon, 7° Rapporto Censis-Eudaimon sul welfare aziendale.

Censis ed Eudaimon, 8° Rapporto Censis-Eudaimon sul welfare aziendale.

Censis ed Eudaimon, 9° Rapporto Censis-Eudaimon sul welfare aziendale.

I rapporti Censis-Eudaimon sono disponibili al seguente indirizzo:

https://eudaimon.it/it/rapporti-censis-eudaimon/

Generali Italia (2024), Welfare Index PMI. Rapporto 2024. L’età adulta del welfare aziendale. Le PMI pronte per il rinnovamento del welfare del Paese.

Testo disponibile al seguente indirizzo:

https://www.welfareindexpmi.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WIPMI_Rapporto_2024_Digital.pdf

Generali Italia (2026), Welfare Index PMI. Rapporto 2026. Il welfare aziendale che genera valore. Le PMI vincono la sfida: dalla consapevolezza all’impatto.

Il rapporto e i materiali relativi all’edizione 2026 sono disponibili sul sito:

https://www.welfareindexpmi.it/

Osservatorio nazionale sui bisogni di welfare di lavoratrici e lavoratori con responsabilità di cura, Report dell’Indagine nazionale sui bisogni di welfare di lavoratrici e lavoratori con responsabilità di cura.

I report e i materiali dell’Osservatorio sono disponibili al seguente indirizzo:

https://www.welfarecomete.it/osservatorio/

Teaching methods

The course will combine lectures, aimed at introducing and exploring the main theoretical concepts and analytical tools, with seminar-based activities designed to encourage the active participation of students.

The course will also include contributions from practitioners and professionals in the field, with the aim of linking theoretical content to concrete experiences, practices, and case studies in workplace welfare.

Students will be involved in the presentation and analysis of case studies and will take part in an in-class simulation focused on the development and design of a territorial workplace welfare plan. This activity will enable them to apply the concepts acquired during the course, identify the needs of target groups, define the actors involved, select appropriate policy instruments, and develop possible forms of collaboration among companies, public institutions, and Third Sector organisations.

Depending on the interests that emerge during the course, students may also undertake a field research project aimed at identifying and analysing good corporate practices in the area of workplace welfare.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods Attending students

The final assessment will consist of an oral examination designed to assess students’ knowledge of the main concepts relating to corporate social responsibility and workplace welfare. The examination will then continue with the presentation and discussion, with the lecturer, of the individual or group assignment developed during the course.

The final grade will also take into account attendance, active participation, contributions to classroom discussions, and the ability to work effectively in a group.

Non-attending students

Non-attending students will be required to take an oral examination based on the texts listed in the course bibliography.

The examination is intended to assess the student’s ability to apply the concepts and knowledge acquired and to establish appropriate logical and analytical connections between the different topics covered in the course.

During the oral examination, students may also choose to discuss a written paper presenting an analytical and critical examination of an issue related to workplace welfare and the contemporary debate surrounding it. This paper is optional and does not constitute a compulsory component of the assessment.

The paper must be submitted to the lecturer by email at least ten working days before the examination date. It must not exceed 20,000 characters, including spaces, and must contain an abstract, five keywords, and a complete bibliography.

Grading criteria

The final grade will be awarded according to the following criteria:

• Fail: no adequate or correct knowledge of the subject matter; insufficient ability to present arguments clearly and to use appropriate terminology.
• 18–19: knowledge limited to a very small number of topics covered in the course; analytical ability emerging only with substantial guidance from the lecturer; generally correct use of language.
• 20–24: knowledge of a limited number of topics covered in the course; ability to conduct independent analysis only in relation to relatively straightforward issues; correct use of language.
• 25–29: sound knowledge of a broad range of topics covered in the course; ability to make independent and critically informed analytical choices; good command of the relevant specialist terminology.
• 30–30 with honours: comprehensive knowledge of the topics covered in the course; ability to develop autonomous critical analyses and establish connections between different issues; full command of specialist terminology; excellent argumentative and reflective skills.

Students with specific learning disabilities or temporary or permanent disabilities

Students with specific learning disabilities or temporary or permanent disabilities are advised to contact the relevant University office in good time:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en

The office will propose any appropriate adjustments. These must be submitted to the lecturer for approval at least 15 days in advance, so that their suitability may also be assessed in relation to the learning outcomes of the course.

Teaching tools

During the course, students will be provided with supplementary teaching materials—including texts, international scholarly articles, and research reports—aimed at exploring specific topics in greater depth.

The Virtuale platform will be used to support the management of the course schedule and the sharing of teaching materials.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Macchioni