BUSINESS ETHICS

This course examines the complex and often contested relationship between business and ethics. It begins by problematizing the very idea of “business ethics”: is there a genuine tension between economic rationality and moral obligation, or is the language of ethics applied to business conceptually confused, redundant, or even obstructive? To address this question, we first interrogate the selfunderstanding of modern economics and markets. If economic activity is conceived as a valuefree domain governed by profit maximization and efficiency, then how does this affect the application of moral commitments and ideas of justice? Are the two worlds separated by an unbridgeable chasm, or can they be reconciled in some way? The first part of the course traces the historical development of key concepts such as value, labour, profit, and debt — from religious condemnations of usury and debates over “just price,” through classical and critical theories of labour value, to contemporary notions of “human capital” and the economization of social life. As we move across these frameworks, we examine how shifting theoretical paradigms inform our understanding of the relation between economics and ethics. The second part of the course turns to the firm and contemporary debates in corporate governance. We analyse the transition from a shareholderoriented conception of corporate purpose to stakeholder theory and various models of corporate social responsibility. This shift is presented both as an attempt to embed corporations within a broader social and ecological fabric which recognises workers, consumers, communities, and the natural environment as stakeholders. We will discuss the main strategies corporations use to manage their relationship with various stakeholder while, at the same time, describing some of the possible ways in which these strategies might fall short of their ethical aspirations. Topics will include the nature of meaningful work, universal basic income, the future of employment, environmental responsibility and climate change, population ethics, and emerging forms of technological and “technofeudal” power. Throughout, theoretical discussions will be continuously grounded in case studies drawn from contemporary business practice, policy debates, and media representations, in order to concretize the abstract questions and tensions explored in class.

Familiarity with the main concepts of business organization and international political theory.

1. Knowledge and understanding At the end of the course the student will have acquired a thorough knowledge and understanding of the ethical aspects of business, also observed from a comparative perspective and placed within the global context. In addition to assessing learning through final exams - in written form - more qualitative evaluation devices will be adopted during classes (through videos, questionnaires, evaluation grids). 2. Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding At the end of the course the student will have learned to use ethical knowledge through classroom work, simulations and exercises. These teaching methods are designed to accustom students to deepen their knowledge of a given problem, to critically examine the different ways of dealing with and interpreting it, to defend their point of view in front of colleagues and teachers, to present the results of their reflections in written and/or oral form. The lessons will include discussion of case studies and group project works; All the lessons will be, in their various declinations and characterizations, aimed at providing the necessary tools and concepts to face the challenges to which organizations and institutions are and will be increasingly exposed. These challenges will cross various disciplinary contexts - e.g. digital transformations of organizational functions and processes, human intelligence/artificial intelligence interaction - and will increasingly characterize people's operations. In micro-design, therefore, particular attention will be devoted to the exploration of issues that impact first of all international companies and institutions, and then spread to other social entities. 3. Critical thinking The student is able to integrate knowledge and analyze the complexity of business phenomena in their ethical aspects, to identify problems and indicate solutions, even shared ones. Autonomy will be assessed through written tests and original comments on topics that are the object of in-depth study. Moreover, the assignment of projects during professionalizing teaching such as analysis and resolution of real cases, require the development of skills for the collection and processing of updated data and information. This course will give completion to the critical skills acquired in the other classes and laboratories of the program. 4. Communicative skills This class is taught entirely in English and therefore contributes to the mastery of this language also in the working environment. Students must have the ability to communicate the conclusions of their learning process, and to analyze and diagnose problems, in a clear and unambiguous way, with a language that is understood by both specialists and non-specialists. In order to achieve this objective, the instructor will use teaching materials complementary to textbooks (scientific articles, specialized press articles, reports of companies and institutions) that guide the student to the acquisition of the necessary technical language and the ability of public speaking. 5. Learning capacities The use of teaching methodologies that involve students and increase their capacity for autonomous judgement will contribute to their empowerment and make them protagonists in their own learning process. As students will have to deal with projects or cases, they will develop a greater awareness of their knowledge and skills and acquire the ability to organize their work autonomously. A problem-based approach in teaching activities will be fundamental to make students understand that cases or projects require the application of the knowledge acquired during classes, but also the autonomous research of new data, the creation of new models and the definition of innovative

The course is organized into three interconnected components: Conceptual and historical foundations We examine the contested relationship between economics and ethics, tracing key ideas about value, labour, profit, and debt, and questioning whether markets and firms can be meaningfully described as “valuefree.” Corporate governance and normative frameworks We will analyse competing views of the corporation (shareholder primacy and stakeholder theory) alongside recent proposals (e.g. “conscious” capitalism) and critical perspectives on their practical and ideological implications. Stakeholderfocused case studies and enquirybased activities We apply these frameworks to concrete cases involving workers, consumers, the environment, society, and emerging technologies, using structured case analysis and enquirybased exercises to assess the ethical responsibilities of firms in practice.

See weekly course breakdown below (all texts will be made available in pdf).

Lectures, guided discussions, case studies, and project presentations. The course is meant to stimulate active dialogue rather than merely promote the absorption of relevant concepts and theories. Reading is therefore absolutely essential, and will be constantly supervised in various ways, especially with guided discussions.

Attending students are involved in a continuous assessment that corresponds to one-third (1/3) of the overall evaluation. This grade will be based on three key factors: contribution to class discussion, a group presentation, and individual take-home assignments. The remaining two-thirds (2/3) of the overall evaluation will be based on a final examination aimed at the recognition of the knowledge and skills acquired. The mode of examination will be either a) a written essay consisting of questions derived from the reading list and in-class discussions, and/or b) an oral examination with a series of questions based on the reading list and in-class discussions. Please note: Students who are exempted from compulsory attendance or are non-compliant, shall take a final examination that corresponds to 100% of the overall evaluation, and which is based on an appropriate study load that can compensate for the missed knowledge acquisition over the semester.

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