Ethics, Market and Institutions
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
· Exercising the autonomy of judgment in the field of corporate and business ethics, in the sense of being capable of a reasoned choice and taking a stand between different models.
· Conveying the knowledge of the variety of issues and problems in the aforementioned field, favoring the ability to understand complex debates and ethical arguments for and against certain positions.
· Developing the ability to communicate one's positions, as well as to communicate and describe the urgency and importance of specific issues.
· Conveying the knowledge of the variety of issues and problems in the aforementioned field, favoring the ability to understand complex debates and ethical arguments for and against certain positions.
· Developing the ability to communicate one's positions, as well as to communicate and describe the urgency and importance of specific issues.
Expected learning outcomes
· Ability to choose between abstract models of corporate and business ethics, as well as to apply these choices to specific sectors and concrete cases.
· Ability to understand issues and problems within complex debates in corporate and business ethics.
· Ability to communicate and argue one's own positions in the business ethics field.
· Ability to analyze and judge autonomously on the subject of corporate ethical codes.
· Ability to understand issues and problems within complex debates in corporate and business ethics.
· Ability to communicate and argue one's own positions in the business ethics field.
· Ability to analyze and judge autonomously on the subject of corporate ethical codes.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course (which does not require prior knowledge of economics) focuses on the issues of corporate social responsibility and business ethics, with particular emphasis on the sustainability of market activities and respect for human rights by multinational corporations. Specific examples of corporate codes of ethics and sustainability reports will also be analysed.
Course Syllabus:
1) Normative ethics and applied ethics. Basic concepts: duty, responsibility, rights.
2) Can ethics be applied to the market? Private ethics, public ethics.
3) The company as an organization and the relationship between individual and collective responsibilities. Responsibility of whom and to whom? The shareholder theory.
4) The stakeholder theory.
5) The problem of discrimination at work and more or less justified inequalities.
6) The moral dissent within the company and the limits of the duties of loyalty and secrecy: the phenomenon of whistle-blowing.
7) Workers' rights within the company: privacy problems.
8) Business, markets and human rights in a globalized world.
9) The problems of marketing and advertising.
10) The UN and EU documents on Corporate Social Responsibility.
11) Environmental ethics and the ecological impact of business activities: the complex plot of responsibilities.
12) The problems and responsibilities of tourism industry.
13) The political involvement of companies and their assumption of public responsibilities and functions.
14) The moral limits of the market: what can be and what cannot be sold and bought.
15) The pact between the company and its stakeholders: corporate ethical codes and the social or sustainability report.
Course Syllabus:
1) Normative ethics and applied ethics. Basic concepts: duty, responsibility, rights.
2) Can ethics be applied to the market? Private ethics, public ethics.
3) The company as an organization and the relationship between individual and collective responsibilities. Responsibility of whom and to whom? The shareholder theory.
4) The stakeholder theory.
5) The problem of discrimination at work and more or less justified inequalities.
6) The moral dissent within the company and the limits of the duties of loyalty and secrecy: the phenomenon of whistle-blowing.
7) Workers' rights within the company: privacy problems.
8) Business, markets and human rights in a globalized world.
9) The problems of marketing and advertising.
10) The UN and EU documents on Corporate Social Responsibility.
11) Environmental ethics and the ecological impact of business activities: the complex plot of responsibilities.
12) The problems and responsibilities of tourism industry.
13) The political involvement of companies and their assumption of public responsibilities and functions.
14) The moral limits of the market: what can be and what cannot be sold and bought.
15) The pact between the company and its stakeholders: corporate ethical codes and the social or sustainability report.
Prerequisites for admission
No specific prerequisite for admission is required, save for the prerequisites indicated in the regulations of the degree course.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons, with the aid of PowerPoint presentations and frequent interactions and discussions with the students (who will be invited to make comments and argue for or against different positions). Lectures by experts will also be given.
Teaching Resources
Bibliography
a) M.A. La Torre, Questioni di etica d'impresa. Oltre l'homo oeconomicus, Giuffrè 2009.
b) Principi guida su imprese e diritti umani: Il quadro dell'ONU "Proteggere, rispettare, rimediare".
c) E. D'Orazio, Introduzione. Responsabilità sociale ed etica d'impresa, in Notizie di "Politeia", XIX, 72 (2003), pp. 3-27.
d) E. D'Orazio, Verso una teoria normativa degli stakeholder, XXII, 82 (2006), pp. 40-59.
e) E. D'Orazio, Le responsabilità degli stakeholder e la definizione di un nuovo framework per l'analisi e la valutazione dei codici etici di impresa, in Notizie di "Politeia", XXV, 93 (2009), pp. 205-220.
f) Only for students attending the lessons: PPT presentations uploaded on the ariel website of the course.
g) Only for students not attending the lessons: M.A. La Torre, Questioni di etica d'impresa. Oltre l'homo oeconomicus, Giuffrè 2009; F. Ferraro, L'etica del whistleblowing tra impresa privata e pubblica amministrazione, in Whistleblowing e prevenzione dell'illegalità, a cura di A. Della Bella e S. Zorzetto, Giuffrè 2020.
It is however possible for non-attending students to agree on a partially different programme (please write to: [email protected]).
a) M.A. La Torre, Questioni di etica d'impresa. Oltre l'homo oeconomicus, Giuffrè 2009.
b) Principi guida su imprese e diritti umani: Il quadro dell'ONU "Proteggere, rispettare, rimediare".
c) E. D'Orazio, Introduzione. Responsabilità sociale ed etica d'impresa, in Notizie di "Politeia", XIX, 72 (2003), pp. 3-27.
d) E. D'Orazio, Verso una teoria normativa degli stakeholder, XXII, 82 (2006), pp. 40-59.
e) E. D'Orazio, Le responsabilità degli stakeholder e la definizione di un nuovo framework per l'analisi e la valutazione dei codici etici di impresa, in Notizie di "Politeia", XXV, 93 (2009), pp. 205-220.
f) Only for students attending the lessons: PPT presentations uploaded on the ariel website of the course.
g) Only for students not attending the lessons: M.A. La Torre, Questioni di etica d'impresa. Oltre l'homo oeconomicus, Giuffrè 2009; F. Ferraro, L'etica del whistleblowing tra impresa privata e pubblica amministrazione, in Whistleblowing e prevenzione dell'illegalità, a cura di A. Della Bella e S. Zorzetto, Giuffrè 2020.
It is however possible for non-attending students to agree on a partially different programme (please write to: [email protected]).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final test will be oral. The criteria of evaluation take into account the comprehension of the contents illustrated in the program, the ability to analyze and synthesize, the capacity for rational argumentation, the terminological rigour and the clearness of exposition. Memorization of the appropriate terms is required. The evaluation will be expressed in thirtieths (plus possible cum laude).
IUS/20 - PHILOSOPHY OF LAW - University credits: 6
Lessons: 42 hours
Professor:
Ferraro Francesco
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Ferraro FrancescoEducational website(s)
Professor(s)