Center for Business in Society (CBS)

Director: Joan Fontrodona

We are dedicated to corporate social responsibility, contributing to research in this field and working to offer useful answers to the business community.

We are characterized by our international scope, our desire to generate action-oriented knowledge and our multi-disciplinary, integrative approach so as to stimulate dialogue and the exchange of ideas.

Objectives

  • Develop well-founded concepts and arguments as a basis for the positive impact of business activity on society.
  • Formulate proposals with conceptual rigor and a practical nature.
  • Create corporate cultures that favor human development and sustainability.
  • Help to understand the relation between business, society and the environment and inspire management procedures with competitive advantages.
  • Encourage business to be governed by the criteria of social responsibility and sustainable development.
  • Communicate the importance of ethical conduct and corporate reputation in professional environments and in public opinion, publicizing good practices and problem-solving criteria.
  • Promote dialogue between business and its stakeholders, to encourage innovative behavior and responses to societal demands.

Board of Patrons

Jordi Canals, Board of Patrons President

Research lines:

  • Sustainability and the balanced scorecard
  • Sustainability and senior governing bodies
  • Social responsibility and economic value
  • Socially responsible investment
  • The sustainable company
  • Corporate reputation and companies’ social behavior
  • Values, codes of conduct, accreditations and ethical-social audits
  • Company-stakeholder dialogue for innovation
  • Public administration and sustainable companies
  • Companies’ ability to create value
  • The base of the social pyramid and profitable growth
  • The company as a social institution
  • Globalization and corporate social responsibility
  • Ethics and corporate governance

Related Initiatives.

CaixaBank Chair of Sustainability and Social Impact
Social Entrepreneurship Network
Blog Empresa y Sociedad

Director.

Joan Fontrodona

Joan Fontrodona

Professor

Business Ethics and Analysis of Business Problems

Academic Director.

Antonino Vaccaro

Antonino Vaccaro

Professor

Business Ethics and Negotiation Teaching Unit

Members.

Antonio Argandoña

Antonio Argandoña

Emeritus Professor

Economics and Business Ethics
Domènec Melé

Domènec Melé

Emeritus Professor

Business Ethics
Ricardo Calleja

Ricardo Calleja

Lecturer

Business Ethics
Albert Fernández

Albert Fernández

Professor

Accounting and Control and Entrepreneurship
Oscar González-Peralta

Oscar González-Peralta

Senior Lecturer

Business Ethics
Joan Enric Ricart

Joan Enric Ricart

Professor

Strategic Management
Frederic Sabrià

Frederic Sabrià

Professor

Operations, Information and Technology

Researchers.

Tommaso Ramus

Tommaso Ramus

Senior Research Fellow, Director, Center for Business Ethics, CLSBE Lisbon

Luca Mongelli

Luca Mongelli

Marie Curie Fellow

Bai Yan

Bai Yan

Research Fellow

Silvia King

Silvia King

Senior Research Fellow

Prof. Giuseppe Giura

Prof. Giuseppe Giura

Senior Research Fellow

Rosa Fioravante

Rosa Fioravante

Researcher

Publications

Journal Articles (refereed)

ROSZKOWSKA, P., MELÉ, D. (2021). Organizational factors in the individual ethical behaviour. The Notion of the "Organizational Moral Structure". Humanistic Management Journal, 6, 187-209. doi:10.1007/s41463-020-00080-z. MEIER, S., PIERCE, L., VACCARO, A., LA CARA, B. (2016). Trust and In-Group Favoritism in a Culture of Crime. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 132 (A), 78 - 92. doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2016.09.005.

Working Papers

MACGREGOR, S. P., FONTRODONA, J. (2008). Exploring the fit between CSR and innovation (DI-759-E). ARGANDOÑA, A., FONTRODONA, J., PIN ARBOLEDAS, J. R., GARCÍA-LOMBARDÍA, P. (2008). El perfil emergente del directivo de RSC (Responsabilidad Social Corporativa) (DI-756). AYUSO, S., RODRÍGUEZ BADAL, M. Á., RICART, J. E. (2006). Using stakeholder dialogue as a source for new ideas. A dynamic capability underlying sustainable innovation (DI-633-E). RODRÍGUEZ BADAL, M. Á., PONTI, F., AYUSO, S. (2006). The 'sponge' organisation: A creativity-based reflection on the innovative and sustainable firm (DI-616-E). SÁNCHEZ, P., RODRÍGUEZ BADAL, M. Á., RICART, J. E. (2005). Social embeddedness in low-income markets: Influential factors and positive outcomes (DI-594-E).

Proceedings

VELMER, S., RAMUS, T., VACCARO, A. (2023). Union with diverging goals. How collaboration unfolds if partners are driven by heterogeneous logics. In Academy of Management (Ed.), Academy of Management Proceedings. MONGELLI, L., RULLANI, F., VACCARO, A., VERSARI, P. (2020). Social business hybrids' diversification. Effects on socioeconomic combined performance. Academy of Management Proceedings.

Articles in other publications

CALIGIURI, M., VACCARO, A. (2020). Responsabilità e disfattismo, cosa dobbiamo all’Italia. Formiche (162).

Books

VACCARO, A. (2022). Compliance beyond compliance. Managing organizations with integrity. Madrid: Mc-Graw Hill. MELÉ, D. (2022). Ética Profesional. Ediciones UC - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. DI TRAPANI, P., VACCARO, A. (2016). Addiopizzo: Leveraging Consumers Responsible Purchase to Fight Mafia. Aravaca: McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España. DI TRAPANI, P., VACCARO, A. (2014). Addiopizzo: La rivoluzione dei consumi contro la mafia. Italia: Arkadia Editore. ARGANDOÑA, A., FONTRODONA, J., GARCÍA-LOMBARDÍA, P., DIAGEO ESPAÑA S.A. (2009). Libro Blanco del consumo responsable de alcohol en España. Impulsando un cambio de actitudes y patrones de consumo. Barcelona: IESE.

Edited books

ARGANDOÑA, A. (1995). La dimensión ética de las instituciones y los mercados financieros. Bilbao: Fundación BBV.

Book Chapters

MELÉ, D., FONTRODONA, J. (2021). Ethics and corporate social responsibility. In Poff, Deborah C. ; Michalos, Alex C. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics (pp. 1-5). Cham: Springer International Publishing. MELÉ, D. (2017). Christianity and business ethics. In Poff, D. ; Michalos, C. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics. Cham: Springer International Publishing. MELÉ, D. (2017). Religion, spirituality and business ethics. In Poff , D. ; Michalos A. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Studies

SETOLA, R., ASSENZA, G., VACCARO, A. (2021). Complessità, intelligenza artificiale e infrastrutture critiche. Società Italiana di Intelligence. FONTRODONA, J., SANZ FERNÁNDEZ, P. (2015). La apuesta del Impact Investing. Invertir contribuyendo a la mejora de la sociedad. IESE. RICART, J. E., RODRÍGUEZ BADAL, M. Á. (2005). Código de gobierno para la empresa sostenible. Guía para su implantación.

Cases

VACCARO, A. (2023). A letter to my former professor. IESE, BE-219-E. VACCARO, A. (2022). The Vespa "Special" 50 cc (A). Buyer. IESE, NEG-32-E. VACCARO, A. (2022). The Vespa "Special" 50 cc (B). Seller. IESE, NEG-33-E. VACCARO, A. (2022). La Vespa Special 50 cc (A). Comprador. IESE, NEG-32. VACCARO, A. (2022). La Vespa Special 50 cc (B). Vendedor. IESE, NEG-33.

Technical Notes

GONZÁLEZ-PERALTA, O. (2023). The role of business in society. IESE, BEN-158-E. FONTRODONA, J. (2023). Preventing slippery slope. IESE, BEN-160-E. MELÉ, D. (2023). Ética en la toma de decisiones. IESE, BEN-152. MELÉ, D. (2023). Ethics in business management. IESE, BEN-148-E. MELÉ, D. (2023). Dealing with corruption: A guide for business managers. IESE, BEN-153-E.