Francesca Gennari – Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, via S. Faustino 74/b, 25122 Brescia, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/LIMEN.S.P.2019.25
5th International Scientific-Business Conference – LIMEN 2019 – Leadership, Innovation, Management and Economics: Integrated Politics of Research – SELECTED PAPERS, Graz, Austria, December 12, 2019, published by the Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans, Belgrade; Printed by: SKRIPTA International, Belgrade, ISBN 978-86-80194-27-1, ISSN 2683-6149, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/LIMEN.S.P.2019
Abstract
This theoretical paper considers the role of ethics committees in the promotion of business
ethics and corporate culture of sustainability, and aims at contributing to the debate about the leadership
role of board of directors as a real source of competition in global markets. Ethics committees
within the boards can support leaders’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, encourage stakeholder
protection, reinforce the board’s expertise about ethics and sustainability issues and safeguard
the independence of decision-making processes in situations characterized by potential conflicts of
interest. This paper could also have practical implications, encouraging policy makers to translate
the good practices in managing corporate sustainability culture into actions and sending a message to
investors sensitive to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects. In fact, the establishment of
ethics committees could be an indicator about the degree of maturity of corporate sustainability culture
for investors and stakeholders in general.
Keywords
Business ethics, Corporate social responsibility, Board of directors.
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