PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT

The course aims to introduce students to some fundamental theoretical categories in order to develop critical thinking within the context of economic behavior and management and establish positive working and social relationships for the self-realization of persons and the participatory achievement of the objectives of an economic organization. These categories will be defined through the intersection of social philosophy, social psychology, sociology, and management theory. The educational objectives of the course are:
-To provide students with socio-philosophical, psychological, and sociological key concepts and theories that are fundamental to understanding the social conditions of human subjects’ personal integrity, analyzing group dynamics, and considering some pathologies that can occur within the context of work and management.
-To enable students to develop critical thinking within the economic context for safeguarding persons and dealing with group dynamics positively.

The course aims to provide students with some socio-philosophical, sociological, and psychological key categories that are useful for understanding and positively dealing with interpersonal and social relationships occurring within economic organizations. The course will attempt to reflect critically on the interdependence between positive social and group relationships and the achievement of shared goals.

None. Students are expected to actively participate in class.

Week 1 will be an introduction to the course. We will consider how, given the social nature of management and economic activity, it is functional to acquire practical-theoretical categories from social philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Such categories will be presented as necessary tools to understand the circular relationship of economic activity to the external environment (social and personal) and to ensure the self-realization of persons within the work context, the positive management of conflicts, and participatory action in the realization of common objectives. First, we will begin to look at the concept of "circular behavior" and "integrative behavior."
In week 2, we will reflect on the key socio-philosophical notions of "person" and "social recognition" in order to understand the relational and social conditions that underlie the realization of persons within social contexts and, especially, work and management. Moreover, we will examine the "dysfunctional" forms of recognition that can occur within contemporary working and economic contexts, which give rise to phenomena of extreme competition, suffering, and individual self-manipulation.
In week 3, we will focus on the concept of work as a sphere of personal self-realization and cooperation among individuals. First, we will identify the three levels of self-realization within work activity, and we will reflect on the phenomenon of "alienation" that can occur at different levels of work organizations. Second, through some theories of social psychology, we will consider some unconscious group dynamics that need to be managed in order to maintain the functionality, well-being, and integrity of an organization.
In week 4, we will focus on the social-philosophical notion of conflict between groups and between individuals, and on the notion of "constructive conflict”. We will identify some of the conditions necessary to manage conflict and some communication strategies to implement.
Week 5 will be devoted to understanding and analyzing the social-philosophical categories of "power," "leadership," and "authority". An attempt will be made to consider and discuss the power dynamics that are intrinsic to any social context and to reflect on the functional and positive management of authority roles.

- A. Honneth, "Pathologies of the Social: The Past and Present of Social Philosophy", in "Disrespect: The Normative Foundations of Critical Theory", Cambridge Polity Press, Cambridge, 2007. Paragraphs to be read will be communicated in class and on Moodle space.
-A. Honneth, "The Struggle for Recognition", Polity Press, Cambridge, 1995. Ch. 6.
-A. Honneth,“Organized Self-Realization. Some Paradoxes of Individualization”, European Journal of Social Theory, 7(4), pp. 463-478, 2004.
-J. Dewey, "Lectures in China 1919-1920", Hawaii University Press, Honolulu, 1973. Lecture 7.
-J. Dewey, “Syllabus: Social Institutions and The Study of Morals”, in "The Middle Works of John Dewey", 1899-1924, vol. 15, ed. by J.A. Boydston, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1983 (1923). Paragraphs to be read will be communicated in class and on Moodle space.
-K. Marx, "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts", in K. Marx & F. Engels, "Collected Works", vol. 3, Lawrence & Wishart, London, 1975. Section “Estranged Labour”.
-K. Marx, “Comments on James Mill”, in K. Marx and F. Engels, "Collected Works", trans. by C. Dutt, Lawrence & Wishart, London, 1987. Online Version: Marx/Engels Internet Archive (marxists.org) 1993.
-J-J. Rousseau, "Discourse on The Origin of Inequality", Digireads.com Publishing, 2018. Part II.
-M. Minahan and C. Hutton, “Group Development”, ODC Network Annual Conference, 2004.
-M. P. Follett, "Creative Experience", Martino Publishing, Mansfield, 2013 (1924). Chapters to be read will be communicated in class and on Moodle space.
-M. Follett, "Dynamic Administration: The Collected Papers of Mary Parker Follett", in “The Early Sociology of Management and Organization” (vol. III), ed. by H. C. Metcalf & L. Urwic, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1942. Chapters to be read will be communicated in class and on Moodle space.
-P. F. Drucker, "The Practice of Management", Harpercollins Publisher, New York, 2006. Ch. 2.
-M. Saar, “Power and Critique”, Journal of Power, 3(1), pp. 7-20, 2010.

Oral exam on the course texts, which will be progressively analyzed and discussed during class, and on the topics covered in class. Students will be evaluated on their capacity to re-elaborate and reflect on the course topics.

There will be a combination of lectures and participatory discussion. Each week the reference texts of the lessons will be uploaded on Moodle. Starting from the second week of class, the Friday lesson will be dedicated to the collective discussion of a text selected by the teacher and communicated and uploaded on Moodle the previous week.

English

Non-attending students are required to contact the teacher for supplementary readings.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development