PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT

The course aims to introduce students to some fundamental theoretical categories for developing critical thinking within the context of economic behavior and management and establishing positive work 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, and management theory. The educational objectives of the course are:
-To provide students with key socio-philosophical 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 in 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 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 critically reflect on the interdependence between positive social relationships, personal integrity, and the achievement of shared goals.

None. Students are expected to actively participate in class. Participation in class and discussion sessions will influence the final examination.

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 and psychology. 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 goals. First, we will begin to look at the concept of "transaction", "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 self-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 work and economic contexts, which give rise to phenomena of extreme competition, suffering, individual self-manipulation, and normalization to existing social standards.
In week 3 and 4, we will focus on the concept of work as a sphere of personal self-realization and cooperation among individuals. First, we will identify the levels of human self-realization within work activity, and we will reflect on the phenomena of "alienation" and "reification" that can occur in capitalist societies and their work contexts. The concepts of alienation and reification will be considered in their different dimensions, i.e. in relation to the self, the external world and other subjects. Finally, 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 5, we will focus on the social-philosophical notions of "constructive conflict" and "power". We will consider conflicts and power dynamics that are intrinsic to any social context, and we will reflect on the functional and positive management of conflicts and authority roles.

-T. Adorno, M. Horkheimer, "The Dialectic of Enlightenment", Stanford University Press, Stanford, 2002. Chapter 1.
-J. Butler, "The Psychic Life of Power", Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1997. Introduction.
-P. F. Drucker, "The Practice of Management", Harpercollins Publisher, New York, 2006. Chapter 2.
- 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. Chapter 6.
-A. Honneth, “Organized Self-Realization. Some Paradoxes of Individualization”, European Journal of Social Theory, 7(4), pp. 463-478, 2004.
-A. Honneth, “Reification. A New Look at an Old Idea”, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2008. Chapter 1.
-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.
-M. P. Follett, "Creative Experience", Martino Publishing, Mansfield, 2013 (1924). Chapter 3 and 4.
-M. P. 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. Chapter 1 e 4.
-K. Marx, "Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts", in K. Marx & F. Engels, "Collected Works", vol. 3, Lawrence & Wishart, London, 1975. Sezione “Estranged Labour”.
-M. Minaha, C. Hutton, “Group Development”, ODC Network Annual Conference, 2004.
J-J. Rousseau, "Discourse on The Origin of Inequality", Digireads.com Publishing, 2018. Part 2.

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 third lesson of each week 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