Albert P. Viragh (B'27) Institute for Business Ethics

In 2017, VIBE launched an annual book series, entitled Business and Society 360, with the support of the Beard Faculty Resource Fund in Business Ethics. Business and Society 360 Book Series, published by Emerald and sponsored by the International Association for Business and Society, is an annual publication featuring a comprehensive discussion and review of the current state of the research and theoretical developments in a specific business and society topic. A “360-degree examination” of a research area involves an all-around assessment using multiple field experts to supply an analysis and review for the purpose of achieving a full understanding of a topic. Each volume is a combination of invited and editorial reviewed chapters providing an overview of past work and highlighting cutting-edge research on the selected topic.

Six volumes in the series have been published thus far. They include:

“Stakeholder Management: Volume 1”
Published: 05-23-2017, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Scholars contributed to a comprehensive 360-degree evaluation of stakeholder management, encompassing cross-disciplinary research, empirical explorations, cross-cultural studies, literature critiques, and meta-analysis projects. Volume One draws on work in areas both inside and outside business and management.

“Corporate Social Responsibility: Volume 2”
Published: 05-14-2018, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Corporate Social Responsibility formally emerged on the academic and corporate scenes in the early 1960s, evolved over the next few decades, and quickly became one of the foundational theories and operational frameworks guiding academic research, corporate practice, and business education. Volume Two features chapters written by international scholars, providing an analysis of cutting-edge work in corporate social responsibility and the emerging challenges facing scholars and practitioners.

“Business Ethics: Volume 3”
Published: 06-07-2019, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Business Ethics, broadly defined, encompasses work in a variety of sub-disciplines of research. Leading scholars in the field provide their insights on each area and offer their views on the future. Volume Three includes chapters addressing business ethics research across the individual, organizational, and institutional/systemic levels of analysis. Topics in behavioral business ethics, ethical leadership, philosophical foundations, group morality, corruption, moral development, technology, and neuroscience are all surveyed.

“Sustainability: Volume 4”
Published: 06-15-2020, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Volume Four addresses cutting-edge research in the sustainability area (broadly defined) that has the potential to advance theories. Reflecting “new” original research, Volume Four highlights a combination of theoretical and empirical pieces that offer potential for future research. Sustainable development involves meeting the "needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (Brundtland Commission Report, 1987). As a critical component of business and societal relationships, this area encompasses social and ecological sustainability, including sustainable supply chains, addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations), human rights, reporting, finance, social innovations, and planetary boundaries.

“Social Entrepreneurship: Volume 5”
Published: 11-24-2021, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Volume Five addresses cutting-edge research in the social entrepreneurship area (broadly defined) that has the potential to advance the theories. Social entrepreneurship is a subfield of business and society that has gained increasing influence in the Academy. This growing area of scholarship involves addressing social, cultural, and environmental issues through innovative and entrepreneurial ventures, including the creation of ideas, their funding, and implementation. Social entrepreneurship focuses on positive social change through the identification of venture opportunities and the realization of entrepreneurial principles and processes.  

“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Management: Volume 6”
Published: 08-13-2024, Co-Editors: Dr. David Wasieleski and Dr. James Weber
Volume Six addresses cutting-edge research in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion area (broadly defined) that has the potential to advance theories. Volume 6 provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of DEI in organizational contexts, exploring the historical roots, emerging trends, and future directions of DEI research and practice. It covers topics such as women’s inequality in the workplace, intersectional stereotypes, language-based stigma, and institutional frameworks for equitable inclusion. Drawing on perspectives from psychology, sociology, business ethics, and management theory, the book offers both theoretical depth and practical insights for scholars, practitioners, and managers seeking to integrate DEI into their organizational strategies.

Volume 7: Ethics and AI in the New Digital Revolution 
In Process
Ethics and AI in the New Digital Revolution presents cutting-edge research in the area of technology, business, and society. As technology advances, it has a profound influence on business organizations and societal dynamics. Volume 7 advances theoretical understanding and practical cases within this evolving domain. The chapters explore how emerging technologies can drive innovation, transform industries and everyday life, and tackle global challenges. It also examines how individuals, organizations, and societies can adapt to rapid technological change and respond to unforeseen ethical and structural implications. With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary inquiry, the volume integrates perspectives from tech ethics, AI, and social cybersecurity.

Business and Society Review (BASR) is a leading peer-reviewed journal in the field of business ethics, publishing original theoretical and empirical research that examines the complex relationships among business, society, the environment, and the public good.

Since January 2020, the editorial home of BASR has been housed within VIBE at Duquesne University’s Palumbo-Donahue School of Business. This milestone reflects the School’s leadership in advancing ethical business scholarship.

Dr. David Wasieleski, the Albert Paul Viragh Professor in Business Ethics, serves as editor-in-chief. Jason Pattit from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota serves as managing editor. VIBE’s stewardship of the journal underscores the School’s commitment to shaping critical discourse in the business and society domain.

Founded in 1972, Business and Society Review is published by Wiley.

VIBE served as the lead institution in developing a Technology Ethics Curriculum Framework in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, University of Virginia, and the University of Arkansas. Funded by the Deloitte Foundation, the framework seeks to prepare students for understanding issues associated with the intersection of technology and ethics and to assist business schools and other educational settings in curriculum development and program planning.  

About the Framework

Developed during a 2021 virtual Tech Ethics Summit, the framework is the result of a collaboration between 30 academics and practitioners focused on transforming tech ethics education for business students. The framework generated from a series of thought questions discussed at the Summit including normative tools, technology issues, design and integration, and delivery. 

The resulting framework is designed to assist faculty as they teach students to:

• Analyze and discuss the intersection of technology and ethics
• Support informed, ethical decision-making
• Develop competencies for responsible action in tech-driven environments

Key features of the curriculum framework include: 

• Student competencies
• Core ethical principles
• Ethical pedagogical frameworks
• Sample course materials, and assessment techniques 

Within the framework, ten primary areas of study are presented, ranging from value-laden biases in technology, to the purpose of the firm and goals of technology, to whistleblowing. Depending on the learning objectives, the curriculum framework could incorporate a single module on tech ethics into an existing course or serve as the foundation for building a large degree program. 

VIBE offers a Visiting Scholars Program to a limited number of highly qualified faculty and advanced doctoral students. The purpose of the VIBE Visiting Scholars Program is to bring scholars in the business and society, business ethics, or sustainability fields to Duquesne University in order to further their own research and promote the research agenda of the Institute. The Program offers opportunities for scholars to collaborate with Duquesne business school faculty members on shared scholarly and research-related interests. It also helps to create an international network for scholars at any stage of their career, assisting them in their professional development. Finally, the Program demonstrates the active role the VIBE plays in generating innovative research through participating scholars from diverse disciplinary, institutional, and geographic backgrounds. The inaugural Visiting Scholars, Florencio Portocarrero and Nuno Guimaraes Da Costa, arrived in the academic year, 2022-2023.