Title: Banking for the Common Good: a case study

Authors: Adele Caldarelli; Clelia Fiondella; Marco Maffei; Rosanna Spanò; Claudia Zagaria

Addresses: Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Second University of Naples, Corso Gran Priorato di Malta, 81043 Capua (CE), Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Campus Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy

Abstract: This research investigates how Italian mutual credit cooperative banks, understood as ethical banks, conceive and implement the intention to contribute to the Common Good. The literature highlights that it is a complex task to identify what, in practical terms, the Common Good consists of for an entity. Hence, we refer to a Common Good-driven theory, namely, Economia Aziendale, that has the potential to overcome the above-cited lack of practical application, thus strengthening the Common Good theory's ability to provide an appreciable framework for CSR and ethics studies. Economia Aziendale is used as a lens to analyse the case of the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Napoli. The study provides a detailed picture of the values, activities and practices of the bank contributing to the achievement of the Common Good for the local community of Naples. The findings are of relevance for the international debate on ethics in finance.

Keywords: Azienda; Common Good; corporate social responsibility; CSR; Economia Aziendale; ethical banks; Italy; mutual credit cooperative banks; CSR; corporate social responsibility; ethics; banking industry; financial services.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBGE.2014.066271

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 2014 Vol.9 No.4, pp.330 - 355

Received: 24 Feb 2014
Accepted: 04 Jul 2014
Published online: 31 Mar 2015 *

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