Leading Scholars Discussed Democracy and Business in Rome

From June 3 to 5, 2026, Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, Chair of Responsible Management at the International Institute (IHI) Zittau of TU Dresden, participated in the international conference “Business, Fascism, and the Erosion of Democracy in Rome.

The conference was organised by Prof. Dr. Andreas Scherer (University of Zurich), Prof. Dr. Guido Palazzo (University of Lausanne), and Prof. Dr. Eric Orts (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania). It brought together leading international scholars from the fields of business ethics, management, political science, and sociology to discuss the role of business in the context of democratic erosion, authoritarianism, populism, and political polarisation.

Participants included Ruth Ben-Ghiat (New York University), Jerry Davis (University of Michigan), Paul Adler (University of Southern California), Dirk Matten (York University), Renate Meyer (Vienna University of Economics and Business), and Gazi Islam (Grenoble Ecole de Management), among many other internationally renowned scholars.

As part of the conference programme, Markus Scholz presented his paper “Wirtschaft mit Werten”: The Political Responsibility of Business in Defending the Open Society. His presentation explored the responsibilities of corporations in times of democratic challenges and examined the conditions under which firms can legitimately contribute to strengthening democratic institutions and social cohesion.

The conference took place at the Istituto Svizzero Roma and was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the University of Zurich, and the Zicklin Center for Governance & Business Ethics at the Wharton School.

The discussions highlighted the growing interdependence between business and democratic development. Companies were viewed not only as economic actors but also as important contributors to society. Markus Scholz’s participation reflects the international visibility of Responsible Management research at IHI Zittau and its contribution to contemporary debates on business, democracy, and societal responsibility.