New podcast episode: Markus Scholz as a guest at Corporate Therapy

In the latest episode of the Corporate Therapypodcast ("Episode #143 // Business with Values // with Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz"), Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz talks about key issues of responsible corporate management and the role of companies in an increasingly politicized economy.

During the discussion, it becomes clear that responsible management goes far beyond the search for classic "win-win" solutions. Rather, conflicts of objectives, normative tensions and the need for clear positioning are coming more into focus. Today, companies are faced with the challenge of assuming responsibility even when this is associated with costs or risks.

The starting point of the discussion is a current example from the AI industry: companies are deliberately drawing ethical boundaries - for example with autonomous weapons systems - and are thus entering into political conflicts. This is followed by an analysis of why stable institutions such as the rule of law, independent courts and media freedom are increasingly becoming decisive location factors for economic activity.

One of Scholz's central arguments is the close interdependence between liberal democracy and the social market economy. Companies are therefore not only economic actors, but also political ones - their decisions have a direct impact on social structures.

Building on this, the series discusses various forms of political engagement by companies: When is corporate political engagement legitimate? Where is the boundary between legitimate representation of interests and problematic exertion of influence? And in which cases does corporate silence itself become a form of responsibility ("silent complicity")?

In addition to these fundamental questions, the episode also offers concrete starting points for practice. For example, it highlights the importance of business ethics training, which not only imparts knowledge but is also intended to strengthen decision-making skills ("moral muscle") and the ability to act in an organizational context in a targeted manner.

The podcast episode thus provides important impulses for research and teaching in the field of responsible management and underlines the growing relevance of value-oriented corporate management in times of political and social uncertainty.

You can find the link to the podcast here.

Further podcast contributions with Markus Scholz can be found here:

• Politikum - Der Meinungspodcast von WDR 5 - Diversity for profit & group photo without a woman
• WDR 3 Resonanzen - Markus Scholz: Economy with values
• Lesart - Business Professor Markus Scholz: Do companies have to fight for democracy?
• Fokus Aufsichtsrat - #13 Trump's diversity policy - The supervisory board between business case and values compass

We hope you enjoy listening!