Prize 2020

Prize of the Ambros Lüthi Foundation for Business Ethics 2020

The Prize of the Ambros Lüthi Foundation for Business Ethics 2020 was awarded to Ms. Dr. Dana Sindermann for her project:

Recognition in the Working Context – Transformation of Axel Honneth’s Recognition Theory for Human Resource Management

The project was created in the Institute for Business Ethics at the University St. Gallen and is an outstanding exemplar of a study of business ethics in substantive and methodological terms. It investigates how human beings should be recognized in their workplace – where they usually spend a large part of their lifetime: instead of being treated as mere “human resources“ in the pursuit of the enterprise’s purpose, they should be recognized as social beings whose human dignity and capacity of dialogue are taken seriously. This holistic and balanced perspective generates groundbreaking and action-oriented results, which are of great importance for both the theory and the practice of human resources management.

Review of Dana Sindermann's book in Zeitschrift fuer Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik / Journal of Business, Economics & Ethics, 2021 (1), 153-157, by Georges Enderle.

Special Award 2018

Prof. Marc Chesney received a special award from the jury 2018 of the Ambros Lüthi Foundation for his book “La crise permanente”, published in 2018 by Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes.

Prize 2018

Prize of the Ambros Lüthi Foundation 2018 

The Ambros Lüthi Foundation promotes research and teaching in business and economics with a focus on ethical and ecological questions – two subject areas of particular interest to Ambros Lüthi. Since 2014, every second year, the Foundation has awarded, with a prize of 5,000 Swiss Francs, a project in line with the purpose of the Foundation.

The Board of the Foundation decided to grant the Prize 2018 

to: Dr. Manfred Stüttgen and Brian Mattmann of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

for their project: IFZ Sustainable Investments Studie 2017 – Nachhaltige Investmentfonds im Schweizer Vertrieb 

The book was published by the Institut für Finanzleistungen Zug IFZ.

The prize-winners were chosen from 21 applications submitted from all parts of Switzerland.

The Board of the Foundation justifies its decision as follows:

The project pertains to one of the areas defined by the Foundation and is an excellent guidance for alternative, sustainable investing. Due to its topicality, timeliness and relevance, it deserves highest attention and widespread use in Switzerland and beyond. The 193-page study is based on solid and differentiated scientific foundation and transforms this basic research into practice-oriented knowledge of finance in such a way that also laypersons in finance can read it easily. The study distinguishes different types of investors, categories of investment and suppliers of sustainable funds and offers specific options of investments, whose goals, strategies, and returns (in percentage points) can be compared with each other. The investors, interested in sustainable investments, can find their appropriate forms of investment without being unduly influenced by the study and its donors.

Prize 2016

Paul Dembinski

The Board of the Foundation granted the Prize 2016

to: Paul Dembinski, Professor at the University of Fribourg

for his work: Ethique et responsabilité en finance Quo Vadis ? 2015

The book was published by Revue Banque Edition.

The prize-winner was chosen from six applications submitted from all parts of Switzerland.

Reasons for the decision of the Board of the Foundation:

The project focuses on the crucial ethical questions in the socio-economic sector of the financial system after the global financial crisis of 2007. It is an excellent example of a study in applied ethics that combines diligently the descriptive, analytical, normative and ethical aspects.

Based on his expertise, Paul Dembinksi first describes, in a clear fashion, the actors, institutions, procedures, and instruments of finance. He then presents a fine and differentiated analysis of the multiple ethical problems, inspired by the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur. He concludes by developing a range of perspectives for action in order to address the expectations and aspirations in finance, to strengthen the importance of human relations, to simplify the mode of operations of finance, and … to teach finance in a way different from how it is usually taught.

The book offers a systematic introduction to the ethics of finance for responsible decision makers in both practice and academia.

Prize 2014

Thorsten Busch

Prize Winner 2014  :

Thorsten Busch, pour sa thèse de doctorat intitulée :

For his work: Fair Information TechnologiesThe Corporate Responsability of Online Social Networks as Public Regulators.

The work was realized at the University of St. Gallen.

The prize-winner was chosen from 12 applications submitted from all parts of Switzerland.

Arguments du Conseil de fondation justifiant ce choix :

Die Arbeit liegt in einem der von der Stiftung definierten Bereiche und behandelt ein neues und wichtiges Gebiet technologischer Innovationen aus wirtschafts- und unternehmensethischer Sicht. Sie stellt eine Pionierleistung in “Digital Business Ethics” dar und erfüllt damit in besonderer Weise das Anliegen von Ambros Lüthi.

Die Arbeit untersucht die Unternehmensverantwortung von privaten sozialen Netzwerken online, die de facto zu Regulierern öffentlicher Räume im Sektor der Informations- und Kommunikations-technologien geworden sind. Nach einer sorgfältigen Klärung der zentralen technischen, ökonomischen und ethischen Begriffe werden drei Fallstudien durchgeführt: die Digitale Diskrepanzen, Twitter und Facebook.

Mit Hilfe aktueller unternehmensethischer Theorien (Corporate Citizenship und politische Unternehmensverantwortung) werden die normativen Implikationen  dieser quasi-öffentlichen Rolle privater Unternehmen eingehend ethisch diskutiert und beurteilt. Die interdisziplinäre Behandlung dieser neuartigen Herausforderungen erbringt zahlreiche neue und faszinierende Perspektiven für die Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik, Medienethik und Internet-Studien, die von weitreichender gesellschaftspolitischer Bedeutung sind.