Institute for Business Ethics (IWE)

Economics revolves around questions of good economics, which are ultimately questions of good actions and good rules. While it is important to understand how the economy functions, this alone is insufficient for most individuals, organizations, or states. In addition to a comprehensive understanding of the “how,” we also need normative judgments that fall within the realm of philosophy and ethics. Business ethics operates at the intersection of ethics and economics and addresses a wide range of topics. These include the justification of ethical norms, the mechanisms for implementing and complying with ethical norms in economic and organizational contexts, and the exploration of people’s “moral gut feelings” in various cultural settings.

Institute of Responsible Innovation (IRI)

The Institute of Responsible Innovation at the University of St.Gallen is a multidisciplinary platform dedicated to responsible innovation, social entrepreneurship, and grand challenges. We contribute to solving responsibly wicked problems related to innovation and entrepreneurship for a better future for humanity. We do this by engaging in research, teaching, and practice that are responsible not only for different stakeholder groups today, but also for the future generations to come.

We take the principles of responsible innovation as (1) leveraging scientific research and technological development for humanity and (2) in doing so, taking into account the social, ethical, cultural, and economic impact of innovation.

St. Gallen Institute of Management in Latin America (GIMLA)

In 2018, the University inaugurated the St.Gallen Institute of Management in Latin America (GIMLA) at the heart of Avenida Paulista, in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2022 the institute expanded to Medellin, Colombia.

The Institute is mandated to foster and strengthen academic partnerships via bilateral and multilateral teaching agreements and research projects, and it also contributes to the formation of high-quality professionals via executive education. Committed to produce real social impact, the Institute works in close relationship with local University partners, the HSG Alumni community and practice.

Center for Disability and Integration (CDI)

The Center for Disability and Integration (CDI-HSG) was founded in March 2009 by the Swiss Institute for Empirical Research in Economics (SEW-HSG) and the Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management (I.FPM-HSG) to establish the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace as a research focus at the University of St.Gallen.

Over time, the focus of research has gradually been extended. In addition to the main focus on inclusion, other related areas are also being pursued today. In doing so, the CDI-HSG strives to meet the increasing complexity of the work environment resulting from the influences of digitalization and overarching social changes. Research is divided into the three fields of Business Administration, Economics and Applied Disability Research.

Center for Health Care (CHC)

The Center for Health Care addresses the problem that in the public discussion there is a high sensitivity for the manifold problems and issues of the health care system. However, the public discussion is often characterised by interest-driven individual contributions by the respective actors. This results in fragmented perspectives and symptom treatments instead of fundamental innovations. Efforts to develop an overarching all-party perspective are hardly discernible.

The work of the Center for Health Care therefore focuses on an integrative approach to current problems. Our aim is to deal with the upcoming controversial development challenges in a constructive, all-participatory and transdisciplinary way, i.e. with systematic reference to political, legal, economic, technological, medical, nursing, therapeutic and ethical aspects, perspectives and processes.

Center for Leadership and Values in Society (CLSV)

The Center for Leadership and Values in Society (CLVS-HSG) is focused “Public Value Management”: determining the Public Value of corporations, public administrations and non-governmental organizations. Headed by Timo Meynhardt, the CLVS provides a theoretical framework that addresses important questions about the common good within the scientific community as well as in management practice.

One of the CLVS’s most influential projects is the Public Value Atlas Switzerland (GemeinwohlAtlas), an online platform presenting data from a large-scale online survey of the public value of Switzerland’s biggest and most important organisations. The study was replicated in Germany in 2015 (Public Value Atlas for Germany). Together with iF Design, the CLVS organises the iF PUBLIC VALUE AWARD, awarded yearly to projects and products that break new ground and have a positive impact on regional and global societies.