Beyond the Compliance: Ethical Governance in Italian Corporations

This study aims to analyze the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and compliance, focusing on the role that CSR may play in strengthening compliance mechanisms within the corporate governance (CG) system. Specifically, this work intends to investigate whether, and to what extent, CSR practices contribute to the development of a culture of legality and transparency, promoting the alignment of the company with stakeholder expectations. The focus of the study is on the most prominent ten Italian companies, chosen by market capitalization, as they are subject to increasing pressure from various stakeholders. Our purpose is twofold: on the one hand, to understand the role of CSR in supporting corporate compliance dynamics; on the other, to explore how companies communicate and report this interaction in their official documents, with particular reference to sustainability reports.