Ethical capital for the renaissance of disadvantaged territories – The Libera Terra case study in the wine sector

In business studies evolution, territory is now considered as an expression of a dynamic system of interpersonal relationships, benefiting from contextual resources with a relational, cognitive and organizational nature. Many perspectives and contributions analyze the interdependence between businesses and communities, therefore becoming interesting to introduce a perspective able to examine the path from the knowledge economy to the relationship economy, in which the ethical capital of entrepreneurial actions becomes an intangible asset essential to the vitality of the territorial system. The paper is divided into two parts: the first has outlined a theoretical model of territorial social responsibility; in the second, a qualitative study examines the “Libera Terra” case study, with a focus on the wine sector. Social cooperatives operating in the lands confiscated from organized crime have been studied, to bring out their (possible) transfer of ethical capital to the territory. The empirical analysis, with an exploratory nature, applies the theoretical model to the case study. Finally, the paper conceptualizes some scientific and managerial implications about the transfer of ethical capital from business to territory.