86,528 research outputs found
The strategic management of Corporate Social Responsibility: systems to lead and control it in a dynamic view
No full textThe objective of this study has been to construct a theoretical framework aiming at analyzing the elements of
the strategic control system of CSR and trying to explain what are the reasons that lead companies to
integrate social responsibility in strategic management systems and the implications of this integration on the
level of social performances. The approach to social problems is strategic; this does not mean
underestimating, in the social dimension, normative issues and values. The success of the company, related
to the achievement of economic, competitive and social aims, is linked, in fact, although at different levels,
both to an ethical and value dimension, and to a strategic dimension. The choice of a strategic approach,
rather than create a confrontation over an ethical approach, is useful to outline an approach to nonoperational analysis in the social dimension of the company. In this work, with the purpose of defining the
model of analysis for strategic control of CSR, it is used a systemic approach. The development of the model
and the formulation of the main propositions on which the same model is based require: the identification
and analysis of the antecedents (context factors) that are the basis for a company of the assumption of its
responsibility and its CSR orientation; the identification and analysis of the elements that make up the
strategic control system of CSR; the analysis of the consequences (social performance); the analysis of
cause-effect relationship
Urban Civic Network as practice of social change and innovation. A case-study analysis
No full textSocial innovation represents a social practice that aims to meet social needs by
involving communities in dialogues through participatory and collaborative
approaches. One new and particular solution of social innovation is represented by
Urban Civic Networks. However, considering the novelty of this topic, neither the
benefits nor the role of public entities in implementing such practice of social innovation,
nor the strengths of the implementation process are known, yet. This study aims
to fill this gap through the analysis of a single-case study, based upon theories of
social innovation and social change, referring to the City of Bari. Results show that
implementation of Urban Civic Networks generates both tangible and intangible benefits
and demonstrate that local government plays a pivotal and leading role in the
implementation process. Finally, they show that the strengths of this practice are
connected to bottom-up approaches enabling efficient knowledge management and
collaboration
Non-financial information and cost of equity capital: an empirical analysis in the food and beverage industry
No full textPurpose: This study examines the effect that environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure generates on the cost of equity capital in the food and beverage (F&B) sector. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyses a sample of 171 international listed firms pertaining to the F&B sector and headquartered in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific (developed), forming an unbalanced panel of 1,316 observations, spanning the period 2010–2019. We run a fixed-effects panel regression model to test the relationship between ESG disclosure and the cost of equity capital. Findings: Our empirical outcomes suggest a significant negative relationship between ESG disclosure and the cost of equity capital. We find support for the notion that increased levels of ESG disclosure are linked to an improved access to financial resources for firms. Originality/value: This is the first study that analyses the impact of ESG disclosure on the cost of equity capital in the F&B sector, taking existing literature a step further into more detailed and specific aspects of the relationship of focus
Exploring intellectual capital disclosure and its determinants in knowledge-based institutions: empirical evidence from international universities
No full textPurpose – This study aims to add empirical evidence to the intellectual capital (IC) literature by
enhancing understanding of voluntary online IC disclosure (ICD) practices in knowledge-based
institutions such as universities from an international standpoint. The ultimate purpose of this study is to
examine how different variables related to size, internet visibility and certain corporate governance
attributes (i.e. board size and board gender diversity) affect the extent to which universities from different
world’s countries convey ICD through websites.
Design/methodology/approach – This study investigates a sample of 100 international universities
selected according to the QS World University Rankings 2020 to examine the level of ICD provided
through their official websites. It uses a content analysis to measure the actual amount of IC information
disclosed by these universities and a regression model to test the impact of the explanatory variables.
Findings – Empirical results demonstrate a negative impact of the board size and a positive effect of
board gender diversity and internet visibility on the level of IC information disclosed by international
universities on their website. They also demonstrate a non-significant effect of university size.
Originality/value – This study contributes to enriching the academic literature in different ways. In the
first place, it extends the field of application of the stakeholder theory. In the second place, this study
sheds light on the actual ICD level of international universities. In the third place, it examines the ICD
through a channel – websites – which are still little explored by the academic literature. Finally, this study
increases knowledge about the factors that can influence the ICD disclosure of international universitie
Sustainable urban regeneration in Italy: A performance assessment in the Apulian context
No full textIn recent years, the integration of sustainability principles in urban planning has become increasingly important. The growing attention to economic, social and environmental aspects is also influencing the practice and policy of urban regeneration. In particular, the search for new ways to regenerate cities in a sustainable way has led to the concept of sustainable urban regeneration. However, despite the relevance of this concept, only a few contributions have quantitatively examined the actual sustainability outcomes of different urban regeneration interventions. This study aims to fill this important gap by examining the level of sustainability of urban regeneration interventions in the Apulian context. The results of the multiple case study analysis show a high level of sustainability of the interventions in all three contexts examined. However, they show some weaknesses related mainly to the absence of strategies aimed at the inclusion of women in the labour market and to the low efficiency in the use of energy. The results offer important implications and guidelines for municipalities implementing urban regeneration projects
Risk disclosure in sustainability reports: Empirical evidence from the energy sector
No full textRecently, companies in the energy sector have faced multiple financial and environmental risks. This finding demonstrates the need for energy companies to disclose risk information. However, academic attention on risk disclosure (RD) remains limited. Through manual content analysis and a regression model, this study examines the effect of the features of the board of directors and audit committee on the RD level in sustainability reports. The empirical findings reveal that the size and independence of the board of directors and the size of the audit committee positively affect the RD level
Factors affecting human capital disclosure in an integrated reporting perspective
No full textPurpose
Human capital (HC) represents a particularly important element capable of guiding the firms’ value creation process in the new economy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of HC information contained within integrated reports and to identify the variables that influence the HC disclosure policies of companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Research hypotheses, developed on the basis of agency theory, were tested using a regression model on a sample of 137 worldwide companies. A HC disclosure index was designed to examine the level of HC disclosure and a content analysis was used to investigate the integrated reports.
Findings
Results showed a positive and significant impact of firm size, board size, board independence and board diversity on the level of HC information disclosed by companies within their integrated reports. On the contrary, they demonstrated a not significant effect of firm profitability.
Practical implications
Results have important implications for corporate executives, high-level corporate governance, policymakers and investors. They point out additional further motivations for creating larger boards and including non-executive members and women on the board. In addition, investors could use the HC disclosure index to evaluate companies’ HC disclosure policies in their investment decisions.
Originality/value
This study extends the agency theory application scope and extends the analysis of HC disclosure to other corporate documents, namely, integrated reports. Besides, it increases knowledge about the factors capable of influencing HC disclosure, identifying a series of elements capable of directly affecting the level of information that companies disclose
Visual disclosure through integrated reporting
No full textPurpose – This study, based on stakeholder theory, aims to analyse the factors that can affect the level of
visual disclosure in the context of integrated reporting (IR), which represents the last frontier of corporate
disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach – This study develops an innovative measure to measure the level of visual
disclosure of integrated reports that takes into account the use and degree of integration of images and graphs.
Furthermore, to test the hypotheses, this study uses a regression model on a sample of 134 international
companies that published an integrated report in 2018.
Findings – The results show that firm size, firm profitability and industry environmental sensitivity
positively affect the level of visual disclosure of the integrated reports.
Originality/value – To our knowledge, this is the first study that examines visual disclosure in the IR context.
It also extends the field of application of the stakeholder theory, still little used to explain visual disclosure
strategies, and increases knowledge on the determinants of IR
Digitalization in the cultural industry: evidence from Italian museums
No full textPurpose – This study aims to analyse the level of digitalization in the cultural industry. More in detail, it aims
to examine the determinants and effects of the digitalization level of museum organizations and the role played
by the COVID-19 pandemic in the adoption of digital technologies.
Design/methodology/approach – In order to answer the research questions, this study uses the multiple
case study methodology. In particular, three different museum organizations operating in the Apulian context
were examined.
Findings – The findings show that the adoption of digital technologies derives from the desire to attract more
visitors, reduce costs, improve the visitor experience and adapt to competitors. On the contrary, they show that
the lack of funding represents a drag on the adoption of digital tools. In relation to the effects, the findings show
financial advantages connected to an increase in revenues and a reduction in costs and non-financial benefits
connected to an improvement of the intangibles. Finally, the results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has
accelerated the adoption of digital technologies.
Originality/value – This work enriches the current literature through the analysis of the drivers and effects
of digitalization in the museum industry and through the focus on COVID-19. Furthermore, to the authors’
knowledge, this is the first study that examines the level of digitalization of museum organizations in the
Apulian context
Whitepaper Quality and ICO Success: The Role of Textual and Visual Characteristics
No full textIn recent years, Initial Coin Offering (ICO), a novel fundraising method, has gained popularity for financing innovative entrepreneurial projects. This alternative approach has piqued the interest of both practitioners and academics alike. However, studies conducted in this research area are limited. In particular, the role of disclosure quality and the characteristics of the whitepaper in ICO success is still little explored. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the effect of two components of the whitepaper: textual disclosure and visual disclosure. To this end, a logistic regression model was performed on a sample of 320 ICO projects. Empirical results demonstrate that the readability, positive sentiment, and number of pictures in the whitepaper have a positive influence on ICO success. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the length of the whitepaper and the presence of charts within this document have a negative effect. This study significantly enriches the literature on ICO success and offers important practical implications for ventures, individuals, and regulators aiming to launch or oversee ICO projects
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