scholarly journals Investigating risk disclosures in Italian integrated reports

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1149-1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Guthrie ◽  
Francesca Manes Rossi ◽  
Rebecca Levy Orelli ◽  
Giuseppe Nicolò
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Disclosures ◽  
Do So

Purpose The paper identifies the types of risks disclosed by Italian organisations using integrated reporting (IR). This paper aims to understand the level and features of risk disclosure with the adoption of IR. Design/methodology/approach The authors use risk classifications already provided in the literature to develop a content analysis of Italian organisations’ integrated reports published. Findings The content analysis reveals that most of the Italian organisations incorporate many types of risk disclosure into their integrated reports. Organisations use this alternative form of reporting to communicate risk differently from how they disclose risks in traditional annual financial reporting. That is, the study finds that the organisations use their integrated reports to disclose a broader group of risks, related to the environment and society, and do so using narrative and visual representation. Originality/value The paper contributes to a narrow stream of research investigating risk disclosure provided through IR, contributing to the understanding of the role of IR in representing an organisational risk.

scholarly journals Making sustainability meaningful: aspirations, discourses and reporting practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 2218-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiano Busco ◽  
Elena Giovannoni ◽  
Fabrizio Granà ◽  
Maria Federica Izzo
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Discursive Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Meaningful Connections ◽  
Do So

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the enabling role of accounting and reporting practices as discourses about sustainability unfold inside organizations. In particular, the authors investigate how managers attempt to connect the concept of “sustainability” to their specific experience, as they seek to make sustainability meaningful (i.e. filling it with unfolding meaning) through accounting and within particular discursive spaces. Design/methodology/approach The authors rely upon the case of LOGIC, a large international oil and gas company operating in more than 70 countries worldwide. The authors analyze the evolution of discourses concerning sustainability inside the company, as well as the changing accounting and reporting practices, with a particular focus on integrated reporting. Findings The authors show that accounting and reporting practices (such as integrated reporting within LOGIC) provide the conditions for “sustainability”—as a discursive concept—to become meaningful, while evolving themselves as they are attached to this concept. They do so by enabling individuals (the management team within LOGIC) to connect their diverse experiences and aspirations to the concept of sustainability. Rather than filling sustainability with stable meaning, the authors observed that individuals are attracted by the gaps left by accounting representations, leading to the development of new practices and unfolding meanings within specific discursive spaces. Originality/value Most of the literature on sustainability accounting and reporting practices concentrate on the need for these practices to mirror what companies do about sustainability. Differently, the authors add to the very few studies on “aspirational” reporting that have emphasized the enabling effects of the gap between what companies say and do about sustainability. The authors do so by demonstrating that accounting is “aspirational” not only because it stimulates corporate efforts toward an imaginary better future, but also because it attracts managers’ particular aspirations through its representational gap. The authors show that this gap enables meaningful connections between individuals (their particular experience and aspirations) and “sustainability,” bringing this concept into their specific discursive space and, thereby, leading to the emergence of new practices.

scholarly journals A comparison of the suitability of FIDIC and NEC conditions of contract in Palestine

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haytham Besaiso ◽  
Peter Fenn ◽  
Margaret Emsley ◽  
David Wright
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Do So

Purpose The standard forms of construction contract are receiving greater attention in the management of projects scholarship as they probably influence the project success and project disputes. The extant literature suggests that the standard forms of construction contract are one of the top sources of disputes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the standard forms of construction contract, FIDIC and NEC, in reducing disputes in the Palestinian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach The researchers have used qualitative methods to collect data and more specifically have undertaken 12 semi-structured interviews. Findings The study reveals that the standard forms of construction contract can be a tool to minimise disputes, but certainly not to eradicate them, and NEC appears to be more capable than FIDIC to do so. Originality/value This study contributes to knowledge by bringing an industrial perspective into the role of standard forms of contract in disputes creation and avoidance. The interviewees, recurrent users of FIDIC contract, criticised certain features and expressions and proposed some solutions.

“It’s your turn to step into their shoes”

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-224
Author(s):  
Leonor Rodriguez ◽  
Pat Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Adolescent Development ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Routines ◽  
Extended Families ◽  
Maternal Illness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of empathy in adolescents coping with maternal cancer to identify passive and active empathy forms and the role of these in adolescent coping at a challenging time. Design/methodology/approach This study was a secondary content analysis carried out on 15 adolescent interviews that were analysed to find the evidence of empathy in active and passive forms. Adolescents were between 14 and 20 years of age, their mothers were diagnosed with cancer in the previous 24 months to the interview. Findings The analysis identified more evidence of active forms of empathy than passive directed at ill mothers and their families as helpful behaviours and emotional support. Passive empathy was experienced by adolescents who did not have major changes in their daily routines because of maternal cancer. Both passive and active empathy were perceived as coping mechanisms. Maternal illness motivated adolescents’ empathy and encouraged actions to support their mothers, immediate and extended families. Originality/value Empathy is complex but can be important for adolescent development including their social skills and relationships; however, research has not evaluated the role of empathy in adolescents experiencing maternal cancer.

scholarly journals Adoption of principle-based IFRS and intercompany comparability of operating performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-352
Author(s):  
Protap Kumar Ghosh ◽  
Ranajit Kumar Bairagi ◽  
Abinash Mondal
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Operating Performance ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Do So

PurposeThe study aims to investigate whether the adoption of IFRS could ensure ultimate intercompany comparability of operating performance in terms of uniformity in the application of accounting methods and reporting style.Design/methodology/approachUsing content analysis on 125 annual financial statements of 25 companies from five industries listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange in Bangladesh, this study reports that only the sole adoption and application of principle based IFRS cannot ensure ultimate intercompany comparability of financial reports.FindingsThe findings document that the adoption of IFRS cannot ensure the application of same accounting methods as well as way of presentations which is a precondition of greater comparability of operating performance of competitive firms. The methodological and reporting direction through local regulatory agencies alongside maximum compliance with principle based IFRS can enhance intercompany comparability of financial reports in the same industry.Originality/valueThis study tries to manifest that sole adoption cum implementation of IFRS could not ensure ultimate intercompany comparability of operating performance within the same industry and urges to conduct further research to find out the ways to do so.

scholarly journals Reshaping Risk Disclosure through Integrated Reporting: Evidence from Italian Early Adopters

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Manes-Rossi ◽  
Giuseppe Nicolo ◽  
Rebecca Levy Orelli
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
Extensive Information ◽  
Different Dimensions

The purpose of this paper is to explore Integrated Reporting (IR) and risk disclosure (RD) and demonstrating the interconnection between business strategies and risk. Through a content analysis, the paper explores the management commentary and Integrated reporting of Italian companies at the end of 2015.The study reveals that many of the companies have embedded financial reporting into IR. We find extensive information about risks and opportunities, in relation to the management of the six capitals. The paper represents an investigation into risk disclosure in IR. It adds knowledge to the opportunity offered by IR in meeting stakeholder’s information needs, compared to traditional tools of corporate reporting.The results could be of interest both for legislator and standards setters, to bring them up to date with enhanced disclosure of risk and opportunities which IR offers with respect to the more traditional forms of disclosure.This is the first country-based study investigating risk disclosure provided through IR looking at three different dimensions: the metrics of RD (monetary or non-monetary); the outlook orientation (past, present or future) and the type of risk news (good or bad news). The results are relevant to detect how companies act and what can be done to improve risk disclosure.

Intellectual capital disclosure in integrated reporting: an impression management analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaia Melloni
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Impression Management ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Integrated Reporting Council ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – Intellectual capital (IC) is fundamental to understanding how firms create value; however, current IC disclosure (ICD) has been described as inadequate due to the lack of an established IC framework and companies’ actual commitment to report IC information. The International Integrated Reporting Council aims to foster ICD by means of integrated reporting (IR); such a report should display how IC and other forms of capital (e.g. financial) contribute to value creation over time. Drawing on impression management (IM) studies, the purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of ICD offered in IR. Design/methodology/approach – A manual content analysis of all the reports available in the International Integrated Reporting Council web site is run considering both the content of ICD and specific linguistic attributes (evidence, time orientation and tone). In addition, the study tests the relationship between the positive ICD tone and specific characteristics that may incentive managers to manipulate their disclosure to determine whether firms use ICD to manage public perceptions of corporate behaviour. Findings – The results of the content analysis show that majority of ICD is focused on relational capital, with limited quantitative and forward-looking information. Additionally, compared to non-ICD, ICD is significantly more optimistic. Furthermore, the positive tone of ICD is significantly associated with declining performance, bigger size and higher level of intangibles supporting the use of ICD as an IM strategy. Originality/value – The research contributes to the literature offering evidence of the quality of the ICD offered in the IR and demonstrating that ICD offered in the IR is used by managers opportunistically to advance their image.

Responsible tourism education of younger consumers: the role of mini-clubs in mountain resorts

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-419
Author(s):  
Hugues Seraphin
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Education ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
Social Empowerment ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Do So

Purpose The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to discuss whether children can play a role in the sustainability of the tourism industry as a whole. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a literature review of key terms: sustainable tourism; mountain tourism; children; and empowerment. Findings Children could potentially play a role in the sustainability of tourism if they are empowered to do so. mini-clubs in mountain resorts could, for instance, contribute to their social empowerment using a catalytic strategy. Practical implications Practitioners involved in the sustainability of the tourism industry should investigate ways to make the sustainability endeavour of the industry more inclusive. As for academics, they should devote time for research on children, as they are an important stakeholder group for the industry. Originality/value This paper focusses on children in the tourism industry. There is a dearth of research in this area.

scholarly journals Ride to die: masculine honour and collective identity in the motorcycle underworld

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 238-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Rahman ◽  
Adam Lynes
Keyword(s):  
Collective Identity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Dominant Ideology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Founding Member

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature and extent of violent practice in the motorcycle underworld. It does this by considering the murder of Gerry Tobin, and then uses the biography of the founding member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club (HAMC) for a critical analysis. The authors are interested in understanding the role of masculine honour and collective identity, and its influences in relation to violence – namely, fatal violence in the motorcycle underworld. The authors argue that motorcycle gangs are extreme examples of what Hall (2012) considers “criminal undertakers” – individuals who take “special liberties” often as a last resort. Design/methodology/approach The methodological approach seeks to analyse the paradigm of “masculine honour”, and how the Outlaws MC (OMC) applied this notion when executing the seemingly senseless murder of Gerry Tobin. So too, the author triangulate these findings by critically analysing the biography of the founding member of the Californian chapter of the HAMC – Sonny Barger. Further to this, a case study inevitably offers “constraints and opportunities” (Easton, 2010, p. 119). Through the process of triangulation, which is a method that utilises “multiple sources of data”, the researcher can be confident that the truth is being “conveyed as truthfully as possible” (Merriam, 1995, p. 54). Findings What is clear within the OB worldview is that it can only be a male dominant ideology, with no allowance for female interference (Wolf, 2008). Thus, Messerschmidt’s (1993) notion of “hegemonic masculinity” fits the male dominated subcultures of the HAMC and OMC, which therefore provides the clubs with “exclusive” masculine identities (Wolf, 2008). For organisations like the HAMC, retaliation is perceived as an alternative form of criminal justice that is compulsory to undertake in order to defend their status of honour and masculinity. Originality/value Based on our understanding, this is the first critical think piece that explores a UK case of homicide within the context of the motorcycle underworld. It also provides a comprehensive understanding of violent practice with the motorcycle underworld from criminological and sociological perspectives. This paper will inform readers about an overlooked and under researched underworld culture.

Human competences for sustainable strategic management: evidence from Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Galleli ◽  
Flavio Hourneaux Junior
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sustainability Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
General Studies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify how human competences are associated with sustainable strategic management (SSM) within organisations. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study in two phases: first, a theoretical phase is developed, resulting in a proposal for the role of human competences in organisational sustainability; second, an empirical phase including instrumental case studies of two large, sustainability-oriented Brazilian companies. Data were obtained from interviews and companies’ reports. The authors used Atlas.ti software to perform the thematic content analysis. Findings Despite the importance of human competences in SSM, the authors find evidence that this concept has not been developed, even for companies with a consolidated position in sustainability. Human competences are a requirement for effective SSM. Research limitations/implications Coexisting elements within an organisation, often referred to as elements of organisational and human behaviour, can influence the dynamics of the expected interrelationships between human competences and sustainability management, in addition to the influencing factors presented in this study. Originality/value In general, studies advocate that the relationships among organisational competences, human competences and organisational strategies must be aligned and reinforced. Nevertheless, these relationships are not that solid as they should be as stated in both the literature and the conventional discourse of practitioners.

Expectation gap between preparers and stakeholders in integrated reporting

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nolin Riley Naynar ◽  
Asheer Jaywant Ram ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Expectation Gap ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Perception Gap

Purpose This paper aims to explore the emphasis placed on certain integrated reporting themes by financial services companies and stakeholders’ perception of the importance of these themes to ascertain if a perception gap exists. The study also considers if the perception gap is affected by user sophistication. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed methods approach. First, the integrated reports are analysed to construct interpretively a list of disclosure themes. The frequency of these disclosures themes is determined to give a sense of the emphasis placed on these disclosures by a sample of integrated reporters. Second, a questionnaire is compiled to gauge the perceived importance of the disclosure themes by a proxy group of sophisticated and unsophisticated investors. Third, the results are subject to factor analysis to determine the statistically significant disclosure themes. Differences between the emphasis placed on these disclosures by companies and their perceived importance in the eyes of users are used to outline the nature of a perception gap. Finally, the perceived importance of the integrated reporting themes between the sophisticated and unsophisticated respondents is determined using a Mann–Whitney U test. Findings This paper shows that a perception gap has developed because companies do not fully understand what information is valued by their stakeholders. In addition, this study demonstrates that sophistication has an effect on the type of disclosures which are valued by users and the manner in which the disclosures are presented. Originality/value This research adds a new dimension to prior literature by introducing the idea of a perception gap (well-known in a financial reporting and assurance context) to integrated reporting. It also shows that differences in stakeholders’ sophistication should be taken into account when companies prepare their integrated reports.

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