Sustainability Reporting Insights: The Case of Ford Motor Company

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne G Bremser ◽  
Eva K Jermakowicz ◽  
Alan Reinstein
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Ford Motor Company ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Business Reporting ◽  
Accounting Courses ◽  
Or Team ◽  
Sustainability Report

This case will help students comprehend the materiality concept within the context of sustainability reporting in the automotive industry. Students researching sustainable business reporting frameworks can use Ford Motor Company's sustainability report to understand how that firm assesses the materiality of sustainability issues and integrates sustainable development initiatives within its overall business strategy. Students will gauge Ford's sustainability performance and explore how the company and its peers assess the materiality of sustainability issues. They thus can assess the motivations and judgmental nature behind sustainability reporting and challenges facing preparers. Assignable on an individual or team basis, this case introduces important, and interesting, sustainability reporting concepts and issues. With increasing investor interest in sustainability factors, we argue that accounting programs should provide an overview of sustainability reporting to accounting majors. Because it focuses on disclosures relevant to investors and other stakeholders, we view Financial Accounting courses, including International Accounting courses, as the most appropriate opportunity to employ this case. However, we also adapted this case successfully in a Managerial Accounting course.

scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting In The Accounting Curriculum

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Vann ◽  
Gwendolen B. White
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Font Size ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Accounting Curriculum ◽  
Normal Text ◽  
Accounting Courses ◽  
Sustainability Accounting ◽  
The Impact

<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent3" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Seven class sections of undergraduate students in principles of managerial accounting courses participated in a study to examine the impact of sustainability accounting lectures with Internet assignments or lectures alone influence students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward sustainability reporting. The results of this study show that lectures with Internet assignments and lectures alone were equally effective in causing changes in the dependent measures compared to control groups who received no instruction on sustainability.</span></p>

scholarly journals FORMATION OF INTEGRATED REPORTING IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Olha Luhova ◽  
Tetiana Pisochenko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the paper is to theoretically justify the preparation of integrated reporting, the influence of sustainable development ideas on the formation of the concept of integrated reporting, the problems of its creation and implementation in the practice of organizations. Methodology. The methodological and theoretical basis of the study was made up of the works of scientists and specialists in corporate reporting and sustainable development; frameworks, instructive and methodological materials for the formation of integrated reporting. We used general scientific methods of cognition such as comparison, analysis and synthesis, generalization, systematization, historical and logical methods. Results. Information deficiency arising from the formation of exclusively financial statements stimulates the emergence of integrated reporting. Non-financial reporting (social, environmental, etc.) provides useful information but does not reflect the relationship between different aspects of the company’s activities and its results, which does not contribute to understanding its ability to create value over time. The constant trend of companies to sustainable development involves the study of issues of formation of integrated reporting as a tool for building a sustainable business. The integrated report aims to provide an insight into the company’s resources and relationships that are known as the capitals and how the company interacts with the external environment and the capitals to create value. Key indicators of sustainability reporting, which should be reflected in integrated reporting, are grouped into three components: economic, environmental, and social. They are based on an assessment of the value of business and the value of capitals. Companies interested in implementing integrated reporting face a number of challenges, beginning with the fact that no globally accepted framework specifying what goes into an integrated report exists. But there are a growing number of examples of integrated reports from which companies can learn. Practical implications. This is an explanatory research to come with conceptual paper cited with recent literature for understanding the impact of sustainable development ideas on the emergence of integrated reporting. Despite the long list of internal and external challenges, the list of drivers contains a wide range of business advantages. Value / originality. Integrated reporting is a powerful tool for transparency and information openness of the company, which contributes to the sustainability of the business. Integrated reporting can become a tool for building a sustainable business for a company. In the process of its implementation and formation, the issues of the need to transform the company’s management system, strengthen control over the solution of environmental and social problems, study and improve the company’s business strategy should be resolved.

scholarly journals Assessing Corporate Sustainability with the Enterprise Sustainability Evaluation Tool (E-SET)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aarcha Zenya ◽  
Øystein Nystad
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Graphical Representation ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Sustainability Evaluation ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Global Sustainability

Implementing a sustainable business strategy entails assessment of corporate sustainability. In this communication, the Enterprise Sustainability Evaluation Tool (E-SET) is presented and its importance is illustrated. E-SET was developed using the indicators from six global sustainability reporting frameworks and the programming language R. The platform, which can be used for self-assessment and comparison purposes, will provide a comprehensible sustainability score and its graphical representation. Although different sector-specific indicators are proposed in existing literature, E-SET, which is intended to promote sustainability in business practices, incorporates indicators relevant to the three pillars of sustainability. The free and easy tool is expected to help managers of all industries assess their companies, and, based on the results, they would be able to judge their sustainability standing and take remedial steps founded upon the low-scoring sustainability elements. Wider adoption of E-SET will help firms to contribute significantly to national sustainability goals.

PROFESSIONAL DOMINANCE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING AND MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING, 1926–1986

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Management Accounting ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Letters To The Editor ◽  
Management Accountants ◽  
Professional Dominance ◽  
The Relationship

This paper examines the relationship between financial and managerial accounting as reflected in articles, editorials and letters to the editor published in Cost and Management, the Canadian trade magazine for management accountants, between 1926 and 1986. It has been claimed that during this period management accounting techniques lost their relevance to manufacturers, in part, due to the dominance of financial accounting over managerial accounting. This is also the period in which management accounting struggled to become recognized as a profession distinct from financial accounting. The analysis thus focuses on the jurisdictional dispute between financial and managerial accounting and the mechanisms by which managerial accounting was subordinated to financial accounting. The paper identifies the technical, organizational and professional mechanisms used to subordinate managerial accounting. The paper also demonstrates that management accountants were aware of the consequences of their relationship to financial accounting for the relevance of their techniques. Contemporary events suggest that the intersection of financial and managerial accounting remains disputed territory.

Alibaba Group Initial Public Offering: A Case Study of Financial Reporting Issues

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing L. Burke ◽  
Tim V. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
York Stock Exchange ◽  
Accounting Courses ◽  
Chinese Company ◽  
Public Offering

ABSTRACT In September 2014, the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Limited issued shares on the New York Stock Exchange, making it the world's largest initial public offering. This case examines different aspects of the Alibaba Group's initial public offering, including Alibaba Group's business model, financial reporting and corporate governance, as well as the macroeconomic, political, and legal environment in which the company operates. In addition, this case will familiarize students with the risks and opportunities for Chinese companies and investors when a Chinese company lists in the U.S. This case is suitable for financial accounting and international accounting courses at the intermediate and advanced levels for undergraduates as well as graduate students. The case is scalable, and instructors can choose from multiple sections of the case and different case questions to tailor the case difficulty to their students' learning needs.

Intertwining CSR with strategy – the way ahead

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shital Jhunjhunwala
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Business Models ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance and means of making corporate social responsibility (CSR) an integral part of corporate strategy with the help of case studies. Design/methodology/approach – The article explores the transformation of business from being egocentric to socially responsible. With the use of examples it demonstrates how integrating CSR into strategy can create sustainable business models. Findings – Firms need to develop a framework for integrating CSR into their business strategy for long term successful survival. Social implications – Corporates and society are intertwined and mutually dependent. Business cannot survive without society's acquiescence nor succeed without its active support. Originality/value – The article explains the benefits of CSR and how to make it an integral part of business strategy to gain a competitive advantage.

Ethical environment, accountability, and sustainability reporting: What is the connection in the hospitality and tourism industry?

2021 ◽  
pp. 135481662110626
Author(s):  
Amal Hamrouni ◽  
Abdullah S Karaman ◽  
Cemil Kuzey ◽  
Ali Uyar
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Ethical Business ◽  
Ethical Environment ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Sustainability Report

Drawing on institutional theory, this study tests how the ethical behaviors of firms, in interaction with public officials and through the strength of accountability regulations, influence sustainability reporting practices in the hospitality and tourism (H&T) sector. The results indicate that firms operating in a highly ethical business environment are less likely than those in a less ethical environment to disclose a sustainability report. However, accountability yields the opposite result; firms established in environments characterized by high accountability are more likely than low accountability environments to issue a sustainability report, which implies a complementary effect between the strength of the accountability and the firms’ sustainability disclosures. This verifies that the weakness or strength of informal and formal institutional forces exert considerable influence on firms’ desire to carry out sustainability reporting. However, this influence is not true of the acquisition of external assurance statements and following Global Reporting Initiative guidelines, with which accountability has a negative and insignificant association, respectively.

Pivoting in a COVID-19 teaching environment: developing interactive teaching approaches and online assessments to improve students’ experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate L. Morgan ◽  
Wei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Course Materials ◽  
Accounting Courses ◽  
Online Assessments ◽  
Short Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changes made to course delivery, course materials and assessment approaches required in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced many changes to occur in a very short time. Design/methodology/approach It is a case study of the changes made to content, teaching methods and assessment in a postgraduate introductory financial accounting course of approximately 350 students across two terms. Findings The key findings are that the sudden change from face-to-face to online teaching to address government regulations, social distancing expectations and students’ needs required immediate changes to how content was delivered, how to interact with students (many of who were studying outside of Australia), and how to adapt to online assessments. Many of the innovations the authors describe will continue to be used in the course going forward both in face-to-face and online formats. That is, the need to change resulted in innovations that can be implemented in a post-pandemic environment. Originality/value The key value of this paper is to provide instructors with insights into the innovations the authors made to address the changed circumstances, which can be incorporated into other accounting courses in the future.

Linking Cybersecurity and Accounting: An Event, Impact, Response Framework

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane J. Janvrin ◽  
Tawei (David) Wang
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Additional Research ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Impact Response ◽  
Managerial Accounting ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Research Findings

Due to recent high-profile cybersecurity breaches and increased practitioner and regulatory attention, organizations are under pressure to consider the accounting implications of these attacks and develop appropriate responses. Specifically, cybersecurity events may affect organizations’ operations, financial and non-financial performance, and ultimately its stakeholders. To address how cybersecurity issues may affect accounting, this paper presents an Event, Impact, Response Framework to discuss current research and consider implications for both practitioners and researchers. The Framework highlights how practitioners may rely on research findings to better assess cybersecurity threats, understand their impact, and develop response strategies. Results encourage additional research examining how (1) organizations identify cybersecurity threats, incidents, and breaches, (2) cybersecurity affects different risks, and (3) management responses to cybersecurity risks and events. Further, the Framework suggest the need for cybersecurity research to extend beyond the AIS community to areas such as financial accounting, managerial accounting, and auditing.

Board characteristics and the choice between sustainability and integrated reporting: a European analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Girella ◽  
Stefano Zambon ◽  
Paola Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Sustainability Report

Purpose The role that the board can have in influencing the adoption of non-financial reporting (NFR) by companies is a topic that has raised interest in the recent literature. However, very few have so far been said on the logic that underpins the selection by corporate boards of a particular model (sustainability and/or integrated). This study aims to examine if and to what extent board characteristics may influence the choice of companies to voluntarily publish a sustainability report, an integrated report or both of them, and if moderating variables, relating to incentives towards corporate transparency, may have an influence. Both of these types of reporting tools are in fact aimed at improving company disclosure towards sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach Through a multi-nomial regression analysis, this study tests the assumptions in a sample of companies listed on the Eurostoxx600 that adopt integrated or sustainability reporting or both of them for the period 2015–2018 for a total of 2,103 firm-years observations. Findings The results reveal that sustainability reporting is associated with board independence only, whilst the adoption of integrated reporting is influenced by board size and board independence. The same two variables influence also those companies that jointly adopt both sustainability and an integrated report. This confirms that integrated reporting requires more competencies and monitoring to be adopted. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that information asymmetry and financial constraints influence the decision of companies to publish the integrated report, sustainability report or both, whilst growth opportunities do not. Hence, moderating variables can have a role in explaining this association, and especially those that are related to the firm’s incentives related to the provision of financial capital by investors. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, it proposes an incremental analysis of the relationship between board characteristics and voluntary disclosure of integrated reporting, considering the effects of moderating variables on this association. Second, the above relationship is examined in a comparative way vis-à-vis the adoption of sustainability reporting. Third, it demonstrates that the analysis of these reporting tools can benefit from an understanding that relies on both agency and stakeholder theories, that have to be conceived somehow complementary. In terms of limitations, this study is exclusively focussed on larger European listed firms, and therefore, the findings may not be valid for small and medium firms and for companies operating outside Europe. Practical implications This study provides useful insights for managers and policymakers to better understand which are the characteristics of the board composition that can best encourage a company to pursue a reporting strategy based on sustainable development. This results to be particularly relevant and timely in the European context if the authors take into consideration the developments of the European Parliament and Commission towards the launch of a new legislative proposal on sustainable corporate governance in 2021. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. First, it offers a unique perspective on the direct and indirect effects of board characteristics on the adoption of integrated and/or sustainability reports by examining it in a comparative perspective. Second, it further demonstrates that the analysis of NFR and especially integrated reporting might benefit from the adoption of multiple conceptual lenses, in this case, agency and stakeholder theories.

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