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1 – 5 of 5Sebastiano Cupertino, Gianluca Vitale and Paolo Taticchi
This paper aims to investigate possible interdependencies affecting short-term profitability between internal and process business aspects which can play a critical role in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate possible interdependencies affecting short-term profitability between internal and process business aspects which can play a critical role in sustainability operationalisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted the panel data approach to perform a partial least square structural modelling equation analysis on a sample of 391 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) non-financial-listed companies, considering a timeframe of five years.
Findings
Corporate sustainability is a result of interplays between managerial commitment, strategy, slack resources’ exploitation, innovation, the sustainable management of internal production and procurement processes that managers can catalyse to foster short-term firms’ profitability.
Research limitations/implications
The study is focused on internal process business determinants of sustainability, and the analysis is limited to a short-term timeframe and on non-financial OECD-listed companies.
Practical implications
Managers searching for trade-offs between financial and non-financial performances should enhance their commitment towards sustainability by defining appropriate strategies suitable to employ mainly slack resources derived from core business activities enabling innovation processes, which, in turn, are able to foster sustainability of internal production and procurement processes.
Originality/value
The execution of sustainability is a complex process that needs to be investigated using a holistic approach net of endogeneity biases to better appreciate those interrelationships within multiple drivers determining the firm sustainable growth.
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Gianluca Vitale, Sebastiano Cupertino and Paolo Taticchi
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between business slack resources and environmental performance and considers the possible effects that management commitment…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the relationships between business slack resources and environmental performance and considers the possible effects that management commitment, corporate strategy to sustainability and innovation intensity can have on such interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
We performed partial least squares path modeling regressions on a sample of 697 non-financial listed companies worldwide, considering a time frame of 13 years.
Findings
Operational and financial slack resources are both detrimental to environmental performance in the short term. Nevertheless, financial slack resources are useful to boost innovation that enhances environmental performance. Environmental performance improvement seems to be more a matter of managerial commitment and strategic approach towards sustainability, rather than the availability of slack resources.
Research limitations/implications
Due to literature shortcomings on which effects slack resources can have on environmental performance, this paper sheds some light on the topic while also highlighting the role of management commitment, corporate sustainability strategy and innovation.
Practical implications
Managers should use financial slack resources in innovation activities to improve environmental performance. In doing so, they need to create retaining earnings to offset any costs using financial slack resources.
Originality/value
Adopting a holistic and net of endogeneity analytical perspective, this paper highlights some virtuous and critical interactions between the managerial commitment and strategic approach to sustainability, the availability of slack resources, innovation intensity and environmental performance to understand which aspects may foster or hinder the ecological transition of businesses.
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Gianluca Ginesti, Carlo Drago, Riccardo Macchioni and Giuseppe Sannino
This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the female board participation and the readability of annual report.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the female board participation and the readability of annual report.
Design/methodology/approach
Using hand-collected data from a “network-oriented market”, as exists in Italy, which includes 435 annual reports, this study uses a regression analysis to test whether female board participation affects the annual report readability.
Findings
Female board participation is found to have a positive impact on disclosure readability in firms with small boardroom connections but the opposite effect in firms with large boardroom connections.
Research limitations/implications
This paper responds to recent calls in the corporate governance literature by investigating whether the female board participation affects the transparency of the disclosure practices.
Practical implications
This study has policy implications, as it helps to improve evaluations of how, and under which circumstances, female board participation may lead to higher disclosure quality and thus benefit investors.
Originality/value
This paper shows that female board participation has different effects on the disclosure readability at different levels of board positions in inter-firm networks.
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Fahimeh Khatami, Francesca Ricciardi, Angelo Cavallo and Valter Cantino
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of globalization convergence (GC) and its components (social, economic, political, technological and ecological) on food…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of globalization convergence (GC) and its components (social, economic, political, technological and ecological) on food production (FP).
Design/methodology/approach
The methodological approach adopted is based on a quantitative approach, using a static panel data analysis with relevant data from five European countries within five time intervals (2013–2017).
Findings
The results indicated that three components of globalization (social, technological and ecological) could significantly contribute to the food industry, while two other components of globalization (economic and political) are negatively correlated with FP.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the theoretical recognition of the role of globalization in influencing FP in multidisciplinary interactions. Meanwhile, this study's main limitation lies in the statistical method of panel data analysis, since temporal and spatial changes have not been investigated.
Originality/value
Despite the literature on globalization's effect on FP, each globalization component's effect has not been investigated appropriately within cross-countries studies. Hence, the present study addresses a gap in the extant literature by examining the globalization effects on the food industry to promote globalized food security, opportunities and solutions in the study areas.
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Francesca Manes-Rossi, Giuseppe Nicolò, Adriana Tiron Tudor and Gianluca Zanellato
This paper aims to explore the emerging phenomenon of integrated reporting (IR) in the context of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and proposes a longitudinal analysis of the level…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the emerging phenomenon of integrated reporting (IR) in the context of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and proposes a longitudinal analysis of the level of IR disclosure (IRD) provided by a sample of European SOEs for the period 2013–2017, in accordance with IR framework requirements. The study also proposes an analysis of the possible explanatory factors driving the level of IRD. Specific attention is devoted to examine the influence exerted by the public ownership on the level of IRD provided by SOEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The IRs published by a balanced sample of 18 European SOEs between 2013 and 2017 were examined through a manual content analysis. Several analyzes were performed to assess the relationship between the level of IRD provided by SOEs and some possible determinants.
Findings
Results show an increasing level of disclosure during the observed period, confirming the relevance of IR as a tool for transparency and accountability within the context of SOEs. Statistical analyzes show that government ownership, external assurance, investor protection and global reporting initiative guidelines adoption positively affect the level of IRD, while SOE size exerts a negative influence.
Originality/value
As this paper examines a context which has been under-investigated, it presents fresh knowledge about the evolution of IR adoption by European SOEs. Furthermore, this paper identifies some of the explanatory factors that drive the preparation of IR, thus providing international integrated reporting council, policymakers and standard-setters with the relevant information for inclusion in specific guidelines for IR by SOEs.
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