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Article
Publication date: 7 November 2019

Antonio J. Mateo-Márquez, José M. González-González and Constancio Zamora-Ramírez

This study aims to analyse the relationship between countries’ regulatory context and voluntary carbon disclosures. To date, little attention has been paid to how specific climate…

1117

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the relationship between countries’ regulatory context and voluntary carbon disclosures. To date, little attention has been paid to how specific climate change-related regulation influences companies’ climate change disclosures, especially voluntary carbon reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The New Institutional Sociology perspective has been adopted to examine the pressure of a country’s climate change regulation on voluntary carbon reporting. This research uses Tobit regression to analyse data from 2,183 companies in 12 countries that were invited to respond to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire in 2015.

Findings

The results show that countries’ specific climate change-related regulation does influence both the participation of its companies in the CDP and their quality, as measured by the CDP disclosure score.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is restricted to 12 countries’ regulatory environment. Thus, caution should be exercised when generalising the results to other institutional contexts.

Practical implications

The results are of use to regulators and policymakers to better understand how specific climate change-related regulation influences voluntary carbon disclosure. Investors may also benefit from this research, as it shows which institutional contexts present greater regulatory stringency and how companies in more stringent environments take advantage of synergy to disclose high-quality carbon information.

Social implications

By linking regulatory and voluntary reporting, this study sheds light on how companies use voluntary carbon reporting to adapt to social expectations generated in their institutional context.

Originality/value

This is the first research that considers specific climate change-related regulation in the study of voluntary carbon disclosures.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2012

Rihab Khalifa

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of a policy model for the accounting and auditing profession that fits the current fragmented regulatory context of…

356

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of a policy model for the accounting and auditing profession that fits the current fragmented regulatory context of the UAE and GCC, and could help accountancy to become a cornerstone of an improved corporate governance regime. This paper aims to focus on the features of accountancy within the UAE and GCC, and develop some suggestions for a regional model.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative paper. Data for this paper were collected via in‐depth interviews with partners in Big Four audit firms in the UAE, accounting academics, and accounting students at the UAEU. Valuable primary sources of data were also web sites and publications from official organizations. A short survey was also administered to students.

Findings

In summary, accountancy's regulatory context in the UAE has remained fragmented. The state has taken the lead role, regulating in some detail the affairs of audit firms. The fragmented regulatory context of accounting and auditing in the UAE has allowed the Big Four to import their global quality assurance systems into the UAE, hiring mainly auditors with foreign examined qualifications. This may present advantages for the policy objective “internationalisation of the UAE economy”. It may, however, be regarded as suboptimal for the policy objectives “localisation of the accountancy profession to support the growth and development of local (family) businesses” and “Emiratisation of the accountancy profession”.

Research limitations/implications

It is suggested that the possible shape of a stronger UAE‐based accountancy profession be investigated in more detail and its suggested positive effects for specific, relevant UAE policies be put to the test. More interviews with other relevant institutions and local accountants would have enriched understanding of the profession.

Practical implications

Understanding the financial regulatory context of UAE is crucial for the understanding and further development of the profession. The Big Four firms have a key role to play in orchestrating efforts towards further professional development.

Social implications

Small and medium‐sized practitioners need to be supported by a clearer regulatory context, which allows them to exist alongside the Big Four.

Originality/value

The paper presents empirical and qualitative evidence about the regulatory context of the UAE.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1999

David Parker

In many countries state ownership of public utilities is being abandoned in favour of private ownership with state regulation. To prevent monopoly abuse, regulatory structures are…

4210

Abstract

In many countries state ownership of public utilities is being abandoned in favour of private ownership with state regulation. To prevent monopoly abuse, regulatory structures are being created for the telecommunications, gas, electricity and water and sewerage sectors. From 1984 the UK privatised its major utilities and introduced a form of regulation that is proving to be a model for other countries. This paper looks at the performance of UK privatised utilities and the role of regulation in improving performance. It also considers the important subject of regulatory governance. The paper concludes that regulatory governance depends on the institutional context of regulation and that one country’s regulatory system cannot be successfully transferred to another country with a very different set of institutional constraints without appropriate adaptation.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 12 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2007

David E. Cavazos

The purpose of this study is to integrate institutional theory with current research in corporate political strategy and political science to examine the relationship between…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to integrate institutional theory with current research in corporate political strategy and political science to examine the relationship between organizations and regulatory agencies. It seeks to explore the limits of the power of the state to regulate organizations by comparing the historical timing of industry regulation of two different fields. It aims to examine two US regulatory agencies – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a longitudinal analysis of two US regulatory agencies that illustrates differences in agency responses to firm resistance. Specifically, event history analysis and maximum likelihood estimation are used to examine the impact that firms in the commercial airline and automobile industry have in the rule‐making process of the FAA and NHTSA.

Findings

Distinct differences were found between the rule‐making context of the airline and automobile industries.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on the rule‐making context of two regulatory agencies. Examining additional agencies in future studies would help confirm the results of this study. Moreover, because the study is limited to regulatory agencies in the USA, the results may not be directly generalizable to other nations.

Originality/value

This study emphasizes the importance of historical context and its impact on current industry conditions, particularly in regulation.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2011

David Levi‐Faur and Ziva Rozen Bachar

The wave of regulatory reforms in European telecoms and electricity industries has had an important impact on the structure of the state as well as of corporations. The purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

The wave of regulatory reforms in European telecoms and electricity industries has had an important impact on the structure of the state as well as of corporations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the establishment of these regulatory organizations at the state and corporate levels within a unified theoretical framework, that is grounded in the politics of regulation.

Design/methodology/approach

The case selection includes governance structures at the state and corporate levels in 16 European countries in both telecoms and electricity.

Findings

The data reveal that regulatory agencies exist in both telecoms and electricity sectors in all 16 countries under study, with the notable exception of Switzerland's electricity sector. At the same time, business corporate reforms were also evident, mainly via the creation of corporate regulatory offices at the headquarters of the firms. These departments, which redefine the patterns of responsibility within the corporation and have played the leading role in the negotiations with the external regulatory environment.

Originality/value

This paper strives to overcome the tendency in the scholarly literature to look only at one or the other aspect of the growth of regulatory development and therefore also to offer a narrow understanding of the growth of regulation. It asserts that the commonalities in the expansion of autonomous regulatory agencies and corporate regulatory departments suggest that the growth in the regulatory professionalization of the state and of business corporations reflects the changing nature of capitalist economy and society and the rise of a new global order of “regulatory capitalism”.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2022

Meige Song, Longwei Wang, Li Wang and Wan Chen

Drawing on a sensemaking perspective, this study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the effects of participative corporate political activity (PCPA) on radical…

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on a sensemaking perspective, this study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the effects of participative corporate political activity (PCPA) on radical innovation and how regulatory uncertainty and technological uncertainty affect firms’ choice of PCPA as well as its effectiveness on radical innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the research model based on survey data collected from 227 Chinese manufacturing firms.

Findings

The results indicate that PCPA has a significantly positive effect on radical innovation. Both regulatory and technological uncertainty are positively related to PCPA. In addition, regulatory uncertainty strengthens the positive relationship between PCPA and radical innovation, whereas technological uncertainty weakens this relationship.

Practical implications

This study reveals that firm managers should be mindful that PCPA is beneficial to firms’ radical innovation activities in China. Additionally, although regulatory uncertainty and technological uncertainty can drive firms to engage in PCPA to cope with the ambiguity they experienced, managers should also be alert to the complicated role of environment forces in enlarging or discounting the positive effect of PCPA on radical innovation.

Originality/value

The findings offer fresh insights into the use of PCPA to manage the uncertain external environment when pursuing radical innovation activities in China.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2016

David Deakins, Jo Bensemann and Martina Battisti

The purpose of this paper is to undertake a qualitative case-based analysis of the factors affecting the capability of primary sector rural entrepreneurs to manage regulation. The…

2781

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to undertake a qualitative case-based analysis of the factors affecting the capability of primary sector rural entrepreneurs to manage regulation. The authors suggest a conceptual framework to aid understanding of their skill and capability when managing regulation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a multiple case study approach the entrepreneurial skill of rural entrepreneurs is examined in light of three sets of factors: institutional regulatory, social capital and economic market.

Findings

The case analysis indicates diversity in the skill of rural entrepreneurs to manage regulation across sub-sectors including dairy and stock farming, fruit growers and vegetable/horticultural producers. The conceptual framework indicates that there are three areas that influence entrepreneurial skill: relationships with national cooperatives, relationships with the institutional regulatory environment and relationships with the economic market environment. This provides the authors with a conceptual framework to aid understanding of the interplay of factors affecting entrepreneurial skill and capability to manage regulation.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the emerging stream of literature highlighting the importance of industry sector context for understanding the complex and differing regulatory effects on entrepreneurs’ skill and hence capability to manage. Case comparisons allow the authors to explain and understand why entrepreneurs that operate similar businesses within the same sector respond differently to regulation.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2007

Paraskevas C. Argouslidis

This paper aims to identify the problem situations leading financial firms to kick off the elimination decision‐making process for financial products in their line, measure the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the problem situations leading financial firms to kick off the elimination decision‐making process for financial products in their line, measure the importance of problem situations, and assess the effects of a set of contextual variables on the above importance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took place in the UK; data were collected through 20 in‐depth interviews with managers of financial firms and a mail survey to a stratified random sample of financial firms, which yielded 112 returns.

Findings

Eight problem situations are identified and their importance is measured. The results indicate that the importance of problem situations is highly situation‐specific: it varies in relation to the degree of a financial firm's market orientation, the intensity of competition, the austerity of the regulatory environment, and the rhythm of technological change.

Research limitations/implications

From a theoretical standpoint, future research on the investigation of the importance of decision variables pertaining to line pruning must always take into consideration the internal and the external context of the firm. From a practical standpoint, this study has important policy implications, since it provides managers with a first picture of the effects of selected contextual forces on the importance of the problem situations triggering line pruning in services settings. The limitations of the study provide useful avenues for future investigation.

Originality/value

This study represents the first attempt to measure the importance of different problem situations triggering line pruning in financial services and relate that importance to a set of contextual variables. As such, it makes a clear theoretical contribution.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2016

Yuanfei Kang and Yulong Liu

This study aims to investigate how natural resource-seeking as a type of strategic intent influences foreign direct investment (FDI) location choice. Grounded in the strategic…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how natural resource-seeking as a type of strategic intent influences foreign direct investment (FDI) location choice. Grounded in the strategic intent approach and institution theory, the authors developed an interactive conceptual framework by integrating natural resource-seeking intent (NRI) with regulatory institutional factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed an interactive conceptual framework by integrating NRI at a firm level with regulatory factors of governmental support, political risk and economic freedom at country level. Using empirical data from a sample of 137 Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) projects in 19 Asian countries, statistical analysis was conducted using a conditional logistic regression technique.

Findings

Empirical findings from our study suggest that NRI has a strong influence on OFDI location choice of the Chinese firms. More importantly, the results demonstrate that influence of NRI on location choice is contingent on the regulatory forces both in the home and host countries settings. NRI is more likely to influence FDI location choice when government support from the home country is stronger and/or when political risk in a host country FDI is higher.

Originality/value

This is an empirical-based original study, and it contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study enriches the strategic intent approach by demonstrating the contingency conditions from regulatory factors, especially home government support on a firm’s pursuit of NRI. Second, the study provides an explanation for the behaviour pattern of Chinese OFDI regarding their response to political risk in a host country. Third, the study demonstrates the influence of “institutional embededness” on the firm’s strategic intent. Managerial and policy implications are also discussed.

Details

Management Research Review, vol. 39 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8269

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 February 2018

Campbell Heggen, VG Sridharan and Nava Subramaniam

The purpose of this paper is to examine why firms governed by the same environmental management standards within an industry exhibit contrasting responses, with some adhering to…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine why firms governed by the same environmental management standards within an industry exhibit contrasting responses, with some adhering to the letter and others achieving the spirit behind the standards.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Arena et al. (2010) as an analytical schema to examine the institutional dynamics behind such contrasting responses, the paper analyses archival and interview data relating to firm strategy, control technology and human expertise in two contrasting Australian forestry firms.

Findings

The embedding and decoupling of environmental standards with a firm’s environmental management practices is influenced, first, by the extent to which founder directors and senior management integrate environmental responsibility with the underlying business motives and, second, by the use of organisational beliefs and values systems to institutionalise the integrated strategic rationality throughout the firm. Finally, informed by the institutionalised strategic rationality, the participation and expertise of actors across the organisational hierarchy determine the level to which the design and execution of the eco-control technologies move beyond merely monitoring compliance, and act to facilitate continuous improvement, knowledge integration and organisational learning at the operational level.

Originality/value

This paper responds to institutional theorists’ call for a holistic explanation that considers the interactions among several intra-organisational factors to explain the dynamics behind why some firms decouple while others do not, even though the firms exist in the same social and regulatory context.

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