scholarly journals Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Biondi ◽  
Enrico Bracci
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Public Accountability ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
The Public ◽  
Italian Context

This paper provides a comparative analysis of different public accountability means used in the public sector - namely sustainability reporting, popular financial reporting and integrated reporting - in order to highlight their similarities and differences, and reflect on their development, with specific reference to the Italian context. In particular, we speculate about the practical and research implications of their emergence, through the lenses of accountability and managerial fad and fashion literature. The main novelty of the paper is that it is one of the first studies providing a comparative analysis of the three reporting tools debated both in practice and in research. We argue about their diffusion patterns, the commonalities and differences, which suggests different stages of evolution, different actors and forces at play. We provide some preliminary evidence on the risk that accountability innovations may end up just in a fad and fashion uptake, creating inefficiencies and not achieving the aims they are intended for. We also show how the available frameworks and standards have more in common than not, and that there is a risk of creating only new labels, without real innovation or improvement of public accountability.

scholarly journals Non-financial reporting in the public sector: alternatives, trends and opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Montesinos ◽  
Isabel Brusca
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Models ◽  
Private And Public

In recent years, different non-financial information models have arisen, both in the private  and  public sectors, trying to complete the traditional financial reports prepared by companies and public administrations. The fundamental objective of these models has been to satisfy the interest of the stakeholders, which goes beyond the numbers included in the balance sheet and the income statement. In the case of the public sector, this is coupled with the discontent and distrust of citizens towards politicians and administrators of institutions, which makes it necessary to emphasize tools and strategies that can improve the transparency and accountability of administrations and restore citizen trust. Therefore, this article highlights the different non-financial information alternatives that have emerged in the literature, their practical application in the public sector and the opportunities that these models offer for the future. Specifically, we refer to sustainability reporting, integrated reporting, the non-financial report recently regulated for the business sector and, finally, popular reporting. En los últimos años han irrumpido con fuerza distintos modelos de información no financiera, tanto en el sector privado como en el público, tratando de completar el tradicional informe financiero preparado por empresas y administraciones públicas. El objetivo fundamental de estos modelos ha sido satisfacer el interés del conjunto amplio de los stakeholders, que va más allá de los números recogidos en el balance de situación y la cuenta de resultados. En el caso del sector público, a esto se une el descontento generalizado y la desconfianza de los ciudadanos hacia los políticos y administradores de las instituciones, lo que hace necesario poner el acento en todas aquellas herramientas y estrategias que puedan perfeccionar la transparencia y responsabilidad de las administraciones y reintegrar la confianza de sus administrados. Por ello, en este artículo se ponen de relieve las distintas alternativas de información no financiera que han ido surgiendo en la literatura, su aplicación práctica en el ámbito del sector público y las oportunidades que estos modelos ofrecen para el futuro. En concreto nos referimos a la información sostenible, la información integrada, la información popular y por último, al informe no financiero regulado en nuestra normativa para el sector empresarial.

The potential of integrated reporting to enhance sustainability reporting in the public sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 365-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Montecalvo ◽  
Federica Farneti ◽  
Charl de Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
The Public

A Comparative Analysis of Transparency in Sustainability Reporting by Local and Regional Governments

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco José Alcaraz-Quiles ◽  
Andrés Navarro-Galera ◽  
David Ortiz-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Environmental Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Diffusion Of Information ◽  
Regional Governments

Although the importance of sustainability reporting in the public sector is widely recognized, there are few studies about this issue. This paper analyzed the practices of diffusion of information on sustainability in local governments. So, we observed the Websites of the largest local governments in Spain using a list of items from the guidelines of GRI and comparing the results with the results of the Spanish regional governments. Our findings show that local governments reported some information (50% of the items), but less than regional governments (60%). Social information is the most widespread and environmental information is the least reported.

Approaching public sector transparency through an integrated reporting benchmark

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Silvia Nistor ◽  
Cristina Alexandrina Stefanescu ◽  
Tudor Oprisor ◽  
Andrei Razvan Crisan
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Public Accountability ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
International Integrated Reporting Council

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether the key items encompassed in the new reporting trends are addressed in the current reporting set and, also, whether there are certain patterns regarding disclosure practices across a sample of reporting entities. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology takes into consideration both the financial and non-financial elements from the entities’ activities and embeds them in the analysis, in a more holistic frame offered by integrated reporting. The disclosure level is investigated using the six-tier capital model from the International Integrated Reporting Council Framework and the eight major principles from GRI guidelines. Furthermore, the cluster analysis is used to identify the disclosure practices patterns within some European Union local public administrations. Findings The level of disclosure within the analyzed entities is relatively high. Also, the results of the cluster analysis reveal some disclosure patterns, especially regarding the Anglo-Saxon and Northern local public administrations, the municipalities with the highest degree of disclosure of the sample. Research limitations/implications The most significant limitations are represented by the sample of municipalities, the language filter and the fact that only one-year data were considered for analysis. Practical implications The study can be useful to any other institutions under the dome of the public sector, willing to enhance public accountability throughout greater transparency. Also, it might help the public managers to outline a long-term development plan about how to create value and to whom, material issues, risks and strategy through the integrated reporting, a cornerstone for future changes. Moreover, it might also be a subject of interest in the research environment, offering new opportunities for further empirical studies, by applying and testing it in other public organizations. Originality/value The study provides an original assessment tool useful to improving the reporting process. Also, it can be useful to other public institutions that are willing to enhance public accountability throughout greater transparency.

Implications of Accountability Through the Prospect of Integrated Reporting Adoption in the Public Sector

2018 ◽  
pp. 189-209
Author(s):  
Cristina Silvia Nistor ◽  
Tudor Oprisor ◽  
Andrei Razvan Crisan
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Public Accountability ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Core ◽  
Research Endeavor ◽  
Normative Perspective

The main purpose of this chapter is to analyze the way in which the concept of accountability is addressed in the context of integrated reporting (focusing on the ongoing adoption process in the public sector). Starting from the theoretical underpinnings involving public stewardship, the authors ground their research endeavor on arguments from the literature which set public accountability at the core of a holistic form of reporting (such as integrated reporting) and investigate the theoretical implications and connections on the constituting elements of the respective reporting system. From a normative perspective, the chapter provides a conceptual analysis, using existing frameworks and guidelines, to reveal how public accountability is delineated and inferred in reporting practice. Ultimately, using content analysis, the authors conduct an exploratory study on early adopters of integrated reporting in the public sector and assess the extent to which reporting entities actually address specific issues connected to public accountability.

scholarly journals Moving from Social and Sustainability Reporting to Integrated Reporting: Exploring the Potential of Italian Public-Funded Universities’ Reports

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3172
Author(s):  
Sara Giovanna Mauro ◽  
Lino Cinquini ◽  
Elena Simonini ◽  
Andrea Tenucci
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Over recent years, the meaning of accountability has evolved and has reshaped what public sector institutions are expected to account for and how. Consequently, a large number of initiatives have emerged promoting non-financial reporting. In this context, public universities have started to experiment with sustainability reporting initiatives, but these efforts are still limited and challenged by the parallel development of multiple forms of reporting, which include integrated reporting (IR). IR has been interpreted as a further step in the reporting journey, suitable for representing the creation of public value and addressing accountability pressures. The current research aims at understanding if and how IR constitutes a feasible next step for improving the reporting practices of public universities. For this purpose, the research carries out a content analysis of social or sustainability reports written by a number of Italian public universities to find out which of the key elements of IR have already been included in such reports. Results show that some of those elements are already included, but often in a fragmented and non-homogeneous way. The findings pave the way for further considerations on how the potential adoption of IR may strengthen the value of social and sustainability reporting by integrating the information reported in different documents, fostering toward a bureaucracy that is more sustainable and providing more opportunities of innovation in reports on public sector organizations’ accountability.

scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting in the Public Realm—Trends and Patterns in Knowledge Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4128
Author(s):  
Cristina Alexandrina Stefanescu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Environmental Accounting ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
The Public ◽  
Bibliometric Review

In the wake of increased awareness, as there has been an increasing need for sustainability reporting, research studies have evolved over time. Addressing the challenges and pathways of research in the particular realm of public entities was appropriate to enrich the scientific literature. Since prior studies either conducted a structured literature review on non-financial reporting formats or were focused exclusively on social and environmental accounting, and no bibliometric review has yet been conducted on sustainability reporting in the public sector, this study aims to fill this gap. The objective of the paper is to identify the trends and patterns in knowledge development in the area of sustainability reporting in the public sector to investigate its structure and derive inferences and insights. Bibliometric results reveal that research in this field is still at an early stage, showing an unsteady, slightly upward trend. The literature responded well to the need to enhance the understanding of the public institutions’ role in advancing non-financial reporting and evolved along with the continuous development of the related voluntary frameworks (e.g., GRI, <IR>). In this assent, further studies approaching the first mandatory regulation of non-financial information disclosure (Directive 95/2014/EU) are encouraged.

Beyond Financial Reporting. Integrated Reporting and its determinants: Evidence from the context of European state-owned enterprises

2019 ◽  
pp. 43-72
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Gianluca Zanellato ◽  
Francesca Manes-Rossi ◽  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Integrated reporting (IR), which aims to overcome the limitations of both tradi-tional financial and stand-alone non-financial reports, has gained momentum as a single comprehensive tool merging financial and non-financial information. Initially conceived for private sector entities, IR is also establishing itself in the public sector context as a vehicle for transparency and accountability. This research offers an empirical investigation of IR practices in the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) context. More specifically, the paper investigates the levels of disclosure provided through IR by a sample of 34 European SOEs and explores the effects of potential explanatory factors. The results indicate a fair level of IR disclosure and a trend of reporting information already requested under international accounting standards. The findings also highlight that industry (basic materials and financials) and size positively influence the level of IR disclosure in a particularly strong way, while governance features (board size and board gender diversity) and the provision of external assurance do not exert any impact.

scholarly journals Why “Less is More” in Non-Financial Reporting Initiatives: Concrete Steps Towards Supporting Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Tsagas ◽  
Charlotte Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Key Aspects

AbstractCalls are repeatedly made on corporations to respond to the challenges facing the planet from a sustainable development perspective and governments take solace in the idea that corporations' transparency on their corporate activity in relation to sustainability through voluntary reporting is adequately addressing the problem. In practice, however, reporting is failing to deliver truly sustainable results. The article considers the following questions: how does the varied reporting landscape in the field of non-financial reporting impede the objectives of fostering corporations' sustainable practices and which initiative, among the options available, may best meet the sustainability objectives after a decluttering of the landscape takes place?The article argues that the varied corporate reporting landscape constitutes a key obstacle to fostering sustainable corporate behaviour, insofar as the flexible and please all approach followed in the context of corporate sustainability reporting offers little to no real incentive to companies to behave more sustainably and ultimately pleases none in the long run. The case made is that “less is more” in non-financial reporting initiatives and hence the article calls for a revision of key aspects of the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive, which, as is argued, is more likely to achieve the furtherance of sustainable corporate behaviour. Although the different reporting requirements offer the benefits of focussing on different corporate goals and activities, targeting different audiences and allowing for a level of flexibility that respects the individual risks to sustainability associated with each industry, the end result is a landscape that lacks overall consistency and comparability of measurements and accountabilities, making accountability more, rather than less, difficult to achieve.The article acknowledges the existence of several variances relating to the notion of sustainability per se, which continues to remain a contested concept and variances between companies and industries in relation to how each is operating sustainably or unsustainably respectively. Such variances have so far inhibited the legislator from easily outlining through tailored legislation the individual risks to global sustainability in an all-encompassing manner. The end product is a chaotic system of financial reporting, CSR reporting, non-financial reporting and integrated reporting and little progress to increase comparability and credibility in order for companies to be held accountable and to behave in ways that do not harm the planet. A “clean up” of the varied initiatives in the terrain of non-financial reporting is recommended.

scholarly journals Institutional Isomorphism And Adoption Of International Public Sector Accounting Standards By African Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (05) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Muganda Munir Manini
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Institutional Isomorphism ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

The international harmonization of financial reporting standards in the public sector is one of the significant public sector accounting reforms which have gained prominence in the recent past under the New Public Financial Management order. However, previous empirical evidence provided mixed results on the extent of African countries’ decision on the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards and its relationship with institutional isomorphism factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of institutional isomorphism (normative, mimetic and coercive) on the adoption International Public Sector Accounting Standards by African countries. The target population was 54 countries; however the final sample was 29 countries which comprised the dataset. A logistic regression analysis was thereafter conducted. Based on the Institutional Theory, the study revealed external public funding (coercive isomorphic pressure), the countries’ global competitiveness (mimetic isomorphic pressure), and human capital (normative isomorphic pressure) were non significant factors in a countries decision to adopt IPSAS. This study contributes to the literature on the international accounting in the public sector. The results of the study have significant managerial and theoretical implications for accounting standards regulators, researchers, and multilateral organizations.

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