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

Author

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  • Lucia Biondi

    (Dipartimento di Economia Aziendale, Università di Roma Tre, Via Silvio D’Amico, 77, 00145 Roma, Italy)

  • Enrico Bracci

    (Dipartimento di Economia e Management, Università di Ferrara, Via Voltapaletto, 11, 44121 Ferrara, Italy)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucia Biondi & Enrico Bracci, 2018. "Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3112-:d:166878
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    5. Laura Saraite-Sariene & Juana Alonso-Cañadas & Federico Galán-Valdivieso & Carmen Caba-Pérez, 2019. "Non-Financial Information versus Financial as a Key to the Stakeholder Engagement: A Higher Education Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Estibaliz Goicoechea & Fernando Gómez-Bezares & José Vicente Ugarte, 2019. "Integrated Reporting Assurance: Perceptions of Auditors and Users in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Abdulhakeem Raji & Abeer Hassan, 2021. "Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.
    8. Grosu, Veronica & Brinzaru, Simona-Maria & Ciubotariu, Marius-Sorin & Kicsi, Rozalia & Hlaciuc, Elena & Socoliuc, Marian, 2022. "Mapping Future Trends in Integrated Reporting, CSR and Business Sustainability Research: A Cluster-based Approach," Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference (2022), Hybrid Conference, Opatija, Croatia, in: Proceedings of the ENTRENOVA - ENTerprise REsearch InNOVAtion Conference, Hybrid Conference, Opatija, Croatia, 17-18 June 2022, pages 264-286, IRENET - Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, Zagreb.
    9. Aurelio Tommasetti & Riccardo Mussari & Gennaro Maione & Daniela Sorrentino, 2020. "Sustainability Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector: Towards Public Value Co-Creation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, March.
    10. Cristina Alexandrina Stefanescu, 2021. "Sustainability Reporting in the Public Realm—Trends and Patterns in Knowledge Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-23, April.
    11. Niccol? Comerio & Patrizia Tettamanzi, 2019. "Systematic literature network analysis in accounting: A first application on integrated reporting research," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(2), pages 73-95.
    12. Sara Giovanna Mauro & Lino Cinquini & Elena Simonini & Andrea Tenucci, 2020. "Moving from Social and Sustainability Reporting to Integrated Reporting: Exploring the Potential of Italian Public-Funded Universities’ Reports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    13. Martina Dragija Kostic & Josip Cicak & Matko Ljubic, 2022. "Non-Financial Reporting And Elements Of Performance - Analysis Of State Owned Enterprises In Croatia, Slovenia And Hungary," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 31(2), pages 397-420, december.
    14. Michela Magliacani, 2023. "How the sustainable development goals challenge public management. Action research on the cultural heritage of an Italian smart city," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(3), pages 987-1015, September.
    15. Paolo Biancone & Silvana Secinaro & Valerio Brescia & Daniel Iannaci, 2019. "The Popular Financial Reporting between Theory and Evidence," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(7), pages 45-56, July.
    16. Giuseppe Nicolò & Gianluca Zanellato & Adriana Tiron-Tudor, 2020. "Integrated Reporting and European State-Owned Enterprises: A Disclosure Analysis Pre and Post 2014/95/EU," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, March.
    17. Viera Papcunová & Roman Vavrek & Marek Dvořák, 2021. "Role of Public Entities in Suitable Provision of Public Services: Case Study from Slovakia," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, November.
    18. Beata Zyznarska-Dworczak, 2020. "Sustainability Accounting—Cognitive and Conceptual Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-24, November.
    19. Pazzi, Silvia & Svetlova, Ekaterina, 2023. "NGOs, public accountability, and critical accounting education: Making data speak," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

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