@article{MionBonfantiDeCrescenzoetal.2023, author = {Mion, Giorgio and Bonfanti, Angelo and De Crescenzo, Veronica and Loza Adaui, Cristian Rolando}, title = {Mission statement and social impact: Shedding light on the contribution of Italian B corps to society}, volume = {57}, pages = {102377}, journal = {Long Range Planning}, number = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {London}, issn = {1873-1872}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2023.102377}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This qualitative study examines the relationship between the mission statements of 161 Italian B Corps and their social impact performance, measured by the B Impact Assessment (BIA). The research combined different qualitative methods: content analysis, text mining, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) in a homogeneous research design to explore the content of B Corps mission statements and their influence on social impact performance. The results reveal that B Corps' mission statements are compound in nature, combining elements related to philosophy and values, environmental protection, and social benefit with the drive toward market success and economic performance. Additionally, mission statements with rich content are associated with better social impact performance, highlighting the role of the mission statement in creating identity and imprinting differentiation for B Corps. Finally, this study offers practical recommendations for entrepreneurs and managers of B Corps to craft clear mission statements that promote positive social impact.}, language = {en} } @article{MionLozaAdaui2019, author = {Mion, Giorgio and Loza Adaui, Cristian Rolando}, title = {Mandatory Nonfinancial Disclosure and Its Consequences on the Sustainability Reporting Quality of Italian and German Companies}, volume = {11}, pages = {4612}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {17}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174612}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Companies disclosing nonfinancial information through sustainability reporting practices provide markets with data on their social, environmental, and governance performance. The quality of sustainability reporting is much discussed in the literature because this quality affects factors such as the credibility of accountability and building stakeholders' trust in the company. Nonetheless, the concept of quality is multidimensional, and empirical evidence relating to the quality of sustainability reporting presents different findings. Regulations on mandatory nonfinancial disclosure (NFD) open new perspectives for research on sustainability reporting quality (SRQ). This study explored the effect of introducing mandatory NFD on SRQ by focusing on the effects of new legislation (Directive 2014/95/EU) introduced in Italy and Germany. The analysis was conducted through qualitative content analysis of the sustainability reporting practices of Italian and German companies in the top lists of stock exchanges. Sustainability reporting practices of one year before (2016) and one year after (2017) the implementation of Directive 2014/95/EU were compared. The results of 132 observations demonstrated that the quality of sustainability reporting increased after implementation of the law on mandatory NFD. Further, the effect of the law seemed to reduce the differences in SRQ of the two countries before the introduction of mandatory NFD. The results suggested that obligatoriness of NFD affects SRQ together with other relevant determinants focused on by previous research (e.g., company size and industry type).}, language = {en} } @article{MionLozaAdaui2020, author = {Mion, Giorgio and Loza Adaui, Cristian Rolando}, title = {Understanding the purpose of benefit corporations: an empirical study on the Italian case}, volume = {5}, pages = {4}, journal = {International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility}, number = {1}, publisher = {SpringerOpen}, address = {Cham}, issn = {2366-0066}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40991-020-00050-6}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Rethinking the traditional understanding of organizational purpose appears to be necessary. A teleological paradigm shift seems to be on its way, changing the focus of attention from considering business organizations as instruments used to generate profits toward a more comprehensive understanding of their purpose and of the benefit they can create for society. Recently, new organizational entities have emerged, accompanied by the renewal of institutional frameworks, among them are benefit corporations. Italy was the first European country to introduce a legal framework to define the benefit corporation as a particular legal entity. The Italian law on the benefit corporations proposes the promotion of firms that pursue the generation of benefit in a responsible, sustainable, and transparent way and considering diverse stakeholders. This paper explores and describes the multidimensional understanding of benefit and purpose of Italian benefit corporations, utilizing qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 94 Italian benefit corporations' purpose declarations, and providing a deep insight into the purpose declared by benefit corporations. The research highlights a certain vagueness in public declarations of the purpose of benefit corporations, even though it is clear that they attempt to differentiate themselves from traditional businesses by focusing on social objectives more than on economic ones. Furthermore, normative compliance emerged, but further normative requirements seem to be needed to make more effective the transformative potentiality of benefit corporations and to avoid risks of opportunistic behaviors.}, language = {en} }