Edeltraud Guenther

Stakeholder Relevance for Reporting - Explanatory Factors of Carbon Disclosure

Although stakeholder theory is widely accepted in environmental disclosure research, empirical evidence about the role of stakeholders in firms’ disclosure is still scarce. The authors address this issue for a setting of carbon disclosure. Our international sample comprises the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Global 500, S&P 500, and FTSE 350 reports from 2008 to 2011, resulting in a total of 1,120 firms with 3,631 firm-year observations. The authors apply Tobit regressions to analyze the relationship between carbon disclosure and the relevance of the following stakeholder groups: government, general public, media, employees, and customers. Our results confirm that in addition to carbon performance, all stakeholders are associated with carbon disclosure. Only one stakeholder group (government) acts as a moderator for the relationship between carbon performance and carbon disclosure. Furthermore, the authors find that carbon performance but not the affiliation to a carbon-intensive industry acts as a moderator between stakeholder relevance and carbon disclosure.

The ‘Why Not’–Perspective of Green Purchasing: A Multilevel Case Study Analysis

Abstract To support organizations in their greening efforts the normative and instrumental ‘how to’ perspective is indispensable. However, the descriptive ‘why not’ perspective adds valuable insights to factors that may hamper, decelerate or even block green purchasing. Our study follows Eisenhardts design for case study research and comprises three stages: in the first stage, we analysed barriers to green procurement in six municipalities in five European countries; in the second stage, we combined those findings with the literature on multilevel research, present a barrier framework based on a multilevel categorization and develop hypotheses by analysing the organizational and the individual level in one of the biggest procurement agencies in Europe. In the third stage, we test the derived hypotheses and draw conclusions. In order to be able to deeply analyse one specific decision process and its inherent barriers we focused on the procurement process due to its gatekeeper position in organizations. We contribute to understanding the greening of organizations via the ‘why not’ perspective by answering the question ‘Why do organizations not implement green purchasing?’ As organizations are multilevel systems, this paper illustrates how the differentiation of the multiple levels of analysis and the detailed analysis of one specific task can contribute to understand greening organizations and moreover to continuously improve greening in organizations. Our study is designed as a multilevel analysis examining the relationships between the individual, group, organizational level, and the external environment that lead to barriers for green purchasing. The multilevel framework can be used for analysing barriers in green purchasing. Complementing the ‘how to’ perspective with taking the ‘why not perspective’ we look on the challenges managers, who foster sustainability, are confronted with.

“The Hurdles Analysis” as an instrument for improving sustainable stewardship

Purpose – The management of procurement processes can be one important factor in achieving an integrated stewardship of resources. This papers purpose is to complete an empirical study to record the current perception of hurdles in German industries.Methodology – The questionnaire‐based survey was conducted with the major 883 large and all medium‐sized companies that are members of the “German Association of Materials Management, Purchasing, and Logistics (AMMPL)” 24 theory and experience‐based questions regarding several areas (legislation, company objectives, knowledge of products and services, costs, motivation) were asked in an explorative design.Findings – The study identified hurdles that are perceived as significantly greater than others. There are differences in hurdles between the industries, but also within a particular industry. Medium‐sized companies feel more uncertainties regarding legislation or bemoan the absence of supportive guidelines.Research limitations/implications – The 24 theory‐ ...

Decision making for transportation systems as a support for sustainable stewardship: Freight transport process evaluation using the ETIENNE-Tool

Purpose – The environmental impacts of transportation are rarely brought into decision making frameworks. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework and tool to help in these organizational decisions.Design/methodology/approach – A survey analysis was carried out amongst waste‐management companies within the project ETIENNE. Using this information, drivers and hurdles to the environmentally motivated optimization of transport were identified.Findings – This research framework presents results of perceived hurdles in transport process optimization. Results of the research are grounded with definitions and discussion of the relevance of logistic processes.Research limitations/implications – Analysis provided in this paper shows that there is no practicable tool to consider environmental impacts in management decisions in transportation. Therefore, a software tool, the so‐called ETIENNE‐Tool, for the evaluation of transportation alternatives, is developed. Theoretical principles for the environmen...

Review and downscaling of life cycle decision support tools for the procurement of low-value products

PurposeIn this article, we analyze how environmental aspects can be derived from life cycle management instruments for procurement decisions of low-value products. For our analysis, we chose the case of operating room textiles. The review includes the life cycle management instruments: life cycle assessment, environmental labels, and management systems applied within the textile industry. We do so in order to identify the most important environmental decision criteria based on which the procurer of low-value products can decide for the most environmentally friendly option.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature search in the relevant literature databases. We critically evaluate the identified life cycle assessment studies for sound methodology, verifiability, completeness, and actuality. Based on this review, we analyze and compare the results of the three most comprehensive studies in more detail and derive the most important environmental aspects of operating room textiles. In a second step, we extend the operational perspective via the strategic perspective, namely environmental management systems and further existing life cycle instruments such as eco-labels. We then synthesize the gathered information into a decision vector. Finally, we discuss how the gathered data can be further exploited and give suggestions for a more sophisticated assessment.Results and discussionThe review of the existing life cycle assessments on operating room textiles showed that procurers should not base their decisions exclusively on existing life cycle assessments. In addition to problems such as methodological weakness, incompleteness, outdated data, and poor verifiability, the information provided is far too complex to prepare procurement decisions regarding low-value products. Furthermore, the results for the textiles assessed in the existing life cycle assessments are not necessarily transferrable to the textiles considered by the procurer because of restrictive assumptions. Therefore, it is necessary to downscale the available information and synthesize it in an applicable decision support tool. Our decision vector consists of the key environmental aspects water, CO2, energy, and waste and is completed by environmental management systems, eco-labels, and the countries of origin that matters for environmental and social aspects as well.ConclusionsThe decision vector supports procurers when considering environmental aspects in procurement decisions and provides a mechanism for balancing the information between overcomplexity and oversimplification. Therefore, it should be the basis for future development of an eco-label for operating room textiles.

Uncertainty in life cycle costing for long-range infrastructure. Part I: leveling the playing field to address uncertainties

PurposeLife cycle costing (LCC) is a state-of-the-art method to analyze investment decisions in infrastructure projects. However, uncertainties inherent in long-term planning question the credibility of LCC results. Previous research has not systematically linked sources and methods to address this uncertainty. Part I of this series develops a framework to collect and categorize different sources of uncertainty and addressing methods. This systematization is a prerequisite to further analyze the suitability of methods and levels the playing field for part II.MethodsPast reviews have dealt with selected issues of uncertainty in LCC. However, none has systematically collected uncertainties and linked methods to address them. No comprehensive categorization has been published to date. Part I addresses these two research gaps by conducting a systematic literature review. In a rigorous four-step approach, we first scrutinized major databases. Second, we performed a practical and methodological screening to identify in total 115 relevant publications, mostly case studies. Third, we applied content analysis using MAXQDA. Fourth, we illustrated results and concluded upon the research gaps.Results and discussionWe identified 33 sources of uncertainty and 24 addressing methods. Sources of uncertainties were categorized according to (i) its origin, i.e., parameter, model, and scenario uncertainty and (ii) the nature of uncertainty, i.e., aleatoric or epistemic uncertainty. The methods to address uncertainties were classified into deterministic, probabilistic, possibilistic, and other methods. With regard to sources of uncertainties, lack of data and data quality was analyzed most often. Most uncertainties having been discussed were located in the use stage. With regard to methods, sensitivity analyses were applied most widely, while more complex methods such as Bayesian models were used less frequently. Data availability and the individual expertise of LCC practitioner foremost influence the selection of methods.ConclusionsThis article complements existing research by providing a thorough systematization of uncertainties in LCC. However, an unambiguous categorization of uncertainties is difficult and overlapping occurs. Such a systemizing approach is nevertheless necessary for further analyses and levels the playing field for readers not yet familiar with the topic. Part I concludes the following: First, an investigation about which methods are best suited to address a certain type of uncertainty is still outstanding. Second, an analysis of types of uncertainty that have been insufficiently addressed in previous LCC cases is still missing. Part II will focus on these research gaps.

Corporate climate change mitigation: a systematic review of the existing empirical evidence

Purpose - – The present paper aims to identify, map and assess the existing empirical evidence on this body of knowledge to examine what actions for corporate climate change mitigation (3CM hereafter) decision-makers undertake, under what circumstances and with what results. Firm-level activities conducted to mitigate climate change are increasingly becoming a strategic issue for all corporations worldwide. Design/methodology/approach - – By using a systematic review, and a vote-counting approach, the vastly dispersed collection of qualitative and quantitative data available in the literature is integrated, to explore how 3CM is conceptualised and measured in empirical research. In particular, common trends and contradictory findings are illustrated. Findings - – The present review demonstrates that no researchers have yet analysed the role of 3CM in corporate management control systems. Furthermore, three shortcomings of existing empirical research were identified and some directions for future research were outlined. These regard analysing the positioning of 3CM in corporate management control systems, the further development of measurements of 3CM performance and a consideration of the evolution of 3CM over time. Originality/value - – Firm-level activities carried out to mitigate climate change are increasingly becoming a strategic issue for all corporations worldwide. However, the growing stream of management literature on climate change has not yet diffused across disciplinary boundaries, as it suffers from a remarkably diverse terminology and differing conceptualisations and measurements of its research objectives. The present review elaborates on the existing empirical evidence and suggests recommendations for future research.

Accounting for Social Innovations: Measuring the Impact of an Emerging Intangible Category

Following the definition of the Center for Social Innovation of the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Social innovation, 2009), “a social innovation is a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than present solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals.” This definition focuses on the result, i.e. the outcome of the innovation. In order to judge whether a solution is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just, it is indispensable to measure the impact of social innovations along those four lines. Moreover, the value created has to be allocated to the society and to private individuals. Between society and private individuals, organizations, both for-profit as well as non-profit organizations, act as socio-mechanical systems combining technical and organizational solutions (such as machines, buildings, or processes) with human beings as part of a social system in terms of internal (i.e. workforce) or external stakeholders (e.g. customers) of the organization.

Mapping the sharing economy for sustainability research

In order to guide sustainability research on the sharing economy, the purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework that captures the wide range of activities and business models that are considered to be part of the sharing economy.,Based on a systematic literature review and a content analysis, existing typologies are identified and analyzed for their conceptual intersections. Finally, categorizations from 43 documents are integrated into one framework.,Four main dimensions are identified as being used in different contexts to characterize sharing systems and were combined to form one comprehensive typology: shared good or service, market structure, market orientation, and industry sector.,The proposed typology is able to distinguish sharing activities based on their similarities and differences. Social, economic, and communicational avenues for the term “sharing” are merged into a conceptual foundation of the sharing economy. This enables researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to position their projects in the broad field of sharing. By discussing inherent tensions with regard to sustainability of the sharing economy, the offered categorizations can help to guide future research and policy intervention. Last but not least, professional managers should find valuable ideas for new business models.

Organizational Climate Accounting—Financial Consequences of Climate Change Impacts and Climate Change Adaptation

This study aims to investigate how climate change impacts and related climate change adaptation measures affect positions of traditional financial accounting, i.e. the balance sheet and the profit and loss account. We conduct a content analysis based on 57 in-depth expert interviews with CEOs of different industry sectors in one distinct region of Western Europe. Our analysis reveals that the balance sheet is affected mainly by climate change impacts on the following positions: intangible assets, tangible assets, inventories, receivables and other assets, cash-in-hand, prepaid expenses, and on equity/accruals/liabilities. The profit and loss account is influenced mostly by climate change impacts but also by related adaptive measures on the following positions: sales, own work capitalized, energy costs as part of material costs, material costs, personnel expenses, selling expenses, insurance costs, other operating income, other operating expenses, depreciations and amortization, disposal costs, interests, extraordinary income, and extraordinary expenses. Interestingly, the positions sales and energy costs, as part of material costs, can also be affected positively. To gain deeper insights, an investigation in other regions and industry sectors should be realized. Furthermore, based on our definition of organizational climate accounting and our classification into a three-stage approach, we suggest three areas for future research: first, to analyze the traditional financial accounting for the mitigation perspective; second, to investigate if organizations should react rather anticipatorily or reactively by using the Net-Effect; third, to analyze the environmental impacts of mitigation and adaptation measures by realizing a life cycle assessment. We contribute to accounting science by conducting the first comprehensive study on how climate change impacts and related climate change adaptation measures influence traditional financial accounting. Additionally, we propose a definition for organizational climate accounting.