Giulia Leoni

A comparative history of earnings management literature from Italy and the US

Using the comparative international accounting history approach advocated by Carnegie and Napier (2002), this study compares US and Italian earnings management (EM) literature published in the second half of the twentieth century and identifies the main similarities and differences in the research topics and methodologies. The historical comparison finds that although Italian and US contributions to EM literature grew in notably different contexts and research settings, they both recognized the issue of EM, agreed on its origins and shared some research topics. However, the two bodies of literature differed in respect of the research topics addressed and research methodologies adopted to analyse the EM issue. The discussion of these results provides also initial evidence of areas of potential contribution to the international debate on EM through cross-fertilization. The analysis demonstrates the fundamental role of comparative international accounting history in uncovering the potential contributions of national literatures to the development of accounting research at a genuinely international level. It also contributes to EM literature by bringing to international attention fifty years of Italian EM research that was previously unknown beyond Italian borders.

The contribution of the Italian literature to the international Accounting History literature

Italian and Anglo-Saxon accounting scholarships are rather different in their philosophical foundations and conceptual categories. Such difference has implications for Italian scholars aiming at contributing to the international accounting history (AH) literature. This work aims to qualify the contribution of Italian scholars to the AH literature. By means of a review of the AH publication patterns of Italian scholars both in Italian and English language, from 2010 to 2016, the analysis compares Italian and international outlets. Furthermore, the comparison considers the entrenched bi-lingual and cultural aspects, by highlighting the textual similarities and differences of specific contributions. With its results, the study adds to prior literature on the publishing patterns in AH, by shedding light on how Italian accounting historiography has developed in an international context. Moreover, this work highlights the challenges for Italian scholars willing to disseminate AH research outside their national context and promotes cross-country collaborations to expand the pathways, time and foci of international AH.

Social responsibility in practice: an Italian case from the early 20th century

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the ideals informing the social strategy of Marzotto, an Italian family business in the textile industry, during the rise and fall of the fascist regime and to compare it with the main concepts of social responsibility theory that developed from the 1950s onwards. Because Italy at that time was a family-based economy, subject to a dictatorial government, it offers an interesting context of investigation that is similar to various contemporary emerging countries. Design/methodology/approach Using a company’s public social report and various published histories, the historical case study of this Italian family business and its pioneering social strategy is reconstructed. Through the identification of the social practices and the ideals underlying the strategy, the analysis finds similarities and differences with the traditional concepts from social responsibility literature. Findings The study finds that Marzotto’s social strategy traces some dimensions of social responsibility theory for it was a voluntary and discretional act by the business owner; it was based on the necessary balance between economic and social aims; and it was focusing only on social issues. Instead, the “social” spectrum is found to have a different meaning in the Marzotto strategy with respect to the “social” in the traditional theory because it was limited to a local level and limited groups of stakeholders. Practical implications By showing the relevant role of business-owners in social responsibility awareness, this study has implications for contemporary practice. It suggests that the educating business-owners about social responsibility and the development of bottom-up rather than top-down social initiatives will be crucial in contemporary similar contexts. The results also open to new research opportunities on corporate social responsibility in the past to explain contemporary differences among its implementation in different countries. Originality/value The research brings awareness to social responsibility in the past in a context other than traditional Western countries and to its differences and similarities with the established social responsibility framework. It is the first study on past social practices that makes use of primary sources to support the analysis.