Jan Bebbington

Corporate social reporting and reputation risk management

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the proposition that corporate social responsibility reporting could be viewed as both an outcome of, and part of reputation risk management processes. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws heavily on management research. In addition, an image restoration framework is introduced. Findings - The concept of reputation risk management could assist in the understanding of corporate social responsibility reporting practice. Originality/value - This paper explores the link between reputation risk management and existing theorising in social accounting.

Environmental accounting, managerialism and sustainability: Is the planet safe in the hands of business and accounting?

The growth in environmental accounting research and interest in the last few years has been little short of phenomenal. For those of us with a long-standing interest in such issues, it is easy to get swept along in the euphoria of seeing environmental issues brought to centre stage in business and accounting debates. Despite wishing to encourage this growth in interest, this chapter is by way of a cautionary tale that, within this burgeoning, enthusiastic and often excellent research, there is a very real danger that environmental accounting may well end up doing more harm than good. This chapter, works from the premises that: (a) accounting (and accounting research) typically adopts a set of implicit assumptions about the primacy and desirability of the conventional business agenda — and is thus ‘managerialist’ in focus; and (b) that the conventional business agenda and environmental protection — and, especially, the pursuit of sustainability — are in fundamental conflict. If this is so then accounting is contributing to environmental degradation — not environmental protection. The chapter seeks to provide a review of the current state of the art in environmental accounting research through this ‘managerialist’ lens and then goes on to illustrate the essence of the problem through the reporting of a new analysis of data from an international study of accounting, sustainability and transnational corporations. The chapter concludes with a call for more explicit examination of the implicit assumptions held in accounting research generally and environmental accounting research in particular.

Carbon Trading: Accounting and Reporting Issues

The impetus for this special debating forum arises from the concern about the impact of anthropogenic induced global climate change (GCC) and the assumption that GCC raises issues of significance with respect to the accountability of firms to stakeholders for financial and non-financial performance. Governments and supra-national bodies have sought to respond to GCC in a variety of ways, with the creation of markets in which carbon may be traded being just one manifestation. Carbon markets have the effect of putting a price on what was until very recently free and this change is likely to have financial consequences for firms in the longer term. In order to place the accounting implications of carbon markets in context, the paper provides a scientific and policy introduction to GCC. As regards accounting issues, the paper reviews the problems that are associated with the valuation of pollution allowances and their identification as assets (and the liabilities that arise if companies pollute beyond allowed levels). A closer inspection of the risks and uncertainties that arise from GCC initiates a discussion of non-financial accounting and reporting about carbon. Non-financial reporting is necessary to allow conditions for democratic accountability in an uncertain setting.

Green Accounting: Cosmetic Irrelevance or Radical Agenda for Change?

ABSTRACT Environmental accounting is enjoying an unprecedented resurgence to the point where, for the first time in its relatively short history, it looks like becoming an accepted part of the accounting firmament. However, there is a price for this recognition. That is, for many commentators—especially those associated with the accounting profession—environmental accounting is in the process of being reduced to something which will code easily into existing financial accounting and/or management accounting principles. If this were to happen then there is little of value which, in our view, could be said about the subject. We view environmental accounting as being a great deal larger in scope than this and, more especially, a great deal more important than a minor adjustment to the costs or the risk profile of a few companies. This distinction—between “conventional” and more “radical” approaches to environmental (and social) accounting is central to this paper in which we attempt to address the critics—mo...

Theorizing engagement: the potential of a critical dialogic approach

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to discussions about engagement in social and environmental accounting, drawing on dialogic theory and philosophy. A dialogic approach, building on existing critical inquiries, is introduced to derive principles to inform “on the ground” engagements. Applying dialogic thinking to social and environmental accounting encourages the development of dialogic forms of accountability, more authentic engagements and is more likely to contribute to sustainable social and environmental change. Design/methodology/approach - Contains a synthesis of literature from within and beyond social and environmental accounting to shed light on the issues addressed by the special issue. Findings - Research engagements in social and environmental accounting need not be taken in a haphazard manner uninformed by theory. In particular, the “learning turn” in social sciences has generated a large body of theorizing (informed by concrete engagement activities) that can be used to shape, guide and support engagement. Practical implications - The principles developed can be used to inform future research design, with the aim of increasing the likelihood that such engagements will yield outcomes of “value” usually defined as emancipatory changes. Originality/value - This paper develops a new (to accounting) theoretical perspective.

Engagement, education and sustainability

Develops a case for the enabling potential of environmental accounting (EA). Investigates three areas to support this case. The first concerns the manner in which EA actively and critically engages with practice in an attempt to change practice along lines that are more socially and environmentally sound; EA’s desire to do this is not without problems. Examines the critical school’s reservations concerning the ability of EA to engage with practice in a manner which allows the latter to act as an enabling force. The second theme focuses on the extent to which accounting education, and particularly EA education, can be used to empower future generations of accountants. Third, examines a new area of concern to EA, that of sustainable development, and considers the likelihood that EA can contribute in an enabling manner to this debate.

Accountants' Attitudes and Environmentally-sensitive Accounting

Abstract Accounting for the environment (ICAEW, 1992) is receiving increasing attention. A series of initial interviews, visits and other contacts with a wide range of organisations and accountants on three continents left us with the impression that accountants and accounting do not appear to be involved in corporate responses to the environmental agenda. This paper is an exploration and examination of that impression. A mail questionnaire survey confirmed that accountants have low levels of involvement in their companys environmental activities and, from responses to personal opinion questions, appear to experience a conflict between their awareness of environmental issues and an inability to translate this into action within their corporate life. These attitudes are explored in the paper and would be a sufficient explanation for the absence of environmental accounting in practice.

Seeing the wood for the trees

Social and environmental issues have become a central part of the academic accounting subject field. Examines the range of papers in this area at the APIRA conference. Indicates some of the pitfalls – empiricism, theoretical awareness, relevance to practice, communication between academics – which need dealing with if the subject area is to grow with real strength.

Higher education and sustainable development Exploring possibilities for organisational change

Purpose - – This paper seeks to create the context within which research into how higher education institutions (HEIs) might engage with the goal of sustainable development. In particular, the paper outlines the context in which papers in a special section on this topic might be understood as well as developing propositions for how a research focus might emerge in this area. The paper, therefore, seeks to contribute to discussions about whether, under which circumstances and how social accountability and engagement processes focusing on sustainable development might trigger, frame and/or promote change processes in HEIs. The papers that compose this special section are also introduced and future research avenues offered. Design/methodology/approach - – Literature review Findings - – Despite a dearth of literature in the area of HEI responsiveness to sustainable development (and leaving side education/learning and research for sustainable development), numerous points of intersection exist. Foremost among these is the role of HEIs as shapers of the values of society (and a place for debates about these values). In addition, HEIs are substantive organisations with sustainable development impacts. The paper suggests, however, that understanding HEIs and self-consciously seeking change in their activities has to seriously engage with the characterisation of these organisations as loosely coupled systems. Originality/value - – The paper discusses the distinctive characteristics of HEIs and considers the higher education context as a challenging case to explore the capacity of social accountability and stakeholder engagement to foster change towards the goal of sustainable development.

A framework model for assessing sustainability impacts of urban development

Abstract Urban man-made assets have impacts not just on those who develop, build and operate them, but on people who may be quite remote from them. For example, the impact of a building on greenhouse gas emissions arising from fossil fuel use, pollution caused by travel to work patterns and employment opportunities provided by urban developments may be far removed from their immediate locality. There is a growing recognition of the need to internalize these external costs and benefits in accountancy frameworks, drawing on experiences in accounting for sustainable development. This desire, however, presents major challenges in identifying, evaluating and allocating the external environmental, social and economic costs and benefits of an urban environment. This paper reports on the development of an Urban Development Sustainability Assessment Model (UD-SAM) which allows decision makers to identify sustainability indicators (economic, environmental and social) and which may lead to more holistic evaluation of the sustainability impact of elements of the urban environment. The UD-SAM builds on a sustainability assessment model (SAM) developed originally in the oil industry. This paper describes how SAM has been tailored for the construction industry and urban sustainability assessment, and how a set of generic sustainable development indicators have been identified and validated by stakeholders.