Marco Frey

Analyzing intellectual capital information in sustainability reports: some empirical evidence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the content, frequency and quality of intellectual capital voluntary disclosure (ICVD) and the changes that took place over two years (2005 and 2006) in a sample of 37 sustainability reports published by Italian listed companies.Design/methodology/approach – The intellectual capital framework consists of three levels: “IC categories”, “IC items” and “IC indicators”, while content analysis was performed using a quality multidimensional scheme composed of three disclosure profiles, namely, time orientation, nature of information and type of information.Findings – The findings evidence a high and increasing incidence over time of ICVD, with strong emphasis on human capital disclosure, which represents the most reported category, followed by relational and organisational capital. ICVD is mainly expressed in non‐financial, quantitative and non‐time‐specific terms with a low level of forward‐looking information.Research limitations/implications – This study ...

Exploring the link between institutional pressures and environmental management systems effectiveness: An empirical study

Institutional theory has been widely debated by scholars. A part of literature examines how institutional pressures act on company choices regarding proactive environmental strategies. However, the institutional perspective has still not completely clarified the influence of these pressures on the effectiveness of environmental management systems (EMSs) in achieving goals in terms of eco-innovation, competitiveness and corporate reputation. This paper analyses the role played by coercive, mimetic and normative forces in stimulating innovative and competitive responses by firms with an environmental certification. Using the results of a survey on 242 European EMAS-registered organisations, the paper highlights the more positive influence of mimetic and normative pressures than coercive ones. The paper contributes to the literature debate on EMSs analysed through the lens of institutional theory.

The Impact of Wide-Scale Sport Events on Local Development: An Assessment of the XXth Torino Olympics Through the Sustainability Report

This paper examines the process and outcome of the sustainability reporting on the last Olympic Winter Games, held in Torino in February 2006, basing on the experience of Bocconi University as scientific partner in such process. Compared to previous Games, Torino Olympics were characterized by a structured sustainability strategy, whose accountability process turns out to be useful in analysing and discussing the contribution to territorial development for hosting areas related to the organisation of the event.

The Determinants of Innovation in Green Supply Chains: Evidence from an Italian Sectoral Study

In the last years attention has increased to the eco-innovation topic. Empirical studies have demonstrated that innovating firms grow faster, have higher productivity and are more profitable than their less innovative counterparts (Geroski et al., 1993; Roper and Hewitt-Dundas, 1998). Drawing upon a database of over 300 enterprises operating within eight defined green production chains working in the Province of Milan, this paper assesses the determinants and drawbacks of innovation. In particular, using an econometrical approach, we tested the following propositions: a) small dimension of enterprises is an obstacle to their innovation power; b) The adoption of an international strategy of production and commercialisation is an opportunity and a stimulus to eco-innovation; c) cooperation with research partners can help SMEs to overcome difficulties and help them to develop and offer eco-sustainable products and services. The econometric analysis shows a positive impact of dimension and level of internationalization on innovation capabilities. In addition, cooperation with research centers and access to capital market are positively related with effective innovations.

Examining green public procurement using content analysis: existing difficulties for procurers and useful recommendations

Green public procurement (GPP) promises great potential for improving the environmental impact of many public organizations. However, the effects this instrument will have in the near future are unclear as there is little evidence on its exact level of engagement. This study thus aims to analyze the contents of tenders in terms of green criteria by specifically focusing on the building and construction sector. A total of 164 Italian public tenders were analyzed according to a protocol of analysis based on the GPP toolkit developed by the European Commission. Starting from a content analysis used in previous studies, a complete list of green criteria was developed in order to investigate their prevalence in the sample selected, with the aim of exploring their frequency, distribution and correlation. The results revealed a limited use of green criteria, which were mainly included as technical specifications and award criteria, thus shedding light on the difficulties that procurers are experiencing in the implementation of GPP practices. Several suggestions for policy makers and managers are identified for a better and faster implementation of green public procurement tools and methods.

Eco-innovation and competitiveness in industrial clusters

The article aims to investigate the presence of a correlation between eco-innovation and competitiveness within districts. The case analysed in this article is based on a study concerning a sample of 54 Italian industrial clusters entitled ‘eco-districts’ that has compiled a list of the most eco-efficient districts at the national level. After selecting two districts operating in the same productive field, this study assesses the economic performance of the last three years through the analysis of trends in four indicators: number of enterprises, employment, production and export. The results show that only in some cases there is a connection between eco innovation and competitiveness.

The implementation of an Environmental Management System in a North-African local public administration: the case of the City Council of Marrakech (Morocco)

This paper analyses the case of ISO 14001 certification in the City of Marrakech (Morocco). The case study defines the methods and approaches used in the implementation of the Environmental Management System (EMS), highlighting what were the main differences and the rationale and expected benefits of the certification process for the city. The paper aims to compare this experience with similar experiences of Western local authorities described in the literature by analysing drivers, motivations, benefits and barriers in EMS adoption. To achieve this goal, the paper reports, among other results, the outcome of a survey of the environmental perception of the City population carried out in the ISO 14001 implementation in order to identify how and if the attainment of ISO 14001 certification could be valorised by the City of Marrakech with regard to the citizens’ perception. From this enquiry it emerges that a relevant sensibility of the population related to numerous environmental issues can be stimulated by ISO 14001 certification. The case study shows that an approach foreseeing a strong involvement of the stakeholders can be particularly effective as it responds to the specificities of non-EU contexts.

Environmental Management System and SMEs: EU Experience, Barriers and Perspectives

SMEs are defined as enterprises which employ less than 250 employees and which have an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million, and/or an overall balance sheet not exceeding €43 millions (European Commission 2003). There are some 23 million SMEs in the EU providing approximately 75 million jobs (66% of private employment and up to 80% in some industrial sectors such as textile, construction or furniture) (European Commission 2005) . Moreover, micro enterprises

Healthcare Resources and Expenditure in Financial Crisis: Scenarios and Managerial Strategies

Objective: What are the implications of financial crisis on healthcare expenditure? This paper explores different approaches applied across European countries focusing on the role that managerial tools may have in coping with this challenge. Method: The paper reports the results of recent studies on responses to financial crisis from European countries and which are the techniques they had applied to reallocate resources. Results: Although resources scarcity, some governments did not reduce the healthcare expenditure because they believe in its focal role on the economic development and on maintaining social cohesion and protection of vulnerable people. Other countries decided a strong reduction of costs which often has affected services delivered. In both cases authors suggest to avoid across-the-board cuts in favor of approach involving priority setting. Conclusion: The public sector has assumed new responsibilities following the global crisis and the rising demand for social services. Some countries shifted the healthcare costs from the public purse to private households undermining the survival of the health system and the universal coverage. A way to avoid this risk is based on the ability to share discussion about where to cut and where to reallocate resources.

Accidents at Work and Costs Analysis: A Field Study in a Large Italian Company

Accidents at work are still a heavy burden in social and economic terms, and action to improve health and safety standards at work offers great potential gains not only to employers, but also to individuals and society as a whole. However, companies often are not interested to measure the costs of accidents even if cost information may facilitate preventive occupational health and safety management initiatives. The field study, carried out in a large Italian company, illustrates technical and organisational aspects associated with the implementation of an accident costs analysis tool. The results indicate that the implementation (and the use) of the tool requires a considerable commitment by the company, that accident costs analysis should serve to reinforce the importance of health and safety prevention and that the economic dimension of accidents is substantial. The study also suggests practical ways to facilitate the implementation and the moral acceptance of the accounting technology.