Sergio Paternostro

The Connectivity of Information for the Integrated Reporting

The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on the guiding principle of connectivity of information which the Integrated Reporting Framework presents as a way of translating the integrated thinking into action. In doing so, the chapter moves from the analysis of the main reports that are a source of information for Integrated Reporting, defining them as “partial” reports because they represent only a part of the comprehensive value creation story. The ways in which these reports are aggregated and/or integrated during the process of construction of an Integrated Report have the potential to affect the level of connectivity of information. In addressing these issues, the chapter proposes three different approaches to the construction of an Integrated Report, also providing examples to illustrate the main features of each approach. Then, the chapter suggests the need to further explore the role of connectivity for a global and integrated reporting system.

I compensi agli amministratori: analisi della disclosure nei Bilanci delle società italiane quotate

Il presente contributo intende analizzare la disclosure relativa alla remunerazione percepita dagli amministratori, il cui ruolo di primo piano nel definire le sorti di un’azienda rende l’informativa ad essi correlata di particolare interesse per i diversi stakeholder. Obiettivo degli autori e quello di indagare nei documenti ufficiali (relativi all’esercizio 2009) delle 50 societa italiane quotate maggiormente capitalizzate, al fine di verificare il livello di informativa obbligatoria e/o volontaria ivi fornita in merito ai compensi percepiti dai rispettivi amministratori. Le risultanze emerse saranno sintetizzate in un disclosure index di cui sara valutata l’eventuale correlazione con alcuni parametri, selezionati in base a specifiche ipotesi di ricerca, inerenti alla struttura del board e alla dimensione aziendale.

Sustainability standard setting as local government matter: an Italian experience

ABSTRACT Sustainability is a globally targeted concept widely debated in the literature, but still seeking a commonly agreed operationalization within applicable standards. The role of standard setter is commonly played by multi-stakeholder international organizations aiming at offering sound solutions for all kind of organizations, while what could be the role of a local government (LG) as sustainability standard setter and how this could impact on the definitions, rubrics, and measurement of sustainability is currently under-investigated. The case of an Italian LG already acting as standard setter allows to understand the reasons for, the strengths and the weaknesses of territorially bounded standards.

Exploring the determinants of anti-mafia entrepreneurial behaviour: an empirical study on southern Italian SMEs

Abstract This study analyses organized crime from an economic perspective and highlights the crucial role of extortion in mafia activities. From an economic viewpoint, we debate the conditions that lead companies to resist mafia extortion. To study the reactions of firms to extortion, we adopt an institutional perspective and consider the contribution of different theories in the socially responsible behaviour and organized crime literature, in an attempt to understand this complex entrepreneurial behaviour better. A sample of 116 southern Italian SMEs, whose entrepreneurs have publicly opposed mafia extortion, was selected. By adopting a matched-pair design, anti-mafia firms were subsequently matched against a control sample. Determinants of anti-mafia behaviour were investigated by using both unconditional and conditional logistic regression models, in order to regress the anti-mafia choice on a set of economic, demographic, governance, and control variables. The results show that both financial and governance variables are significant determinants of anti-mafia entrepreneurial behaviour (AEB), whereas demographic variables are not relevant.

The role of social report for performance measurement of museums: an Italian survey from the web

This paper aims to explore the concept of performance in the museum field, in particular whether and how it could find an adequate representation through social reporting tools. The social reports, indeed, in non-profit and public sector organisations are typically considered the main tools for institutional communication. To investigate on this topic, we analyse the social reports of some Italian museums using the content analysis in order to understand how the performance is evaluated and communicated. The empirical findings show how the reports are not fully able to represent the performance of the museums.