Simone Toccafondi

Defining the Content of Sustainability Reports in Nonprofit Organizations: Do Stakeholders Really Matter?

The aim of the article is to investigate the role of stakeholder engagement and participation in nonprofit organizations’ sustainability reporting, according to the literature on third sector and stakeholder theory. To verify the levels of involvement, the authors conducted an empirical survey, using content analysis, on a sample of 54 sustainability reports of nonprofit organizations included in the Global Reporting Initiative database as of September 1, 2012. In order to strengthen the results obtained from the content analysis, the authors shared their findings with the organizations of the sample. The survey showed that there were some criticisms regarding stakeholder participation in the targeted research field. These are considered in the conclusions. Questions for the future included whether stakeholder engagement is moving from being simply a way to consult and influence stakeholders to being an effective instrument for involving them in nonprofit organizations’ reporting and decision-making processes, through mutual commitment.

Comparison of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and conventional office measurement in the workers of a chemical company.

The aim of the present study was to define the different prevalence of hypertension when conventional office measurement and ambulatory monitoring are performed in a population of unselected workers. All the workers of a Florentine chemical company were invited to participate in the study. Enrolled subjects underwent blood pressure measurement using a conventional sphygmomanometer and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Of 191 workers, 145 agreed to participate in the study (76%). Six of the 145 were excluded from further analysis because they were undergoing antihypertensive therapy. Confidence limits for ambulatory monitoring were defined at 95% on normotensive workers. Thirty-five (25%) workers were found to be hypertensive according to World Health Organization parameters (diastolic pressure > 90 mmHg) but only 14 of the 35 had higher 24-h diastolic ambulatory blood pressure than the 95% confidence limits of controls.

The contribution of network governance to preventing opportunistic behaviour by managers and to increasing stakeholder involvement: the Eroski case

This present work is an exploratory analysis of network governance models that are characterised by widespread distribution of decision-making and control, auditing and supervisory functions in company structure, frequently through stakeholder engagement in the management system. In the study, we verify the way in which NG can involve stakeholder representatives in the governance bodies and in the decision-making process, also preventing opportunistic behaviour of management, according to the stakeholder-agency theory. A case study of network governance is presented regarding the Spanish cooperative Eroski - a self-governing organisation, with direct participation by representatives of the various stakeholder categories in the main governing bodies. In the conclusions, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the network governance system and its implications for theory and practice and we describe an incremental approach, on an entirely voluntary basis, for implementing this governance model in other corporations, including non-cooperative ones.

Il coinvolgimento degli stakeholder nella governance e nel reporting delle fondazioni bancarie

In the light of the stakeholder theory, stakeholders have a fundamental role in decision- making processes of non-profit organizations. Their participation in decisionmaking processes, in particular, in governing bodies and mission reporting is an essential element for effective and coherent organization management. The present study has exploratory nature and aims at understanding the levels of stakeholder engagement in the governance and mission reporting systems of the Italian banking foundations. Therefore, we carry out empirical research into these organizations, a particular kind of grant-giving foundations, with specific statutory obligations of attention towards their stakeholders, especially as far as the local communities and beneficiaries of contributions are concerned. Using content analysis, we study the annual reports for 2011 and statutes of the 88 Italian banking foundations, in order to verify the actual degree of stakeholder participation in governing and reporting bodies. Analysis of the results shows a tendency towards stakeholder management, rather than actual stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes. In the light of these considerations, we highlight the limits of the present study and suggest future research developments.