T. Love

Walking the talk(s): Organisational narratives of integrated reporting

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to explore how the managers of early adopting Australian firms contribute to the institutionalisation of integrated reporting (IR). Design/methodology/approach - – This study is situated within institutional theory. The authors undertook semi-structured interviews with 23 Australian managers. The authors drew on Gabriels (2000) poetic analytics to show how the sensemaking activities of the early adopters contribute to the institutionalisation process. Findings - – Two main narratives dominate our managers’ experience: IR as story-telling and IR as meeting expectations. These two narratives are constructed simultaneously and theyset up contrasting plots regarding salient events, responsibilities and characters that are resolved through one or more of three “inter-narratives” that background these tensions. The inter-narratives suggest time, the companys strategy, and talking and engagement can solve problems. Research limitations/implications - – The authors argue that the managers of early adopting firms are important in the institutionalisation process. Even though they may not necessarily be institutional entrepreneurs they do engage in important “institutional work”. The study is limited by its predominant focus on only one participant to the institutionalisation process, and it is may be the case that the institutionalisation of IR is not ultimately successful. Originality/value - – Provides in-depth insights into an under-researched participant in an institutional field contributes to institutionalisation. Additionally, it sheds light on the conditions under which firms will engage with IR.

Acknowledging power: The application of Kaupapa Māori principles and processes to developing a new approach to organisation–public engagement

This article argues for recognition of the value and relevance of Indigenous knowledges about principles and practices of engagement to theory building and praxis in organisation–public engagement. Specifically, in this article, the Kaupapa Māori body of knowledge and practice that has developed around Indigenous/non-Indigenous engagement in Aotearoa New Zealand is identified as a valid source of insight for the analogous situation of organisation–public engagement where power imbalance is inherent. Selected Kaupapa Māori principles are proposed for their ability to provide pertinent alternatives to mechanistic approaches at each stage of the engagement process.

Māori knowledge and consumer tribes

This paper explores an agenda for consumer behaviour research as it relates to tribal consumerism. It is argued that while the international consumer behaviour research field is inspired by Indigenous knowledges, the quality of research will be relatively poor and unconvincing unless Indigenous researchers and voices make their way into those conversations. We argue for greater plurality through Indigenous participation in consumer behaviour research, and we challenge business schools to realise their accountability.

Corporate Philanthropy Research: On the Value of the Recipient Actor, Time and Narrative Analysis

Ostensibly, modern corporate philanthropy involves a business corporation’s commitment to humanity and as such represents a broad philosophy of business social engagement. Definitions of corporate philanthropy, while seldom acknowledged (Gautier and Pache 2013), often rely on quite vague and contestable features such as the desire to promote the wellbeing of humankind (Saiia, 2001), to give for defined beneficial social purposes (Leisinger, 2007), to support a non-profit cause or organization (Wymer, 2006), or simply to help others (Adamonienė & Astromskienė, 2010). In general there is a common ground that is broadly understood as a corporation’s desire to “... share their largesse with the larger society around them” (Burlingame & Young, 1996, p.xi). While these definitions are usefully unrestrained for exploratory studies, they are symptomatic of research that is ‘giver-centric’ and ‘un-balanced’ in orientation, maintaining the problematic perception that corporate philanthropy is, and should continue to be, less about collaboration, relationship, and partnership than about business intent and strategy. Understandably, qualitative methods for such investigations have received little attention. Intended to be a Discussion Idea, this paper requests feedback from the IABS community on the value of the recipient actor and narrative analysis to corporate philanthropy research.

Temporal discourse and the news media representation of Indigenous- non-Indigenous relations: A case study from Aotearoa New Zealand

Time is a particularly powerful construct in postcolonial societies. Intermeshed with discourses of race, place and belonging, European ideas of time as linear, Cartesian and chronological function as enduring discursive categories that frame public debate within conceptual legacies from colonialism. There is substantial evidence internationally that modernist and mechanical temporal discourses of progress and efficiency have impeded Indigenous aspirations, including attempts to achieve sovereignty. In this article, we use a critical whiteness studies framework, and a critical discourse analysis methodology, to make visible the temporal assumptions in mainstream news articles from Aotearoa New Zealand. These articles, from influential, agenda-setting media, discuss crucial issues of indigenous rights, including Te Tiriti o Waitangi negotiations. Our analysis shows that they do so within a culturally specific, Western temporal framework, which limits their ability to provide balanced, informative coverage of the issues at stake.