| 1. |
- Aleksandrov, E, et al.
(author)
-
Emerging streams of institutional theory in accounting research : current status and future directions
- 2018
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This paper aims to reflect upon the emerging streams of institutional theory, their application and influence on the accounting research of the last decade. Specifically, the paper’s ambition is to review and understand the role of institutional logics (IL), institutional entrepreneurship (IE) and institutional work (IW) in accounting research. These streams of institutional theory become increasingly valuable in accounting research for their explanatory capacities. At the same time, but their application, especially in a combined form, can also raise criticalities within theoretical pluralism agenda. We compile a structured literature review of articles published in scientific journals in the accounting field (levels 4 and 3 in ABS list). We examine the way how current accounting literature utilizes the selected institutional streams of accounting theory, how the theories or their combination (if any) are justified and used in a flow of argument for the understanding of accounting practice.
|
|
| 2. |
- Aleksandrov, E, et al.
(author)
-
Emerging streams of institutional theory in accounting research : current status and future directions
- 2018
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper aims to reflect upon the emerging streams of institutional theory, their application and influence on the accounting research of the last decade. Specifically, the paper’s ambition is to review and understand the role of institutional logics (IL), institutional entrepreneurship (IE) and institutional work (IW) in accounting research. These streams of institutional theory become increasingly valuable in accounting research for their explanatory capacities. At the same time, but their application, especially in a combined form, can also raise criticalities within theoretical pluralism agenda. We compile a structured literature review of articles published in scientific journals in the accounting field (levels 4 and 3 in ABS list). We examine the way how current accounting literature utilizes the selected institutional streams of accounting theory, how the theories or their combination (if any) are justified and used in a flow of argument for the understanding of accounting practice.
|
|
| 3. |
- Aleksandrov, E, et al.
(author)
-
Emerging streams of intitutional theory in accounting research : current status and future directions
- 2018
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- More than 30 years have passed since first calls to see accounting as social and institutional practice (Burchell et al., 1980; Hopwood, 1987; Hopwood & Miller, 1994). During these years, a significant number of theories have been striving to extend and challenge the hegemony of particular ways of seeing accounting (Jacobs, 2012) with acknowledging the need for inter-disciplinary approach and theoretical pluralism in contemporary studies. Within this theoretical pluralism, the institutional theory was recognized as one of the dominating theories in accounting research during last decades (Jacobs, 2012; Lounsbury, 2008; Modell, 2015).However, despite acknowledging the paradigmatic developments of institutional theory into several streams in organisational science (DiMaggio, 1988; Lawrence et al., 2009, 2011; Oliver, 1991; Thornton et al., 2012), few attempts were done to make a separate review of these streams and their value for accounting literature (Modell, 2009). Here, influential work of Lounsbury (2008) rather reflected organizational science literature with seeing accounting as a context which can give crucial insights into institutional and practice theories rather than vice versa. Jacobs (2012) in his study of theoretical pluralism in accounting research during 1992-2008 acknowledged the institutional theory domination but made few reflections on its progressions and implications for seeing accounting as social and institutional practice. And finally, more recent studies of Modell and his colleagues (Modell, 2015; Modell et al., 2017) made overviews of two streams of institutional theory (e.g. logic and work) and institutional theory combination possibility with other theories. While giving the valuable insights into understanding of issues related to theories combinations in accounting, these studies hardly review the accounting literature related to institutional theory streams which were criticised for apolitical nature but at the same time acknowledged as self-sufficient.Therefore, it seems that current studies rather ignore or criticize specific institutional theory streams, jumping into possible theory combinations agenda without revealing the value of these streams for accounting research. Such tendency may potentially lead to marginalization of accounting knowledge (Jacobs, 2016; Jacobs & Cuganesan, 2014) with the use of these streams under the quest for contribution to the interdisciplinary literature.In this regard, this paper aims to reflect upon the emerging streams of institutional theory, their application and influence on the accounting research of the last decade. Specifically, the paper’s ambition is to review and understand the role of institutional logics (IL), institutional entrepreneurship (IE) and institutional work (IW) in accounting research. These streams of institutional theory become increasingly valuable in accounting research for their explanatory capacities. But at the same time, but their application, especially in a combined form, can also raise criticalities within theoretical pluralism agenda. Therefore, we construct our research questions as:How have the emerging stream of institutional theory (IL, IE and IW) been used by accounting scholars?How have these streams influenced accounting research? What could be done in the future accounting research using emerging streams of institutional theory?In order to answer these research questions, we compile a structured literature review (Massaro et al., 2016) of articles published in scientific journals in the accounting field (levels 4 and 3 in ABS list). As a frame for analysis of the paper, we use conceptual clarification and analytical framework proposed by Lukka and Vinnari (2014) who made a distinction between domain theory and method theory in order to capture the relations between common knowledge about accounting as a social practice and the theories used to extend this knowledge. Applying to our paper, domain theory refers particularly to a set of knowledge about accounting as social and institutional practice. Method theory (i.e. IL, IE, IW) is a meta-level conceptual system, which can offer alternative perspectives and add new understanding/insights into domain theory. Following this analytical distinction, we examine the way how current accounting literature utilizes the selected institutional streams in domain-method dimension, how the theory or their combination (if any) are justified and used in a flow of argument for understanding of accounting practice.
|
|
| 4. |
- Alm, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Sustainability in higher education : Mission (im)possible?!
- 2019
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The need to include sustainability issues in Higher Education represents both a challenge and an opportunity! Being engaged as PRME Champions (Principles for Responsible Management Education), Högskolan Kristianstad has created an arena stimulating new teaching content and activities, and joint research projects with relevant impact for society. We invite participants to share experiences in how to implement sustainability in Higher Education Institutions! The topics are: - The extent to which sustainability can(not) be “integrated” in business programmes curricula - How to find “your best practice” of implementing sustainability - Pros and Cons of moving towards an inter-disciplinary approach - In what ways can(not) business administration contribute to the discussion about sustainable development
|
|
| 5. |
- Alm, Karin, et al.
(author)
-
Sustainability in higher education : Mission (im)possible?!
- 2019
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The need to include sustainability issues in Higher Education represents both a challenge and an opportunity! Being engaged as PRME Champions (Principles for Responsible Management Education), Högskolan Kristianstad has created an arena stimulating new teaching content and activities, and joint research projects with relevant impact for society. We invite participants to share experiences in how to implement sustainability in Higher Education Institutions! The topics are: - The extent to which sustainability can(not) be “integrated” in business programmes curricula - How to find “your best practice” of implementing sustainability - Pros and Cons of moving towards an inter-disciplinary approach - In what ways can(not) business administration contribute to the discussion about sustainable development
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Argento, Daniela, et al.
(author)
-
Because change happens! : analyzing the change agent in legitimizing integrated reporting
- 2017
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a sustainability manager, embodying the role of change agent, legitimizes the implementation of Integrated Reporting. By focusing on an Italian public utility, operating in the electricity sector and listed on the Italian stock exchange, which has recently implemented the Integrated Report, this paper unveils how a voluntary change (i.e. the adoption of the Integrated Report) can be achieved thorough the legitimizing work carried out by a sustainability manager driven by strong intrinsic engagement, availability of resources and intense networking.Design/Methodology/Approach – The case study methodology was adopted to reach the purpose of this research. A longitudinal and explanatory case study was realized by analyzing data collected from different sources. Relevant information was extrapolated from various corporate documents, visit to the case organization and thirteen in depth interviews conducted with sustainability managers, finance managers, communication managers and human resources managers. After triangulating data, findings were analyzed through the lens of institutional entrepreneurship which is the branch of neo-institutional theory explaining how actors can drive substantial changes.Findings – This study uncovered how the adoption of Integrated Reporting – which requires a substantial change in organizational structure, processes and thinking – can be achieved over time through the perseverance of a sustainability manager who strives to legitimize his individual position and strengthen the value of the whole Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) area within the organization. Such perseverance, necessary to initiate and achieve the desired change, can be successful when the change agent uses available resources and networking skills, to gain support from various groups with different power balances, and to enable people of different organizational areas to collaborate to the end of preparing the Integrated Report.Research limitations/implications – This research highlights that when people belonging to different organizational areas perceive the added value of implementing a substantial change, they engage in alternative practices and show availability to collaborate. Still, the reluctance to share strategic information in the light of its disclosure in the Integrated Report is perceived, meaning that bridging the gaps between finance and sustainability managers requires more efforts. The true transformation of organizational values and beliefs, in line with the ideas of Integrated Reporting, requires the full acceptance and practice of integrated thinking on each level of the organization.Practical implications – This paper shows that the voluntary implementation of Integrated Reporting is possible when the reporting tool is not only perceived as a disclosure document, but also as a vehicle that increases the awareness and sharing of corporate integrated value. People in different areas interact in a different way facilitating the horizontal integration of operational activities.Originality/Value – as an emerging phenomenon, literature has focused on many aspects of Integrated Reporting. This paper adds value to recent debates by focusing on how individual actors legitimize their projects within their organization by highlighting tensions and how they can be overcome to achieve the desired change.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
| 9. |
- Argento, Daniela, et al.
(author)
-
Because change happens! : analyzing the change agent in legitimizing integrated reporting
- 2017
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a sustainability manager, embodying the role of change agent, legitimizes the implementation of Integrated Reporting. By focusing on an Italian public utility, operating in the electricity sector and listed on the Italian stock exchange, which has recently implemented the Integrated Report, this paper unveils how a voluntary change (i.e. the adoption of the Integrated Report) can be achieved thorough the legitimizing work carried out by a sustainability manager driven by strong intrinsic engagement, availability of resources and intense networking. Design/Methodology/Approach – The case study methodology was adopted to reach the purpose of this research. A longitudinal and explanatory case study was realized by analyzing data collected from different sources. Relevant information was extrapolated from various corporate documents, visit to the case organization and thirteen in depth interviews conducted with sustainability managers, finance managers, communication managers and human resources managers. After triangulating data, findings were analyzed through the lens of institutional entrepreneurship which is the branch of neo-institutional theory explaining how actors can drive substantial changes. Findings – This study uncovered how the adoption of Integrated Reporting – which requires a substantial change in organizational structure, processes and thinking – can be achieved over time through the perseverance of a sustainability manager who strives to legitimize his individual position and strengthen the value of the whole Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) area within the organization. Such perseverance, necessary to initiate and achieve the desired change, can be successful when the change agent uses available resources and networking skills, to gain support from various groups with different power balances, and to enable people of different organizational areas to collaborate to the end of preparing the Integrated Report. Research limitations/implications – This research highlights that when people belonging to different organizational areas perceive the added value of implementing a substantial change, they engage in alternative practices and show availability to collaborate. Still, the reluctance to share strategic information in the light of its disclosure in the Integrated Report is perceived, meaning that bridging the gaps between finance and sustainability managers requires more efforts. The true transformation of organizational values and beliefs, in line with the ideas of Integrated Reporting, requires the full acceptance and practice of integrated thinking on each level of the organization. Practical implications – This paper shows that the voluntary implementation of Integrated Reporting is possible when the reporting tool is not only perceived as a disclosure document, but also as a vehicle that increases the awareness and sharing of corporate integrated value. People in different areas interact in a different way facilitating the horizontal integration of operational activities. Originality/Value – as an emerging phenomenon, literature has focused on many aspects of Integrated Reporting. This paper adds value to recent debates by focusing on how individual actors legitimize their projects within their organization by highlighting tensions and how they can be overcome to achieve the desired change.
|
|
| 10. |
- Argento, Daniela, et al.
(author)
-
Competing logics in the expansion of public service corporations
- 2016
-
In: Utilities Policy. - 0957-1787 .- 1878-4356. ; 40, s. 125-133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper contributes to the current debate on the evolving nature and meaning of public service corporations. It draws upon notions of neo-institutional theory and adopts a case study methodology. The study focuses on the case of SMAT, an Italian water corporation, whose value has been recognized at home and internationally. Findings show how a public service corporation's priorities and activities, particularly commercialization and internationalization, are constrained by various factors. These include: the burden of regulatory frameworks, the public nature of the corporation and its governance, the expectations of users, and the need for infrastructural investment.
|
|
