Abstract
When terms such as sustainability, sustainable development, UN Agenda 2030 are mentioned, they refer to certain commitments by different categories of social actors (including companies), which should limit the negative impacts on the economy, people and the environment and create a certain social impact. In this regard, it is pointed out that the very concept of social impact often remains very distant from the commitments made and communicated by companies in their reports and even more so from what companies actually do. This critical conceptual analysis aims to discuss and overcome the thesis that the more one talks about a topic, the more others will know about it and deal with it. Today’s social and environmental reporting practices are often very distant from the real ability to capture the true and concrete potential to create social impact and to create opportunities for improvement towards a more sustainable context.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmed, H. A., & Anifowose, M. (2016). The trend of integrated reporting practice in South Africa: Ceremonial or substantive? Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 7(2), 190–224. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-11-2015-0106
Aras, G., & Crowther, D. (2008). Corporate sustainability reporting: A study in Disingenuity? Journal of Business Ethics, 87(1), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9806-0
Balluchi, F., Furlotti, K., & Torelli, R. (2020a). Italy towards mandatory sustainability reporting. Voluntary corporate social responsibility disclosure of Italian companies and legislative decree 254/2016 statements. A quantitative analysis of the last 10 years. In V. Mauerhofer, D. Rupo, & L. Tarquinio (Eds.), Sustainability and law: General and specific aspects (pp. 257–274). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42630-9_14
Balluchi, F., Lazzini, A., & Torelli, R. (2020b). CSR and greenwashing: A matter of perception in the search of legitimacy. In M. Del, J. Baldo, M.-G. B. Dillard, & M. Ciambotti (Eds.), Accounting, accountability and society: Trends and perspectives in reporting, management and governance for sustainability (pp. 151–166). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41142-8_8
Boesso, G., & Kumar, K. (2009). Stakeholder prioritization and reporting: Evidence from Italy and the US. Accounting Forum, 33(2), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accfor.2008.07.010
Bowrey, G., & Clements, M. (2019). Supply chain legitimation through CSR reporting. Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 13(1), 27–43. https://doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v13i1.3
Bromley, P., & Powell, W. W. (2012). From smoke and mirrors to walking the talk: Decoupling in the contemporary world. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 483–530. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2012.684462
Brunsson, N. (2002). The organization of hypocrisy: Talk, decisions and actions in organizations (2nd ed.). Copenhagen Business School Press.
Brunton, M., Eweje, G., & Taskin, N. (2017). Communicating corporate social responsibility to internal stakeholders: Walking the walk or just talking the talk? Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(1), 31–48. https://doi.org/10/f9qvtb
Burchell, J., & Cook, J. (2006). It’s good to talk? Examining attitudes towards corporate social responsibility dialogue and engagement processes. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(2), 154–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2006.00439.x
Burdge, R. J., & Vanclay, F. (1996). Social impact assessment: A contribution to the state of the art series. Impact Assessment, 14(1), 59–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/07349165.1996.9725886
Cho, C. H., & Patten, D. M. (2007). The role of environmental disclosures as tools of legitimacy: A research note. Accounting, Organizations & Society, 32(7/8), 639–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2006.09.009
Cormier, D., & Magnan, M. (1999). Corporate environmental disclosure strategies: Determinants, costs and benefits. Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, 14(4), 429–451.
Cormier, D., & Magnan, M. (2015). The economic relevance of environmental disclosure and its impact on corporate legitimacy: An empirical investigation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 24(6), 431–450. https://doi.org/10/f7vk68
da Silva Monteiro, S. M., & Aibar-Guzmán, B. (2010). Determinants of environmental disclosure in the annual reports of large companies operating in Portugal. Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental Management, 17(4), 185–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.197
Fernandez-Feijoo, B., Romero, S., & Ruiz, S. (2014). Effect of stakeholders’ pressure on transparency of sustainability reports within the GRI framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10/sbq
Gray, R. (2006). Social, environmental and sustainability reporting and organisational value creation? Whose value? Whose creation? Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 19(6), 793–819. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570610709872
Guthrie, J., & Parker, L. D. (1989). Corporate social reporting: A rebuttal of legitimacy theory. Accounting and Business Research, 19(76), 343–352. https://doi.org/10/gfv3gd
Haack, P., Martignoni, D., & Schoeneborn, D. (2021). A bait-and-switch model of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 46(3), 440–464. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2018.0139
Higgins, C., Stubbs, W., & Love, T. (2014). Walking the talk(s): Organisational narratives of integrated reporting. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 27(7), 1090–1119. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-04-2013-1303
Hooghiemstra, R. (2000). Corporate communication and impression management – New perspectives why companies engage in corporate social reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 27(1), 55–68. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006400707757
Lai, A., Melloni, G., & Stacchezzini, R. (2016). Corporate sustainable development: Is «integrated reporting» a legitimation strategy? Business Strategy & the Environment (John Wiley & Sons, Inc), 25(3), 165–177. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1863
Latané, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36(4), 343–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.36.4.343
Lyon, T. P., & Montgomery, A. W. (2015). The means and end of greenwash. Organization & Environment, 28(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615575332
Maroun, W., Usher, K., & Mansoor, H. (2018). Biodiversity reporting and organised hypocrisy. Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, 15(4), 437–464. https://doi.org/10/gftc3k
Michelon, G., Pilonato, S., & Ricceri, F. (2015). CSR reporting practices and the quality of disclosure: An empirical analysis. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 33, 59–78. https://doi.org/10/gfws9q
Miras-Rodríguez, M. d. M., Bravo-Urquiza, F., & Escobar-Pérez, B. (2020). Does corporate social responsibility reporting actually destroy firm reputation? Corporate Social Responsibility And Environmental Management, 27(4), 1947–1957. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1938
Moneva, J. M., & Ortas, E. (2008). Are stock markets influenced by sustainability matter? Evidence from European companies. International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 1(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSE.2008.020013
Orazi, D. C., & Chan, E. Y. (2018). “They did not walk the green talk!:” how information specificity influences consumer evaluations of disconfirmed environmental claims. Journal of Business Ethics., 163(1), 107–123. https://doi.org/10/gf4zjn
Richardson, A. J., & Welker, M. (2001). Social disclosure, financial disclosure and the cost of equity capital. Accounting, Organizations & Society, 26(7/8), 597–616.
Schoeneborn, D., Morsing, M., & Crane, A. (2019). Formative perspectives on the relation between CSR communication and CSR practices: Pathways for walking, talking, and T(w)alking: Business & Society. 59(1), 5–33 doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650319845091.
Seele, P., & Gatti, L. (2017). Greenwashing revisited: In search of a typology and accusation-based definition incorporating legitimacy strategies. Business Strategy & the Environment (John Wiley & Sons, Inc), 26(2), 239–252. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1912
She, C., & Michelon, G. (2018). Managing stakeholder perceptions: Organized hypocrisy in CSR disclosures on Facebook. https://doi.org/10/gfxhs5
Stevens, C., & Kanie, N. (2016). The transformative potential of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 16(3), 393–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-016-9324-y
Testa, F., Miroshnychenko, I., Barontini, R., & Frey, M. (2018). Does it pay to be a greenwasher or a brownwasher? Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(7), 1104–1116. https://doi.org/10/gfprmj
Torelli, R., Balluchi, F., & Lazzini, A. (2020). Greenwashing and environmental communication: Effects on stakeholders’ perceptions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(2), 407–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2373
Wagner, T., Lutz, R. J., & Weitz, B. A. (2009). Corporate hypocrisy: Overcoming the threat of inconsistent corporate social responsibility perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 73(6), 77–91. https://doi.org/10/b9b2xj
Walker, K., & Wan, F. (2012). The harm of symbolic actions and green-washing: Corporate actions and communications on environmental performance and their financial implications. Journal of Business Ethics, 109(2), 227–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1122-4
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Torelli, R. (2023). “What I Say Is Not Necessarily What I Do”: A Critical Conceptual Analysis of the (Missing) Link between Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Social Impact. In: Kacanski, S., Kabderian Dreyer, J., Sund, K.J. (eds) Measuring Sustainability and CSR: From Reporting to Decision-Making. Ethical Economy, vol 64. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26959-2_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26959-2_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-26958-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-26959-2
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)