Sustainability reporting is a central theme in the non-financial reporting landscape, but what theories guide its evolution? Is it just a regulatory requirement or does it represent a real tool for corporate change? Do companies communicate their environmental performance for transparency or to build a positive image?
In the 1980s, research began to consider accounting as a social phenomenon, analyzing the social factors that influence accounting practices and their effects. The concept of non-financial accounting has since expanded to include different forms of reporting, such as integrated reporting, social accounting, sustainability reporting and environmental reporting. Research has also highlighted a growing balance between the social and environmental aspects of reporting, supported by the use of analysis methods such as content analysis and case studies.
At the European level, the topic of non-financial reporting has become increasingly relevant, as demonstrated by Directive 2014/95/EU, which since 2017 requires large companies with more than 500 employees to publish social, environmental and governance information. More recently, the EU has tasked EFRAG with exploring new non-financial reporting standards.
Despite the long history of social and environmental disclosures, there is still a debate on the theoretical bases and tools for their implementation. Several theories have been used to explain sustainability reporting, but there is no unified theory. This study aims to fill this gap, examining the most used theories in the academic literature, identifying their interconnections and evaluating new research perspectives. The aim is to understand how these theories are applied, combined and for what purpose in the context of sustainability reporting
Lo studio condotto da Francesca Bartolacci, Marco Bellucci, Katia Corsi e Michela Soverchia dal titolo “A Systematic Literature Review of Theories Underpinning Sustainability Reporting in Non- nancial Disclosure” presenta una revisione sistematica della letteratura sulle principali teorie applicate al reporting di sostenibilità, esaminando sia gli approcci tradizionali sia quelli emergenti. Attraverso un’analisi di oltre 30 anni di ricerche, identificano le teorie più utilizzate come la teoria della legittimità, la teoria degli stakeholder e la teoria istituzionale e ne evidenziano le interconnessioni e i trend più recenti.
Quali sono le nuove prospettive teoriche in questo campo? Questo llavoro rivela come la ricerca accademica stia influenzando la trasparenza aziendale e il modo in cui le imprese rispondono alle pressioni sociali e normative. Scopri di più sui risultati della nostra analisi e leggi il paper completo sul nostro sito
