THE ROLE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT IN CAPITALISTIC FIRM

• Published in: Analele Universităţii din Oradea. Ştiinţe economice Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 243 - 250
• Main Authors: Gazzola Patrizia, Meo Colombo Carlotta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: University of Oradea 01.12.2011
• Subjects: Sustainable Growth, Creation of Value, Sustainability Report, Performance, Stakeholders
• ISSN: 1222-569X; 1582-5450

The aim and the central topic of this research is the understanding of the importance of Sustainable growth strategy approach as a driver to achieving top-line growth and bottom-line results. The main contributions of this line of research are to demonstrate the idea that the sustainability report is an instrument for social interaction and social cost/benefit analysis and to show that such an instrument can describe, comment on and sum up the firm's own behaviour aimed at sustainable growth. The work integrates the CSR management literature with a large body of research in accounting and finance. This study draws from theoretical research about the nature of the corporation, its role in society and contributions by recent research on corporate social, environmental, ethical responsibility and accountability. Our research demonstrates that the economic existence of the capitalistic firm as a producer of economic and financial values must be appreciated, in terms of the sustainability of the development path of the firm, and evaluated by a wide range of social performance measures of outcome or benefit. It also shows how the Sustainability report emphasizes the link between firm and territory, and affirms the concept of the firm as an entity that, by pursuing its own prevailing interests, contributes to improving the quality of life of the members of the society in which it operates. This paper contributes primarily to the academic debate by reviewing past attempts to theorise CSR and stakeholder dialogue, identifying gaps and weaknesses, and proposing the Sustainable Growth implementation processes for the creation of value. It also highlights the relationship between CSR activity and corporate image and performance. The research shed light on aspects of CSR activity for which little is known and much less is being understood; namely, the channels and the mechanisms through which the CSR impact is perceived and realized for creation of value. Carlotta Meo Colombo (3) considers the capitalistic firm as Business Value-Creating Organizations and Patrizia Gazzola (1-2;4-6) considers the Sustainable Growth implementation processes for the creation of value.