Simone Pizzi

• Ph.D in Business Administration
• Researcher at University of Salento

In the last few years, the European context was characterized by a high degree of attention paid by policy makers, practitioners and academics to the effects related to the transposition of the Directive 2014/95/EU by the Member States. In particular, one the main issues of the intervention made by the European Commission is represented by the theo...

This paper aims to contribute to the emerging debate on materiality with novel and original insights about the managerial and theoretical implications related to the adoption of GRI and SASB as reporting standards. Furthermore, the paper will evaluate the main drivers that favored the combination of the two standards by companies to develop new kno...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate blockchain’s enabling role for sustainability reporting. This study extends the scientific knowledge about the impacts related to the notarisation of mandatory sustainability reports through a publicly available blockchain. Design/methodology/approach Building on the idea journey framework, this pap...

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been present in European Union (EU) policy. However, when it comes to CSR-related disclosures, the shift from a voluntary to a mandatory approach with the introduction of Directive 2014/95/EU is seen as a milestone in the (r)evolution of sustainability reporting regulation. This chapter aims to synthes...

This paper explores the sustainability reporting practices of listed small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Utilizing institutional theory as a framework, this study employs dynamic panel data and logistic regressions to investigate how these SMEs respond to isomorphic p...

In the current scenario characterized by distrust about business contributions to sustainable development, it is necessary to identify new tools to legitimate companies' operations. The main initiatives launched by supranational institutions and standard setters contributed to this goal by providing new reporting standards to encourage companies to...

Purpose – This study aims to contribute to the emerging debate about materiality with novel insights about the signaling effects related to the disclosure of environmental, social and governance (ESG) information using the guidelines released by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Design/m...

Building on the contingency theory, the paper aims to shed light on the contribution provided by technological innovation on sustainability reporting quality. A fuzzy expert system (FES) was developed to evaluate the cumulative effects related to the adoption of digital devices in sustainability reporting practices. The analysis underlined the enab...

The recommendations of the Task Force on Climate Change Disclosure (TCFD) represent fundamental guidelines for managing climate-change-related risks. Indeed, the TCFD outlines good practices for integrated risk management as well as aims to protect investors and stakeholders through a more transparent and complete disclosure on the subject. However...

In the last few years, many policymakers started implementing stricter rules about sustainability reporting in their jurisdictions. However, this process has been characterized by criticisms related to the potential mis-alignments between Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG) performance and sustainability reporting quality. This evide...

La transizione dalla Non Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) alla Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), unitamente agli effetti connessi alla progressiva adozione di nuovi strumenti di accountability da parte di aziende private e pubbliche, impone la necessità di condurre nuove riflessioni sul tema dell'informativa di sostenibilità....

This paper aims to contribute to the emerging debate on materiality with novel and original insights about the managerial and theoretical implications related to the adoption of GRI and SASB as reporting standards. Furthermore, the paper will evaluate the main drivers that favored the combination of the two standards by companies to develop new kno...

For decades, companies found in international protocols and standards an alternative source of normative guidance to operatively implement sustainability policies at an organisational level. The ever‐increasing adoption of these multi‐faceted policies and guidelines co‐occurs with a more proactive and voluntaristic attitude towards CSR implementati...

Purpose This study aims to take a holistic perspective to investigate how open innovation supports sustainability and the contribution to the Unite Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an in-depth single case study of Andriani SpA, a leading Italian company in the food industry. The c...

This Special Issue is to assemble high quality papers that deepen and enhance understanding of sustainability in the context of SMEs and their management. We welcome papers that will investigate topics such as: - Factors enabling the SMEs transition toward sustainable business models (e.g. technology, innovation, policy, individual behaviours, coll...

In the last few years, policymakers have underlined the need for new soft and hard skills about corporate social responsibility (CSR). The main debate about CSR education has been driven by the 2030 Agenda, which explicitly recognized Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as having a pivotal role. In particular, many academics started to develop qua...

Whether shareholders reward/punish risky firms for undertaking corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting practices represents a gap. The analysis yielded diverging results for different financial distress proxies. In the model in which volatility in return on assets was the proxy of firm risk, the findings indicated that shareholders punish r...

During the last years, the impacts caused by digital transformation on companies have been disruptive. Contrarily to prior technological revolutions, the current scenario is characterized by the rapid growth of innovation that has impacted organizations differently. In particular, an increasing number of organizations revised their management contr...

The introduction of Agenda 2030 has impacted the public and private sectors. Agenda 2030 is a document that aims to promote collaboration and partnership between countries and the population for the achievement of 17 SDGs, which cover all the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. Within the public organizations, h...

The Directive 2014/95/EU represents one of the main innovations introduced by the European Commission to encourage large companies to disclose their contribution to sustainable development. Since its introduction, the Directive 2014/95/EU has put into motion an intense debate about its effectiveness. Academics and policymakers agreed on the need to...

This research aims to contribute to the scientific debate about the lack of interlinkagesbetween mandatory non-financial reporting and sustainable business models. For ourpurposes, a counter-accounting analysis was conducted on the non-financial reportsof a sample of 145 Italian firms interested by the Directive 2014/95/EU effects.Specifically, the...

Purpose This study aims to investigate the evolutionary pathways adopted by a digital platform to favor the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem inspired by circular economy behaviors, becoming an enabler in the development of a coevolutionary relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystems and circular economy. Design/methodology/approach...

Starting in 2015, 169 states launched a series of initiatives aimed at pursuing achievement of the 2030 Agenda. In particular, one of the main sector interested by 2030 Agenda is represented by the Tourism sector. The centrality of Tourism enterprises is related to the considerable impacts on the landscapes in which they operate. On the point, acad...

Tourism has been the subject of great attention of policy makers. The centrality of the sector derives from multiple factors, including the high number of subjects employed within the supply chain, the contribution to developing nations’ economic growth, and the environmental implications of establishing new productive activities. Under this scenar...

Previous studies show regulation and corporate governance play an important role in affecting CSR processes and outcomes. The stakeholder engagement (SE) process represents a good practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and, at the same time, an aspect of substance over form, within the CSR policies. In spite of its relevance , SE represe...

This article explores to what extent oil and gas companies use social media to engage with stakeholders on CSR strategies. Drawing from the analysis of oil and gas megaproject facing the local community's protects, the research aims to highlight the level of stakeholder interaction on CSR's actions disclosed by social media. The study considers the...

Following the operational paradigms proposed by Industry 4.0, the last years have been characterized by the rapid growth of technology-based firms increasingly adopting sustainable business models. In particular, an increasing number of Fintech enterprises have started to launch new services in order to avoid the organizational barriers that impact...

Scientific research on digitalization and its impact on business models has been growing exponentially in recent years. This has been particularly evident from 2010 onwards, following a landmark special issue published in Long Range Planning. This article offers an overview of the development of academic literature published between 2010 and 2019 w...

The comprehension of the businesses' impact to sustainable development requires consideration of the different factors that affect firms' behavior, such as corporate governance, non-financial regulation, and the external environment. The contribution of business and management scholars to the discussion surrounding the Sustainable Development Goals...

Within the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations have explicitly required that the Member States introduce within their jurisdictions new forms of regulations about non‐financial reporting practices. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects related to the transposition of Directive 2014/95/EU by analyzing firm‐level, governance‐level, and repo...

The launch of the European New Green Deal represents a strategic plan developed in Europe to favor the transition to more sustainable business models. One of the main initiative is represented by the revision of the Directive 95/2014/EU. This revision came in response to several criticisms of the directive's application to European Public Interest...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the comply-or-explain principle in the Italian context. In particular, the analysis will evaluate, which factor impact on firms' voluntary adoption of this tool to adequate their non-financial reports to the legal requirements of Directive 95/2014/EU. Design/methodology/approach...

Since December 2017, all the European members have transposed the Directive 2014/95/EU into their legal systems. The aim of the directive was to promote the harmonization of non-financial information through the definition of guidelines aimed at regulating its content. In accordance with the principle of gold plating, the transposition of the direc...

Stakeholder engagement (SE) is considered a best practice in sustainability reporting, as it increases companies' social legitimacy and reputation. Companies have to properly communicate the SE activities, paying attention to the social, cultural, and political factors that affect the perception of stakeholders. This is particularly relevant in the...

This paper aims at contributing to the debate regarding the implementation of SDGs’ reporting systems by public entities. For this purpose, we analysed the Italian National Healthcare Systems (INHS) to highlight how, even if in presence of best practices, Public Managers are not oriented to adopt these tools to engage with stakeholders. The present...

Firms' financial stability represents one of the most important aspects for entrepreneurs. In recent years, the European Commission started to introduce new recommendations for the Member States in order to sustain the "honest entrepreneurs" in their activities through new specific regulations on firms' insolvency. Moreover, Member States started t...

Since 2016, the European context has been characterised by the introduction of the Directive 95/2014/EU on mandatory non-financial reporting. The Directive has been transposed in the Italian context through the Legislative Decree 254/2016. However, following evidence previously collected from other jurisdictions, a high degree of scepticism by acad...

During recent years, an increasing number of studies have started to discuss the introduction of new form of reports in public administration. Furthermore, the attention paid by academics has been favoured by the introduction of a new form of regulation by policy makers. Specifically, a large part of these studies has regarded the heritage sector d...

Nell'ambito dell'attuale contesto economico, il settore pubblico risulta essere elemento centrale delle dinamiche economiche e sociali che caratterizzano un dato contesto territoriale. In tal senso, i profili organizzativi e gestionali che si realizzano al suo interno devono sempre più essere indirizzati verso criteri che tengano ben presente la sc...

In recent years, non-financial reporting has spread widely in Europe due to the growing attention paid by stakeholders and policymakers to this topic. Specifically, the European context has been characterised since 2017 by the rapid growth of mandatory non-financial reporting because of the transposition of the EU Directive 95/2014 by the EU Member...

The achievement of a high degree of sustainable development is one of the main challenges for worldwide policy makers. One of the main initiative to address this challenge is represented by the Agenda 2030 who represents a first attempt to involve directly both public and private sector in these practices. Contrarily to Millenium Development Goals...

La Direttiva 2014/95/UE rappresenta in ambito comunitario un importante risultato che testimonia il consolidamento della Corporate Social Responsibility nei processi di rendicontazione d'impresa. Nell'ordinamento italiano la suddetta direttiva è stata recepita mediante il decreto legislativo 30 dicembre 2016, n. 254 che ha previsto l'obbligo per gl...

THE STATE OF ART OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EDUCATION IN ITALIAN UNIVERSITIES. AN EXPLORATIVE ANALYSIS.) Over the years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly central role within the Italian context. The diffusion of this theme, favoured by the interventions of the Community legislature, has determined for the companies the...

In 2012, Italy introduced the "Legality Rating" into its legal system. The purpose of this rating is to support the most virtuous companies in terms of access to credit and in the granting of state contributions through a reward system that provides for the possibility of maturing different levels of quality. The growing number of ratings assigned...

The CSR theme has taken on an increasingly central role within financial markets. In fact, the last decade has been characterized by a rapid development of "socially responsible" investment, conventionally known as SRI. In this sense, an increasing number of listed firms have reported their non-financial information to the purpose to favor the inte...

In recent years, the attention of companies to the theme of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has grown considerably. This phenomenon has been favoured by the recognition by companies of competitive advantages connected to the adoption of practices oriented to sustainable development. The potential areas of benefits connected to the adoption of...

According to the Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial information (NFI), from 2017 onwards, large companies of Member States will be required to provide a series of social, environmental and governance disclosures. This paper, focusing on the evaluation of the quality of NFI in the UK and Italy before the implementation of the EU Directive, invest...

In last years, the EU institutions have implemented policies aimed at supporting the internationalization of SMEs. In 2012, Italy has transposed this Community impulses through the introduction into national law of the network contract (NC). The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of NC in competitive processes of business internationaliza...

Il presente lavoro esamina il concetto della distanza percepita dai consumatori in relazione alla scelta dei punti-vendita (“distanza psichica”) e la sua relazione con l’inquinamento acustico nei tragitti da effettuare per fare la spesa. Dai risultati di uno studio condotto in una media città italiana (Lecce) mediante il Multi Dimensional Scaling (...

According to Directive 2014/95/EU on disclosure of non-financial information from 2017 onwards, large companies (exceeding 500 employees) headquartered in Member States will be required to provide a series of social, environmental, and governance statements. The Directive was transposed into Italian law by Legislative Decree 254 of 30 December 2016...

According to the Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial information, from 2017 onwards, large companies (exceeding 500 employees) belonging to Member States will be required to give a series of social, environmental and governance disclosures. Nowadays, Member States are developing plans for transposition of the EU Non-financial reporting (NFR) Dire...

The aim of this study is to analyze, from a quantitative point of view, the water impact resulting from the use of various types of crops in the production of biodiesel. Particularly the study identifies three agricultural feedstock, uses the value of the water footprint associated with them as discriminating criteria and gives rise to a water foot...