The purpose of the study is to analyze the credibility of non-financial reports of companies belonging to the fashion and luxury sector and to understand the role played by gender equity in the pursuit of sustainability goals. The pursuit of sustainability by nations and companies is an increasingly discussed topic in the literature and is closely related to the ways in which the activities put in place are not only implemented, but also reported and disclosed. In this context, sustainability issues are particularly relevant for companies operating in the fashion and luxury sector, where companies belonging to the "Made in Italy" can exploit a competitive advantage. In fact, a number of principles and regulations have emerged aimed at outlining proper reporting and disclosure of non-financial activities, among which those aimed at sustainability have assumed a prevalent role. Some companies, however, take a "check the box" approach with regard to sustainability-related reporting, and this has compromised their reputation, as positive results are extolled and negative ones omitted Therefore, to achieve this goal, a qualitative content analysis of reports prepared in 2021 by No. 23 companies within the top 100 global luxury brands was conducted. The qualitative analysis was carried out through a self-constructed credibility index based on Habermas' idealism. Credibility was considered as a construct consisting of: truthfulness, sincerity, and adequacy and comprehensibility. The results show that nonfinancial reports of companies operating in the fashion and luxury industries tend to have low credibility. This result contributes to the expansion of empirical research directed at verifying the credibility of communications regarding the pursuit of sustainability goals carried out by companies. The study also contributes to providing a better understanding on sustainability reporting carried out by companies in the luxury fashion industry by highlighting best practices that other companies can also follow.
Dello Strologo, A., D'Andrassi, E., Ventimiglia, F. (2023). The Credibility of Non-Financial Corporate Disclosure: Evidence from the Fashion and Luxury Sector. In Proceedings IFKAD: Managing Knowledge for Sustainability (pp.2684-2698).
The Credibility of Non-Financial Corporate Disclosure: Evidence from the Fashion and Luxury Sector
Alberto Dello Strologo;Edoardo D'Andrassi
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2023-01-01
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to analyze the credibility of non-financial reports of companies belonging to the fashion and luxury sector and to understand the role played by gender equity in the pursuit of sustainability goals. The pursuit of sustainability by nations and companies is an increasingly discussed topic in the literature and is closely related to the ways in which the activities put in place are not only implemented, but also reported and disclosed. In this context, sustainability issues are particularly relevant for companies operating in the fashion and luxury sector, where companies belonging to the "Made in Italy" can exploit a competitive advantage. In fact, a number of principles and regulations have emerged aimed at outlining proper reporting and disclosure of non-financial activities, among which those aimed at sustainability have assumed a prevalent role. Some companies, however, take a "check the box" approach with regard to sustainability-related reporting, and this has compromised their reputation, as positive results are extolled and negative ones omitted Therefore, to achieve this goal, a qualitative content analysis of reports prepared in 2021 by No. 23 companies within the top 100 global luxury brands was conducted. The qualitative analysis was carried out through a self-constructed credibility index based on Habermas' idealism. Credibility was considered as a construct consisting of: truthfulness, sincerity, and adequacy and comprehensibility. The results show that nonfinancial reports of companies operating in the fashion and luxury industries tend to have low credibility. This result contributes to the expansion of empirical research directed at verifying the credibility of communications regarding the pursuit of sustainability goals carried out by companies. The study also contributes to providing a better understanding on sustainability reporting carried out by companies in the luxury fashion industry by highlighting best practices that other companies can also follow.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
