TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementing internal environmental management and voluntary environmental disclosure: does organisational change happen?
AU - Passetti, Emilio
AU - Cinquini, Lino
AU - Tenucci, Andrea
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Purpose
This research investigates to what extent the implementation of internal environmental management and voluntary environmental information is related to organisational change.
Design/methodology/approach
Organisational change literature provided a framework for the analysis of the materials which were collected through a mixed method. Data on internal environmental management were collected through a survey, while a quality disclosure index was used to assess the quality of the environmental voluntary disclosure. Interviews were used to enhance the quantitative results interpreted according to the four pathways proposed by Tilt (2006) and characterised by several levels of internal environmental management and voluntary disclosure.
Findings
The results indicated that companies implement more internal activities than external disclosure. Environmental planning and operational practices were the most important changes carried out. When environmental management accounting and environmental disclosure were also implemented, environmental aspects were more integrated within companies, thus revealing that a more structured integration of sustainability aspects within organisational values had taken place. The results underline the importance of primarily establishing a set of internal changes, driven by environmental planning, to promote organisational change.
Research implications
The study presents a larger empirical analysis of the organisational change pathways followed by companies, showing similarities and differences among the four pathways. The results underline the importance of both dimensions for studying organisational changes. The framework of Tilt has been enriched, considering a more precise explanation of the internal aspects and adding the concept of the quality of disclosure as proxy to assess organisational change.
Originality/value
Organisational change is investigated through an extensive analysis of internal and external aspects and collecting quantitative and qualitative evidence. The analysis complements previous sustainability accounting literature focused on the analysis of internal environmental management and external disclosure.
AB - Purpose
This research investigates to what extent the implementation of internal environmental management and voluntary environmental information is related to organisational change.
Design/methodology/approach
Organisational change literature provided a framework for the analysis of the materials which were collected through a mixed method. Data on internal environmental management were collected through a survey, while a quality disclosure index was used to assess the quality of the environmental voluntary disclosure. Interviews were used to enhance the quantitative results interpreted according to the four pathways proposed by Tilt (2006) and characterised by several levels of internal environmental management and voluntary disclosure.
Findings
The results indicated that companies implement more internal activities than external disclosure. Environmental planning and operational practices were the most important changes carried out. When environmental management accounting and environmental disclosure were also implemented, environmental aspects were more integrated within companies, thus revealing that a more structured integration of sustainability aspects within organisational values had taken place. The results underline the importance of primarily establishing a set of internal changes, driven by environmental planning, to promote organisational change.
Research implications
The study presents a larger empirical analysis of the organisational change pathways followed by companies, showing similarities and differences among the four pathways. The results underline the importance of both dimensions for studying organisational changes. The framework of Tilt has been enriched, considering a more precise explanation of the internal aspects and adding the concept of the quality of disclosure as proxy to assess organisational change.
Originality/value
Organisational change is investigated through an extensive analysis of internal and external aspects and collecting quantitative and qualitative evidence. The analysis complements previous sustainability accounting literature focused on the analysis of internal environmental management and external disclosure.
KW - organisational change, environmental management, environmental accounting, voluntary environmental disclosure, environmental management accounting.
KW - organisational change, environmental management, environmental accounting, voluntary environmental disclosure, environmental management accounting.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/112546
U2 - 10.1108/AAAJ-02-2016-2406
DO - 10.1108/AAAJ-02-2016-2406
M3 - Article
SN - 1368-0668
SP - 1
EP - 31
JO - ACCOUNTING, AUDITING & ACCOUNTABILITY JOURNAL
JF - ACCOUNTING, AUDITING & ACCOUNTABILITY JOURNAL
ER -