Ethics in Finance Research: Recommendations from an Academic Experts Delphi Panel

San-José, Leire; Retolaza, José Luis

doi:10.1007/s10805-017-9293-y

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This chapter brings a succinct analysis and discussion of the main contemporary issues in Social Accounting, from the viewpoint of Ethics in Finance. This chapter has its place in a book on Ethics in Finance because Sustainability is nowadays a most relevant issue in Ethics in Finance (San-José and Retolaza 2018 ). The discussion has been organized around five major issues.…”

Section: Conclusion – Social Accounting and Ethics In Financementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In their exploration of different questions in Ethics in Finance, San-José and Retolaza ( 2018 ) point to Sustainability as one of the most pressing issues today. This is not surprising, as we are collectively becoming more aware about environmental degradation, climate change, and inequality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While those problems correspond to different causes, companies’ activities are certainly one of those factors at work. Following San-José and Retolaza ( 2018 ) definition of Sustainability, namely, “…a social and environmental balance with the aim of diminishing future negative returns or the generation of negative externalities,” it is clear that those externalities, returns, and balance have to be measured with some kind of Accounting. More precisely, with Social Accounting tools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

Zicari¹

2021

International Handbooks in Business Ethics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This chapter explores the potential and limitations of Social Accounting, a much relevant discussion in the context of a book about Ethics in Finance. This chapter intends to introduce some of the ongoing discussions around Social Accounting to scholars from other disciplines. There is no intention of presenting an exhaustive picture of Social Accounting, and the choice of literature has been narrowed to those issues more relevant for Ethics in Finance. The chapter presents a short introduction to Social Accounting and its recent history. Then, there is an exploration of five issues that may interest a general academic audience: first, the reasons and purpose of corporate disclosure of social and environmental information, being that this kind of disclosure is usually not mandatory; second, the current discussion about regulation in this field, whether regulation of Social Accounting contributes to Sustainability or not; third, an introduction to the use of Social Accounting for internal purposes, that is, information not disclosed to external parties but used instead by management for decision-making; fourth, the link between Social Accounting and financial performance; and finally, the promise of Social Accounting to contribute to Sustainability. Some of the main ideas are as follows. There is a tension between companies, which possibly do not share all social and environmental information, and stakeholders, who would expect higher transparency. Thus, we should not assume that companies naively disclose social and environmental information. Then, regulation for social reports could help to increase the quality of reports, but some studies show that regulation by itself will not automatically improve disclosure. Additionally, studies in managerial accounting emphasize the complexity of working with social and environmental indicators. Thus, it is possible that managers struggle to collect and make sense of information about all the social and environmental impacts of their firm. Furthermore, the link between sustainability and financial performance remains elusive. Finally, we should be aware of what Social Accounting can deliver (and what it cannot do) in terms of organizational change. Consequently, practitioners should not refrain from using complementary tools from other disciplines. Overall, Social Accounting can contribute in a consistent way to the improvement of corporate sustainability. In that sense, Social Accounting is an increasingly important tool for both managers and stakeholders.

show abstract

Section: Conclusion – Social Accounting and Ethics In Financementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

Zicari¹

2021

International Handbooks in Business Ethics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…San-Jose and Retolaza [5] examined a range of perspectives regarding ethics in finance, considering both the views of academic experts and those reported in studies that offer an alternative view of finance from an ethical point of view. Ethics in finance has long been a subject of study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical Versus Conventional Banking: A Case Study

Diranzo

2018

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The 2008 financial crisis has changed the structure of banking, generating public distrust in the conventional financial system. An alternative has emerged as a result of this lack of confidence. This alternative is known as ethical banking. A growing number of investors, asset managers, and financial intermediaries have incorporated sustainability considerations into their business practices. This paper discusses the origins of ethical banking and describes its primary characteristics. The goal is to determine whether ethical banking can be as profitable as conventional banking despite only investing in projects based on social values. A comparative analysis is performed to identify differences between an ethical bank (Triodos Bank) and a conventional bank (Banco Santander). The analysis was conducted to study the financial activity of both banks over a four-year period (2012-2015). The balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, liquidity ratios, indebtedness, and returns provided by both banks were analyzed. The results indicate that ethical banking is less profitable than conventional banking. Nevertheless, customers are attracted to the social investments and financial transparency that characterize ethical banking. Over the study period, Triodos Bank experienced a greater increase in the number of employees and the volume of loans and deposits than did Banco Santander. Triodos Bank invests in social and environmental projects. This investment approach makes it less profitable than Banco Santander.

show abstract

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

Zicari¹

2020

International Handbooks in Business Ethics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ethics in Finance Research: Recommendations from an Academic Experts Delphi Panel

Cited by 7 publications

References 46 publications

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

Ethical Versus Conventional Banking: A Case Study

The Many Merits and Some Limits of Social Accounting

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About