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1 – 10 of 39Sónia Monteiro, Verónica Ribeiro, Estela Vilhena, Kátia Lemos and Cristiana Molho
Some studies investigate the determinants of sustainability/integrated reporting in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). However, empirical research is still very embryonic in…
Abstract
Purpose
Some studies investigate the determinants of sustainability/integrated reporting in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). However, empirical research is still very embryonic in the scope of sustainable development goals (SDGs). As far as the authors are aware, previous research related to reporting in HEIs has not considered the linkage with the SDGs. Thus, this paper aims to analyse the disclosure on the websites of the Portuguese HEIs regarding the SDGs and their determinant factors.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on content analysis of the information disclosed on the websites of all Portuguese HEIs. Through bivariate and multivariate statistics analysis, the authors also aim to identify the explanatory factors for the SDGs reporting (such as geographical location – coast/inland, HEIs’ size, educational system – Universities and polytechnics, institutional status – public and private).
Findings
The results indicate that 63.6% of Portuguese HEIs disclose information on SDGs in their websites. Findings of bivariate analysis revealed that public and larger HEIs are those that disclose more information about SDG on their websites. However, the logit regression result found that size is the only determinant factor of SDGs reporting.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first Portuguese approach to SDGs reporting in the Portuguese higher education sector. The results will be of interest to policymakers and regulators who decide to implement and standardize SDGs reporting at higher education, as well as of HEIs’ managers who wish to follow these new trends in their reporting cycle.
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Sónia Monteiro, Verónica Ribeiro and Cristiana Molho
The implementation and reporting of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is one of the emerging challenges for higher education institutions (HEIs), but the lack of…
Abstract
Purpose
The implementation and reporting of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is one of the emerging challenges for higher education institutions (HEIs), but the lack of well-defined reporting structures and topics for this sector makes it difficult to map and evaluate HEI performance in relation to 2030 Agenda. This study aims to assess the SDG performance and reporting by the 13 HEIs that integrate the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking (THE_IR), from the perspective of the five pillars of the 2030 Agenda in the Portuguese context, where research on this topic is quite scarce.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the THE_IR methodology, an SDG reporting assessment framework with 85 key topics has been developed to search for in the institutional reports of the 13 studied HEIs. For each topic, depending on the number of institutions that disclose it, a reporting index (RI) has been calculated, which was used to compare the level of reporting between the different SDGs and pillars.
Findings
Concerning HEIs’ SDG performance in the THE_IR, the People pillar was the one with the most HEIs ranked, followed by the Prosperity pillar. The Planet pillar was less highlighted. SDG reporting varied widely among Portuguese HEIs. The SDG RI presented a mean value of 43.1%. The Kruskal–Wallis test revealed that the RI for the Planet pillar (RI = 23.6%) was statistically and significantly lower than those for the People and Prosperity pillars (RI = 48.6% and 53.5%, respectively). The results thus demonstrated some conformity of the SDG reporting with Portuguese HEI performance in THE_IR. Aside from Goal 5, the SDGs 4 and 3 stood out in the first four positions of the HEIs in the THE_IR. Goals 3 and 4 were also the most disclosed in institutional reports.
Originality/value
This study proposed and applied a new SDG reporting assessment framework for HEIs, contributing to better evaluation of the inclusion of important SDG-related topics in their institutional reports.
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Sónia Monteiro, Verónica Ribeiro, Patricia Gomes, Maria José Fernandes and Cristiana Molho
Local governments (LGs) play a crucial role as policymakers and catalysts for change at the local level, making them well-positioned to connect the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda…
Abstract
Purpose
Local governments (LGs) play a crucial role as policymakers and catalysts for change at the local level, making them well-positioned to connect the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda goals with local communities. Therefore, LGs should collect and analyze data to monitor progress toward the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and report on the outcomes. In this regard, webpages on the internet stand out as a valuable tool to enhance accountability in LGs and to promote stakeholder engagement with the community. Thus, this paper aims to analyze whether Portuguese municipalities disclose information regarding the SDGs on their websites, and to identify the main drivers of SDG web-reporting.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the theoretical foundation of legitimacy theory, this study examines the relationship between SDG reporting and the characteristics of several municipalities (such as geographical location, municipality size, financial performance, political ideology and gender), as well as adherence to some programs/networks/platforms (such as CESOP_Local and ODSLocal). The websites of 306 Portuguese municipalities were analyzed using the content analysis technique. A bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis was applied.
Findings
Bivariate analysis shows that coastal, larger and financially efficient municipalities are more likely to disclose SDG information on their websites due to visibility and stakeholder pressure. Contrary to extant literature, left-wing municipalities are not necessarily more inclined to embrace the 2030 Agenda. However, the presence of women in decision-making bodies and adherence to networks and sustainable programs positively influence SDG disclosure. In multivariate analysis, logistic regression identifies two significant factors impacting online SDG disclosure: the representation of women in municipal plenaries; and adherence to the CESOP_local network. Other factors show no significant influence, highlighting these two variables as the main drivers for SDG information disclosure.
Practical implications
The findings are in line with the literature review and lead us to conclude that SDG reporting in LGs is still in its infancy. Therefore, policymakers and regulators need to work together to implement and standardize sustainability reporting within LGs.
Social implications
Considering the significance of the gender variable, the findings could have implications for policy formulation, promoting gender diversity and its impact on the quality of SDG reporting.
Originality/value
Empirical research on SDG reporting remains limited, particularly within the context of LGs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have delved into the reporting of SDGs specifically in this Portuguese context.
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Sónia Monteiro and Verónica Ribeiro
The purpose of this paper is to present the different possibilities set out in the literature for the integration of environmental issues into the balanced scorecard (BSC), not…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the different possibilities set out in the literature for the integration of environmental issues into the balanced scorecard (BSC), not only in the private sector but also in the public sector, emphasizing the need to adapt the original model of the BSC to public entities.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review, both theoretical and empirical.
Findings
As in the private sector, the literature is not unanimous regarding the integration of environmental indicators into an independent perspective. The implementation of Kaplan and Norton’s model in the public sector, taking into consideration the environmental variable, requires double attention: on the one hand, because it is necessary to adapt it to the specificities of public entities, and on the other hand, because its environmental aim is different from and wider than that of the private sector
Originality/value
This study adds to the international research on environmental management by providing the state of the art of the integration of environmental issues into the BSC, particularly in the public sector, where literature review and empirical evidence is still relatively limited.
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Alice Loureiro, Sónia Monteiro, Verónica Ribeiro and Kátia Lemos
In 2015, the United Nations approved the 2030 Agenda defining 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and 169 targets. Among those, the target 12.6 encourages companies to adopt…
Abstract
In 2015, the United Nations approved the 2030 Agenda defining 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and 169 targets. Among those, the target 12.6 encourages companies to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle. Thus, the aim of this paper is to understand whether ISO certification is a determinant factor in SDGs reporting. Standalone non-financial reports of the largest Portuguese companies were collected from 2016 until 2020, obtaining a total of 119 reports from 41 companies: 27 (22.7%) of the reports corresponds to non-certified companies and 92 (77.3%) to certified ones. Through a content analysis of the non-financial reports, an SDG disclosure Index (SDG_IND) was developed, to measure the level of disclosure on SDG. A set of panel data based on a Tobit regression analysis was applied, in STATA software, using the total of observations during the period 2016–2020, to verify if the variable ISO certification explains the level of SDGs disclosure. Contrary to our expectation, we did not find significant differences between certified and non-certified companies concerning the SDG-related disclosure. As far as we are aware, previous research in SDG has not considered the linkage with ISO certification. This article aims to explore this gap by investigating differences between certified and non-certified companies, regarding SDG disclosure, as whether ISO certification is a determinant factor of such disclosure.
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Verónica Paula Ribeiro, Cristina Aibar-Guzmán, Beatriz Aibar-Guzman and Sónia Maria da Silva Monteiro
– The purpose of this paper is to develop environmental accounting and reporting practices (EARPs) by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop environmental accounting and reporting practices (EARPs) by Portuguese local entities and their determining factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained through a postal survey. In order to measure the degree of development of environmental accounting and reporting practices index was developed, which reflects the extent to which a set of eight EARPs have been implemented by the 69 Portuguese local entities included in the sample. Three variables are considered in this study as possible factors that drive the development of environmental management practices (EMPs) by local entities, namely, size of entity, accounting framework, degree of development of EMPs.
Findings
Results indicate the degree of development of EARPs in Portuguese local entities is low. Additionally, accounting regulation and the degree of development of EMPs are explaining factors of the degree of development of environmental accounting practices in Portuguese local entities.
Originality/value
This study adds to the international research on environmental accounting in public sector by providing empirical data from a country, Portugal, where empirical evidence is still relatively limited.
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Muhammad Shoaib Farooq and Maimoona Salam
The relationship between corporate-level green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and the implementation of cleaner production practices (CPPs) is to a great extent unexplored in…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between corporate-level green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and the implementation of cleaner production practices (CPPs) is to a great extent unexplored in previous literature. This study aims to connect them with the corporate-level green supply chain learning and organizational competitive aggressiveness, presenting a novel interpretation of social ethics and morality in CPPs.
Design/methodology/approach
To thoroughly explore this novel relationship, this study has used PLS-SEM for examining the moderated-mediation of competitive aggressiveness and green supply chain learning.
Findings
Findings based on the data collected from 176 German firms have largely confirmed our propositions. Suggesting that there is a strong positive relationship between corporate level GEO and CPPs. Furthermore, our findings have confirmed that green supply chain learning mediates the macro-level relationship between GEO and CPPs. Moreover, it is also confirmed that the mediation of green supply chain learning in the macro-level relationship between GEO and CPPs is negatively moderated by competitive aggressiveness.
Originality/value
This study offers a first-hand view of negatively moderated-mediation of competitive aggressiveness. Therefore, its findings are extremely relevant for policymakers in the domain of morality, social ethics, corporate-level GEO, sustainability, corporate-level green supply chain learning and CPPs.
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Priscila Cembranel, Luiza Gewehr, Leila Dal Moro, Paulo Guilherme Fuchs, Robert Samuel Birch and José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Andrade Guerra
This study aims to investigate the contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and propose strategies to cultivate a culture…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and propose strategies to cultivate a culture centred on the SDGs in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used encompassed an integrative literature review, combining bibliographic analysis on how HEIs incorporate the SDGs into their practices, adopting a qualitative approach for the analysis and categorization of the results.
Findings
The multifaceted contributions of HEIs in promoting the SDGs stand out, through their roles in teaching, research, management and integration and communication between university and society.
Research limitations/implications
While influencing policies at various levels, HEIs encounter challenges in the effective integration of SDGs into their strategies. This underscores the need for contextualized governance, understanding students’ perspectives on sustainability and active external collaboration in policy formulation.
Practical implications
There is an urgent need to integrate SDGs into academic programmes, emphasizing the importance of redesigning curricula, actively involving teachers, researchers and students, establishing partnerships and promoting research applied to SDGs.
Social implications
The social relevance of the study lies in the emphasis on an SDG-centred culture, involving teaching, research, outreach, community engagement and governance practices.
Originality/value
The study’s uniqueness lies in identifying persistent challenges during the transition to an SDG-centred culture, necessitating multisectoral collaboration and educational programmes that integrate sustainability principles into the strategy of HEIs.
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Sílvia Monteiro Fonseca, Sara Faria, Sónia Cunha, Márcio Silva, M. Joaquina Ramos, Guilherme Azevedo, Rui Campos, António Ruão Barbosa and Cristina Queirós
This study aims to explore patterns of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel's mental health, regarding their levels of anxiety, depression, stress, COVID-19 anxiety…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore patterns of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel's mental health, regarding their levels of anxiety, depression, stress, COVID-19 anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and well-being; and to explore variables that contribute to these patterns, among sociodemographic/professional and COVID-19 experience variables.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were 214 EMS personnel, who answered the Patient-Health Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Well-Being Questionnaire and COVID-19 related questions.
Findings
EMS personnel showed an adequate psychological adjustment during COVID-19. Two clusters/patterns were found: the poorly (34%) and the well (66%) psychologically-adjusted. Personnel's age, COVID-19 fear and workplace security measures' adequacy contributed to which pattern they were more likely to belong to.
Research limitations/implications
Despite being cross-sectional and not controlling for pre-COVID-19 data, this study adds to the COVID-19 literature. Findings call for the need to explore: other COVID-19 fears; how personnel perceive workplace security measures; COVID-19 valid instruments; pre-COVID-19 data; and mental health patterns with different rescuers.
Practical implications
Findings explored EMS personnel's patterns of mental health during the COVID-19, as well as its covariates. Results allow to better prepare emergency management, which can develop prevention strategies focused on older professionals, COVID-19 related fears and how personnel assess security measures.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the scarce literature focused on COVID-19 mental health patterns instead of focussing on isolated mental health variables, as well as what contributes to these patterns. Moreover, it is one of the few studies that focused on EMS personnel rather than hospital staff.
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