Relationship between sustainability and innovation: an analysis of the organizational legitimacy in companies of the brazilian electric sector
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16930/2237-766220192807Keywords:
Innovation, Sustainability, Disclosure, Social report, Legitimacy.Abstract
This research aimed to identify in companies in the electric sector listed in the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) whether the innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is used as a strategic item to legitimize its actions based on the Legitimacy Theory perspective. CSR places the company acting ethically and seeking economic efficiency, without excluding social and worker needs. The paper focused on the understanding of three innovation dimensions: incremental innovation, radical innovation and game-changing innovation, related to changes in processes, actions and business relationships. This research was delineated as descriptive and documental, based on secondary data analyzed from 2011 to 2016, totaling 9 chosen companies and 54 reports. Regarding incremental innovation, although it is disclosed, it is not clear whether such actions are presented as real CSR practices or if they only seek to legitimize organizations to their stakeholders. In the radical innovation issue, for example, there were changes in suppliers’ behavior regarding the integration of innovation in the analyzed companies. In game-changing innovation, despite some initiatives, most reports did not present consistent actions. It is concluded that there is still few information of the changes brought by technological and operational innovations, arising from new practices, procedures and behaviors. In addition, innovation as a strategy can be understood as a way of legitimizing CSR actions, being more focused on obligations imposed by regulatory boards. Therefore, there is a gap as to its object as a social characteristic.References
Alrazi, B., de Villiers, C., & Van Staden, C. J. (2016). The environmental disclosures of the electricity generation industry: a global perspective. Accounting and Business Research, 46(6), 665-701. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2015.1135781 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2015.1135781
Bardin, L. (2009). Análise de Conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições 70.
BM&FBOVESPA. (2017). Carteira do Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial para 2011 reúne seis novas empresas.
Brasil. (2000). Lei nº 10.165, de 27 de dezembro de 2000.
Brasil. (2000). Lei nº 9.991, de 24 de julho de 2000.
Campbell, D., Craven, B., & Shrives, P. (2003). Voluntary social reporting in three FTSE sectors: a comment on perception and legitimacy. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal (Vol. 16). https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570310492308 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570310492308
Crisan, C. (Mitra), & Borza, A. (2012). Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibilities. International Business Research, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v5n2p106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v5n2p106
Deegan, C. (2002). The legitimising effect of social and environmental disclosures – a theorical foundation. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 15(3), 282-311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570210435852
Deegan, C., Rankin, M., Deegan, C., & Rankin, M. (2006). Report environmental news An analysis of environmental Protection Authority.
Deschamps, J. P. (2012). What is Innovation ? International Institute for Management Development, (August). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118588628
Estades, N. P. (2001). O processo que conduz à proposta hegemônica de desenvolvimento sustentável e as alternativas em discussão. In Sustentabilidad? Descauerdos sobre el desarrollo sustentable.
FGV. (2017). Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial (ISE).
Gray, R., Kouhy, R., & Lavers, S. (1995). Corporate social and environmental reporting: a review of the literature and a longitudinal study of UK disclosure. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 8(2), 47-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513579510146996 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09513579510146996
Grecco, M. C. P., Milani Filho, M. A. F., Segura, L. C., Sanchez, I.-M. G., & Dominguez, L. R. (2013). The voluntary disclosure of sustainable information : a comparative analysis of spanish and brazilian companies. Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações, 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11606/rco.v7i17.56690
Griggs, D., Stafford-Smith, M., Gaffney, O., Rockström, J., Öhman, M. C., Shyamsundar, P., & Noble, I. (2013). Policy: Sustainable development goals for people and planet. Nature, 495(7441), 305-307. https://doi.org/10.1038/495305a DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/495305a
Hooghiemstra, R. (2000). Corporate communication and impression management–new perspectives why companies engage in corporate social reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 28(1/2), 55-68. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006400707757 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4311-0_7
Iraldo, F., Testa, F., & Frey, M. (2009). Is an environmental management system able to influence environmental and competitive performance? The case of the eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) in the European union. Journal of Cleaner Production, 17(16), 1444-1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.05.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.05.013
Lanoie, P., Laurent-Lucchetti, J., Johnstone, N., & Ambec, S. (2007). Environmental policy, innovation and performance: new insights on the Porter hypothesis. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 20(3), 803-842. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9134.2011.00301.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9134.2011.00301.x
Martins, G. A., & Theóphilo, C. R. (2009). Metodologia da investigação para ciências sociais aplicadas. São Paulo: Atlas.
McWilliams, A., Siegel, D. S., & Wright, P. M. (2006). Guest Editors’ Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications. Journal of Management Studies, 43(January), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00580.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2006.00580.x
Nidumolu, R., Prahalad, C. K., & Rangaswami, M. R. (2009). Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation. Harvard Business Review, 87(9), 57-64. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2013.6601104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2013.6601104
Patten, D. M. (1992). Intra-industry environmental disclosures in response to the Alaskan oil spill: A note on legitimacy theory. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 17(5), 471-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-3682(92)90042-Q DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0361-3682(92)90042-Q
Rennings, K. (2000). Redefining innovation – Eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics. Ecological Economics, 32(2), 319-332. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00112-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(99)00112-3
Rennings, K., Ziegler, A., Ankele, K., & Hoffmann, E. (2006). The influence of different characteristics of the EU environmental management and auditing scheme on technical environmental innovations and economic performance. Ecological Economics, 57(1), 45-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.03.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.03.013
Rondinelli, D. A., & Berry, M. A. (2000). Environmental citizenship in multinational corporations: social responsibility and sustainable development. European Management Journal, 18(1), 70-84. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-2373(99)00070-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-2373(99)00070-5
Sacconi, L. (2004). Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) As a Model of “Extended” Corporate Governance. an Explanation Based on the Economic Theories of Social Contract, Reputation and Reciprocal Conformism. Management, (Wieland 2003), 1-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.514522
Scherer, A. G., Palazzo, G., & Seidl, D. (2013). Managing Legitimacy in Complex and Heterogeneous Environments: Sustainable Development in a Globalized World. Journal of Management Studies, 50(2), 259-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12014
Shocker, A. D., & Sethi, P. S. (1973). An Approach to Incorporating Societal Preferences in Developing Corporate Action Strategies. California Management Review, XV(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/41164466
Siegel, D. S. (2010). Green management matters only if it yields more green: an economic/strategic perspective. Strategic Direction, 26(2), sd.2010.05626bad.006. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2010.05626bad.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2010.05626bad.006
Szekely, F., & Strebel, H. (2013). Incremental, radical and game-changing: strategic innovation for sustainability. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 13(5), 467-481. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2013-0084 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2013-0084
UNEP. (1992). Programa das Nações Unidas para o Meio Ambiente.
UNEP. (2016). GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Voegtlin, C., & Scherer, A. G. (2017). Responsible Innovation and the Innovation of Responsibility: Governing Sustainable Development in a Globalized World. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(2), 227-243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2769-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2769-z
WBCSD. (2017). World Business Council for Sustainable Development. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9774/TandF.8757.2017.ju.00009
Zahra, S. A., Gedajlovic, E., Neubaum, D. O., & Shulman, J. M. (2009). A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(5), 519-532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2008.04.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2008.04.007
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
The copyright for articles published in this journal belongs to the author (s), with first publication rights assigned to Revista Catarinense da Ciência Contábil. Due to appearing in this publicly accessible journal, articles are free to use, with mandatory recognition of the original authorship and initial publication in this magazine and for educational and non-commercial applications. The magazine chose to use published works for non-commercial purposes, including the right to submit or work for publicly accessible databases. The content of published articles is the sole and exclusive responsibility of the authors. - The author (s) authorize (s) a publication of the article in the journal; - The author (s) guarantee (s) that a contribution is original and unpublished and that it is not being evaluated in another magazine (s); - A magazine is not responsible for the opinions, ideas and concepts emitted in the texts, for the full responsibility of the author (s); - It is reserved to the editors or the right to make textual adjustments and to adjust the article to the publication rules.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial-CompartilhaIgual 4.0 Internacional.
