DRIVERS OF EXPANSION OF SOCIAL ACCOUNTINGAND REPORTING: INDICATION OF BIBLIOMETRIC TRENDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2667.2024/224-1/9Keywords:
bibliometric analysis, environmental accounting, environmental and social issues, scientific articles, sustainability accounting, socioeconomicsAbstract
Background. Due to the demand of stakeholders for information about social and environmental aspects of business, the system of social accounting and reporting (SAR) has become important in promoting the ideology of sustainable development at the micro-level. Conducting SAR research provides socio-ecological reporting practices with a theoretical basis for further development and improvement. The bibliometric evaluation of SAR publications enables the identification of promising trends in the research domain evolution, which will accelerate its effective development. The article aims to substantiate the issues of further research on reporting, which is compiled according to the data of social accounting, based on the analysis of bibliometric characteristics and the assessment of trends in the evolution of the topic of scientific publications on SAR.
Methods. Bibliometric methods of scientific productivity and thematic and chronological clustering of keywords have been applied to a combined sample of 401 SAR articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science from 1970 to 2023.
Results. The aggravation of ecological and social problems has made SAR topics relevant for scientists from all continents after 2007. Authors from developed countries, who initiated this research domain, have the highest number of articles and citations. The analysis of the scientific productivity of the domain indicates a significant impact of its ideas on related scientific areas. Organizational and legal aspects of social accounting, modeling social accounting matrices and issues related to environmental accounting and sustainability reporting are the most significant thematic areas within SAR domain.
Conclusions. According to the chronology of its appearance and evolution, the scientific ideas of SAR are significantly ahead of the sustainability concept as a worldview ideology of the 21st century. The SAR domain has a high level of autonomy in the formation and development of thematic research areas. The implementation of Directive 2022/2464/EU can stimulate the use of social accounting tools and as well as activate research on the impact of sustainability reporting on corporate governance effectiveness and firm performance.
Downloads
References
Adelman, I., & Robinson, S. (1986). US agriculture in a general equilibrium framework: analysis with a social accounting matrix. American Journal of Adelman, I., & Robinson, S. (1986). US agriculture in a general equilibrium framework: analysis with a social accounting matrix. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 68(5), 1196–1207. https://doi.org/10.2307/1241875
Akkemik, K. A. (2012). Assessing the importance of international tourism for the Turkish economy: A social accounting matrix analysis. Tourism Management, 33(4), 790–801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2011.09.002
Batista-Canino, R. M., Santana-Hernández, L., & Medina-Brito, P. (2023). A scientometric analysis on entrepreneurial intention literature: Delving deeper into local citation. Heliyon, 9(2), e13046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13046
Brookes, B. C. (1979). The Bradford law: A new calculus for the social sciences? Journal of the American Society for Information Science (pre-1986), 30(4), 233. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.4630300412
Burritt, R. L., & Schaltegger, S. (2010). Sustainability accounting and reporting: fad or trend? Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 23(7), 829–846. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513571011080144
Cardenete, M. A., Fuentes‐Saguar, P. D., & Polo, C. (2012). Energy intensities and carbon dioxide emissions in a social accounting matrix model of the Andalusian economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16(3), 378–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00457.x
Defourny, J., & Thorbecke, E. (1984). Structural path analysis and multiplier decomposition within a social accounting matrix framework. The Economic Journal, 94(373), 111–136. https://doi.org/10.2307/2232220
Fusco, F., & Ricci, P. (2019). What is the stock of the situation? A bibliometric analysis on social and environmental accounting research in public sector. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 32(1), 21–41. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-05-2017-0134
Gray, R. (2013). Back to basics: What do we mean by environmental (and social) accounting and what is it for? – A reaction to Thornton. Critical perspectives on Accounting, 24(6), 459–468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2013.04.005
Gray, R., & Bebbington, J. (2000). Environmental accounting, managerialism and sustainability: Is the planet safe in the hands of business and accounting?. In M. Freedman & B. Jaggi (Eds.), Advances in Environmental Accounting & Management (pp. 1–44). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3598(00)01004-9
Gray, R., Owen, D., & Adams, C. (2009). Some theories for social accounting? A review essay and a tentative pedagogic categorisation of theorisations around social accounting. In M. Freedman & B. Jaggi (Eds.), Sustainability, environmental performance and disclosures (Vol. 4, pp. 1–54). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3598(2010)0000004005
Gül, H., & Çaǧatay, S. (2015). Impact analysis of demand-driven shocks in Turkey's tourism industry within the framework of the social accounting matrix. Tourism Economics, 21(1), 33–48. https://doi.org/10.5367/te.2014.04
Harzing, A. W. (2013, May 23). The Publish or Perish Book: Your guide to effective and responsible citation analysis. Harzing.com. https://harzing.com/popbook/index.htm
Hayden, C., & Round, J. I. (1982). Developments in social accounting methods as applied to the analysis of income distribution and employment issues. World Development, 10(6), 451–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(82)90002-X
Hörisch, J. (2021). The relation of COVID-19 to the UN sustainable development goals: Implications for sustainability accounting, management and policy research. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 12(5), 877–888. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-08-2020-0277
Jones, M. J. (2010). Accounting for the environment: Towards a theoretical perspective for environmental accounting and reporting. Accounting Forum, 34(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accfor.2010.03.001
Kabir, H., & Akinnusi, D. M. (2012). Corporate social and environmental accounting information reporting practices in Swaziland. Social Responsibility Journal, 8(2), 156–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/17471111211234699
Keuning, S. J., & de Ruuter, W. A. (1988). Guidelines to the construction of a social accounting matrix. Review of Income and Wealth, 34(1), 71–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.1988.tb00561.x
Killian, S., & O'Regan, P. (2016). Social accounting and the co-creation of corporate legitimacy. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 50, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2016.02.004
Lamberton, G. (2005, March). Sustainability accounting – a brief history and conceptual framework. In Accounting Forum (Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 7–26). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accfor.2004.11.001
Lewis, B. D., & Thorbecke, E. (1992). District-level economic linkages in Kenya: evidence based on a small regional social accounting matrix. World Development, 20(6), 881–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(92)90058-4
Llena-Macarulla, F., Moneva, J. M., Aranda-Usón, A., & Scarpellini, S. (2023). Reporting measurements or measuring for reporting? Internal measurement of the Circular Economy from an environmental accounting approach and its relationship: Reportar mediciones o midiendo para reportar? Medición interna de la Economía Circular desde una perspectiva de la contabilidad medioambiental y su interrelación. Revista de Contabilidad-Spanish Accounting Review, 26(2), 200–212. https://doi.org/10.6018/rcsar.467751
Ma, N., Waegel, A., Hakkarainen, M., Braham, W. W., Glass, L., & Aviv, D. (2023). Blockchain+ IoT sensor network to measure, evaluate and incentivize personal environmental accounting and efficient energy use in indoor spaces. Applied Energy, 332, 120443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120443
Marco-Fondevila, M., Benito-Bentué, D., & Scarpellini, S. (2023). "Old" financial instruments in "new" circular models: Applied environmental accounting in the banking sector for reporting in a circular economy. Revista de Contabilidad-Spanish Accounting Review, 26(Special), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.6018/rcsar.576251
Marrone, M., Linnenluecke, M. K., Richardson, G., & Smith, T. (2020). Trends in environmental accounting research within and outside of the accounting discipline. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 33(8), 2167–2193. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-03-2020-4457
Mata, C., Fialho, A., & Eugenio, T. (2018). A decade of environmental accounting reporting: What we know? Journal of Cleaner Production, 198, 1198–1209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.087
Ng, A. W. (2018). From sustainability accounting to a green financing system: Institutional legitimacy and market heterogeneity in a global financial centre. Journal of Cleaner Production, 195, 585–592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.05.250
Owen, D. (2008). Chronicles of wasted time? A personal reflection on the current state of, and future prospects for, social and environmental accounting research. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 21(2), 240–267. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570810854428
Pasko, O., Chen, F., Oriekhova, A., Brychko, A., & Shalyhina, I. (2021). Mapping the literature on sustainability reporting: A bibliometric analysis grounded in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(1), 303–303. https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2021.v10n1p303
Passetti, E., Cinquini, L., Marelli, A., & Tenucci, A. (2014). Sustainability accounting in action: Lights and shadows in the Italian context. The British Accounting Review, 46(3), 295–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2014.05.002
Pyatt, G., & Round, J. I. (1979). Accounting and fixed price multipliers in a social accounting matrix framework. The Economic Journal, 89(356), 850–873. https://doi.org/10.2307/2231503
Rodrigues, M., do Céu Alves, M., Oliveira, C., Vale, V., Vale, J., & Silva, R. (2021). Dissemination of social accounting information: A bibliometric review. Economies, 9(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies9010041
Scandizzo, P.L., & Ferrarese, C. (2015). Social accounting matrix: A new estimation methodology. Journal of Policy Modeling, 37(1), 14–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2015.01.007
Scarpellini, S., Marín-Vinuesa, L. M., Aranda-Usón, A., & Portillo-Tarragona, P. (2020). Dynamic capabilities and environmental accounting for the circular economy in businesses. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 11(7), 1129–1158. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-04-2019-0150
Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D., & Zvezdov, D. (2013). Is environmental management accounting a discipline? A bibliometric literature review. Meditari Accountancy Research, 21(1), 4–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-12-2012-0039
Seung, C. K. (2014). Measuring spillover effects of shocks to the Alaska economy: an inter-regional social accounting matrix (IRSAM) model approach. Economic Systems Research, 26(2), 224–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/09535314.2013.803039
Schaltegger, S., & Burritt, R. L. (2010). Sustainability accounting for companies: Catchphrase or decision support for business leaders? Journal of World Business, 45(4), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.08.002
Shoeb, M., Aslam, A., & Aslam, A. (2022). Environmental accounting disclosure practices: A bibliometric and systematic review. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 12(4), 226–239. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.13085
Singh, A., Panackal, N., & Shankar, G. (2017). Factors influencing legal framework of environmental accounting in Indian industries – Overview and theoretical framework. Nature Environment & Pollution Technology, 16(2), 1–8. https://neptjournal.com/upload-images/NL-60-12-(10)B-3385com.pdf
Spence, C. (2009). Social accounting's emancipatory potential: A Gramscian critique. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 20(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2007.06.003
The European Parliament & the Council of the European Union. (2022, December 16). Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 537/2014, Directive 2004/109/EC, Directive 2006/43/EC and Directive 2013/34/EU, as regards corporate sustainability reporting. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022L2464
Thottoli, M. M. (2022). Two decades of environmental accounting: A bibliometric analysis. Institutions and Economies, 14(4), 83–113. https://doi.org/10.22452/IJIE.vol14no4.4
Thottoli, M. M., Islam, M. A., Sobhani, F. A., Rahman, S., & Hassan, M. S. (2022). Auditing and sustainability accounting: A global examination using the Scopus database. Sustainability, 14(23), 16323. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316323
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2014). Visualizing bibliometric networks. In Y. Ding, R. Rousseau, & D. Wolfram (Eds.), Measuring scholarly impact: Methods and practice (pp. 285–320). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10377-8_13
Vărzaru, A.A. (2022). An empirical framework for assessment of the effects of digital technologies on sustainability accounting and reporting in the European Union. Electronics, 11(22), 3812. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11223812
Vysochan, O., Hyk, V., Vysochan, O., & Olshanska, M. (2021). Sustainability accounting: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Quality – Access to Success, 22(185), 95–102. https://doi.org/10.47750/QAS/22.185.14
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987, March 20). Our Common Future. https://www.are.admin.ch/are/en/home/media/publications/sustainable-development/brundtland-report.html
Wood, R., Stadler, K., Bulavskaya, T., Lutter, S., Giljum, S., De Koning, A., ... & Tukker, A. (2014). Global sustainability accounting – Developing EXIOBASE for multi-regional footprint analysis. Sustainability, 7(1), 138–163. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7010138
Xu, F. (2011). A standard procedure for Bradford analysis and its application to the periodical literature in systems librarianship. Library Hi Tech, 29(4), 751-763. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831111189813
Zhong, S., Geng, Y., Liu, W., Gao, C., & Chen, W. (2016). A bibliometric review on natural resource accounting during 1995–2014. Journal of Cleaner Production, 139, 122–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.039
Zyznarska-Dworczak, B. (2020). Sustainability accounting – Cognitive and conceptual approach. Sustainability, 12(23), 9936. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239936
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Please read more here: https://econom.bulletin.knu.ua/copyright
