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Understanding the purpose of benefit corporations: an empirical study on the Italian case

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  • Giorgio Mion

    (University of Verona)

  • Cristian R. Loza Adaui

    (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Abstract

Rethinking the traditional understanding of organizational purpose appears to be necessary. A teleological paradigm shift seems to be on its way, changing the focus of attention from considering business organizations as instruments used to generate profits toward a more comprehensive understanding of their purpose and of the benefit they can create for society. Recently, new organizational entities have emerged, accompanied by the renewal of institutional frameworks, among them are benefit corporations. Italy was the first European country to introduce a legal framework to define the benefit corporation as a particular legal entity. The Italian law on the benefit corporations proposes the promotion of firms that pursue the generation of benefit in a responsible, sustainable, and transparent way and considering diverse stakeholders. This paper explores and describes the multidimensional understanding of benefit and purpose of Italian benefit corporations, utilizing qualitative and quantitative content analysis of 94 Italian benefit corporations’ purpose declarations, and providing a deep insight into the purpose declared by benefit corporations. The research highlights a certain vagueness in public declarations of the purpose of benefit corporations, even though it is clear that they attempt to differentiate themselves from traditional businesses by focusing on social objectives more than on economic ones. Furthermore, normative compliance emerged, but further normative requirements seem to be needed to make more effective the transformative potentiality of benefit corporations and to avoid risks of opportunistic behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Giorgio Mion & Cristian R. Loza Adaui, 2020. "Understanding the purpose of benefit corporations: an empirical study on the Italian case," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijocsr:v:5:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1186_s40991-020-00050-6
    DOI: 10.1186/s40991-020-00050-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Giorgio Mion, 2020. "Organizations with Impact? A Study on Italian Benefit Corporations Reporting Practices and Reporting Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Anette Ahsen & Kevin Gauch, 2022. "Opportunities and Challenges of Purpose-Led Companies: An Empirical Study Through Expert Interviews," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(3), pages 198-211, August.
    3. Veronica Crescenzo & Angelo Bonfanti & Paola Castellani & Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez, 2022. "Effective entrepreneurial narrative design in reward crowdfunding campaigns for social ventures," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 773-800, June.
    4. Giorgio Mion & Cristian Rolando Loza Adaui & Angelo Bonfanti, 2021. "Characterizing the mission statements of benefit corporations: Empirical evidence from Italy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2160-2172, May.
    5. Ahsen, Anette von & Gauch, Kevin, 2024. "Opportunities and Challenges of Purpose-Led Companies: An Empirical Study Through Expert Interviews," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 149875, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    6. Lyon Salia Awuah & Kwame Oduro Amoako & Stephen Yeboah & Emmanuel Opoku Marfo & Peter Ansu-Mensah, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): motivations and challenges of a Multinational Enterprise (MNE) subsidiary’s engagement with host communities in Ghana," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Kevin Levillain & Armand Hatchuel & Jérémy Lévêque & Blanche Segrestin, 2022. "The emergence of multipolar corporate governance: the case of Danone and the French Société à Mission," Post-Print hal-03689828, HAL.
    8. Patrizia Gazzola & Audrey Paterson & Stefano Amelio & Matteo Ferioli, 2022. "Certified B Corporations and Innovation: Crowdfunding as a Tool for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Diego Arias & Xabier Barriola & Cristian R. Loza Adaui, 2024. "Corporate purpose and early disaster response: Providing evidence of dynamic materiality?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4598-4612, July.
    10. Mion, Giorgio & Loza Adaui, Cristian R. & Bonfanti, Angelo & De Crescenzo, Veronica, 2023. "Mission statements and financial and sustainability performance: An exploratory study of Benefit Corporations certified as B Corps," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    11. Mara Del Baldo & Federica Palazzi, 2023. "High-Growth Benefit Corporations: Leveraging on Intangibles—Insights from Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-20, July.

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