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This thesis focuses on the issues related to the reporting and the management of risk in the banking sector, with specific reference to the Italian context. The thesis is oriented towards a deeper understanding on these issues, with especial attention to the importance of “to be compliant” with current regulation. In particular, the issues outlined above are addressed through the adoption of multiple theoretical and methodological perspectives, in order to progressively engage with the field of interest. The findings of this thesis have crucial implications from both the theoretical and practical perspective. Also, in providing a better understanding of the strategies of reporting and managing risk, the thesis represents an essential contribution also for context other than Italy.

In this chapter, we address the operationalization of the enterprise risk management (ERM) system in Italy. We first present some Italian economic highlights emphasizing the uncertainty characterizing the domestic development, and we focus on the recent changes in domestic regulation which are related to the concept of risk. Then, we examine the degree of knowledge of ERM in the academic arena and the role of professional bodies in this field, focusing on if and how ERM principles are embedded within organizations and effectively integrated into their practices. On the basis of the evidence from questionnaires collected from risk professionals working in prominent Italian firms, who are involved in different ways in the ERM process, we provide some concluding considerations about the degree of integration of ERM practices with governance mechanisms, accounting practices and disclosure in annual reports.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for assessing the audit evidence of the going-concern (GC) assumptions underlying the preparation of financial statements. Design/methodology/approach This research analyses 678 audit opinions of Italian listed firms from 2007 to 2016 and uses a multiple linear discriminant analysis to create a GC score, which includes variables suggested by the international standards on auditing (ISA) 570 and by literature on GC. Findings The model provides three cut-off scores which can orient auditors towards issuing the most appropriate GC audit opinions (unmodified opinion, unmodified opinion, which includes emphases of matter, qualified opinion or disclaimer of opinion). Research limitations/implications The development of the model is mainly based on public data and does not assess confidential information that is not disclosed in audit opinions. Practical implications This model can enable auditors to identify the most appropriate GC opinion and align auditor’s opinions in similar circumstances, thereby reducing their reliance on discretion and increasing the reliability of their judgement with a higher degree of accuracy. Moreover, this research lists additional events or conditions that may individually or collectively cast significant doubt on GC assumptions. Originality/value This study goes beyond the traditional decision-making process, apparently binary in nature, between “continuity” and “failure” or between “unmodified” and “modified” opinions. It is conceived to detect the different degrees of uncertainty that affect GC evaluations to orient auditors’ professional judgements.

The aim of this study is to investigate what motivates financial analysts to participate in the accounting standard-setting process. We focus on financial analysts because they are an important group of the financial statements users. The paper employs the meso-level approach used by Durocher et al. (2007) that integrates the macro domain’s focus on the standard setters with the micro domain’s focus on individuals and thus it links the characteristics of due process for standard setting with users’ attitudes. We develop a survey for the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute (CFA), which is one of the largest associations of investment professionals in the world, and collected data through computer-assisted Web interviews. We use a structural equation model with PLS to test our hypotheses. Our main findings confirm that a combination of micro and macro domains explains the frequency of financial analysts’ participation in the standard setting process. This investigation, thus, deepens our understanding of motivations behind analysts’ involvement in the accounting standard-setting process and delivers both theoretical contributions and practical insights.

The purpose of this research is to examine how environmental committees, institutional shareholdings, and board independence affect managerial carbon disclosure decisions, particularly those of firms belonging to highly polluting industries. We focus on Italian firms that operate in a code law environment but that have the option either to adopt the unitary corporate structure prevalent in common law countries or to retain the dual corporate structure used in code law countries. We use weighted and unweighted carbon disclosure indexes based on the Kyoto Protocol requirements. The findings show that all factors greatly affect voluntary carbon disclosure and that their impact is especially strong for firms in highly polluting industries. This study has important implications for managers and regulators.

This study aims to examine the influence that some characteristics of the board can have on reporting choices on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, which has become a remarkable topic over the last years. Using the stakeholder theory as theoretical lens, we intend to verify whether the board composition and board diversity represent a significant determinant of the carbon disclosure. Recent literature highlights the urgent need to provide input on the issue of carbon accounting and disclosure. Thus, it is interesting to examine what are the main governance determinants that motivate companies to take accountability paths on this particular area. It is widely accepted, in particular, that the independent directors positively influence the provision of voluntary information, because of the more pronounced monitoring action that they exercise, to protect shareholders and stakeholders. Similarly, the presence of women and different ethnic membership, as aspects of board diversity, also ensure a more efficient functioning of the board and, therefore, stimulate impressive accountability mechanisms. The analysis is conducted in Italy because the Government has recently declared the reduction of emissions (in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol parameters) as a national policy objective to be achieved until 2020. The empirical analysis was conducted through the OLS method which has confirmed that the inclusion of independent directors, as well as a more marked diversity of the board - in the form of gender and geographical component - impacting positively on the voluntary carbon disclosure. Board independence and board diversity are key factors that encourage most marked transparency mechanism for the benefit of stakeholders. Our findings should be useful for top managers and regulators who are interested in improving corporate governance practices and climate-change strategies.

This research investigates how Italian mutual credit cooperative banks, understood as ethical banks, conceive and implement the intention to contribute to the Common Good. The literature highlights that it is a complex task to identify what, in practical terms, the Common Good consists of for an entity. Hence, we refer to a Common Good-driven theory, namely, Economia Aziendale, that has the potential to overcome the above-cited lack of practical application, thus strengthening the Common Good theory’s ability to provide an appreciable framework for CSR and ethics studies. Economia Aziendale is used as a lens to analyse the case of the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Napoli. The study provides a detailed picture of the values, activities and practices of the bank contributing to the achievement of the Common Good for the local community of Naples. The findings are of relevance for the international debate on ethics in finance.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better understand how mandatory risk categories are disclosed and to provide a better understanding of the reasons why risk disclosure looks less useful than it ought to be. Design/methodology/approach – We analyze how Italian banks provide risk information, by focusing on its characteristics to find out any differences between the notes to the financial statements and the public report, both prepared in compliance with the instructions of the Bank of Italy. We assess the risk-related reporting practices of 66 Italian banks, based on a content analysis of the two mandatory reports, and verify whether bank-specific factors explain any differences. Findings – Italian banks formally comply with the Bank of Italy’s instructions, but there is discretion to choose the characteristics of the information provided. Despite different risk categories to disclose in each report, disclosure is quite uniform, although banks tend to provide denser information in the notes to the financial statements and the difference in the economic signs between the two reports decreases as the level of risk increases. Practical implications – The significance of this study goes beyond the debate taking place in the academic arena, as it can be largely relevant for preparers, those responsible for setting international and national accounting standards, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and the domestic supervisory authorities, particularly concerning the possible introduction of requirements that are more explicit than the existing ones. Originality/value – The Italian setting is very relevant because unlike other countries, Italy adopts “interventionist enforcements”, which are regarded as a critical tool for achieving the minimum disclosure requirements. Moreover, the two sets of disclosure required by the Bank of Italy have never been investigated in a single data set.