Purpose. The paper aims at finding out how significantly stakeholders are consulted and involved by preparers, Ukrainian publicly-listed agricultural companies, while compiling sustainability reporting (SR) and by assurance providers, during assurance processes of SR. The paper’s main research question may be formulated as follows ‘How deeply stakeholders are involved at Ukrainian agricultural companies in the preparation of their sustainability reporting and assurance?’ Methodology / approach. The study utilizes widely used techniques in this field content analysis of sustainability reports based on suggested coding rules which in turn grounded in the leading literature. Authors use a multidimensional coding system (with a maximum score of 12 points) which consists of three elements and offers an aggregate assessment of the information disclosure of the involvement of stakeholders in sustainability reporting. Also authors base on frameworks for classification of the stakeholders’ engagement level into three levels (information, response and involvement strategies). The paper’s sample although tiny, only five years/company observations, is comprehensive since it includes all Ukrainian agricultural companies presented in GRI SDD database one of the largest databases of its kind. To analyze only the latest relevant experience, authors have limited the report type to the latest GRI modification – GRI Standards. As a result of five steps in the sample formation process, it is equal to 3 companies that produced 5 reports in the period between 2017 and 2019 years. Results. While the used coding structure allowed for a maximum of 12 points, the analysed reports were able to reach only half of this as one report earned 7, one – 6 and the rest was marked with 5 points. From the three companies from our sample frontrunner is Astarta Holding. Astarta Holding excels in materiality relevance (4 points) and is the only company assured its sustainability report. Authors find that the engagement strategy of the companies being analyzed mostly consists of action intended to inform (level 1) as well as consult and support stakeholders (level 2), whilst deep involvement strategy (level 3) is being almost neglected. In regards to focus, we find that the most cited stakeholders in engagement actions are on level 1 employees, consumers and suppliers. Consumers also alongside authorities and local communities are the most cited stakeholders on the level of response strategy, whereas the authorities are the single stakeholders' group being honoured to be treated on the highest third level. The authors’ general impression is that for the most part legitimacy theory is the best theory to explain the behaviour of compilers of reports from the sample because mostly management uses rhetorical tools to cover its activities, while the reporting itself lacks specifics about negative externalities. For authors, it looks like an exercise in self-legitimization. It appears that the companies studied has not yet fully performed the transfer from ‘stakeholder management’ to ‘stakeholder engagement’. It is the authors’ understanding that all this has roots in the very perverted perception of sustainability reporting as a continuation of financial reporting although it is not. In financial reporting, materiality is defined internally as a percentage of some indicators in the balance sheet and/or statement of financial performance, in sustainable reporting, materiality is not only important in the assurance, but it is a cornerstone in the preparation of SR itself. Originality / scientific novelty. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that extends the analysis the stakeholders’ engagement in the sustainability reporting to the Ukrainian agricultural companies, thus shedding some light on that unexplored (underexplored) practice. Practical value / implications. First, sustainability reporting practices in Ukraine is in its infancy, and therefore any shortcomings identified will be a guide to action to adjust these approaches in the future. Secondly, our analysis can also be seen as the dissemination of best practices. The companies we have chosen are pioneers in this matter, so they can at the same time be considered as role models for others, but taking into account the experience gained by them. Besides, in addition to companies, our findings can be useful for regulators and public authorities alike in terms of adjusting the approach to regulating this area.
The paper explores how companies from Central and Eastern Europe adopt assurance practices to provide accountability for sustainability. Drawing on modified coding rules from prior research, a conventional content analysis of 36 assurance statements companies from nine countries was conducted. The results imply differences in the content of reports, processes, and implementation of the standards. Exclusively large and multinational enterprises from the energy sectors domiciled in Poland and Hungary are a typical portrait of a company from the study’s sample, striving to issue and assure sustainability reporting. Of the nine countries represented in the study, sustainability assurance statements of companies from Poland, Hungary, and Romania tend to excel in terms of quality. The vast majority of assurance providers belong to the Big Four, who use ISAE3000 as opposed to AA1100AS. Yet, irrespective of the assurance provider type, stakeholders are neglected. It is argued that just transferring the experience of financial auditing to the field of sustainability, which, by and large, has taken place, is not an option. Authors state that following this route, we are heading in the wrong direction, and in technical terms, the wider proliferation of AA1100AS and its principles, with greater emphasis on reasonable assurance as opposed to the limited and enhanced role of stakeholders, are vital to get back on track. The paper contributes to the emerging literature on accountability standards and stresses the need to enhance sustainability-related assurance.
The aim of the study is to reveal the logistical component of sustainable development of regions in the context of decentralization reform in Ukraine. The role of logistics in ensuring the balanced development of regions and united territorial communities to gain their competitive advantages is shown. The dynamics of the Logistics Efficiency Index (LEI) of Ukraine in comparison with some other countries and the dynamics of the components of LPI in Ukraine for the period 2007-2018 are analysed. A number of problems that cause a low level of logistics in Ukraine have been identified and ways to improve the logistics activities of the regions have been proposed. A system for managing the logistics activities of the united territorial communities has been developed, which is the starting point for the organization of the social development management system. The system is a multi-component structure that combines objects, tasks, management methods and techniques, evaluation indicators and indicators. It should cover enterprises of production and non-production spheres, infrastructure facilities, organizations and institutions, interconnected in the decision-making process on the directions and ways of using elements of resource flow in the region and aimed at through optimization of flow processes based on estimating and minimizing logistics costs.
The full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has formed a completely new socio-economic reality of the functioning of all the sectors of the national economy. The new operating conditions have become a significant challenge for the hotel and restaurant business as well: some business entities were forced to completely stop their activity or repurpose it. Considering that, the issues of forming key strategic orientations and approaches in the hotel and restaurant business with the aim of preserving it and forming the potential of post-war development are gaining special relevance today. The purpose of the research is to characterize the key challenges of the hotel and restaurant business in wartime and to substantiate possible strategies for their survival.Methods. The study analyzes the activities of business entities in the hospitality industry, based on the data of the official statistics and the results of surveys by international analytical companies. An adapted method of ABC analysis is applied in order to rank the challenges of the hospitality industry under martial law conditions.The findings of the research. An analysis of the main indicators of the hospitality industry in Ukraine until 2022 is carried out. The composition and structure of the key challenges to the functioning of business in the conditions of martial law are studied. The identified factors are ranked and classified into three groups: general, specialized, and individual importance. The specific challenges of the hospitality industry under martial law are outlined and possible strategies for overcoming them are defined
The research views staff behavior as a complex mechanism of motivators through the lens of rationality, which obeys the principles of the transitivity axiom and the law of declining marginal utility in times of crisis, including the quarantine COVID-19 pandemic, budget constraints. The factors which affect the behavior of hotel and restaurant staff form a field for understanding behavioral responses. The interests and motives that regulate the behavior of the staff, in this case, reflect the map of utility, which allows modeling the usefulness of employment in an enterprise. It is substantiated that the behavior of the staff should be correlated with the influence of leadership and agile management methods (Scrum, Kanban). The Agile determinants in the pandemic client-oriented management of the hotel and restaurant business provide an algorithmic explanation for the application of the approaches in practice. Flexible management methods allow you to create organizational values for staff, which allows you to build value dependencies within cross-functional team management. The result is the consideration of motivational types of staff and methods for choosing the right Agile approach. It also suggested ways to reformat the hotel and restaurant business in the pandemic and change the professional roles of workers to survive and create conditions for rapid rehabilitation and recovery in the post-quarantine period.
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