Purpose Social return on investment (SROI) has received increasing attention, both academically and professionally, since it was initially developed by the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund in the USA in the mid-1990s. Based on a systematic review of the literature that highlights the potential and limitations related to the academic and professional development of the SROI model, the purpose of this study is to systematize the academic debate and contribute to the future research agenda of blended value accounting. Design/methodology/approach Relying on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach, this study endeavors to provide reliable academic insights into the factors driving the usage of the SROI model and its further development. Findings A systematic literature review produced a final data set of 284 studies. The results reveal that despite the procedural accuracy characterizing the description of the model, bias-driven methodological implications, availability of resources and sector specificities can influence the type of approach taken by scholars and practitioners. Research limitations/implications To dispel the conceptual and practical haze, this study discusses the results found, especially regarding the potential solutions offered to overcome the SROI limitations presented, as well as offers suggestions for future research. Originality/value This study aims to fill a gap in the literature and enhance a conceptual debate on the future of accounting when it concerns a blended value proposition.
The social impact assessment (SIA) process is widely utilised and is receiving increasing interest from both scholars and practitioners. A systematic approach was applied in this study to search for articles about SIA models. In the first step, we analysed six main SIA model mappings between 2004 and 2015. In the second step, 98 models were identified. The main findings include the definition of emerging paths for the future research agenda on this topic. Compared with previous SIA mappings, we identified 22 additional models that are related to the sustainability discourse. The meaning of sustainability is defined both by the emergence of new systems in finance that require specific metrics and in relation to the global agenda towards sustainable development. It is interesting to notice how social impact models, sustainability indicators (under the global framework of sustainable development goals (SDGs)) and new financial scores (such as environmental, social and governance (ESGs)) are converging into a common discourse, even if divergence is still present, and further research is needed to unlock the relationships among them.
The extent of the effects produced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the collaboration between public administrations and the third sector is currently unclear. Undoubtedly, as in any other organizations, social enterprises and non-profit organizations have been severely affected by the spread of COVID-19, especially regarding their relationship with the public sector. Based on an analysis of 563 Italian third sector entities (ETSs) that responded to an online survey launched in March 2020, this study aims to explore the current state and extent of the potential change in the collaboration between organizations belonging to the third sector and the Italian public administration system in response to the COVID-19 emergency. The results have shown that only approximately one-third of the organizations have been asked to jointly contribute with the public sector to contain the negative effects of the pandemic. In other cases, spontaneous support initiatives have been undertaken to manage the crisis. The findings have also revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the internal operating and functioning mechanisms of the organizations operating in the third sector. The study concludes with a forecast of the potential exacerbation of the difficulties currently faced by the third sector and with the provision of future strategic paths to contain the health, social and economic effects of the pandemic.
This paper aims at investigating a perspective for the social impact measurability by collecting and analysing open data at the international level. Our goal is to shed light on the unlocked potential of the knowledge produced by a global community of scholars and practitioners engaged in social impact measurement processes. Global open data on social impact assessment (SIA) have been mapped and collected in a database using the impact chain as a reference point for choosing the variables. In this paper, we focus on the potential use of these data to enable forecasting analysis about the expected social value and to inform decision-making processes aimed at responding to complex social challenges. The early findings suggest the opportunity of a wider actionresearch initiative, by engaging different typologies of stakeholders and organizations aimed at incorporating social impact as a key strategic driver.
Research into public value creation is advancing. A new field of interest consists in the use of Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) as a social finance scheme and in the analysis of its ability to enhance collaborative relationships for public value creation.The research objective is twofold. Firstly, it aims to frame SIBs in public management studies. The second goal is to provide an analytical tool to assess the feasibility and effect of SIBs.The research provides a formal model proposal that shows key variables, their interactions and the conditions of success of a SIB within the context of value co-creation. ImpactConsidering that there is currently little understanding about SIBs, this research may help inform a public debate on impact finance, and to help policy makers to be more aware of the developing potential and downsides for SIBs. The practical implications of this research are addressed mainly to policy makers and public bodies to have tools, applying to proposed variables, to assess expectations when they are involved in a process of SIB design. At the same time, those variables can be useful for other SIBs 'actors to underpin SIBs 'key aspects, through the three dimensions presented, shaping a clear framework of bargaining.
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