Assessing Sustainable Outcomes of Reporting Practices by Social Enterprises

Ultimately, all businesses and not-for-profit organizations that aim to respond meaningfully and responsibly to their stakeholders (internally and externally) and, in the process, drive value creation for the short, medium, and long term will find integrated thinking to be the way forward. This thought process, which is captured in integrated reporting, will be invaluable for sustainability in the years to come. Olson and Attolini, 2017 Chapter overview Social enterprises exist to pursue social, economic, and often environmental value. However, there is little empirical research on reporting in these organizations to substantiate their performance and to show how they meet the needs and expectations of their stakeholders. Generally, there is no obligation to publicly report on their organizational performance. Multiple case study research was conducted to examine reporting and outcomes across diverse Australian social enterprises. Evidence reveals social enterprises benchmark their results, disclosing limited financial information to detailed nonfinancial data. Significantly, those organizations that provide a more cohesive analysis of their triple bottom line were able to gain additional resources to satisfy their sustainable missions. Implications are that holistic models reflecting integrated reporting can be a mechanism to bind stakeholders with organizational objectives thus, to acquire more resources to sustain operations and society. Findings of the case studies in this book chapter can be used to guide marketers to reach socially responsible consumers through disclosure of performance reporting on sustainable practices. Although third sector organizations have restricted funding bases that may limit this activity, deeper reporting practices can bring added value, particularly for such small- and medium-sized organizations.