Benefit Corporation Research Articles

A Study on Improvement Plans for Public Interest Performance and Tax Balance: Focusing on public interest, and tax benefits

A Study on Improvement Plans for Public Interest Performance and Tax Balance: Focusing on public interest, and tax benefits

Indigenous Rural Entrepreneurialism and Social Venturing Within Native Alaskan and Canadian Aboriginal Communities: An Empirical Analysis of Critical Success Factors and Socio-Economic Benefits of Alaska Native Corporations

This research examines the correlation between Alaskan Native Corporations’ corporate social responsibility investment strategies and their impact on effectively creating entrepreneurial opportunities for Alaskan Native communities. Our analysis begins by examining factors affecting the alignment of Alaska Native Corporation values with indigenous cultural values (Anders & Anders, 1987). It then builds off further from previous research into social entrepreneurship and indigenous people (Curry, Donker, & Michel, 2016). We reviewed existing literature addressing connections between indigenous culture and entrepreneurial opportunities (Bardy, Drew, & Kennedy, 2011) and then adapted Donker, et. al.’s (2008) research model for assessing the relationship between corporate values and firm performance to establish a method for data collection and analysis. We hypothesize that there is a significantly positive and strong correlation between economic community development and corporate financial performance when Alaska Native cultural values are integrated into Alaska Native Corporations, when gender diversity is promoted in leadership roles within the corporations and within entrepreneurial businesses within Alaska Native communities, and when serious reasonable efforts are made to promote social well-being, economic, and educational development. In our assessment of cultural values and their impact on firm performance in Alaska Native Corporations, we used H. Donker, et. al.’s (2008) research model for assessing the relationship between corporate values and firm performance to provide a method for data collection and analysis. We also examined publicly available data regarding socio-economic factors to gauge labor participation including unemployment rates, high school Indigenous Rural Entrepreneurialism and Social Venturing in Alaska graduation rates, and student performance. This data was correlated with Alaska Native Corporation community investment programs to evaluate connections and test our hypothesis. We examined the gender diversity of Alaska Native Corporations Board of Directors to identify any impacts on firm performance, specifically how the gender diversity of corporate executive boards impacts investments in communities. Our data sample focused on the twelve regional Alaska Native Corporations, their respective non-profit foundations, and their affiliated communities.

EFFICIENCY EVALUATION OF ACTIVITY OF THE RUSSIAN PUBLIC COMPANIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF ACTIVE REGULATION OF OPERATING COSTS AND EXTERNAL EFFECTS (SHOCKS)

The author considers influences of active regulation of operating costs and negative effects (shocks) on financial policy of the Russian public companies. The Russian firms make the choice for benefit of internal financing for the purpose of increase in the corporate benefit in the conditions of external financial restrictions (sectoral sanctions). Growth of the corporate benefit leads to increment of company assets and respectively to welfare of the shareholder. The Russian public companies will review the capital structure in the conditions of growth of adjustment costs. The active policy of the Russian companies is connected with availability of sufficient size of assets which are source of mortgage providing for regulation of capital structure. Thereby, the organization solves problem of adverse selection – financing source selection taking into account its price. The companies are forced to regulate actively the capital structure in the conditions of growth of operating costs and negative shocks. Regulation of capital structure is connected with the aspiration of the company to keep part of debt for its use as financing source. Operating costs are the indicator estimating efficiency of management decisions. The Russian companies will finance the investments, first of all, by internal financing sources. Cash flows are the resource servicing the investment capital. The firms will be attracted the loan capital in the period of deficit of cash flow. The Russian companies will work in logic of precautionary motive, creating monetary stock in the conditions of shocks. The precautionary motive is the protective buffer from negative impacts from the capital markets. Low values of cash flows allow to limit the management concerning his illegal behavior – decision making in private interests.

A Social Enterprise’s Hybridising Journey to Reconcile Goals and Structure with Identity

This study highlights how a mismatch between an organisation’s goals and its legal form and structure can develop over time, and how a hybrid model may present a solution. This longitudinal qualitative study details the hybridising process by which a traditional for-profit company transformed into an employee-owned benefit corporation: the company implemented ownership and control models to sustain an identity couched in social and environmental values. The hybrid form reconciled three disparate logics that are core to the company’s identity and which became hardwired into the company’s structure. We identify and develop a novel framework describing four key phases of this firm’s hybridising process (animating, cultivating, advocating, and sustaining), mechanisms therein, and managerial implications. The firm’s progression through these phases was not guaranteed but hinged on the organisation’s specific responses to critical experiences during its hybridising journey. These findings contribute to the theory of organisational hybridising and research on benefit corporations.

Revisiting the methodology of research and implementation of Russia's national security

Subject. This article deals with the issues related to the methodology and implementation of Russia's national security. Objectives. Based on the analysis of the essence of economic security, the article aims to identify ways and formulate proposals for improving the research methodology and enhancing the effectiveness of Russia's security implementation. Methods. For the study, we used the empirical, dialectical, systems, analytical, historical, and statistical approaches. Results. The article defines the main methodological approaches to the consideration of the country's security and the problematic features of the official security strategy of Russia. It justifies human security as the key link of the country's security and provides recommendations on methodology and effective solution of problems of implementing Russia's economic security. Conclusions and Relevance. The population of the country takes the major load in financing Russia's security. Monopolized corporations benefit from the price mechanism of redistribution of monetary resources. This situation worsens the financial well-being of the majority of citizens. This leads to an aggravation of socio-economic contradictions of society with inevitable negative consequences. It is necessary to radically change the methodological approach to the formation of the principles of the regulator's economic policy, taking into account the interests of mass entrepreneurship and the material capabilities of the majority of the population of Russia. The results of the study can be used when developing and implementing economic policy in the field of security, financial management of the population, business and government agencies, as well as in the systems of secondary-level and vocational education of the country.

Why do the urgency of stakeholders matter more in the firm performance?

This study is an attempt to scrutinize the importance of different stakeholders with respect to financial performance (FP hereafter) in emerging countries context. Unlike developed countries, every element of the corporate social responsibility (CSR hereafter) is not supposed to generate similar corporate payback in the context of developing countries. Enterprises take considerable care to categorize these stakeholders in proper sequence for better corporate results. It was found empirically that CSR disclosure (CSRD hereafter) relevant to employees and communities have direct relationship with the firm‟s performance in term of earning per share (EPS).The results of this study will portray a comprehensive picture for corporate decision makers to realize the priorities and urgency of different beneficiaries for corporate benefits, existence and prosperity in the context of developing countries like Pakistan.

The Impact of Implementing Fair Value Accounting for Evaluating Economic Value of Establishments’ Fixed Capital: A Field Study at Public-Benefit Corporations in Yemen

The study aimed to identify the impact of implementing fair value accounting for evaluating the economic value of establishments’ fixed capital at public benefit corporations that represent the population of the study. The population was 11 benefit corporations operating in Yemen and included telecommunications, gas and transportation sectors. To achieve the study objective, the structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted and the questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of (369) participants. Only (278) questionnaires were valid for analysis and Smartpls3 v 3.3.3 was used to analyze the data. The study findings revealed that the implementation of fair value accounting had impact on the evaluation of the economic value of the fixed capital of establishments at the public benefit corporations. The study recommended that benefit corporations should pay more attention to fair value accounting in all its dimensions because of its strong and effective role in evaluating economic value of establishments’ fixed capital.

The Impact of Implementing Fair Value Accounting for Evaluating Economic Value of Establishments’ Fixed Capital: A Field Study at Public-Benefit Corporations in Yemen

The study aimed to identify the impact of implementing fair value accounting for evaluating the economic value of establishments’ fixed capital at public benefit corporations that represent the population of the study. The population was 11 benefit corporations operating in Yemen and included telecommunications, gas and transportation sectors. To achieve the study objective, the structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted and the questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of (369) participants. Only (278) questionnaires were valid for analysis and Smartpls3 v 3.3.3 was used to analyze the data. The study findings revealed that the implementation of fair value accounting had impact on the evaluation of the economic value of the fixed capital of establishments at the public benefit corporations. The study recommended that benefit corporations should pay more attention to fair value accounting in all its dimensions because of its strong and effective role in evaluating economic value of establishments’ fixed capital.

From Self-Publishing Collective to Multinational Corporation: The Publishing History of In Other Words–Writing as a Feminist

This case study investigates how books and journals arising from a political movement can be repackaged and commodified for the benefit of a multinational corporation 1 . In Other Words was published in 1987 in Hutchinson Education's ‘Explorations in Feminism’ series, after Hutchinson took over the series from the publications collective of the Women's Research and Resources Centre (which later changed its name to the Feminist Library, which still exists today). By the time In Other Words sold out its print run in the mid-90s, the book had passed through five publishing houses, before coming to rest with Routledge. It was out of print until 2011, when Routledge contacted the editors to say they were reissuing In Other Words as a facsimile edition in hardback, paperback, and e-book. The book was based on papers produced for a conference on feminism and writing that was held in Edinburgh in 1983, organized by Gail Chester, the author of the present article, Sigrid Nielsen, who co-edited In Other Words with Gail, and Ellie Siegel, who would have been a co-editor had she not returned to the USA. There were 130 participants at the conference, and it was organized as part of the prevailing WLM collective ethic/practice, which was to bring feminist writers together to learn from and encourage each other. While focusing on Routledge's publishing policies, the article locates these within the policies of academic book and journal publishing more widely. It reflects on the market for printing and reprinting of feminist books and journals, and the conundrums of the interface between commercial publishing and radical political projects.

Dark Patterns: Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce

Dark Patterns are defined as “tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to” (Bringull, 2017). They are implemented to manipulate users with deceptive design tactics using studies on human behavior, and are coined as “anti-user”, since the marginal benefit of corporations are being prioritized over users. This proceeding specifically studies the prevalent dark patterns in the fields of Social Media, Gaming, and E-Commerce platforms. Though Grey et al. initially characterized dark patterns into 12 types of dark patterns (Gray et al., 2018), there are plenty of studies where more categorizations of dark patterns are found in different fields. Finally, this paper sheds light on what could be the next steps for the stakeholders, such as designers, engineers and the overall socio technical system, to better regulate dark patterns in order to minimize user concerns, as well as reduce unethical design practices.

A digital platform for ethical advertising and hybrid business models for news organizations: are they greening methods for ‘news deserts’?

This article suggests that the adoption of hybrid business models coupled with the establishment of an ethical advertising platform could help counter the emergence of news deserts. The latter are geographic areas and policy issues lacking coverage because of the crisis of the commercial model of news provision. Three clusters of characteristics are used to streamline and compare business models: (1) revenue models, (2) patrons and their motives, and (3) legal frameworks for the incorporation of the organization. Hybrid business models are designed by mixing the principles underpinning the Benefit Corporation or the Low-profit Limited Liability Company (L3C), with the basic characteristics of commercial and non-profit news organizations. The term ethical advertising refers to promotional activities that non-profits and other organizations dedicated to social goals normally undertake, including marketing, fundraising, or public-awareness campaigns. Based on data published by the Internal Revenue Services, this article argues that a digital platform for ethical advertising could face a demand worth over $1 billion a year. Additionally, this platform could effectively match non-profits’ demand for an audience with a pro-social attitude with non-profit and hybrid news organizations’ need for additional revenue streams.

Has the Social Enterprise Failed

Social enterprise is a new kind of hybrid organization that integrates social and economic logics, which has made a big contribution to solving complicated social problems. Therefore, it is regarded as a power of social governance. However, some scholars indicate that it is difficult for the social enterprise to integrate different institutional logics effectively. The institutional logics coexisting within the same organization will result in difficulties in the commercial operation of social issues and leading to inefficient social governance—“social enterprise failure”. Hence, is the social enterprise a useful approach for social governance, or has it really failed? This article intends to respond to this argument.Given that the theory of social enterprise failure is taken from Benefit Corporation: A Desirable Organizational Paradigm for CSR Practice, this article firstly interprets the means of social enterprise failure, its inference logic and substitutive approach from that paper; secondly, this article diagnoses whether the social enterprise has failed through combining theories of typology and multiple institutional logics; finally, this article puts forward some suggestions to make a better understanding on the social enterprise and its social governance value.The conclusion shows that social enterprise failure is a misjudgment. According to the failure theory, the social enterprise is a kind of hybrid organization dominated by social logic, which will lead to poor social governance effectiveness. In order to solve the low efficiency of social governance, the failure theory points out B Corporation as the substitutive approach because of its balanced institutional logic arrangement. There are two categories of misunderstanding in this theory. First, the starting point （what is the social enterprise） of inferencing social enterprise failure is flawed. In fact, the logic arrangement of mixed system of the social enterprise is more diversified than the failure theory. Second, there are some logical flaws in the substitutive approach of social enterprise failure. The failure theory adopts the way of “one part instead of the whole”, that is, a certain type of social enterprise with low degree of hybridity and low social governance effectiveness replaces the social enterprise population to demonstrate that B Corporation is a more desirable subject of social governance, but the similarities between the social enterprise and B Corporation are ignored.To better reveal the social governance value of social enterprises, this article suggests that: （1） On academic research, we need to take actions to improve social enterprise paradigm establishment, especially pay attention to the social governance processes and consequences of social enterprises. （2） In practice, social problems can be solved by social enterprises through different forms, such as organization, organizational behavior, co-production, and so on.The contributions are as follows: First, this article provides a lens to make a better understanding of social enterprises from dynamic and multiple perspectives. Second, some research suggestions are put forward to improve the social governance value of social enterprises. Third, the confusion among social enterprise, B Corporation and CSR is clarified to some extent through this article’s framework, and the forms of social enterprises participating in social governance are diversified.

An Institutional Analysis of the Rise of Benefit Corporations Outside of the US: The Case of Italy

This paper contributes to the current debate about Benefit Corporations, presenting the development of this organisational model in Italy, the first country to introduce this hybrid form after the US. Grounded on an institutional logic perspective, it provides a picture of the institutional dynamics that have characterised the rise of this new entrepreneurial form outside the US. The analysis provides an in-depth foundational study of the Italian case and highlights the relevant influence of different institutional pressures in explaining the rise of and constraints in the diffusion of Benefit Corporations. Empirically, it combines secondary data, available from different public sources, and primary data collected through interviews with a series of knowledgeable informants. Based upon the analysis, two aspects appear peculiar for the development of Benefit Corporations in Italy: the interplay between the Benefit Corporation legal form and the certified B Corp model, and the rise of tensions between social entrepreneurship and the third sector ecosystem. This paper concludes that the peculiar institutional pressures leading to the birth of Benefit Corporations in Italy may be source of permanent tensions and of concern for the diffusion of the model.

Mapping the emergence of a new organisational form: An exploration of the intellectual structure of the B Corp research

AbstractThis paper explores the emergence of B Corp as a new research field through a bibliometric analysis of the B Corp literature, based on a database of 142 documents collected by Scopus and published between 2009 and 2020. This emergent field is an important component of the structural change occurring in our society, which, in recent years, has seen the emergence of new for‐profit organisational forms with a strong social consciousness. The bibliometric analysis reveals the foundational works and the historical evolution of the research field, pinpointing the connections between similar concepts in the literature on sustainable enterprises, such as B Corp, hybrid organisation, benefit corporation, and corporate social responsibility. Through a social network analysis, we sustain a relational view of B Corp research, and propose a taxonomy of concepts and terminology, which shows that the concept of B Corp defines an emergent organisational form.

Better Benefits for Better Business: Certified Benefit Corporations Connected Through Internal Communications

Despite the broad body of research examining Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communications, there remains a lack of literature discussing the expansion of Certified Benefit Corporations (B Corps), which are businesses that meet a verified social and environmental performance to advance social good. Existing research analyzes the connection of internal communications and CSR. The following research reviews this relationship and suggests that more for profit companies qualify to be an effective B Corp due to shared qualitative characteristics of internal communications.
 The characteristics reviewed are corporate storytelling, triple bottom line values, and the importance of key decision makers. The literature review connects CSR and internal communications to form the foundation of 21 interview questions. The interview questions were used to identify qualitative characteristics of B Corps through an in-depth interview process. Top key decision makers in B Corps were selected to interview to gather qualitative information on their internal communications. The interview questions led to an open dialogue about the influence B Corps has had on each company. Each interview was transcribed accordingly and discussed in the research below. Three themes were discovered after reviewing the primary research. The overall consensus suggests that a sense of strong internal communications in a company can be represented in a Certified Benefit Corporation.

Ethical Leader Promoting Human Rights: An Interview With Nonlinear Funding Innovator Richard Murray

Richard Murray is president and founder of Equity Schools, Inc., an Illinois benefit corporation developing Nonlinear Funding solutions for social causes nationally and internationally. Richard’s e...

Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions and Impact Scores of Small-Size Certified Benefit Corporations (CBCs). A Configurational Analysis of 17 Countries

The urgent need that the private sector generate positive social and environmental impacts in order to cope with the grand challenges faced by humanity and contribute to sustainable development, has ignited the need to understand the country conditions that could promote such an endeavor, especially for small firms who may have more difficulties and, among them, those that try to generate positive impacts for multiple stakeholders, such as Certified B Corporations (CBCs). To contribute to such understanding, we use fsQCA to identify the combinations of presence/absence of four entrepreneurial framework conditions (EFCs)—financing for entrepreneurs, taxes and bureaucracy, R&D transfer, and commercial and legal infrastructure—that are sufficient for the presence/absence of a high average impact score of small-size CBCs in the country. The analysis reveals that two combinations of the presence/absence of the considered EFCs are sufficient for the presence and another two are sufficient for the absence of that outcome. General patterns, specific combinations and the implications for policymakers, CBCs managers and future research are discussed.

Signaling the Adoption of the Benefit Corporation Model: A Step towards Transparency

Using the signaling theory as a reference, this research conducts an in-depth analysis of the adoption of the benefit corporation model, a legal and governance framework introduced into Italian regulations in 2016 following legislation introduced by many US states between 2010 and 2013. Focusing on the experience of Italian benefit corporations, we explore how these businesses manage their signaling environment (signaler, signal, receiver, and feedback) to obtain greater transparency. The analysis focuses on companies’ bylaws, websites, and non-financial reports and suggests that the adoption of this new hybrid business model will only translate into an opportunity for greater transparency for one in four benefit corporations. The ability to strengthen the effects of adopting this model, adequate resources, and a long-term approach are required. The model, therefore, appears to present an opportunity for larger companies that have already invested adequately in the development of communication (web) and reporting (report) tools. The results seem to suggest that, on the contrary, for small companies with less experience, transformation into a benefit corporation may generate a risk of ambiguity.

Detection of Crime Patterns in Digital Forensic Investigation to Trace the Adversaries

The use of the internet has increased significantly over the past couple of years. Access to the internet has become so common that a person without computer knowledge can also use this facility easily. This ease of availability has provided a lot of benefits to society but on the other hand misuse of the internet for personal or corporate benefits is also increasing. To prosecute cybercriminals and make some lawful checks on everyone's digital activities, digital forensic science comes into the light. In this context, we developed a new framework that improves the digital forensic investigation process. This research paper proposes a method in which we can identify the illegal activities and trace the adversaries. We capture the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) packets from the servers and workstations. This data collected from the TCP log is stored in the database and preprocessed to eliminate redundant data. Furthermore, the database also contains past data. The proposed framework has three major processes collection of TCP packets, storing and preprocessing of collected data in a database, and mining of the pattern through a digital forensic anomaly collection algorithm. For the evaluation of our proposed framework, we have developed a java based application. The results are shown in the form of reports and tables.

Best of the world or better for the world? A systematic literature review on benefit corporations and certified B corporations contribution to sustainable development

AbstractBenefit corporations (BCs) and certified benefit corporations (B Corps) are organizations committed, beyond profit, to leveraging positive environmental and social impacts. Considering their potential contributions to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development, they have received growing attention in the academic literature. To date, no study has carried out a systematic literature review (SLR) and discussed the state of the art of BC and B Corp management research. Through a SLR, this study aims to systematize the scientific knowledge related to BCs and B Corps. Sixty‐five papers have been identified, classified, and analyzed in thematic groups (legal model and governance, entrepreneurial journey, external environment, performance). Two distinct periods of publication have been identified. The first encompasses papers about BCs focused on legal model and governance; the second presents studies about B Corps within the other research themes through various lenses, such as CSR and sustainable business models. This SLR proposes further avenues of research, implications for organizations and policy makers.