Corporate Websites Research Articles

Modern slavery statements and the UK's largest housebuilding companies: an exploratory research paper

PurposeModern slavery has been identified as a problem in the construction industry, but the issue has received very limited attention in the academic literature. This exploratory paper looks to explore one of the ways in which the United Kingdom (UK)'s largest housebuilding companies have publicly addressed the issue by reviewing their modern slavery statements.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a simple methodological approach to review the modern slavery statements of the largest housebuilding companies within the UK and offers some reflections on these statements.FindingsThe findings identified a number of policy and practice responses, which characterised the selected housebuilding companies' approaches to modern slavery. The companies' approaches to modern slavery statements were seen as aspirational and perhaps best described as a work in progress.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors recognise that the paper has a number of limitations. The empirical material for the review is drawn exclusively from the corporate websites of the selected housebuilding companies at a set point in time and does not include any primary information supplied by, or obtained from, the companies' executives, managers or employees or any information obtained from the companies' contractors, subcontractors or suppliers.Originality/valueThe paper offers an exploratory review of the modern slavery statements published by the largest housebuilding companies within the UK. As such, the review makes a small contribution to addressing a gap in the academic literature on modern slavery within the housebuilding industry and will hopefully stimulate future research in the field.

Analysis of the Dialogue with Stakeholders by the IBEX 35 Companies

Stakeholder dialogue is considered a key component of companies’ corporate social responsibility strategy with the aim to discover stakeholders’ demands, expectations, and their view of the firms. Based on the stakeholder theory, this paper aims to deepen the knowledge about stakeholder dialogue by analyzing how firms conduct the dialogue with five key stakeholder groups (i.e., employees, customers, suppliers, investors and shareholders, and the community). Using a sample of 35 leading Spanish companies and, after the collection and processing of the information available in their corporate websites and reports, we have determined the channels that are used, the pursued objectives, and the main commitments achieved. The results indicate that firms are engaged in several forms of dialogue with stakeholders and use various channels which differ depending on the targeted stakeholder group. We gain insight into the initiatives with which companies engage with stakeholders, the underlying interactions, and how each stakeholder group views and assesses the firm. Practical implications for policy makers and managers, as well as future lines of research are proposed.

Be good and look good: Communicating the triple bottom line through corporate websites

In recent years, communicating about sustainability based corporate identity – i.e., the values and ethos of an organization that reflect the sustainable foundations around which the corporate brand is built – has become a central element for building a positive organizational reputation. In the business sector, the triple bottom line (TBL) approach, or a balanced conception of sustainability around environmental, social, and economic performance, has been increasingly adopted over recent decades. This paper adopts a multiple case study approach to develop and illustrate a methodology for analysing sustainability based identity as communicated through corporate websites. A critical and comparative assessment was performed on the information conveyed by a sample of ten Ibero-American companies belonging to different countries and sectors, resulting in a number of specific improvement recommendations. As part of the methodology, a dictionary comprising 354 keywords and a total of 933 variants was built corresponding to the three TBL dimensions, which was then used to perform automated content analysis across the corporate websites in the sample. Overall, this study illustrates a powerful but simple way for companies to assess and improve their communicated sustainability based corporate identity.

Beyond Rhetoric: Unraveling the Linguistic Fabric of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication

This research paper delves into the linguistic intricacies of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication, aiming to move beyond rhetorical expressions and unravel the nuanced fabric that shapes these messages. Employing a qualitative approach, the study analyzes a diverse set of CSR communication materials, including corporate reports, press releases, and website content. By scrutinizing lexical choices, tone and framing, syntactic structures, and intertextuality, the research aims to identify patterns, strategies, and potential impact on stakeholder’s perceptions of CSR initiatives. The findings of this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of how language is employed to convey social responsibility in corporate discourse. Ultimately, this research seeks to shed light on the linguistic framework that underlies CSR communication, providing valuable insights for academics, practitioners, and policymakers alike.

Circular Economy Projects and Firm Disclosures in an Encouraging Institutional Environment

This paper analyses the strategies implemented by listed Spanish companies that are leaders in their industrial environments to inform shareholders and the public about their circular economy projects. It uses content and textual approaches through the factorial correspondence analysis of all the information about the circular economy presented on corporate websites. The analysis of the 17,510 resulting terms suggests that companies prioritise discourses about a sustainable future, their commitment to the proper use of resources and the reduction or elimination of greenhouse gases. The sectors most sensitive to institutional pressures, such as oil and energy companies, are more active in disclosing the problems and desired solutions of their projects.

Whistleblowing policies and corporate values: a review of Australia\u2019s largest corporations

Values are the precursors of ethical behaviour. In this research study, Australia’s largest securities exchange-listed companies were explored for alignment of their corporate values as published on their public website to their whistleblower policies (WBP). The Corporations Act 2001 requires organisations’ WBPs to be externally available to facilitate reporting by former employees and others, yet five organisations (10.2%) had not posted their WBP on their corporate website. Most (n = 44, 89.8%) of Australia’s 49 largest companies profess corporate values on their public website, but only one also fully replicated their corporate values in their WBP. Two organisations made no mention of their corporate values in either location. Of the 44 organisations which posted their WBP on their corporate website, 29.6% (n = 13) make no mention of their corporate values in their WBP (either specifically or generically as “values”). Most organisations (70.5%; n = 31) evidenced weak or no alignment of values across their website and WBP. Notably, 22.7% (n = 10) have a partial listing of their values in their WBP, rather than the full set, and 11.4% (n = 5) have a different/unmatched set of values as compared to those listed on their website. Corporate values such as trust, integrity, safety, respect, and accountability are the ethical buttress of a whistleblowing management system, and when WBPs explicitly express corporate values as fundamental to purposing the policy, this potentially creates a shared values alliance between employees and the organisation voicing support for prosocial behaviours (including whistleblowing).

Recruiting on the Net: insights for employers from prospective employees

Purpose Drawing on the signaling theory and technology acceptance model, the main purpose of this study was to predict prospective employees' intentions to apply for jobs in a firm, with a special focus on the mediating role of attitudes toward corporate websites and the moderating role of perceived value fit. Design/methodology/approach Collecting data from a convenient sample of 318 prospective job candidates, the research hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS (version 24) and SPSS Process Macro (version 3.4). Findings The test results revealed that prospective employees' attitudes toward corporate websites partially mediate the association of corporate reputations, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness with their intentions to apply for jobs in an organization. Noticeably, perceived value fit moderated the perceived usefulness–application intentions link in such a way that the impact of perceived usefulness on intentions to apply appears higher for individuals with a low level (than a high level) of perceived value fit. Research limitations/implications Consistent with the research findings, a notable theoretical contribution and practical implications for HR professionals have been discussed. This paper ends with outlining some limitations and future research directions. Originality/value Despite having the salient buffering effects of perceived value fit on the applicant attraction process, empirical study on this theoretical phenomenon is still sparse in a pre-employment context. This may be the first study that demonstrates under what circumstances prospective employees' job pursuit intentions could be optimized in respect of their perceived value fit within a single framework comprised of two theories.

О подходе использования headless CMS при разработке корпоративных интернет-сайтов

Today, content management systems (CMS) are often used to manage the content of an organization's corporate website. There are two large groups of CMS: traditional and headless. Both groups have their pros and cons. Different types of CMS should be used depending on the complexity of the site. Most traditional CMS support their own templates for graphic design of the site and are often difficult for ordinary users to use. In view of this, the article will propose an approach that, although it somewhat complicates the process of developing a site, but provides ease and flexibility in its further support. Aim. Consider the varieties of content management systems. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of CMS. Consider the cases in which it is worth using this or that type of system when developing corporate sites for an organization. Propose a component-based approach for use in a headless CMS in order to facilitate the development, maintenance and updating of a corporate website. Materials and me-thods. Two types of CMS systems are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of different types of content management systems are described. A comparative analysis of headless CMS is carried out. Requirements for the content management system are formulated. The most suitable headless CMS is selected with the possibility of using the component approach when developing a corporate website. Results. This article describes the pros and cons of different types of CMS. A description of the cases in which one or another type of CMS should be used is given. Describes the requirements for a CMS to apply the component approach. Conclusion. As a result of the study, a comparative analysis of headless CMS was carried out and a brief example of using the component approach for designing the pages of a company's corporate website was developed.

Corporate Websites and their Multilingual Dissemination. An analysis of Southern Spain Tourism Sector

Information and Communication Technologies provide valuable opportunities for companies to expand their business. In this sense, the availability of a multilingual corporate website can be of great help when it comes to reach international targets at a reduced cost. This is especially relevant in countries with remarkable tourism flows and foreign population, which is the case of Spain. The aim of this paper is to analyze the web presence and the multilingual dissemination of their corporate information of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from the tourist sector located in Andalusia (Spain). To meet this objective, a sample of 160 SMEs has been analyzed. A frequency analysis has been carried out as well as decision trees, the latter in order to identify drivers for influencing companies for having a website and its subsequent translation. Results show that, although around 70% of the companies had a corporate website, less than 40% of them translated their content and, if they do it, they mostly offered only one translated version of the webpage.

WEBSITE DISCLOSURES OF SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR: AN ANALYSIS OF HOTEL CHAINS IN ZIMBABWE

Purpose - The aim of this study was to analyse website disclosures of sustainability practices by major hotel chains in Zimbabwe. Design - Five major hotel chains in Zimbabwe were purposively selected for this study. The corporate websites of the selected hospitality chains were visited to determine their disclosure of sustainability practices. Methods - Based on the literature and other global best practices in hospitality sustainability, a coding framework was developed to help identify what to look for on the corporate websites. The codes were categorised into four broad areas, namely sustainability leadership, environmental sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. Data were collected from texts, annual reports, and other relevant website materials documenting sustainable practices of each hotel chain. Results - The analysis of website disclosures of sustainable practices adopted by Zimbabwe's five major hotel chains revealed that sustainability practices are not widely publicised. The available information on websites visited indicated more reporting of social sustainability issues and a fair amount of reporting on environmental sustainability. Economic sustainability is the least reported. Also notable is the low level of reporting on the SDGs and the lack of separate sustainability reports on the corporate websites surveyed. Originality - The results of this study provide a critical indication of how voluntary website disclosure can be improved in the absence of a strong legal framework.

Interface Design and Optimization Methods of Government Websites from a Flat Perspective

Flat website design has become more and more popular in recent years due to its simplicity and elegance. Nevertheless, the current flat design thinking is mainly applied to conventional websites such as corporate websites. Recently, the increase in public demands has significantly increased the browsing frequency of government websites. To optimize the government website, this study establishes a government website design framework from the perspective of flattening. The established framework can extract flat design elements from the massive flat website design schemes in the past. Based on flat design elements, the particle swarm algorithm (PSO) algorithm in the established framework realizes the design and optimization of government websites. Subsequently, the performance of the CNN, which is used as the fitness function of the PSO algorithm, in predicting public acceptance is analyzed with a case study. The case results show that the average relative errors between the prediction results predicted by CNN and the real public acceptance in two provinces are 2.5416% and 1.4788%, respectively, which indicates that the predicted and real results are in good agreement. Moreover, the linear correlation coefficients between predicted and real public acceptance are 0.9553 and 0.9937, respectively, which further indicates that CNN is reliable as a fitness function of the PSO algorithm. Therefore, it is feasible to use the PSO algorithm to optimize the government website design scheme.

Корпоративні комунікації в Україні в умовах війни з росією

The objective of the research is to characterize the peculiarities of corporate communications in wartime. Does their intensity change; what are the priority groups of stakeholders, the thematic vectors and tonality, what communication channels are used in such circumstances? The study is based on the online survey of representatives of 63 companies operating in Ukraine under the conditions of a full-scale invasion of the russian federation. The questionnaire contained ten multiple-choice questions and one more, which required a detailed answer regarding the general perception of transformations in corporate communications. Based on this, the model of communication behavior of companies in terms of war was analyzed. The study proves that corporate communications remain a strategically important area of management. At the beginning of a full-scale russian aggression, the Ukrainian companies sought not only to preserve the volume of communications but also to increase it. The priority group of stakeholders for them turned out to be the staff, as well as the customers, business partners, authorities and volunteer organizations. The most common topics are the company news, military assistance, volunteering and employee stories. The communication tonality has changed and is defined as optimistic, motivational, sincere and friendly. In the conditions of restrictions, the companies concentrated on using the social networks, groups and channels in messengers and corporate websites. The value of the research is in the fact that it contributes to expansion of understanding of the phenomenon of crisis corporate communications and, from a practical point of view, directs the companies to search for such approaches and methods of dialogue with stakeholders that help businesses to survive during the war.

Innovative e-recruitment strategies as a tool for human capital management effectiveness: a mediating role of talent attraction

Contemporary organisations are adopting technology in human resources management practices. Though e-recruitment and selection process in an important HR practice, yet it lacks research in developing countries. This research aims to explore the mediating role of talent attraction between innovative e-recruitment strategies and human capital management effectiveness. Responses from 250 HR professionals from IT firms of Pakistan were collected and was analysed by using Smart PLS v. 3.2.8 software. Results indicated that talent attraction plays mediating role between the relationship of corporate websites and job portals with human capital effectiveness. While talent attraction has no mediation effect on the connection of e-recruitment agencies and social network sites with human capital effectiveness. Results revealed that job portals and corporate websites are the key tools for attracting talented candidates to IT firms, whereas e-recruitment agencies and social network sites have no significant effect on talent attraction.

Карты размещения зарубежных ТНК как вклад в географию глобальных городов США

The dynamic course of the transnationalization of the world economy necessitates the formation of a new direction of geography and cartography—corporate, and the active process of large business filialization aims to study and display the location of not so much corporate headquarters as networks of their divisions intersecting in global cities. The article presents a conceptual scheme of the study of the localization of foreign TNCs in global US cities, reveals the stages of its implementation, outlines the main results and experience of mapping the phenomenon. In total, 28 global cities of the country of different ranks and more than 4.6 thousand foreign branches of TNCs were involved in the analysis. The main source of factual information is the data of the Forbes 2000 rating and the websites of individual corporations. Based on the analysis of the data obtained using a set of methods, the scale of the presence, as well as the features of the sectoral and geographical structure of foreign TNCs in global US cities are estimated and visualized; specific models of their placement in individual agglomerations are illustrated (for example, New York, Houston and San Francisco). The map system allows a deeper understanding of the phenomenon and well reflects the increased attractiveness of global cities of the alpha group, the presence of a “division of labor” between US centers for attracting foreign companies of different functional profiles, the relative similarity of the spatial structure of foreign companies, the effectiveness of the mechanism of geographical proximity, the specifics of the priorities of TNCs when placed in the intra-agglomeration space. The presented developments can contribute to the development of the corporate segment of research in geo-urban studies and be useful for large businesses in the selection of counterparties and branch placement sites; to adjust documents and programs to attract foreign investment and create “poles of growth”, “zones of accelerated economic growth”; for the authorities of large cities in terms of ensuring the reception of foreign business.

Corporate Governance and Tax Compliance of Quoted Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria

This study examined the impact of corporate governance attributes on tax compliance of 40 quoted consumer and industrial companies in Nigeria. It also looked at whether tax compliance is influenced by board independence and board gender. A correlational research design was adopted to test the association between and among the variables. In addition, the corporate annual reports and website for the periods 2016-2020 were utilized as the main sources of secondary data. In testing the research hypotheses and to ascertain the significant effect of the variables, the study utilized panel estimation technique method of data analysis. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between board independence, board gender and tax compliance. The study, therefore, recommended that the Nigerian consumer and industrial companies should increase the members of board in relation to their independence and gender diversity in order to enhance the level of tax compliance.

Information and image support of the activities of the Agrarian University

The article examines the activities of public relations specialists of Michurinsk State Agrarian University in its information and image support. The paper analyzes communication technologies aimed at promoting the higher educational institution of an agrarian profile, agricultural education and agrarian science in general. It is argued that the formation of a positive image of Michurinsk State Agrarian University is facilitated by the organization of effective interaction with the media, positioning of the activities of the university, its scientists, students; regular media monitoring; formation and strengthening of corporate culture; development of corporate identity, mission, slogan, logo; organizing and holding special events; preparation and participation in exhibitions and fairs; maintaining a corporate website; production of a corporate publication, advertising activities. Specific examples of the use of communication technologies in an educational institution are given. The conclusion is made that with the creation of a department for public relations and management of public relations, press and office work, the communicative activity of the agrarian university began to be carried out professionally and in a coordinated manner. The existing communication system ensures the formation of an effective positive information field of the university. The communicative policy of the educational institution is focused on the long-term prospect of building a serious positive dialogue with target audiences, on the prospect of trust.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ИМИДЖА ПРЕПОДАВАТЕЛЯ ВУЗА В ЦИФРОВОМ ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННОМ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕ

Digital environment is a field of presentation of social, personal, professional image and means of inter-institutional and inter-personal communication, which are subject to transformation in constantly changing global economic and geopolitical conditions. All these circumstances impose specific requirements on the professional life of academic staff and reflect the need of competent reflection of academic staff portfolio in digital information and communication space. Moreover, the need for the presentation of comprehensive information about the university academic staff and their professional competencies is explained by the requirements for corporate websites of higher education institutions and obligatory information about their teaching staff. This requires a systematic step-by-step work aimed to form a positive image of a university. The purpose of the work is to substantiate and develop the formation of the image of a member of the academic staff in digital environment. The authors analyzed the corporate websites of 18 universities and conducted a survey of 138 students. The respondents shared their views on the importance of digital competencies of the faculty, on the image information about the faculty member, his personal, socio-cultural, professional-corporate images. The aspects of image management in modern conditions were determined. The types of teacher's activity and their representation through digital channels were investigated. The article presents a model for the formation of a teacher's image in the digital information and communication space, the innovative aspect of which is the model’s content-functional module and its development.

Risk management in a small family-owned nursery: A case study approach

ABSTRACT Our study is among the first dealing with risk management in small family businesses and contributing to the understanding of family businesses in the context of risk management. Results stem from a conclusive data triangulation of primary (interviews and perceptions from several company visits) and secondary data (for example, analysis of the corporate website and additional company data) of a small family-owned nursery and are discussed under aspects of stewardship theory, which has three forms of expression (stewardship over continuity, employees, and customers) in family businesses. In detail, we illustrate how risks could be managed and risk management could be designed in a small family business. Furthermore, we point out the central role of the owner-manager and the corporate family in risk management. Results also highlight the relevance of informal and less-formalized risk management, which has been largely neglected so far within accounting literature.

The Quality of Corporate Website and its Relationship with Reputation Formation

The study aimed to investigate the impact of website quality & its Relationship with the corporate reputation forming &management; applied on DAL - Sudan by studying the corporate website users, using the descriptive analytical approach for collecting and analyzing data. The study community was (656257) users of DAL corporate website, and the study sample consisted of (400) users were taken and selected in a simple random manner to represent different age groups, gender and educational levels; by questionnaire checked with Alpha Cranach's formula for validity& reliability. The results showed that there was an effect of website quality with its dimensions (easy access & use, quality & adequacy of information, simplicity & attractiveness of design)on forming &management the corporate reputation among the website's users & followers, and there is a relationship between the interaction of website admins with users' comments & the amount of time users spend on the website, the study found that interest in users' comments contributes to their increased stay on the website and their interaction with its electronic content, in addition to its relationship with reputation forming and management. The study recommended a greater focus on the intensive application of web technologies on the website, to meet the needs and desires of users, and attention to periodic user surveys to determine the corporate status and satisfaction scores, and use it as a tool to manage and measure the corporate reputation, as the website can measure reputation electronically through users' feedback and interaction with the website content.

Convergence or divergence? A comparative analysis of CSR communication by leading firms in Asia, Europe, and North America

Through the lens of the communicative institutionalism and an extensive content analysis of corporate websites, this study compared corporate social responsibility (CSR) institutional messages by firms across three macro regions. The findings show that Asian firms do not present significant differences in how they expose their orientation to sustainability (i.e. “CSR identity” messages) than Western counterparts. However, Asian firms seem significantly less inclined to engage in CSR messages concerning “organization and management”, messages on “CSR interactivity” and those regarding “CSR as business case” compared with European firms. The difference between Asian and North American firms mostly concerns the former’s less salient use of “business case” messages for CSR. The comparative study sheds light on the pattern of CSR crossvergence across the West and East, reflecting hybridized CSR expressions across forms of CSR institutional messages.