Istituzionalismi di impresa e di bilancio tra passato, presente e futuro

Il presente scritto tratta delle principali vicende degli istituzionalismi di impresa e di bilancio dal passato remoto del basso Medioevo italiano al presente dell’Occidente internazionale e sovranazionale, con qualche ipotesi sul futuro piú prossimo. La tesi di fondo è che il binomio di complessità e criticità formi e trasformi l’altro binomio di imprese e bilanci secondo l’ulteriore binomio di istituzionalismi e contrattualismi e che tutto conferisca ad imprese e bilanci le forme storiche di estrinsecazione delle rispettive sostanze teoriche lungo un intervallo ideale che si estende dalla relativa semplicità alla tendenziale complessività, rispettivamente intese come la minore e la maggio…

Presentazione

Conceptual framework and measurement: A survey on the international debate

In response to the ‘2011 Agenda Consultation’, the IASB launched in July 2013 a call for a new Discussion Paper on the ‘Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’. This article aims to offer a contribution to the debate on the effectiveness of the theme of ‘Measurement’, by investigating the use of the current evaluation models in the literature and practice of Financial Reporting. The article proposes at first a historical survey both of the international debate on Fair Value Accounting vs. Historical Cost Accounting and of the Italian theories on the valuation. Later the paper proposes some considerations about the key questions related to Measurement and the possible policy implicatio…

On the italian debate concerning “Economia Aziendale”. The recent discovery of a manuscript by Emilio Ravenna (1930)

The paper relies upon the recent discovery of the textbook of Accounting adopted in Palermo’s High Business School (the ‘ancestor’ of the Faculty of ‘Economics & Business’, founded after in 1936), just in its first years of opening (academic year 1930-31). It is a printed manuscript. This book was written by the local professor of Accounting, Emilio Ravenna, who operated in Sicily between the last decades of XIX century and the firstones of XX one, commonly considered (Guzzo, 2003) an intermediate scholar between the ‘Venetian’ (Besta) and ‘Tuscan’ (Cerboni) Italian Schools, adhering to the former for the accounting method and to the latter for the general theory of administrative funct…

Value and Accounting between History and Theory: the Italian Case

The paper looks for the philophical and economic roots of accounting conceptions of value, and the following methods of evaluation, through the main accounting 'classical'authors of Italian doctrine. The basic assumption is that 'value' is not only an accounting concept but a multidisciplinary category that, incidentally for other disciplines, is central for accounting itself. The authors focus on the period following the 'precepts' period (late XV - early XIX century) and preceding the 'Zappian Revolution' of 1926 that gave birth to "Economia aziendale". So the Lombard School (Crippa and Villa), the Tuscan one (Cerboni and Rossi), Emanuele Pisani, the Venetian one (Besta, Alfieri and the f…

Social return on investment (SROI), including elements on cost-benefit Analysis

The chapter deals with the theme of social return on investments (SROI), including general elements of cost–benefit analysis (CBA). In addition, some major appraisal tools for public projects are discussed. SROI is a method that aims to measure social outputs, and value of social outcomes in monetary terms (Boyd, 2004). The basic assump- tion underlying the SROI technique is that all economic organizations (whether private or public) have an impact on people, society and the environment. Thus, the technique is always underpinned by an underlying model or conception of society. Such an impact can be strictly economic, social, and/or environmental, respectively. By economic we mean all that h…

Accounting Meets Economics: Towards an 'Accounting View' of Money

This study lays the foundations of the 'Accounting View' of money. Using international accounting principles, the study argues that state and central bank monies are not debt, and that in fractional reserve regimes only a share of commercial bank money can be regarded as debt. The study determines how the seigniorage associated with the issuance of these monies should be accounted for in the financial statements of the issuing institutions, and examines what this implies for the correct understanding of money. The new view throws light into such issues as the true nature of central bank capital, commercial banks, and digital currencies. Drawing on it, new measurements of seigniorage are der…

Senisio: A Double-Entry writing before Pacioli?

European Union Directive: the 8th company law directive on discosure and transparency

Abstract not needed because the work is a voice of an encyclopedia

Il ritrovamento del più antico mastro mercantile siciliano (XV secolo): il Quaterno del "mercerio" Battista da Bologna

The paper presents the recent discovery of the most ancient ledger ever known of a Sicilian 'for profit' business. Our presentation of main contents of the book is read as part of a greater research, either for the ledger itself, in order to write a comprehensive essay in next future on it, and for Sicilian administrative and accounting resources of Ancien Regime, in order to collect and digitalize them for actual and perspective investigations. Here we try a link between contents of the 15th century ledger and the borader political, social and cultural context where the merchant lived and operated. The paper, also, tries to give an overview about methods and accounting languages used, as w…

La Magna Curia dei Maestri Razionali del Regno di Sicilia

Il saggio è una storia dell'organo di controllo e giurisdizione contabile dalla sua istituzione nel 1240, con riferimenti agli uffici finanziari dello Stato di Sicilia sin dallo sbarco normanno, fino alla sua definitiva soppressione nel 1869, attraverso i diversi cambiamenti di nomi e di funzioni. Esso presenta anche una mappatura delle risorse archivistiche disponibili, con la presentazione di alcuni campioni, soprattutto riguardanti in particolare i "riveli" (dichiarazioni) di epoca moderna (XVII secolo)

Non-profit entities between generalistic vs. specialistic approaches on a systematics of levels of definitions and classifications

This paper starts from the absence of a theory of Non-Profit Entities (NPE)in proper accounting or 'business economics' approaches. Accounting was traditionally developed by and for firms and is only roughly approaching the non-profit dominium. In doing so, we experience either an excessive generalism or excessive specialism. Hence, we seek a multi-level setting of the problem: general properties or 'characteristics' for entities in general, special properties or 'characterisations' for NPEs, and further properties of the main classes of NPEs. The chief outcome is the definition of based on the production of 'social' value and a further classification between NPOs and 'social' firms and, li…

Un approfondimento tecnico-giuridico sull’inserimento dei Certificati di Credito Fiscale nel sistema economico italiano

The chapter develops, within a text devoted to the fiscal money, mainly under an economical point of view, an alternative point of view: the juridical one. The main problem dealed with is the legal feasibility of issuing Certified for Tax Credits. This study is conducted both under a private law approach and under a public law one. At the end, a properly accounting point of view is developped, under the provisions of generally agreed accounting standards and European Regulations on public sector accounts.

Isomorphisms Between Financial and Sustainability Accounting Some Introductory Notes

Sustainability accounting (SA from now on) could be defined in a sense as the ‘armed arm’ of Corporate Social Responsibility. Without an agreed SA, CSR seems not being able to go beyond rhetoric [Owen and Swift (Business Ethics 10:4–8, 2001)] and ideology for legitimacy [Guthrie and Parker (Accounting and Business Research 19:343–352, 2012)], resulting simply on involvement of stakeholders into the concerns, profit or non-profit they are, but not being able to measure the extent and outcomes of this involvement. Our work is shared into four main following sections, out of a conclusive one. The second one will deal with the process of normativisation, with particular concern to sustainabilit…

L'Impresa pubblica in Italia nella storia aziendale e nella dottrina

The aim of this paper is to survey the contributions that the Italian doctrine in business disciplines and accounting gave to the social and economic phenomenon of the public firm, under the light of the peculiar national history that this country experienced. The interval of time considered spreads from around the national unification (1860/61) to the ‘advent’ of the globalization (since 1990, approximately) because of the relative importance of public firms in Italy through this long period. The paper presents a historical interpretation of this evolution, sharing it into three main phases, each of which shared in its turn into two stadia. After this general history of public firms presen…

Profili storici dell'azienda Regione Siciliana attraverso il suo ordinamento finanziario e contabile(1940-1990)

Ragioneria ed Economia aziendale nell'opera di Nicola Colletti

Conceptual Framework e Valutazioni: Dibattito e Proposte

In response to the ‘2011 Agenda Consultation’, the IASB launched in July 2013 a new Discussion Paper on the ‘Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’. This paper aims to offer a contribution to the debate on the effectiveness of the theme of ‘Measurement’, investigating the use of the current evaluation models in the literature and practice of Financial Reporting. The paper develops a synthetic proposal by means of a historical survey on normative and thought developments in the field of measurement. Thus, the first part of the same, resumes the main steps toward the adoption of a global base of measurement and its contradictions and standstills. Afterwards, the parallel stream of acco…

Integrated Sustainability Reports

Disclosure of corporate social and environmental sustainability, resumed in ‘sustainability reports', have occupied most of the attention of accounting thought and practice over the last few decades. Evaluation of ecological footprint and social sensitiveness is becoming relevant also for the investors. The chapter presents institutional disclosure concerning social, environmental, and integrated (financial, social and environmental) issues in a threefold perspective. The first is a historical one: after some definitions the birth and development of sustainability reports are presented to the reader. The second is a theoretical one: a paradigm or framework is developed for including what va…

Conceptual Framework: Dibattito e proposte

Il "Luminario di Arithmetica" di Giovanni Antonio Tagliente

The paper concerns the work of a XVI Italian Accounting author: G.A. Tagliente. He was the second writer on double entry method, after Pacioli’s work. He published also books on mathematics for business, but his fortune is due mainly to the unique treatise on “simple entry book”, at those times very spread through the small and medium enterprises. Even if “minor” respect to the Great Pacioli, with him a cultural path began that would lead, finally, to the establishment of a new stream of thought: the Accounting as we recognise it nowadays. In certain respects, furthermore, he underscored not still explored concern aspects like family’s administration, extraordinary events, fixed assets and …

Il Computista di Macario Zanne Varnei

Fair Value Accounting versus Historical Cost Accounting: a theoretical framework for judgment in financial crisis

Since the 2008 global economical and financial crisis, the fair value measurement has acquired a controversial position both within the accounting regulatory committees and the accounting theory. The literature generally examines two opposite central paradigms of evaluation, namely the Fair Value Accounting (FVA) and the Historical Cost Accounting (HCA). The paper, after a literature review through both these opposite sides, suggests a theoretical framework, using the basic concept of “accounting system”, for the choice between the opposite paradigms, considered noteworthy in times of crisis as it should allow to conceptualize a ‘mixed system’, combining FVA and HCA in different ways accord…

La comunicazione istituzionale sociale e ambientale nelle aziende pubbliche e private

Oggetto di questo articolo è la comunicazione esterna d’azienda, avente caratteri di istituzionalità, con esplicita generalizzazione a tutto ciò che non è espressamente finanziario o economico-patrimoniale. Si tratta della comunicazione sociale, quando investe variabili di carattere umano e sociale, siano esse economiche o no ovvero di quella ambientale, quando sono investite variabili di carattere naturale. Secondo i più recenti sviluppi è trattato il tema della comunicazione integrata nelle due suddette dimensioni oltre che in quelle più tradizionali di tipo finanziario, economico e patrimoniale, anche con una proposta a carattere normativo. Una scelta di campo fondamentale è il riferimen…

Le aziende di formazione professionale - Profili sistematici e determinazioni di ragioneria

Il lavoro intende proporre all'attenzione degli studiosi una trattazione generale su una classe di aziende che non è sembrata ancora sufficientemente indagata nelle sue specificità. Più nel merito essa verte sulle determinazioni di ragioneria delle aziende di formazione professionale senza scopo di lucro (NPO). L'indagine ha intanto una natura teorica in quanto le trattazioni generali sulle NPO si adattano assai parzialmente al settore in esame ed abbisognano pertanto di un affinamento scientifico. Vi sono, tuttavia, anche non pochi riferimenti empirici, soprattutto al settore delle aziende in oggetto operanti nel territorio siciliano, di grande importanza metodologica per lo sviluppo della…

Sulla natura contabile delle "passività monetarie" nei bilanci bancari

Il saggio riapre la discussione sulla natura contabile delle emissioni monetarie, un tempo oggetto di acceso dibattito ed oggi in parte trascurata. Per far ciò conia la categoria concettuale di "passività monetarie" nella quale far confluire tanto le emissioni di moneta legale sotto forma di banconote, propria esclusivamente degli istituti di emissione, quanto le "emissioni" di moneta fiduciaria sotto forma di depositi liberi in conto corrente, questi propri tanto ancora una volta degli istituti di emissione (la moneta "ad alto potenziale") quanto delle banche ordinarie. Il metodo seguito è in gran parte storiografico, sebbene la ricerca non abbia finalità propriamente storiche quanto, piut…

Monete fiscali e possibili applicazioni regionali: il caso Sicilia

The chapter, within a book devoted to the fiscal money, treats of regional fiscal money. In doing this, it focuses two main topics. The former is the exploitation of a regional fiscal money, answering to the question if it is technically possible and economically convenient to issue fiscal money at a lower level than the state one. The latter concerns an Italian region in particular: Sicily, considered under many points of view as an OCA (Optimum Currency Area). The chapter explores, as well, the positive effects of introducing regional fiscal monies in underdevelopped regions and the value of them as a positive experiment, like in a laboratory, before extending them on a national basis.

Finalità aziendali ed istituzionali nella dottrina economico-aziendale italiana

The Concept of Value Beyond Economics: Social and Philosophical Roots for Corporate Social Responsibility

This paper tries to underline the importance of the concept of value for CSR and then to map the concept of value beyond Economics. In doing this it takes in consideration the Italian literature in a specific time in order to make a first step for a broader research that takes in consideration also other literatures and time.

Accounting as Administrative Semiotics

Finalità aziendali e Conceptual Framework. Soggetti destinatari dell'informazione e contrapposizioni di interessi.

(ENTITY’S ENDS AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK. USERS OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS). Conceptual Frameworks supply the rational bases upon which financial reports standards are built. Their study, then, is of core relevance for fully understanding essentials and trends of financial reports standard peculiar contents. Thus, in this work, the authors read again the structures of the two main International Frameworks (namely, the ‘private’ one by the IASB, and the ‘public’ one by the IPSASB) under the diachronic light shed by a critical and historical survey. This dynamic reading of the basic assumptions and principles of Conceptual Frameworks (from now on, simply, CF) focuses o…

Social Return on Investment (SROI)

The Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a method for measuring social outputs and valuing social outcomes in monetary terms (Boyd, 2004). The basic assumption underlying this technique is that every kind of business or organization (enterprises, private businesses, public body, charitable organizations and others) has an impact on people, society and environment. This impact can be strictly ‘economical’, but also ‘social’ and ‘environmental’. The SROI technique, however, speaks of ‘social impact’ referring generally to all aforesaid three kinds of impacts. The value to be measured by means of SROI Analysis is an added value. Then it does not consider the social value that would occur even…

The Concept of Value for CSR: A Debate Drawn from Italian Classical Accounting

This paper underlines the importance of the concept of value for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and then explores it beyond economics, looking for its social and philosophical roots. Considering the most recent literature on the matter, the dilemma between a non-monetary, multi-variable conception and a monetary, one-variable conception is set. To obtain the origins of the meaning for this basic concept in CSR, Italian literature regarding ‘value in accounting’ is explored. The main result from this first survey is the existence of a ‘chain’ from the highest conception of value (philosophical, ethical), to the most practical conception (accounting techniques of measurement). By this …

The Court of Auditors in the Kingdom of Sicily

The paper investigates the history of a major Sicilian institution in Accounting: the local Court of Auditors. This began to work in a very early period, the XIII century, under the Swabian dynasty in the most glorious period of the old Kingdom of Sicily, when the modern European state was beginning to take root. The public audit for accounting, after, flew parallel to the events of local parliamentary institutions. The paper then focuses on two main arguments. The former is the history of this court in itself, its rise in power when Sicily evolved in a constitutional monarchy, its life gaced with the baronial biases and arrogance under the weak government of viceroys, and finally its decli…

Ragioneria per le discipline economiche, sociali e statistiche

La monografia dà un'impostazione sistematica alla disciplina in oggetto secondo una rivisitazione critica rispetto alle correnti concezioni della medesima. La prima parte, dedicata alla parte "generale", è rivolta ad ogni classe di azienda, e tocca anche i temi meta-disciplinari della stessa: epistemologia, metodologia, sistematica e relazioni con l'economia generale. La seconda parte, "applicata", tratta i linguaggi della Ragioneria con riferimento alle sue principali determinazioni, private o pubbliche, rivolte a soggetti esterni o interni

Alle origini delle discipline aziendali: l’opera di G.A. Tagliente

The Contribution of G.A. Tagliente to the birth of business disciplines The paper presents the work of a XVI century Italian Accounting author, G.A. Tagliente, giving a historiographic interpretation under a business economics point of view. The research is placed in a wider project of mapping Early Mod- ern Era contributions on Accounting, where contents, distinctly analyzed, are linked to their respective social and economic contexts. In the paper biograph- ical notes are placed in the Early XVI Century Venice and the whole literary production of the Author is presented before the proper accounting one. He was the second writer on double entry method, after Pacioli’s work. He pub- lished …

The 'Double Integrated System' in order to Manage Space-Time Articulations in 'General' Accounting Determinations

Modelli interpretativi dell'amministrazione aziendale e "categorie decisionali":azione, decisione, processo decisionale

Accounting Education for Accounting Educator – Evidence from Italy: The Case of SISSIS/TFA (2002-2013)

This paper aims to highlight the education-training during the early twenty-first century, for future teachers of Economia aziendale (“Economic concern”), in Palermo (Sicily, Italy), in a special training school. In Italy, the business disciplines, unitarily, are studied generally under the name of Economia aziendale, within which, however, the part of Accounting (Ragioneria in Italian) has always played dominant role. Compared to the usual studies in Accounting Education, this research presents some peculiarities worthy of note. The perspective used is the critical thinking in education.

Money for the Issuer: Liability or Equity?

Abstract This study analyzes the nature of money through the lens of the international principles of accounting and lays the foundations of what it calls the accounting view of money (AVM). Using international accounting principles, the AVM argues that the fiat monies issued by the state (typically, cash, banknotes, and central bank money) are not debt and that in fractional reserve regimes, only a share of commercial bank money can be regarded as debt. The AVM argues, instead, that state monies and the nondebt share of commercial bank money are net wealth of their holders and net worth (equity) of their issuers and determines how the seigniorage associated with money issuance should be acc…

Accounting Education for Accounting Educators Evidence from Italy – The Case of SISSIS/TFA (2002-2013)*

Abstract This paper aims to highlight the education-training during the early twenty-first century, for future teachers of Economia aziendale (“Economic concern”), in Palermo (Sicily, Italy), in a special training school. In Italy, the business disciplines, unitarily, are studied generally under the name of Economia aziendale, within which, however, the part of Accounting (Ragioneria in Italian) has always played a dominant role. Compared to the usual studies in Accounting Education, this research presents some peculiarities worthy of note. The perspective used is the critical thinking in education.

L'impresa pubblica in Italia: una "storia" economico-aziendale e dottrinale

Il saggio ripercorre la storia dell'impresa pubblica in Italia, nelle sue tre fasi: la prima, di fine Ottocento, data dalla nascita delle "municipalizzate", la seconda, tra le due guerre, data dalla nascita delle partecipazioni statali, la terza, nel Dopoguerra, data dall'esplosione dell'economia mista e del ruolo pubblico nell'economia sino a tutti gli anni '80. La storia si articola in due parti principali: una prima parte è data dalla storia aziendale in sé; la seconda è data dalla storia delle idee delle discipline aziendali nello studiare il fenomeno dell'impresa pubblica.

Schede - Santiago del Luxàn Melendez (a cura di) Politica, Empresa e Historia en Canarias

More Than a Technical Discipline: The Accounting Culture in Italy, A glance through the “Schools”

In consideration of the lack of a common understanding of some important concepts in the Italian culture of Accounting, this paper tries to offer an overview of the 'Accounting Schools' in Italy, with particular attention to their meaning among their contexts. It presents the main ideas of the authors of the classical Lombard School, the Tuscan, the Venetian and the Palermitan one, pointing out how the two elected concepts of azienda and ragioneria changed through space and time. At the end a critical synthesis of the whole is outlined.

The Epochal Paradigm Shift in Italian Accounting: from a 'Stock' to a 'Flow' Approach

This paper attempts to outline the important shift that Italy faced at the beginning of the XX century in the accounting theory field. We refer in particular to the new approach that saw the 'flow' as main category to be explored instead of the old approach that saw the 'stock' as main object to be investigated.

The concept of Value beyond Economics – Social and Economic Roots for CSR

Book cover Dimensional Corporate Governance pp 141–149Cite as The Concept of Value Beyond Economics: Social and Philosophical Roots for Corporate Social Responsibility Massimo Costa & Patrizia Torrecchia Chapter First Online: 08 June 2017 720 Accesses Part of the CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance book series (CSEG) Abstract This paper tries to underline the importance of the concept of value for CSR and then to map the concept of value beyond Economics. In doing this it takes in consideration the Italian literature in a specific time in order to make a first step for a broader research that takes in consideration also other literatures and time.

A 20th Century Scholar of Accounting and Business Economics through his major Works: Prof. Nicola Colletti

Social, Environmental and Financial Information

This chapter tries to delineate the institutional external disclosure for every kind of concerns, including information beyond the strict financial domain. It deals with social disclosure (variables of human and social nature), and with environmental disclosure (variables of physical-natural nature). The theme of integrated disclosure is dealt with as well. A basic choice is the privileged reference to the entity and not to the firm or corporate. Thus, it is chosen a ‘generalistic’ approach, according whom the common characters for every kind of entity will be exposed at the beginning, afterwards the variance between public and private ‘world’, and between no profit and for profit organisat…

Considerazioni "tecniche" e "critiche" sugli aspetti economico-aziendali e ragioneristici della Nota metodologica in "Nota Metodologica per lo "Schema Tipo" del piano dei conti per la contabilità economica dei consorzi di bonifica della Sicilia"

Nessun abstract