Responsible governance in business

The Accounting, Governance and Organisations thematic research group (AGOG) welcomed Professor Massimo Contrafatto of the University of Bergamo to its online seminar on 25 June 2020.

Professor Contrafatto presented his research paper, 'Governance of responsible business: exploring the mechanisms of (de-) coupling', to AGOG and others from the School of Management.

The research examines how an Italian gas company moved to deal with new compliance regulations seemingly at odds with its existing ethos of trust. The paper uses an institutional lens to explore the decoupling practices that managed this 'schizoid situation' of the contradictory logics of bureaucratic surveillance and interpersonal trust.

Professor Contrafatto has been visiting the School since January 2020. He was joined in the presentation by his co-author Daniele Gervasio, also of the University of Bergamo.