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Chapter 9
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7293-4.ch009
ABSTRACT
The growing popularity of the social enterprises (SEs) discourse highlights the need for accounting-focused
research. The SEs aim to create mainly social and environmental impact, rather than merely economic
value for shareholders; hence, conventional accounting is often not suitable for SEs. Furthermore, the
literature unfolds that social accounting is defined as a metric for measuring social and environmental
impact. The authors argue that this one-sided accounting worldview is not sufficient, and they propose a
well-known and operational accounting system that is based on the relationship between SEs and public
organizations in the broader context of accounting, social finance, and public accounting. This chapter
makes both theoretical and practical contributions by developing a common accounting language and
practices between the public and social sectors in order to provide and distribute public and social value
to society and organisations.
Developing a Social Accounting
System for European
Social Enterprises Based
on Public Accounting
Ilias Anastasios Gerakos
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6662-7226
Panteion University of Political and Social Sciences, Greece
Manolis Tzouvelekas
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1876-2551
Hellenic Mediterranean University, Greece
John Filos
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6662-7226
Panteion University of Political and Social Sciences, Greece