Seeing more than reading: the visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports

Pasquale Ruggiero; Patricia Bachiller

doi:10.1016/j.jup.2023.101610

Seeing more than reading: the visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports

Pasquale Ruggiero, Patricia Bachiller

School of Business and Law

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The analysis of semiotic modes of communication used in corporate reports is very relevant for understanding how meanings are communicated to readers or viewers. But researchers' interest has mainly focused on verbal and numerical modes of communication, and the focus on the visual mode has been very limited. This paper contributes to filling this gap through an explorative analysis of how the visual artefacts are used with the text (verbal and numerical) in utilities' corporate sustainability reports. Results show that visual artefacts are more used for captivating readers' or viewers' attention, spatializing and materializing concepts than infiltrating meanings.

Original language	English
Article number	101610
Number of pages	15
Journal	Utilities Policy
Volume	83
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2023.101610
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Patricia Bachiller reports financial support was provided by Spanish State Research Agency (project PID 2020-113905 GB-I00, MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). Patricia Bachiller reports financial support was provided by Regional Government of Aragón (project S56-23R), Spain.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors

Keywords

Visual communication
Sustainability reports
Utilities

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10.1016/j.jup.2023.101610Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Seeing more than reading: the visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports",

abstract = "The analysis of semiotic modes of communication used in corporate reports is very relevant for understanding how meanings are communicated to readers or viewers. But researchers' interest has mainly focused on verbal and numerical modes of communication, and the focus on the visual mode has been very limited. This paper contributes to filling this gap through an explorative analysis of how the visual artefacts are used with the text (verbal and numerical) in utilities' corporate sustainability reports. Results show that visual artefacts are more used for captivating readers' or viewers' attention, spatializing and materializing concepts than infiltrating meanings.",

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N2 - The analysis of semiotic modes of communication used in corporate reports is very relevant for understanding how meanings are communicated to readers or viewers. But researchers' interest has mainly focused on verbal and numerical modes of communication, and the focus on the visual mode has been very limited. This paper contributes to filling this gap through an explorative analysis of how the visual artefacts are used with the text (verbal and numerical) in utilities' corporate sustainability reports. Results show that visual artefacts are more used for captivating readers' or viewers' attention, spatializing and materializing concepts than infiltrating meanings.

AB - The analysis of semiotic modes of communication used in corporate reports is very relevant for understanding how meanings are communicated to readers or viewers. But researchers' interest has mainly focused on verbal and numerical modes of communication, and the focus on the visual mode has been very limited. This paper contributes to filling this gap through an explorative analysis of how the visual artefacts are used with the text (verbal and numerical) in utilities' corporate sustainability reports. Results show that visual artefacts are more used for captivating readers' or viewers' attention, spatializing and materializing concepts than infiltrating meanings.

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M3 - Article

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Seeing more than reading: the visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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