Crafting clarity: a textual framework for optimising strategic communication in Italian banking foundation mission reports

Frame of the research: Situated within the strategic communication and social accountability domains, this research investigates the communicative practices of the most relevant Italian banking foundations. The study examines how these foundations use mission reports to balance regulatory obligations with engaging community narratives. Purpose of the paper: This paper delves into the realm of mission reports within the context of banking foundation to scrutinise the communicative aspects of these documents and unearth their fundamental characteristics to shed light on prevalent trends and discern potential directives to write them effectively. Methodology: The study focuses on the Italian banking foundations boasting assets exceeding the billion euros and embraces a methodology that integrates textual analysis such as Lexical Correspondence Analysis (LCA) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to comprehensively scrutinise their mission reports, investigate the communicative strategies implemented and explore the thematic priorities and accessibility of information dissemination. Findings: The study reveals a dichotomy in communication approaches among the largest Italian banking foundations. We found that some foundations view mission reports as regulatory obligations while others draw reports as strategic communication tools for community involvement and societal impact. Research limits: Limitations include potential variances in communication practices among smaller foundations, not included in the analysis, and a constrained stakeholder perspective. Practical implications: Our findings can guide efforts in strategic communication practices of nonprofit organisations, offering insights into enhancing the transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity of mission reports. Originality of the paper: This paper pioneers the use of advanced textual analysis methods to examine the mission reports of Italian banking foundations. By doing so, it uncovers distinct communicative approaches and provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing transparency and strategic communication in social accountability reporting, thus offering new insights into the intersection of regulatory compliance and community engagement.