Investigating the sustainability habitus: insights from Aramex’s sustainability practices and reports

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa von Alberti-Alhtaybat ◽  
Zaidoon Alhatabat ◽  
Khaldoon Al-Htaybat
Keyword(s):  
Arab World ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Logistics ◽  
Original Case ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Different Sources

Purpose The current study aims to investigate the development of the sustainability habitus in the Arab Middle East (ME) based on the pioneer case organisation, Aramex, which has been the pioneer of sustainability practices and reporting. The context of the Arab region, as well as the global logistics sector, has significantly influenced the development of sustainable development at Aramex, as illustrated by their sustainability and integrated reports. Design/methodology/approach The research approach of the current study is qualitative on the basis of open and selective coding techniques. The case organisation’s annual sustainability and integrated reports and additional relevant publicised information are analysed. Using publicised information from different sources increases triangulation and allows for more reliable findings. The theoretical context is Bourdieu’s habitus and field, which also reflects the interplay between habitus and field, and how Aramex’s sustainability practices and reports are being constructed. Findings The findings reflect Aramex’s sustainability practices and related reporting, subsumed in its organisational sustainability habitus. They span the sustainability reporting endeavours of the case organisation, commencing with the first sustainability report in 2006 until the most recent annual integrated report in 2018. Aramex is the precursor of sustainability and integrated reporting (IR) in the ME and is a significant contributor to developing a sustainability habitus in the region. The findings outline various elements of their reports as evidence of sustainability practices and reporting in the ME and the global logistics sector and as an illustration of the developing sustainability habitus. Originality/value This study reviews the original case of Aramex and its sustainability and IR practices. It also discusses the company’s practices and reporting details with regard to its organisational sustainability habitus and interplay with the local, Arab World and global, logistics sector, fields.

Business education in the Arab region: accreditation and pricing in the case of Lebanon

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-272
Author(s):  
Abdallah Nassereddine
Keyword(s):  
Price Competition ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Tuition Fees ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Accredited Schools ◽  
The Difference

PurposeAccreditation as a mean to improve the position of the university has become one of the major illustration of non-price competition. Three major accreditation bodies, known as the “big three”, dominate the market of business schools’ accreditation in the world, namely, AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. This paper aims to explore the current of accreditation of business schools in Lebanon, and to test for the difference of tuition fees between accredited institutions by any of the “big three” and other business schools.Design/methodology/approachUsing a desktop research approach, the paper provides the list of the accredited business schools from the “big three” in the Arab region and Lebanon and compiles data about the number of business schools in Lebanon since 1960, their tuition fees, and their accreditation status. Using a parametric and nonparametric procedure, the paper compares the tuition mean difference between accredited and non-accredited business schools.FindingsThe paper reveals an alarming slow progress in the Arab world when it comes to accreditation. In Lebanon, the paper finds that only seven out of 37 business schools are accredited and only three hold an accreditation from the “big three”. The two samplest-test and the Mann–Whitney U-test show that accredited schools charge tuition fees that are three times the average of other schools.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper can be improved by using a larger sample and investigate the effect of accreditation on tuition fees.Practical implicationsThe results highlight the existence of a gap when it comes to accreditation in the Arab region and the importance of policy-making in promoting accreditation. Moreover, business schools in Lebanon should be aware that accreditation with the “big three” could be associated with substantial increase in tuition fees.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to investigate the state of accreditation of business schools in Lebanon and its association with tuition fees.

Board characteristics and the choice between sustainability and integrated reporting: a European analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Girella ◽  
Stefano Zambon ◽  
Paola Rossi
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Sustainability Report

Purpose The role that the board can have in influencing the adoption of non-financial reporting (NFR) by companies is a topic that has raised interest in the recent literature. However, very few have so far been said on the logic that underpins the selection by corporate boards of a particular model (sustainability and/or integrated). This study aims to examine if and to what extent board characteristics may influence the choice of companies to voluntarily publish a sustainability report, an integrated report or both of them, and if moderating variables, relating to incentives towards corporate transparency, may have an influence. Both of these types of reporting tools are in fact aimed at improving company disclosure towards sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach Through a multi-nomial regression analysis, this study tests the assumptions in a sample of companies listed on the Eurostoxx600 that adopt integrated or sustainability reporting or both of them for the period 2015–2018 for a total of 2,103 firm-years observations. Findings The results reveal that sustainability reporting is associated with board independence only, whilst the adoption of integrated reporting is influenced by board size and board independence. The same two variables influence also those companies that jointly adopt both sustainability and an integrated report. This confirms that integrated reporting requires more competencies and monitoring to be adopted. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that information asymmetry and financial constraints influence the decision of companies to publish the integrated report, sustainability report or both, whilst growth opportunities do not. Hence, moderating variables can have a role in explaining this association, and especially those that are related to the firm’s incentives related to the provision of financial capital by investors. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, it proposes an incremental analysis of the relationship between board characteristics and voluntary disclosure of integrated reporting, considering the effects of moderating variables on this association. Second, the above relationship is examined in a comparative way vis-à-vis the adoption of sustainability reporting. Third, it demonstrates that the analysis of these reporting tools can benefit from an understanding that relies on both agency and stakeholder theories, that have to be conceived somehow complementary. In terms of limitations, this study is exclusively focussed on larger European listed firms, and therefore, the findings may not be valid for small and medium firms and for companies operating outside Europe. Practical implications This study provides useful insights for managers and policymakers to better understand which are the characteristics of the board composition that can best encourage a company to pursue a reporting strategy based on sustainable development. This results to be particularly relevant and timely in the European context if the authors take into consideration the developments of the European Parliament and Commission towards the launch of a new legislative proposal on sustainable corporate governance in 2021. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing literature in two ways. First, it offers a unique perspective on the direct and indirect effects of board characteristics on the adoption of integrated and/or sustainability reports by examining it in a comparative perspective. Second, it further demonstrates that the analysis of NFR and especially integrated reporting might benefit from the adoption of multiple conceptual lenses, in this case, agency and stakeholder theories.

It is not always bad news

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1319-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne McNally ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Reporting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge the notion that non-financial reporting is mainly about impression management or is only a superficial response to the hegemonic challenges posed by the sustainability movement. It focuses on the most recent development in sustainability reporting (integrated reporting) as an example of how accounting for financial and non-financial information has the potential to expand the scope of accounting systems, promote meaningful changes to reporting processes and provide a broader perspective on value creation. Design/methodology/approach The research focuses on an African eco-tourism company which has its head office in South Africa. A case study method is used to highlight differences in the presentation of an integrated business model according to the case entity’s integrated reports and how individual preparers interpret the requirement to prepare those reports. Data are collected using detailed interviews with all staff members involved in the preparation process. These are complemented by a review of the minutes of the company’s sustainability workshops and integrated reports. Findings A decision by the case organisation to prepare an integrated report gives rise to different forms of resistance which limits the change potential of the integrated reporting initiative. Resistance does not, however, preclude reform. Even when individual preparers are critical of the changes to the corporate reporting environment, accounting for financial and non-financial information expands the scope of the conventional accounting system which facilitates broader management control and promotes a more integrated conception of “value”. Research limitations/implications Integrated reporting should not be dismissed as only an exercise in corporate reporting and disclosure; it has a transformative potential which, given time, can enable new ways of managing business processes and articulating value creation. Originality/value This study answers the calls for primary evidence on how the requirement or recommendation to prepare an integrated report is being interpreted and applied by individual preparers. The findings add to the limited body of interpretive research on the change potential of new reporting frameworks. In doing so, the research provides theoretical support for developing arguments which challenge the conventional position that integrated reporting is little more than an exercise in impression management.

Prospect theory: an analysis of corporate actions and priorities in pandemic crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Poornima Tapas ◽  
Deepa Pillai
Keyword(s):  
Prospect Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Organizational Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Grounded Theory Research ◽  
Corporate Decisions ◽  
Corporate Actions ◽  
Different Sources

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine and interpret the findings from different sources on the corporate decisions during COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach The COVID-19 is a new phenomenon; grounded theory research approach is adopted to develop propositions on prospect theory and strategic decisions. The paper examines and interprets the findings from different sources on the corporate decisions during COVID-19. Findings Conventionally, it is believed that innovation brings risks, and individuals preferred certainty over uncertainty, even if the gains under uncertainty were twice as high. But, the results of the study indicate a divergent trend. Under threat perceptions of risks, companies explore significant opportunities and possibilities for organizational growth. Practical implications The study provides a framework to analyze the strategic decisions of corporate enterprises. The decisions replicate value function as concave in a gain situation and convex in a loss realm in times of pandemic crises. Originality/value This paper uses “actions taken” by enterprises offering various solutions in the testing times. The study is multidisciplinary in nature; it analyses the transformation strategic decisions in the context of economic and social dimensions for surviving the pandemic crises. The study provides a foundation for future research, as inferences are based on select examples.

Exploring the rationale for integrated report assurance

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1826-1854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
The Status ◽  
Perceived Relevance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine why companies assure some of the information found in their integrated reports, possible changes required to existing assurance practices and the motivation for either seeking to expand current technologies of assurance or to maintain the status quo. Design/methodology/approach The research is exploratory/interpretive. Data are collected from detailed interviews with preparers and assurance experts. Framing theory provides the data analysis framework. Findings Three broad views on assurance are identified. An expectation management perspective focusses on the role of assurance as a legitimisation tool and requires no changes to existing assurance standards. A value-adding perspective emphasises the role of assurance in improving the usefulness of information being reported to stakeholders and its function as part of a broader corporate governance system. This can evolve into a change-potential outlook in terms of which assurance is used to promote positive organisational change, something which may require the development of new standards/guidelines for assuring integrated reports. Research limitations/implications Only preparers and assurance experts are engaged to explore the rationale for seeking to have parts of an integrated report assured. The views of the broader stakeholder community are not taken into account. The study is also limited to a single jurisdiction where integrated reporting practices are relatively well established. Practical implications Assurance of non-financial information cannot be understood only in terms of broad drivers such as firm size, environmental impact or listing status. It is inextricably linked with the perceived relevance of integrated (or sustainability) reporting and the value which assurance provides to an organisation and its stakeholders. Originality/value The study complements the mainly quantitative research on determinants of assurance of environmental or social disclosures. It is one of the few to provide primary evidence on the reasons for having these types of disclosures assured and how this informs the need for changes to existing assurance practices. The paper is also one of the first to deal with the assurance of environmental or social information in an integrated reporting context.

Library and information science research in the Arab World: a bibliometric analysis 1951–2021

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadeem Siddique ◽  
Shafiq Ur Rehman ◽  
Shakil Ahmad ◽  
Akhtar Abbas ◽  
Muhammad Ajmal Khan
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Data Retrieval ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
Arab Region ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to investigate the research productivity of library and information science (LIS) authors affiliated with the 22 countries of the Arab League. It also identifies the top countries, organizations, authors, journals, natures of collaboration, and frequently used keywords in LIS research in the Arab world. Design/methodology/approach Bibliometric methods were used to evaluate the research performance of the authors affiliated with library organizations in the Arab region. The Elsevier Scopus database was selected for data retrieval. A comprehensive search strategy was adopted to retrieve 863 publications contributed by LIS authors affiliated with the Arab countries. VOS viewer, Biblioshiny, BiblioAnalyitics, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel were used for data visualization and analysis. Findings This paper presents the dynamics and the state of the LIS research in the Arab region published between 1951 and 2021. The results of the study have highlighted an upward trend in the growth of the publications, especially in the past four years. The largest number of studies were published in the year 2020. The country-wise analysis ranked Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as the top LIS research producing countries with five and four researchers, respectively. The Kuwait University, the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University were the three most productive organizations. Academic libraries, social media, bibliometrics, information-seeking behavior, information literacy and knowledge management were identified as the major areas of interest for the researchers. Internet and open access were topics that had gained recent popularity, while the digital library, research data management, green librarianship, link data, cloud computing, library leadership, library automation and artificial intelligence were identified as areas requiring further attention. Furthermore, the single-author pattern was found to be the most preferred pattern. Practical implications The findings of this study would help prospective researchers in choosing the neglected areas of research that require further investigation. They would also help policymakers in identifying factors that need more attention and allocation of research funds. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive bibliometric study that presents a holistic picture of the LIS research in the Arab region.

Challenges of, and techniques for, materiality determination of non-financial information used by integrated report preparers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M.I. Lakshan ◽  
Mary Low ◽  
Charl de Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Institutional Isomorphism ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Material Information

Purpose The international integrated reporting framework encourages organisations to disclose material information that affects their ability to create value. This paper aims to investigate the challenges and techniques preparers of integrated reports use to determine the materiality of non-financial information. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses an exploratory interpretive thematic analysis and an archival research approach. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 integrated reporting (IR) preparers in 12 publicly listed companies, supported by the perusal of the companies’ integrated annual reports over a three-year period. Findings IR preparers find materiality determination for non-financial information challenging. This study found that preparers convert challenges into opportunities by using materiality disclosures as image-enhancing marketing tools, which causes concerns regarding weak accountability and a deviation from the International Integrated Reporting Council’s objective of improving information quality. This study found that IR preparers use various techniques in conjunction to determine materiality levels, as well as whether to disclose non-financial information in their integrated reports. The institutional isomorphism lens used in the study highlighted the issues IR preparers faced in their determined efforts of IR materiality levels under mimetic and normative isomorphism pressures. Research limitations/implications The challenges and techniques identified can contribute to the development of a framework for materiality level determination for non-financial information. Practical implications Regulators who are concerned with ensuring sufficient information to improve investor decision-making will be interested in the techniques IR preparers use to determine materiality levels for non-financial information, to improve their regulations and frameworks. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature regarding challenges with materiality level determination in integrated reports and techniques used by IR preparers. The application of an institutional isomorphism lens led to greater insight and understanding of IR preparers’ challenges and techniques in materiality determination. This paper makes a number of significant contributions to the IR literature. First, it identifies the usefulness of material information for decision-making and the influence stakeholders have on the materiality determination of non-financial information, which have not been mentioned in the prior literature. Second, the literature is silent on how organisations relate materiality to value creation for the purposes of determining the materiality content of an integrated report; this research provides empirical evidence of the use of value creation criteria in materiality determination. Third, the study highlights that materiality is a combination of efforts that involves everyone in an organisation. Further, the strategy should be linked to IR and preparers have indicated that integrated thinking is required for materiality determination.

Systematic review of integrated reporting: recent trend and future research agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chijioke Nwachukwu
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Mediating Variables

Purpose Integrated reporting (<IR>) promotes transparency in corporate reporting and communicate detailed information on how a firm creates value in the short, medium and long-term. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review <IR> to provide insights into theories, determinants, consequences, contingent variables and methods that have been used in previous studies. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on a systematic review of 17 articles published between 2017 and 2020. Findings Nine theories were used in prior studies. Board size, diversity, independence, level of activity of the board, the establishment of Higher Education Institutions (before or after 1992), adoption of IR framework, size, institutional ownership, sustainability committee and the use of non-financial performance measures in executives’ compensation contracts and separate risk management committees are determinants of <IR>. Further, the positive impact of <IR> on information asymmetry, market valuation of environmental, social and governance performance, financial performance, intellectual capital, sustainability embeddedness and organisational change, external sense of legitimacy and reputation, revenue growth, corporate environmental performance and circular economy-related information, with mixed findings for analyst earnings forecast accuracy, company value and market value. Only three studies used moderating and mediating variables to examine <IR>. Quantitative research approach and secondary data are most preferred by <IR> scholars. Research limitations/implications Some papers may have been omitted unintentionally, although the author did his best to include most of the prior published articles using a rigorous methodology. Practical implications This paper set out future research agenda on how <IR> research could be enhanced. Originality/value Contrary to prior systematic reviews that consider individual constructs/concept, the review herein adopts a comprehensive approach and considers moderating and mediating variables aside from theories, effects and determinants of integrated reporting.

Sustainability reporting: external motivators and internal facilitators

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal A. Nazari ◽  
Irene M. Herremans ◽  
Hussein A. Warsame
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Internal Variables ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Government Of Canada

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of internal variables, such as strategic governance and operational controls, along with external variables that influence sustainability reporting. Design/methodology/approach – Building on the corporate governance and sustainability reporting literature, the authors develop a model to integrate external motivators and internal facilitators to determine their impact on sustainability reporting. The authors also control for a number of financial and non-financial variables that may influence sustainability reporting. The authors limit their sample to the companies in extractive industries that report their greenhouse gas emission to the Government of Canada. The authors collected the data from several data sources including secondary archival databases, newspapers, Web sites and annual reports. Findings – Using a sample of companies in high-polluting industries, the authors found that variables representing both external pressures that act as motivators and internal controls that act as facilitators are significantly associated with enhanced sustainability reporting. Practical implications – Considering the formation of several international initiatives such as International Integrated Reporting Council to improve sustainability reporting for decision-making, the authors’ research provides interesting insights both to policymakers and managers about organizational characteristics that are important to make reporting useful and relevant. Originality/value – Little academic research has investigated the role of internal variables in facilitating sustainability reporting. The authors use a robust model that combines external and internal variables to more thoroughly understand the reporting process.

Improving corporate disclosure through XBRL

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 338-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo La Torre ◽  
Diego Valentinetti ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Michele Antonio Rea
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Systems Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential for eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to go beyond static reporting. A taxonomy structure of information is developed for providing a knowledge base and insights for an XBRL taxonomy for integrated reporting (IR). Design/methodology/approach Design Science (DS) research, as a pragmatic exploratory research approach, is embraced to create a new “artefact” and thematic content analysis is used to analyse IR in practice. Findings Using XBRL for IR allows a shift from static and periodic reporting to more relevant and dynamic corporate disclosure for stakeholders, who can navigate and retrieve customised disclosure information according to their interest by exploiting the multidimensionality of IR and overcome some of its criticisms. The bi-dimensional taxonomy structure the authors’ present allows users to navigate disclosure from two different perspectives (content elements (CE) and capitals), display specific themes of interest, and drill down to more detailed information. Because of its evidence-based nature and levels of disaggregation, it provides flexibility to preparers and users of information. Additionally, the findings demonstrate the need to codify sector-specific information for the CE, so that to direct the efforts toward the development of sector-specific taxonomy extensions in developing an XBRL taxonomy for IR. Research limitations/implications The limitations of DS research are, first, the artefact design and, second, its effects in practice. The first limitation stems from the social actors’ perspective taken into account to develop the taxonomy structure, which derives from the analysis of the reporting practices rather than a pluralistic approach and dialogic engagement. The second limitation relates to the XBRL taxonomy development process because, since the study is limited to the “design” phase being codification and structuring the knowledge base for an XBRL taxonomy, there is a need to develop a taxonomy in XBRL and then apply it in practice to empirically demonstrate the potential and benefits of XBRL in the IR context. Practical implications The taxonomy structure is targeted at entities interested in designing an XBRL taxonomy for IR. This is a call for academics and practitioners to explore the potential of technology to improve corporate disclosure and open up new projections for resurging themes on intellectual capital (IC) reporting with prospects for IC “fourth-stage” research focused on IC disclosure. Originality/value This is an interdisciplinary research employing the DS approach, which is rooted in information systems research. It is the first academic study providing pragmatic results for using XBRL in the context of IC and IR.

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