Organisations' Responsibilities towards Corporate Sustinability

2017 ◽  
pp. 790-804
Author(s):  
Arunasalam Sambhanthan ◽  
Vidyasagar Potdar
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Proper Definition ◽  
Role Based ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Published Research

This paper analyses published literature to determine the organizational responsibilities towards business sustainability. Over two hundred published research papers in this space have been subjected to content analysis using NVivo qualitative analysis tool. The results reveal that there are three major types of responsibilities namely social responsibilities, environmental responsibilities and the role based responsibilities which the organizations have in terms of ensuring corporate sustainability. These responsibilities have been found to be effectively achieved through effective corporate sustainability reporting practices, policy level concerns backed by values and principles, coordination of consumer inputs, ensuring stakeholder understanding about their roles and responsibilities and effective risk management backed by proper definition of roles and responsibilities. A number of conclusions along with implications for practice have been derived as the outcome of the documented research.

Organisations' Responsibilities towards Corporate Sustinability

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arunasalam Sambhanthan ◽  
Vidyasagar Potdar
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Proper Definition ◽  
Role Based ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Published Research

This paper analyses published literature to determine the organizational responsibilities towards business sustainability. Over two hundred published research papers in this space have been subjected to content analysis using NVivo qualitative analysis tool. The results reveal that there are three major types of responsibilities namely social responsibilities, environmental responsibilities and the role based responsibilities which the organizations have in terms of ensuring corporate sustainability. These responsibilities have been found to be effectively achieved through effective corporate sustainability reporting practices, policy level concerns backed by values and principles, coordination of consumer inputs, ensuring stakeholder understanding about their roles and responsibilities and effective risk management backed by proper definition of roles and responsibilities. A number of conclusions along with implications for practice have been derived as the outcome of the documented research.

scholarly journals Prevalence of sustainability reporting practices of listed companies on established and emerging stock exchanges

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan K. Turk ◽  
Charlie Shackleton ◽  
Kevin Whittington-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Stock Exchanges ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Emerging Stock Markets ◽  
Catching Up ◽  
Developing Markets ◽  
Sustainability Principles ◽  
Sustainability Report

The business sector has a substantial role in addressing current environmental issues and concerns. Consequently, there is a growing adoption of corporate sustainability principles and practices across all market sectors. This study examined four developed and four emerging stock markets and the sustainability reporting practices of the top 20 and bottom 20 companies in each. The results illustrate that the developed market sector was more advanced in its corporate sustainability reporting, both in the proportion of companies issuing a sustainability report (approximately 60 per cent) and the proportion of company webpages dedicated to sustainability reporting. This difference was largely due to the effect of the top 20 companies. There was little difference between developed and developing markets when only the bottom 20 companies were considered, of which less than one-third provided sustainability reports.  These results show that sustainability reporting is prevalent in both developed and developing markets, especially among market leading companies, but that overall, most developing markets have some catching up to do. 

Compliance in Sustainability Reporting

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-65
Author(s):  
Svetlana Snezhko ◽  
Ali Coskun
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Main Achievement ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Sustainability Reports

The research is aimed at assessing the benefits of compliance for corporate sustainability and sustainable development. The main achievement of the research is the outcome of the survey on companies' public reports to identify the trends and measure the progress achieved in disclosing information on compliance. There are both business and public drivers for disclosure of compliance information in non-financial reporting. Best practices in disclosing information on compliance by the company-leaders were revealed. There is a positive trend in the expansion of information on compliance in sustainability reports in recent years. Some problematic areas in reporting on compliance were identified. The outcomes of the research call for companies to disclose information on compliance in a more explicit way. The results may be valid for the improvement of corporate reporting practices.

scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting: Case of European Stock Companies

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Adrian Gawęda
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Reporting System ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Investment Decision Making ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Accountability Gap

Sustainability reporting regulations defined within NFRD (Non-Financial Reporting Directive) allow different stakeholders to assess ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance of companies and their impact on people and environment. ESG data is increasingly used in strategy definition of entities, investment decision-making process and valuation of stock companies. ESG information is also reflected in ESG ratings which create comprehensive measure of ESG performance of specific entity. It outlines the need for dissemination of true and fair corporate sustainability reporting system. The main purpose of undertaken work is to evaluate the trend and evolution of sustainability reporting and ESG ratings of European listed companies in 2000-2020 period. In order to deliver results comparative analysis is used. Research proves that vast majority of European stock companies do not provide enough ESG performance which does not allow to assign them with appropriate ESG rating. Findings of analysis indicate the size of sustainability reporting accountability gap and confirm that wider group of public interest entities should be subject of NFRD.

scholarly journals Corporate Sustainability Practices in Polluting Industries: Evidence from India, China and USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-168
Author(s):  
Prem Sagar Mishra ◽  
◽  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Niladri Das
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Legitimacy Theory ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Corporate World ◽  
Financial Perspective ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Sustainability Practices

In recent years, the tilt of the corporate world towards non-financial reporting can be clearly seen from traditional accounting practices. Sustainability reporting disclosures are an important tool for providing information about the environmental and social performance of companies to their various stakeholders. From a financial perspective, for any firm, there is always a possibility of reporting more of the information that favours their interests or conceal that which is not in their favour. This study evaluates the annual and sustainability reports of 380 Indian, 400 Chinese and 400 USA companies from five highly polluting industries on the basis of GRI (global reporting initiatives) guidelines. From the result, it is inferred that the findings are consistent with the legitimacy theory. The result shows that the profitability and capital structure of firms in the sample do not affect the sustainability reporting practices significantly. In addition, larger firms have a tendency to disclose more information in their annual and sustainability reports than smaller firms.

scholarly journals The Legal Framework of Shareholders Activism in Malaysia in Promoting Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG)

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (16) ◽  
pp. 203-208
Author(s):  
Muhammad Umar Abdul Razak ◽  
Wan Zulhafiz Wan Zahari ◽  
Abdul Mu'iz Abdul Razak ◽  
Azlan Roni ◽  
Nurul Ula Ulya
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
General Meeting ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
Open Access Article

Environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) are components in a corporate sustainability reporting. This paper analysed the legal framework in Malaysia to promote ESG. It employed library-based doctrinal study and comparative legal analysis in a descriptive, analytic and prescriptive manner. Despite the availability of legal framework, the shareholder’s proposal is mostly turned down in general meeting. Nevertheless, there is a growing trend of shareholders activist advocating ESG-related matters. This paper contributes to the discussion on strengthening the framework to promote ESG reporting practices in Malaysia. Keywords: ESG; shareholders activism, shareholder’s proposal, eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2663

COMMENTARY––The Public Interest Imperative in Corporate Sustainability Reporting Research

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Burrell Nickell ◽  
Robin W. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
The Public ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Social And Environmental Performance

ABSTRACT The United Nations, federal governments and their agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), shareholder activists, private sector standard setters, and academic researchers, as well as many others, are taking actions to improve corporations' accountability regarding the environmental and social impacts of their operations. These actions have helped propel a rapid increase in voluntary corporate sustainability reporting. Although the uptake in sustainability reporting has received a significant amount of support from relevant and respected organizations, academic and policy debates continue over whether voluntary corporate sustainability reports can monitor corporate activities effectively. While some researchers view these reports as signals of superior actions, others argue that they provide corporations with an opportunity to obfuscate their actual social and environmental performance through selective and incomplete disclosure strategies. The purpose of this commentary is to advocate for accounting researchers, regardless of their theoretical framework, research question, or method, to use a more inclusive definition of the public interest when performing corporate sustainability reporting research. We believe that a more inclusive public interest definition is required due to: (1) the broad impact of corporate social and environmental activities on global climate change and planetary sustainability; (2) a tendency for financial market accounting research to focus strictly on economic-based, potential corporate net benefits or costs derived from voluntary corporate sustainability reporting; and (3) the need to acknowledge the collective action problem inherent in developing policies dealing with corporate sustainable development activities and reporting. By using a more inclusive definition of the public interest in corporate sustainability reporting research, the accounting research community can contribute more positively to society's understanding of how well corporations are meeting and reporting on their significant public interest responsibilities related to the climate change consequences of their operations.

scholarly journals Sustainability reporting in Vietnam: evolutionary or revolutionary? A case study of five public companies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Hien Tran ◽  
Thu Huong Tran
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Development Goals

This study explores corporate sustainability reporting in Vietnam, whether it is evolutionary or revolutionary. The study centers on answering the questions of the patterns of sustainability reports (SRs) and the level of conformity in the SRs of these companies to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. Five big publicly listed companies in Vietnam have been selected for the case study. The content analysis method was applied for the data analysis. The findings indicate that four aspects are contributing to the evolution in sustainability reporting practices in those five companies. These include the nascent application of the GRI framework, the use of external assurance, the reporting models, and the incorporation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the reporting process.

Sustainability reporting – more global than local?

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sashika Abeydeera ◽  
Helen Tregidga ◽  
Kate Kearins
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Global Institutions ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
A Site

Purpose In recognition of the potential for Buddhism to advance sustainability, this paper aims to investigate whether Buddhism appears to be informing the sustainability practices of corporations within a particular national context. Corporate sustainability reports are used as a site of analysis. Design/methodology/approach Sixteen corporate sustainability reports from a set of sustainability award-winning corporations in Sri Lanka, a country with a strong Buddhist presence, are analysed. Evidence of Buddhist principles and values related to sustainability is sought to ascertain the extent to which Buddhism is evident in disclosures within the reports. The influence of global institutions is also considered. Findings Analysis reveals surprisingly little evidence of Buddhist principles and values in the corporate sustainability reports of these award-winning corporations. Sustainability reporting practices are revealed to be highly institutionalised by global influences, with the majority of the reports examined explicitly embracing global standardisation. The standardisation of corporate sustainability reporting through the pursuit of globally accepted reporting frameworks is argued to have caused a disconnect between Buddhism as a prevalent institutional force in the local culture and context and the corporate representations evident in such reporting. Potential consequences of this disconnect in relation to the ability for Buddhism to inform sustainability practices at the organisational level are considered. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on corporate sustainability reporting through considering whether local cultural context is represented within such reports and possible reasons and consequences.

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