The Country-Level Determinants of Sustainability Reporting in Emerging Markets

Author(s):  
Sinem Ates

This chapter examines the role of the institutional environment in the adoption of GRI-based sustainability reporting in emerging markets. Panel data analysis of the relevant data of firms from 20 emerging markets provides evidence that environmental, social, and governance performance, financial structure, and cultural dimensions are the institutional drivers of corporate social responsibility disclosure which was measured by publishing a GRI-based sustainability report. Overall findings of the study show that strategic decisions regarding CSR disclosure of companies are shaped by the institutional context in which they operate.

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 641-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARÍA DEL MAR MIRAS RODRÍGUEZ ◽  
BERNABÉ ESCOBAR PÉREZ

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to analyze whether the institutional environment has a direct effect on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting practices or if this effect is explained by the influence of the institutional environment on Corporate Governance (CG) mechanisms. To conduct our study, we focused on two countries that reflect different types of institutional environment: relation-based (Brazil) and rule-based (Spain). Based on our results, we can affirm that the institutional environment influences CG mechanisms (Board Size and Reference Shareholder) as well as companies' CSR disclosure. Additionally, the CG mechanisms affected by the institutional environment also help to explain differences in CSR reporting practices. As relation-based societies evolve into rules-based environments, the information disclosed about CSR becomes more complex due to a strengthening of CG mechanisms.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Hadi Ibrahim ◽  
Mustafa Mohd Hanefah

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of board diversity characteristics, namely, independence, gender, age and nationality of directors on the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was used to determine CSR disclosure. This study used panel data analysis to investigate the influence of board diversity characteristics on CSR disclosures. Findings Panel data analysis show that the level of CSR disclosure has increased over the period of study. Results also reveal a positive and significant association between the level of CSR disclosure and board diversity variables. Research limitations/implications This study examined only companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange. Therefore, the generalisation of the results might be limited to the listed companies only. Practical implications Findings are relevant to policymakers, professional organisations and practitioners in Jordan and in other Arab countries. Social implications The role of women in the boardroom is important to ensure more CSR activities by the listed companies. Jordan being a Muslim country should take the initiative to introduce laws to increase the number of women to the board. Originality/value This study offers significant contributions to existing CSR literature in Jordan and in other Arab countries by introducing female directors. Findings are important to policymakers. They should implement quotas for women in the boardroom, and adopting such a policy will increase the participation of women in the decision-making process of the companies and reduce gender bias.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Zhang ◽  
Qian Gao ◽  
Jane V. Wheeler ◽  
Jungsook Kwon

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the role of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between the institutional environment and international performance of Chinese born global firms, a type of small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) characterized by the company’s limited resources and its early efforts to internationalize. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on a multi-case analysis of interviews conducted with four chosen born global firms, coupled with public database and Web site searches. Through the use of qualitative methods, propositions were developed. Findings – This paper provides insights regarding how the institutional environment, both formal and informal, has a strong positive relationship with born global firm’s international performance. Moreover, Sun Tzu’s significant strategies play a critical role in the internationalization process of born global firms in emerging markets. Originality/value – Although existing studies discuss the application of Eastern philosophical strategies adopted by firms in emerging markets, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the earliest studies which evaluates the moderation effect of Sun Tzu’s significant strategies on the relationship between institutional environment and business performance. The paper contributes to scholarly discourse on the influencing factors of born global firm’s internationalization process. It also has practical relevance to international entrepreneurs and SMEs from emerging markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallab Kumar Biswas ◽  
Helen Roberts ◽  
Rosalind Heather Whiting

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of female director affiliations to governing families on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in the context of Bangladeshi firms. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative empirical research method grounded in Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) theory. Data was sourced from Bangladeshi publicly listed non-financial sector companies’ annual reports and stock exchange trading and publication reports and consists of 2,637 firm-year observations from 1996 to 2011. Pooled multivariate regression models are used to test the association between corporate social and environmental disclosure and female directors, and the family affiliation (or not) of those directors. Findings The findings provide strong evidence that female directors who are affiliated to the governing family, founders and other board members reduce CSR disclosure in family firms; unaffiliated female board directors enhance CSR disclosure, and this effect is significant in both family and non-family firms. Research limitations/implications Definitions of family firms and affiliated directors may lead to over-generalization in the results. Originality/value The study highlights variation in the nature of female board appointments in emerging market family-controlled firms. The findings bring attention to the role of affiliated female director appointments in family ownership structures and speak directly to family business owners, advisors and policy makers about the importance of unaffiliated female directors as catalysts of improved CSR disclosure in family and non-family firms.


Author(s):  
Maria da Conceição C. Tavares ◽  
Lúcia Lima Rodrigues

Based on legitimacy and on stakeholder theories, this study analyses the level of disclosure of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the sustainability reports of the Portuguese public sector entities for the years 2008 and 2012, prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The authors also aim to determine the factors that influence this level of disclosure. Using content analysis, an index of CSR disclosure was constructed based on the sustainability reports of 58 public sector entities. It was concluded that the level of sustainability disclosure is related to the organisation's size, industry, awards and certifications received, and visibility measured in terms of consumer proximity. This study offers new empirical evidence of a different context – public sector entities in Portugal, providing valuable insights into the factors that explain CSR disclosures in public sector entities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Vacca ◽  
Antonio Iazzi ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Monica Fait

The paper aims to examine the moderating role of gender diversity within a corporate board on the relationship between tax aggressiveness and a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. This analysis was conducted using a set of indicators of financial statements of 168 Italian listed firms between 2011 and 2018. In addition, the sustainability reports of the same companies were observed. To perform the analysis a logit regression model is used. This paper shows different empirical results. First, this study notes that there is not a direct relationship between tax aggressiveness and CSR reporting. Second, gender diversity in a board of directors increases the orientation of companies to CSR disclosure, but does not have an impact on the relationship between tax aggressiveness and CSR disclosure. Instead, CEO gender has a positive influence on the relationship between corporate tax planning and CSR reporting in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. This study emphasizes the key role of gender diversity in the growth of the CSR approach and the reputation of companies. Therefore, governments and policymakers of major countries should promote gender diversity in corporate decision-making bodies, which contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10077
Author(s):  
Cao Thi Mien Thuy ◽  
Nguyen Vinh Khuong ◽  
Nguyen Thi Canh ◽  
Nguyen Thanh Liem

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and financial performance with the consideration of the mediating role of financial statement comparability (FSC) for a sample of Vietnamese listed firms. We used content analysis of the information related to the GRI Standards on annual reports in order to construct CSR disclosure score. We used a dataset of 1125 firm-year observations, covering 225 firms listed on Vietnam’s stock market in the period 2014–2018. Applying OLS and GMM estimation methods, Sobel test, and using different proxies of the mediator variable to increase the robustness, we obtained two remarkable conclusions. First, CSR disclosure has a positive impact on the financial performance of listed companies in Vietnam. Second, there is a complementary mediation effect of financial statement comparability in the above relationship. Our results suggest that it is necessary to develop a legal framework for the practice and disclosure of CSR as well as to apply the international accounting standards in the Vietnamese stock market.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Bader Alharbi ◽  
Abdullah Alharbi

Purpose: The aim is to review the literature and present some of the academic contributions researchers have made in the study, development and practice of corporate governance (CG) in Saudi Arabia. Design/Methodology: We conducted a guided words search on electronic databases using “corporate governance in Saudi Arabia” as the search words. The scope of the study was restricted to the needed materials and information contained in refereed journals from 1965 to 2018 and held in the ABI/INFORM Global, Emerald databases and a few other internationally recognized electronic databases. The papers were first sorted into areas of possible CG application. They are finally analyzed and then synthesized. Findings: That six broad areas have been examined in relation to CG structures and development; they include: company financial performance, corporate social responsibilities, earnings management, corporate voluntary disclosures, financial structure and the role of CG in times of financial crisis. The papers are skewed in favour of, CG and company financial performance at the expense of other areas. CG has evolved, even though, the country’s institutional environment may not be too close to those of OECD nations, but the establishment of the new 2006 CG code is a positive addition to the business culture. Nevertheless, there are still other outstanding CG issues identified by scholars and practitioners that are not in conformity with international best CG practices. Research limitations/implications: The study’s analysis was restricted to between 1965 and 2018, and papers from some and not all electronic data bases were used. Originality/value: The paper provides a comprehensive review and analysis CG development and practice in an emerging economy where greater importance is usually attached to informal relationships and other considerations than formal CG mechanisms.


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