scholarly journals Social Environmental Disclosure Between Gri-Sustainability Reporting and IIRC – Integrated Reporting Among European Companies

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Suzila Mohamed Yusof

This critical approach study examines the social and environmental disclosure (SED) between Sustainability Reporting (SR) and Integrated Reporting (IR) among European companies. This paper argues that IR abandons sustainability and might overlap with the functions of SR. The research questions are to examine the integration level of SED within SR and IR and look for the patterns and motifs from reviewing both reports. Applying the critical text analysis method, the GRI G3 guidelines were used to examine a sample of ten European companies. This method is applicable as it does not have rigid procedures to follow (Merkl-Davies et al., 2013). The reports for the selected companies must incorporate fully applied IR without producing any more SR in order to analyse the validity of the data. This study has discovered that there is less integration of SED in IR than SR. The analyses continued by reading and reviewing all reports to identify patterns and motifs. Company strategy and regulatory requirements, reporting style, the crucial issues of the materiality and the development of new sections in the reports were all explored. It is apparent that the IR approach is more towards the primary groups (investors) rather than other stakeholders, society and the environment as a whole. Hence, IR is only a mirror of sustainability for business strategy. Therefore, IR needs to engage reports with other stakeholders to sustain long-term growth.

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzila Mohamed Yusof ◽  
Nazaria Md Aris ◽  
Nurul Syuhada Zaidi

This critical approach study examines the social and environmental disclosure (SED) between Sustainability Reporting (SR) and Integrated Reporting (IR) among European companies. The research question is to examine the integration level of SED within SR and IR. Applying the critical text analysis method, the GRI G3 guidelines were used to examine a sample of ten European companies. The reports for the selected companies must incorporate fully applied IR without producing any more SR in order to analyse the validity of the data. This study has discovered that there is less integration of SED in IR than SR. It is apparent that the IR approach is more towards the primary groups (investors) rather than other stakeholders, society and the environment as a whole. Hence, IR is only a mirror of sustainability for business strategy. Therefore, IR needs to engage reports with other stakeholders to sustain long-term growth.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Marne Du Toit ◽  
Pieter W. Buys

Sustainability reporting, renowned as an instrument for businesses to communicate how they function more efficiently and responsibly within the social and physical environment, while simultaneously remaining profitable, has evolved in an up-and-coming trend by businesses. In addition, this leads to integrated reporting, which implies that a business strategy, performance, risk and sustainability are inseparable from one another. The International Year of Co-operatives (2012), with the theme Co-operative Enterprises Build a Better World, recognises that co-operatives, in their range of forms, support the fullest participation in the social and economic development of people. Co-operatives also have the remarkable opportunity to grow everywhere for the reason that modern society needs their role and initiatives.This article considers to what extent the GRI guidelines, as a reporting framework, are feasible or applicable to co-operatives as a business model. The selected agricultural co-operative (Agri-Com) is used in the form of a case study, where the GRIs Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are applied to its activities. This study found that the co-operative business model performed admirably well under these guidelines and suggests that the co-operative business model is very relevant in the modern business environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Olha Luhova ◽  
Tetiana Pisochenko

The purpose of the paper is to theoretically justify the preparation of integrated reporting, the influence of sustainable development ideas on the formation of the concept of integrated reporting, the problems of its creation and implementation in the practice of organizations. Methodology. The methodological and theoretical basis of the study was made up of the works of scientists and specialists in corporate reporting and sustainable development; frameworks, instructive and methodological materials for the formation of integrated reporting. We used general scientific methods of cognition such as comparison, analysis and synthesis, generalization, systematization, historical and logical methods. Results. Information deficiency arising from the formation of exclusively financial statements stimulates the emergence of integrated reporting. Non-financial reporting (social, environmental, etc.) provides useful information but does not reflect the relationship between different aspects of the company’s activities and its results, which does not contribute to understanding its ability to create value over time. The constant trend of companies to sustainable development involves the study of issues of formation of integrated reporting as a tool for building a sustainable business. The integrated report aims to provide an insight into the company’s resources and relationships that are known as the capitals and how the company interacts with the external environment and the capitals to create value. Key indicators of sustainability reporting, which should be reflected in integrated reporting, are grouped into three components: economic, environmental, and social. They are based on an assessment of the value of business and the value of capitals. Companies interested in implementing integrated reporting face a number of challenges, beginning with the fact that no globally accepted framework specifying what goes into an integrated report exists. But there are a growing number of examples of integrated reports from which companies can learn. Practical implications. This is an explanatory research to come with conceptual paper cited with recent literature for understanding the impact of sustainable development ideas on the emergence of integrated reporting. Despite the long list of internal and external challenges, the list of drivers contains a wide range of business advantages. Value / originality. Integrated reporting is a powerful tool for transparency and information openness of the company, which contributes to the sustainability of the business. Integrated reporting can become a tool for building a sustainable business for a company. In the process of its implementation and formation, the issues of the need to transform the company’s management system, strengthen control over the solution of environmental and social problems, study and improve the company’s business strategy should be resolved.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Cho ◽  
Giovanna Michelon ◽  
Dennis M. Patten

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether firms use graphs in their sustainability reports in order to present a more favorable view of their social and environmental performance. Further, because prior research indicates that companies use social and environmental disclosure as a tool to reduce their exposure to social and political pressures (the legitimacy argument), we also examine whether differences in the extent of impression management are associated with differences in social and environmental performance. Based on an analysis of graphs in sustainability reports for a sample of 77 U.S. companies for 2006, we find considerable evidence of favorable selectivity bias in the choice of items graphed, and moderate evidence that where distortion in graphing occurs, it also has a favorable bias. Our results regarding the relation between impression management and performance are mixed. Whereas we find that graphs of social items in sustainability reports for companies with worse social performance exhibit more impression management, no significant relation between environmental performance and impression management in the use of environmental graphs is found. Overall, our results provide additional evidence that corporate sustainability reporting, as it currently exists, appears to be more about fostering positive public relations than providing a meaningful accounting of the social and environmental impacts of the firm.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzair Bhatti ◽  
Noralfishah Sulaiman

Corporate Social Responsibility is considered to be an important part of company’s strategy. European and western countries are seriously improving the social, environmental, and economic practices to become a sustainable representatives. Firms which are implementing sustainable practices, likely to have a better business performance and brand image. Furthermore, Companies all over the world are encouraged to invest in the sustainable projects to build a better reputation to attract more investors. Besides, recent studies also showed that the investment in sustainable projects is considered to be a sunk cost for the company which discourages the investors to invest. The higher management needs to consider the investors behavior before investing in sustainable projects. The current study proposes a conceptual model to understand the investor’s behavior especially when management decides to promote the sustainable initiatives. This study will develop into a concrete hypothesis which will explore the shareholders reaction to the sustainable projects especially with mediation of green invention. The resulting model from the study will be taken as useful guide for adopting the sustainability initiatives which shows it will affect the share performance. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis M. Patten

Purpose In this essay, the author reflects on the legitimacy theory in corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure research. Design/methodology/approach This is a reflection/review essay based on a review of relevant literature. Findings Although almost constantly under attack from a variety of scholars, legitimacy theory seems to hold on in the social and environmental disclosure arena. However, the failure of the recent wave of CSR-themed work published in The Accounting Review to even acknowledge, let alone engage with, the theory is problematic. Research limitations/implications We, in the CSR disclosure arena, need to do all we can to help emerging scholars (particularly in the USA) find the rich body of research the mainstream journals fail to discuss. Practical implications Legitimacy-based research can help move CSR disclosure at least closer to being a tool of accountability, as opposed to a tool for legitimation. Social implications Perhaps the critique of the mainstream North American literature’s failure to consider legitimacy theory can lead to the recognition of the need to focus on the harm to sustainability that a narrow, shareholder-centric focus leads to. Originality/value This reflection takes a unique look at the contributions of legitimacy theory to CSR disclosure research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Singhania ◽  
Gagan Gandhi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to construct the social and environmental disclosure index for Indian companies in order to examine the relationship between social and environmental disclosure and select corporate attributes. Design/methodology/approach – The sample covers annual reports of companies for financial year 2011-2012. The sample represents both financial and non-financial companies that constitute Nifty 50 Index companies as on March 31, 2012. The actual size of the sample analyzed represented 41 companies. The unweighted disclosure index approach has been used to measure the extent of disclosure of social and environmental information where an item scores 1 if disclosed and 0 if not disclosed. The authors built a model using regression which indicates the variables that are significant in determining the social and environmental disclosure of a company. The regression model can be used to predict the degree of disclosure of a company given the values of explanatory variables. Content analysis from annual reports of the companies has been used in constructing the dependent variable. Findings – Regression results indicate that location (place where the registered office of company is located), number of operations of company, turnover, sales and administration expenses, age of company, employee cost and interest paid by company are significant in determining the disclosure index of the company. Research limitations/implications – Sample size can be increased by considering more companies. In addition, a longitudinal study would enable in drawing comparison over a period of time with respect to disclosure index. The increased sample size would help in validating the disclosure score by dividing the data set into two: one as observation window and the other as validation window.The model explains 23 percent variation in disclosure index. More variation may be explained by incorporating more explanatory variables in the model. Practical implications – The authors indicate the level of disclosure in case of Indian companies which may prove to be an indicator for prospective investors especially in the present era of global financial and economic downturn. The paper may assist the regulators in framing policies regarding corporate governance. This will enable the regulators of corporate sector to frame laws in order to predict the degree of disclosure of a company based on certain explanatory variables. Originality/value – The authors focus especially on Indian companies for constructing the disclosure index which to the best of knowledge has not been attempted till date.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Gianluca Zanellato ◽  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor

The European Directive 2014/95/EU regulating the disclosure of non-financial information for public interest organisations is enjoying its first years since entering into force in 2017. The emerging of social, environmental and sustainability issues in combination with the New Public Management (NPM) reforms, led public sector entities to huge demands of accountability. Long time before the European Union Directive (EUD) on non-financial information, public sector entities were pushed to demonstrate to a broad range of stakeholders how public resources are used. Accordingly, the stakeholders’ increasing demand for social and environmental information has encouraged the adoption of different types of reports by organisations, such as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, Sustainability Reporting (SR) and the Integrated Report (IR).In the context of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), the disclosure of non-financial information gains a pivotal relevance as these type of organisations face a more comprehensive range of stakeholders than private organisations. In this vein, the present paper aims to investigate whether the mandatory disclosure directive increased the level of information provided by SOEs issuing an IR between the years 2016 and 2017 in order to demonstrate whether a mandatory regulation leads to higher disclosure.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Castilla-Polo ◽  
M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández

Purpose This paper aims to review sustainability reporting understood as any type of social and environmental disclosures (SED) in its relationship with corporate reputation within the most reputed companies in Spain according to MERCO business monitor ranking (2014-2016). Design/methodology/approach To shed light on the relationship reputation-SED, two alternative models were tested, thought the use of structural equation model (SEM) and partial least squares (PLS), with longitudinal data. Findings Both models supported the hypotheses although the model linking reputation to SED was slightly better, questioning the use of SED by reputation leader companies. Research limitations/implications The paper study the linkage, sign and causality, between reputation and SED by introducing two alternative models. SED and reputation are receiving considerable attention into the business scope, although their relationship is not agreed by previous literature. There are contradictory evidences that lead us to question the sense of this relation. Practical implications The contribution will be of interest to managers in terms of the value of this type of reporting from a strategic point of view. If reputation favours this type of disclosures, these will be issues to be taken into account to obtain a better competitive advantage through market differentiation. Social implications The results will be of interest for future studies and actions aimed at regulating the improvement of this type of reporting not only in the hands of academics and practitioners but also investors and regulators. Originality/value This study is an advance in the description of the SED-reputation relationship and contributes to this new line of research with new insights. Another contribution is the way to understand sustainability reporting. This paper analyses SED from the twofold point of view of the quantity of information and, the existing references about its quality and adding the lag effect between both variables.


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