Corporate social responsibility disclosure and information asymmetry: does boardroom attributes matter?

PurposeThe current study aims to investigate the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and information asymmetry, as well as the moderating effect of board characteristics (gender diversity, size and independence) on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a panel data regression analysis with the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator of nonfinancial French firms included in the SBF 120 index. The environmental and social disclosure scores are collected from the Bloomberg database, while financial data are collected from the FactSet database.FindingsThe empirical results demonstrate that environmental disclosure has a positive impact on the level of information asymmetry, while social disclosure has no effect on the information environment. Gender diversity and board independence negatively impact the opacity index, while board size has a positive effect. The presence of women in board composition has a substitution effect on the relationship between environmental disclosure and information asymmetry. There is no moderating effect of board size on the association between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. However, the proportion of independent female directors and board independence operates as substitutes to social disclosure on reducing information asymmetry.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the models include the most common control variables used in the literature, they omit some variables. Second, the results should be interpreted with caution and should not be generalized to the entire stock market since the sample is based on large French companies.Practical implicationsThe results of this study may be of interest to managers, investors and French market authorities since France is characterized by highly developed laws and reforms in the area of CSR. In addition, the paper leads to a better understanding of how women on the board, in particular, independent female directors, affect the relationship between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. This could be of interest to French authorities, which has encouraged the appointment of women through the adoption of the Copé–Zimmermann law.Originality/valueFirst, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore the moderating effect of board characteristics on the relationship between CSR and information asymmetry. Second, unlike previous studies using individual proxies to measure information asymmetry, the authors favor the opacity index of Anderson et al. (2009). They calculate this index by including a fifth individual measure, namely, share price volatility. The opacity index better describes the information environment of companies than individual measures since it reflects the perceptions of investors and analysts together.

The Relationship of CSR Performance and Voluntary CSR Disclosure Extent in the German DAX Indices

Empirical studies present mixed evidence on the relationship of CSR performance and CSR disclosure extent, thus spurring academic ambiguity as legitimacy- and voluntary disclosure theory provide competing explanations. By applying content analysis to 144 voluntary GRI reports of listed firms in Germany from 2015 to 2018, I construct environmental and social disclosure indices to capture the reports’ disclosure extents. The contents are extracted from the corresponding GRI content indices in order to mitigate potential coding errors. ESG scores are used as a third-party measure to proxy environmental and social performance. I propose that this approach could be more suitable to address the challenge within the literature concerning methodological heterogeneity. The results show a positive relationship of environmental performance and environmental disclosure, but no relationship of social performance and social disclosure. Hence, there is evidence for an at least partial performance driven reporting behavior as companies seem to signal their superior environmental performance via more extensive disclosure, as predicted by voluntary disclosure theory. This evidence supports the idea of tightening Directive 2014/95/EU.

PERAN INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DALAM PENGARUH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TERHADAP FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh langsung dari corporate social responsibility (CSR) terhadap financial performance, serta pengaruh tidak langsung corporate social responsibility terhadap financial performance melalui intellectual capital sebagai variabel mediasi. Pengolahan data menggunakan software Smart PLS. Data penelitian ini berasal dari laporan tahunan masing-masing perusahaan yang tergolong subsektor bank dan terdaftar pada Bursa Efek Indonesia periode 2011-2018. Data kuantitatif sekunder tersebut dihitung menggunakan rumus Corporate Social Disclosure Index sebagai indikator CSR, Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAICTM) sebagai indikator intellectual capital, Tobin’s Q sebagai indikator financial performance. Hasil penelitian ini membuktikan adanya pengaruh positif dari corporate social responsibility terhadap financial performance, corporate social responsibility terhadap intellectual capital, dan intellectual capital terhadap financial performance.

Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure, Corporate Governance Disclosures, and Firm Value In Indonesia Chemical, Plastic, and Packaging Sub-Sector Companies

This study aims to examine environmental disclosure, social disclosure, economic disclosure, and corporate governance disclosures on the firm value in Indonesia. This study uses a quantitative method with multiple regression. This study employs data from chemical, plastic, and packaging sub-sector companies which listed in the IDX. After purposive sampling was conducted, the final sample consists of eleven companies from 2016 up to 2019. The result suggests that environmental disclosure positively affects firm value. Meanwhile, economic and social disclosures do not affect firm value. Also, the disclosure of corporate governance does not affect firm value. The companies should consider that environmental activities as a strategy for the company, and these activities show that the company's success in the capital market is related to investors' positive response. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Economic, Environmental, Social, Disclosure

Determinants of corporate social disclosure in Saudi Arabia: The role of social values and IFRS convergence

This study investigates whether Corporate Social Disclosure (CSD) is affected by IFRS convergence and social value in a country that has strict societal norms (Saudi Arabia). Using a sample of 292 Saudi manufacturing and utilities firms listed on the Saudi Capital Market during the period of 2015-2019, the study finds that IFRS convergence is not related to the CSD of the Saudi manufacturing and utilities firms. On the other hand, social values (as modeled by adopting CSD as a strategic objective) are significantly related to CSD. These results provide evidence supporting the view that CSD is influenced by social values rather than the change in the corporate disclosure environment in countries that exhibit strong conformity to societal values, such as Saudi Arabia. Overall, the current study adds to an understanding of the factors that determine CSD outside the shareholder-stakeholder orientation model.

Injecting Green Innovation Reporting into Sustainability Reporting

Reporting is a method for businesses to communicate with their various stakeholders. While the factors contributing to sustainability reporting and disclosure have been thoroughly investigated, the findings are inconclusive. Similarly, the non-financial reporting literature is disclosed of operational and non-operational activities related to ecological as well as social disclosure of firm. However, in recent years, stakeholders have increased their demand for green innovation practices (GIPs) to be included as a new component of ecological reporting. Thus, companies' proactivity in adopting green innovation reporting is reflected (GIR). This research propounds enhancing transparency in sustainability reporting by including corporations' GIPs, which will increase the transparency level of firm operations and instil greater stakeholder confidence. To accomplish this study, the legitimacy and signalling theories were used as an environmental solution. Additionally, an exhaustive assessment of the literature was conducted in order to develop a GIR framework for enterprises to use when integrating GIPs into sustainability reporting. The outcome of this study indicates that current sustainability reporting takes a minimalist approach, with GIR being presented superficially. This non-financial reporting approach does not accurately reflect a company's genuine GIPs or the environmental effect of existing business operations. As such, this study calls for the integration of GIR into firms' sustainability reporting to accurately reflect their actual firm sustainable practices.

The differential effect of social disclosure on loan funding and loan repayment: evidence from fixed-rate peer-to-peer lending

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social disclosure on loan funding and repayment within the fixed-rate peer-to-peer (P2P) lending model.Design/methodology/approachBy analyzing 31,637 loans from the largest P2P lending company in the USA, the authors study the effects of different forms of social disclosures and the specific contents of such disclosures on the speed of funding, amount borrowed, recovered principal amount and loan default.FindingsSome social disclosures help to fund a loan and are positively associated with loan repayment. The findings reveal prescriptive ways P2P borrowers indicate creditworthiness through social disclosure on loan listings.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that it is advantageous for P2P borrowers to invest time into well-written loan descriptions and remain engaged with potential lenders.Originality/valueThe authors show that some social disclosure factors that affect funding time and likelihood do not necessarily affect the loan default and repayment in the same way.