Into the woods of corporate fairytales and environmental reporting

PurposeUsing a dialogic approach to narrative analysis through the lens of fairytale, this paper explores the shared construction of corporate environmental stories. The analysis provided aims to reveal the narrative messaging which is implicit in corporate reporting, to contrast corporate and stakeholder narratives and to bring attention to the ubiquity of storytelling in corporate communications.Design/methodology/approachThis paper examines a series of events in which a single case company plays the central role. The environmental section of the case company's sustainability report is examined through the lens of fairytale analysis. Next, two counter accounts are constructed which foreground multiple stakeholder accounts and retold as fairytales.FindingsThe dialogic nature of accounts plays a critical role in how stakeholders understand the environmental impacts of a company. Storytelling mechanisms have been used to shape the perspective and sympathies of the report reader in favour of the company. We use these same mechanisms to create two collective counter accounts which display different sympathies.Research limitations/implicationsThis research reveals how the narrative nature of corporate reports may be used to fabricate a particular perspective through storytelling. By doing so, it challenges the authority of the version of events provided by the company and gives voice to collective counter accounts which are shared by and can be disseminated to other stakeholders.Originality/valueThis paper provides a unique perspective to understanding corporate environmental reporting and the stories shared by and with external stakeholders by drawing from a novel link between fairytale, storytelling and counter accounting.

Credibility of Environmental Issues in Non-Financial Mandatory Disclosure: Measurement and Determinants

Through the lens of legitimacy theory and starting from Habermas’s communication theory the paper aims to extend and contribute to the research fields related to the quality of social and environmental disclosure and corporate legitimacy by focusing on firms’ environmental reporting credibility. The study proposes an operationalization of the corporate environmental reporting credibility concept identifying possible determinants, related measurements and indicators. Through a content analysis we have measured the credibility of non-financial reports of 152 business entities that, in accordance with the Italian law, published for the first time in 2018, at a mandatory level, social and environmental reports. The results show a good level of credibility in Italian reporting context and in particular a high level of understandability, but a low level of exhaustivity. Findings highlight also the important role of experience in voluntary non-financial reporting, the use of stand-alone document and the belonging to an ESI in influencing the credibility of the communication. The results offer implications and scientific contributions related to the proposal of a detailed model for the measurement of social and environmental reporting applicable to any type of document, in any geographical contest, and any time frame.

Environmental Reporting and Sustainbility Reports in Oil Companies in Nigeria

Environmental reporting is crucial for corporate survival as it builds corporate image, but certain procedures and regulations must be put in place to guide such reporting. Accordingly, this study examined environmental reporting and sustainability reports by oil companies in Nigeria with the aim of assessing the relationship between corporate environmental reporting and determinant of sustainability reports. Ex-post-facto and survey research design were adopted and data were sourced from structured questionnaires administered to corporate respondents and a 56 item sustainability reporting index adapted from the Global Reporting Initiative. Descriptive statistics were carried out, one way and two factors ANOVA and Post hoc test were all conducted. The study provided evidence of a positive and significant variation between corporate environmental reporting and determinants of sustainability reports in petroleum companies in Nigeria. The study recommended that management of petroleum companies should ensure compliance with corporate sustainability reporting.

The influence of the Chinese government's political ideology in the field of corporate environmental reporting

PurposeIn a state capitalist country such as China, an important influence on company reporting is the government, which can influence company decision-making. The nature and impact of how the Chinese government uses its symbolic power to promote corporate environmental reporting (CER) have been under-studied, and therefore, this paper aims to address this gap in the literature by investigating the various strategies the Chinese government uses to influence CER and how political ideology plays a key role.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses discourse analysis to examine the annual reports and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports from seven Chinese companies between 2007 and 2011. And the data analysis presented is informed by Bourdieu's conceptualisation of symbolic power.FindingsThe Chinese government, through exercising the symbolic power, manages to build consensus, so that the Chinese government's political ideology becomes the habitus which is deeply embedded in the companies' perception of practices. In China, the government dominates the field and owns the economic capital. In order to accumulate symbolic capital, companies must adhere to political ideology, which helps them maintain and improve their social position and ultimately reward them with more economic capital. The findings show that the CER provided by Chinese companies is a symbolic product of this process.Originality/valueThe paper provides contributions around the themes of symbolic power wielded by the government that influence not only state-owned enterprises (SOEs) but also firms in the private sector. This paper also provides an important contribution to understanding, in the context of a strong ideologically based political system (such as China), how political ideology influences companies' decision-making in the field of CER.

A Review on Corporate Environmental Reporting (CER): An Emerging Issue in the Corporate World

Corporate environmental reporting has been treated as a vital issue in today’s corporate world. The current scenario and prospect give an indication that it is going to capture a long-lasting position in the bundle of general-purpose financial statements. The main reason is that the stakeholders prove a sharp interest in such disclosures. To sustain in today’s corporate world, every organization has to come forward to protect the environment and it is treated as one of the vital social responsibilities. It is assumed that corporations are the main force to create an environmental crisis so as to pay for this (cost-benefit trade-off). But we know reporting is guided by some standards guidelines and measurements and for this, we do not have any standards designed for such disclosure. Hence, such reporting is still considered voluntary and has no specific format and design. As it is voluntary disclosure, it often leads to some non-disclosure and mandatory disclosures which in turn leads to minimal disclosures. As it is a question of life and sustainability, environmental disclosure should have considered both types of disclosures; hence, this paper will try to evaluate the conceptual discussion on environmental reporting.

Measuring performance in corporate environmental reporting in Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this study is to measure the current level of corporate environmental reporting (CER) in the developing economy of Nigeria. This is with a view to drive the effort of firms towards improving on the present practice. An attempt is made to also determine the extent to which the level of CER differs on account of firm characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The study used data for the top 40 companies on the Nigerian stock exchange as of 31 December 2017 based on market capitalization. The annual reports, company website and sustainability reports were the major sources of data. The paper used descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance to analyse data. Findings Despite the attempt to explore multiple sources in obtaining environmental information, empirical evidence from the present study confirms that the level of environmental reporting is low; most companies report environmental issues through the website. It further found an association between CER and firm size. Practical implications The findings will be of interest to policymakers and regulators on the need to regulate environmental reporting. Thus, motivating firms towards better environmental performance in Nigeria. Originality/value The paper extends environmental reporting research in Nigeria beyond the use of annual reports. It captured environmental information reported through the website and sustainability reports. It provides information on the current status in terms of quality and content of information reported. Finally, it found that firm size is a contingent factor for CER in Nigeria.