scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting and Income Smoothing: Evidence from Saudi-Listed Companies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lassaad Ben Mahjoub
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Income Smoothing

scholarly journals Sustainability Reporting Practices: Evidence from Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Sumaiya Akhter ◽  
Pappu Kumar Dey
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Employee Benefits ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Product Responsibility

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and extent of sustainability reporting practices by the listed companies in Bangladesh. In order to fulfill this objective, the research has examined the content analysis of annual report (2015-2016) and website of the top 50 listed companies (according to market capitalization). Based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines, the study investigates three broad areas i.e. economic, environmental and social with 40 indicators. The findings of the study demonstrate that organizations in Bangladesh address few sustainability issues. Companies focus more on community development which is 90%, followed by employment and employee benefits (67%). The level of disclosures in website is meagre where only 26% of the sample companies disclose at least one indicator. Organizations’ attention on issues like environment, human rights and product responsibility is limited in relation to other issues. The extent of disclosure is also poor that is 66% of the companies use less than 25 sentences in sustainability reporting. Moreover, only 16% of the sample companies use separate sustainability reporting section. The limited disclosures on sustainability issues may be because of voluntary sustainability reporting in Bangladesh.

Materiality assessment: the case of Latin American listed companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yully Marcela Sepúlveda-Alzate ◽  
María Antonia García-Benau ◽  
Mauricio Gómez-Villegas
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Purpose This paper aims to propose a measurement of the materiality of environmental, social and governance information (ESG) reported by listed companies belonging to sensitive industries in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. This analysis is carried out from the insights of stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and institutional theory. The research questions addressed are: What type of information is considered as material by Latin American companies? Does this information respond to the environmental and social issues within the context of Latin American companies and the needs of their stakeholders? Design/methodology/approach A materiality index is developed from principal component analysis and factor analysis, which are multivariate analysis statistical techniques used in various fields to develop indices. The designed index examines materiality in the sustainability reports of 65 companies for 2017 and 67 companies for 2018. These firms belong to the energy, mining, chemical, construction, construction materials and public services industries in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Findings The results show medium-high materiality indices, mostly in Chilean, Mexican and Colombian companies. In addition, issues such as water management, climate change and occupational health and safety are particularly interesting for companies. For the two years studied and from the perspective of material aspects for the company and its stakeholders, energy, mining and utilities (drinking water and sewage) sectors obtained the highest scores. This shows that the disclosure of ESG information is higher in industries related to the exploitation of natural resources that cause adverse effects on the environment such as extractive industries. Both the analysis presented in this paper and the materiality measurement developed, allow social responsibility managers to have a standard on the level of importance allotted to the different topics disclosed in sustainability reports. Additionally, this study provides a perspective of the material issues recognized by sensitive industries with great environmental impact. Similarly, an analysis of the issues considered material by stakeholders is provided. This allows such issues to be compared, identifying similarities and differences among the issues regarded as material by a company and its stakeholders. Practical implications The paper opens the debate is open as to whether the information disclosed response to the needs of stakeholders or whether, on the contrary, the materiality analysis is a process that emerges simply from the interests of the company. These demands for qualitative and field research to complement quantitative studies such as this one to research the stakeholders’ engagement processes in context. Social implications The paper’s purpose a challenge for future research is to strengthen the use of various methodologies that allow knowing the participation processes in the definition of materiality in the ESG information and the companies’ engagement with stakeholders. This stimulates research in the region, which is still in its infancy. Originality/value The international literature contains few studies related to the assessment of materiality for sustainability reporting. So this paper contributes proposes measurement of materiality for ESG information.

scholarly journals Board Governance and Sustainability Disclosure: A Cross-Sectional Study of Singapore-Listed Companies

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meibo Hu ◽  
Lawrence Loh
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Board Governance ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
The Relationship

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between board governance and sustainability disclosure in Singapore. Regression analysis is performed using cross-sectional data of Singapore-listed companies to examine the relationship between sustainability disclosure and various board governance factors, including board capacity, board independence, and board incentive. The findings show the presence of significant associations between board governance and sustainability disclosure. In terms of board capacity, companies with larger board sizes and a higher number of board meetings are more likely to practice sustainability reporting, and their reporting qualities are higher. For board independence, the percentage of independent directors positively impacts the firm’s reporting probability and quality on sustainability in Singapore. For board incentives, the practice of long-term incentives for executive directors can significantly improve both the probability and quality of sustainability reporting. The study adds to the literature on corporate governance and sustainability disclosure. It provides empirical evidence and guidance for firms and policy-makers in Singapore and beyond on how sustainability disclosure can be improved through robust board governance.

Barriers for sustainability reporting: evidence from Indo-Pacific region

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinithi Dissanayake ◽  
Sanjaya Kuruppu ◽  
Wei Qian ◽  
Carol Tilt
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Country Level ◽  
To Come ◽  
Set Up

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the barriers for sustainability reporting practices in five different countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses surveys and semi-structured interviews to explore the main barriers faced by the managers of listed companies in undertaking sustainability reporting. Findings The findings of the study reveal that the main barriers for sustainability reporting are attributable to lack of knowledge and understanding, additional cost involved, time constraints, lack of awareness and education in sustainability reporting and a lack of initiatives from government. These vary between three groups of countries: those with more developed reporting, those with less developed reporting and those with strong cultural constraints to reporting. Research limitations/implications This study adapts Lewin’s field theory and three-step model of change to be applied to group dynamics at a broader country level rather than at an organisational level. Practical implications The barriers identified in this paper are important for reporting companies to come up with strategies to mitigate existing barriers and for regulatory authorities to provide subsidies and other incentives to supplement the efforts of these listed companies. Also, non-reporting companies could use the findings as a measure of cautiousness to set up the necessary processes to have a smooth sustainability reporting process in their companies. Originality/value This is one of the few studies that explore the barriers for sustainability reporting in five countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

CSR and sustainability reporting practices in India: an in-depth content analysis of top-listed companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1033-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Aggarwal ◽  
Ajay Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Industry Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively analyze the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reporting (SR) practices of Indian companies in terms of disclosure quantity and quality, and to investigate the differences in SR practices by SR dimension, industry, ownership structure, firm size and profitability. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from annual reports/business responsibility reports (BRR)/CSR/sustainability reports of 60 top-listed companies in India. A comprehensive sustainability reporting index is developed. Content analysis technique is used. Inter-coder reliability is established. Findings Altogether, 18 items of the index are not disclosed by the majority of companies in India. SR quality is found significantly lower than the SR quantity. Moreover, SR practices significantly differ by dimension/category, industry-type and firm-size but are not influenced by ownership structure. However, the study fails to establish any conclusive relationship between SR and profitability. Practical implications The present study has several implications for corporates, practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders. The findings underscore the need for amendments in the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and BRR framework of the Securities and Exchange Board of India to avoid patchy disclosures and ensure complete reporting by companies. Originality/value This study is among the foremost studies in India evaluating SR practices of top-listed companies in the wake of the mandatory BRR requirement from a quantitative as well as qualitative perspective using a multidimensional index.

scholarly journals The Challenge of Sustainable Development Goal Reporting: The First Evidence from Italian Listed Companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Federica Izzo ◽  
Mirella Ciaburri ◽  
Riccardo Tiscini
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Exact Nature ◽  
Recent Innovation ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Csr Disclosure

This research investigates the extent to which the voluntary disclosure of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), assumed to be the most recent innovation in social disclosures and corporate sustainability reporting, is diffused among Italian listed companies through different instruments of disclosure (voluntary or non-voluntary). Our findings reveal that SDGs awareness amongst the business community is high and that the majority of highly-traded, liquid, and highly-capitalized Italian companies have introduced SDGs in their disclosure and story-telling practices, while the exact nature and requirements of the SDGs, and the definitions of specific key performance indicators (KPIs) related to those goals, are still missing. Italian companies prefer using non-financial statements and sustainability reports to disclose information about their commitments to SDGs, and most of them started to report information about SDGs in 2016. Additionally, this research seeks to identify the significant differences between SDG reporters in different sectors, under the assumption that operating in a specific sector could significantly affect a company’s decision to disclose information on their SDGs. This research highlights, following the recent evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure and sustainability reporting, the increasing relevance of SDGs in Italian companies’ disclosure practices and, at the same time, the gaps to be covered for their effective implementation.

Factors influencing sustainability reporting by Sri Lankan companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinithi Dissanayake ◽  
Carol Tilt ◽  
Wei Qian
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Company Size ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industry Sector

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the key company characteristics which influence sustainability reporting by publicly listed companies in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Panel data analysis is conducted to analyse sustainability reporting of 84 publicly listed companies from 2012 to 2015. Findings Company size and usage of the GRI guidelines are found to be the most relevant company characteristics associated with sustainability reporting by listed companies in Sri Lanka. Unexpectedly, ownership and industry sector do not show strong influences on the extent of sustainability reporting over the study period compared with prior studies. Research limitations/implications Large companies which follow the GRI guidelines are more likely to report in an elaborate manner, indicating the influence of standards setting bodies in Sri Lanka. This means Sri Lankan companies pay attention to global business practices, given the current re-development phase Sri Lanka is experiencing after the end of the civil war. Originality This study is one of the few studies that examine sustainability reporting in a country set against a backdrop of war in the South Asian region. Besides this, it extends the previous research on sustainability reporting and variables such as company ownership, GRI usage, company size and industry sector in a developing country context.

scholarly journals Investigating income smoothing: Empirical evidence from Vietnam's listed companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phung Anh Thu ◽  
Nguyen Vinh Khuong
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Income Smoothing ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Model Coefficient

Income smoothing is a dimension of the accounts manipulation theme that has been attracting great attention in the accounting literature. A goal of manipulation is widely ascribed to managers who wants income smoothing. The author has tried to investigate income smoothing at listed companies on the Stock Exchange. For this purpose, we chose a stratified random sample of 285 companies from formula listed companies on Vietnam Stock Exchange. We carried the mechanism for smooth and non-smoothing companies Eckel model (coefficient of variation of the distribution of profits to sales). We have compared 111 smoothing companies and 174 non-smoothing companies. The study results suggest that the Eckel index is suitable for the Vietnam stock market and shows a slight increase compared to the previous research.

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