Two decades of integrated reporting in transition: A bibliometric and thematic analysis

PurposeThis paper analyses the extent to which public sector (PS) and non-profit (NP) organisations' reports and reporting processes adopt an IR framework as model of dialogical accountings and accountability (DAA) for dialogue with stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an overview of accountings and accountability in PS and NP organisations. The concept of dialogical communication with stakeholders is studied. The theoretical framework of DAA is supported by empirical investigation through the case studies of two organisations, one PS and one NP organisation. To contextualize findings from the case study, Estonian private schools' published management reports were analysed to explore integrated reporting (IR) elements. The paper ends with discussion and conclusions.FindingsNP and PS aimed to improve their reporting practices. Reporting in the PS organisation were based on traditional accounting and accountability models which work in stable and non-competitive environment. IR, as a format for DAA, could bring added value to the PSO, but the mechanisms to make it work are missing. The NP organisations were already spontaneously practising some IR elements. After learning about IR, the NP organisation committed to IR principles and benefited from its guidelines. Implementing IR together with the concepts of dialogical communication, the organisations could create and benefit from better cooperation with their stakeholders both internally and externally.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study research does not allow for generalisation of the results, which are limited to the case organisations' context and based on their management's subjective opinions. The limitation of qualitative content analysis as a research method in current study, is its possible subjectivity. The limitation is represented by the fact that only one year's data was for analysis.Practical implicationsThis paper can be useful to any PS or NP institution willing to enhance its public accountability and developing dialogue with stakeholders for creation and innovation. This study serves to inform organisations that are searching for ways to improve awareness of IR for communication and co-creation purposes.Social implicationsThis study could help in defining the framework for a larger scale IR-related study in finding trends in PS and NP organisations. The study is a platform for exploring the aspects of developing dialogue with different stakeholders of IR implementation and application process.Originality/valueThe conceptual novelty of the research lies in connecting IRF and dialogical communication concept. The focus is to understand how IR expedites dialogical communication in light of IR framework. In current paper, we observe the presence of IR elements in public sector and non-profit sector organisations' reports.

PurposeThis paper aims to systematically analyse the publications in the field of integrated reporting (IR) and to present an overview of the current publication trends in IR based on the data obtained from the Scopus database.Design/methodology/approachSelected bibliometric indicators and bibliometrix R-packages are used in examining metrics like annual publication trends, authors with the most produced work, papers that are often cited, top productive countries, top productive affiliations, frequently mentioned journals, frequently mentioned keywords, analysis of co-citation, analysis of collaboration and analysis of co-word.FindingsThe findings from the bibliometric review indicated that the trend of IR literature had increased from 2017 to 2020, specifically from 2017 to 2019. The findings also indicated that several publications on IR entailed several authors’ collaboration and were published in various languages. Moreover, around 148 institution-affiliated researchers from 40 institutions in 20 countries contributed to the IR publication.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper offers a comprehensive overview of the current development in IR. It is useful to help emerging scholars identify and understand current trends in IR based on different countries, authors and languages.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on IR by highlighting the trends of IR publications from the Scopus database using bibliometric analysis.

This paper aims to investigate the dependence and independence between the variables inferred in the bibliometric analysis of the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR), business sustainability (BS), and integrated reporting (IR). In this paper, we undertook a bibliometric analysis with statistical analysis to fulfill the proposed goal, based on scientific papers from 1975 to 2021 indexed by ISI Web of Science and SCOPUS databases on the abovementioned topics. The results are the development of a model for mapping future research directions on IR, CSR, and BS issues using the clustering method. The bibliometric and statistical analysis can help researchers by providing clear guidelines for future studies, depending on the behaviour of research clusters on the IR topic. Previous studies didn’t attempt to analyze future research directions of IR from a bibliometric and statistical standpoint, which should be carefully tracked, because IR can offer support to companies by improving their communication with stakeholders.

Purpose This paper aims to provide a thorough and systematic overview of the academic literature focusing on the role of integrated reporting (IR) and integrated thinking (IT) in achieving sustainable business models (SBMs). The paper discusses whether the incorporation of newer IR systems can facilitate the integration of processes, as well as a better allocation of resources and capital to create long-term value, according to a circular approach. Design/methodology/approach Based on a database containing 60 publications in English with a publication date from 1990 to 2019, a bibliometric analysis is conducted. Data on publications, journals, authors and citations are collected, verified, cross-checked and examined by applying bibliometric measures. Findings Bibliometric analysis has identified that IR and IT have determined an evolution in the way companies communicate and create value, facilitating the integration of processes and a better allocation of resources and capital. However, market practice still perceives them as simple reporting tools to meet stakeholders’ needs rather than as critical corporate governance tools. Research limitations/implications This study highlights key issues in the past literature on IR and IT to meet SDGs, contributing also to the identification of critical difficulties that companies encounter in attempting to attain sustainable goals. Originality/value This document contributes to the existing literature on IR, IT and SBMs through a systematic review of the literature on these topics along with the sustainable development goals perspective. The study, furthermore, attempts to assess the role that the relevant literature attributes to IR and IT in the SBMs architecture.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the potential for eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to go beyond static reporting. A taxonomy structure of information is developed for providing a knowledge base and insights for an XBRL taxonomy for integrated reporting (IR).Design/methodology/approachDesign Science (DS) research, as a pragmatic exploratory research approach, is embraced to create a new “artefact” and thematic content analysis is used to analyse IR in practice.FindingsUsing XBRL for IR allows a shift from static and periodic reporting to more relevant and dynamic corporate disclosure for stakeholders, who can navigate and retrieve customised disclosure information according to their interest by exploiting the multidimensionality of IR and overcome some of its criticisms. The bi-dimensional taxonomy structure the authors’ present allows users to navigate disclosure from two different perspectives (content elements (CE) and capitals), display specific themes of interest, and drill down to more detailed information. Because of its evidence-based nature and levels of disaggregation, it provides flexibility to preparers and users of information. Additionally, the findings demonstrate the need to codify sector-specific information for the CE, so that to direct the efforts toward the development of sector-specific taxonomy extensions in developing an XBRL taxonomy for IR.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of DS research are, first, the artefact design and, second, its effects in practice. The first limitation stems from the social actors’ perspective taken into account to develop the taxonomy structure, which derives from the analysis of the reporting practices rather than a pluralistic approach and dialogic engagement. The second limitation relates to the XBRL taxonomy development process because, since the study is limited to the “design” phase being codification and structuring the knowledge base for an XBRL taxonomy, there is a need to develop a taxonomy in XBRL and then apply it in practice to empirically demonstrate the potential and benefits of XBRL in the IR context.Practical implicationsThe taxonomy structure is targeted at entities interested in designing an XBRL taxonomy for IR. This is a call for academics and practitioners to explore the potential of technology to improve corporate disclosure and open up new projections for resurging themes on intellectual capital (IC) reporting with prospects for IC “fourth-stage” research focused on IC disclosure.Originality/valueThis is an interdisciplinary research employing the DS approach, which is rooted in information systems research. It is the first academic study providing pragmatic results for using XBRL in the context of IC and IR.

This research seeks to explore the potential adoption of integrated reporting (IR) in Lebanon and highlight the stakeholders' need for a more comprehensive reporting tool. For this purpose, the characteristics of Roger's diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory (2003) were used to investigate the factors that will motivate or hinder the adoption of IR in Lebanon. The methodology of this study was based on the sequential exploratory mixed method. In which the research started first with a qualitative study using the theme extracted from DOI theory based on a study by Samy & Robertson (2019), to formulate interview questions that asked five knowledgeable auditors in IR through semi-structured interviews, the interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis. from the result of the qualitative study, the research developed the research hypotheses, and the instrument tool for quantitative data collection was created. In the quantitative phase, the questionnaire was distributed to 290 participants experts in the accounting and finance field. Based on the Integrated of two phases, this study revealed that the relative advantage of innovation IR has a positive advantage on the adoption of IR, and incompatibility hurts the adoption of IR, whereas the complexity of innovation (IR) hurts the adoption of IR according to Samy & Robertson (2019) and the first phase of this study(qualitative phase), while the quantitative phase found that no relationship between themes of complexity that are emerged from the semi-structured interview and adoption of IR.

Sustainability reporting has evolved into a multidimensional field encompassing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure, integrated reporting (IR), and circular economy (CE) practices. This study aims to map the intellectual and thematic landscape of sustainability reporting research over the past decade, with a focus on sectoral differentiation. Drawing on bibliometric analysis of 1611 scientific articles indexed in Scopus, this research applies co-word analysis, thematic mapping, and bibliographic coupling to identify prevailing trends, conceptual clusters, and knowledge gaps. The results reveal a clear progression from fragmented debates toward a more integrated discourse combining ESG, IR, and CE frameworks. In the real economy, sustainability reporting demonstrates a mature operational focus, supported by standardized frameworks and extensive empirical evidence. In contrast, the banking sector exhibits emerging engagement with sustainability disclosure, while the public sector remains at an earlier stage of conceptual and practical development. Despite the increasing convergence of research streams, gaps persist in linking reporting practices to tangible sustainability outcomes, integrating digital innovations, and addressing social dimensions of circularity. This study concludes that further interdisciplinary and sector-specific research is essential to advance credible, comparable, and decision-useful reporting practices capable of supporting the transition toward sustainable and circular business models.

This study investigates the impact of business intelligence (BI) and integrated reporting (IR) on human resource (HR) analytics and organizational performance (OP). Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) theory, this study explores the mediating role of HR analytics in the relationship between BI, IR and OP. Data were collected from 353 IT managers, and the proposed model was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling via SmartPLS 4.0. The results reveal that both BI and IR have a positive and significant influence on HR analytics and OP. Furthermore, HR analytics partially mediates these relationships, strengthening their effects on organizational outcomes. This study contributes to the RBV literature by highlighting HR analytics as a strategic resource that enhances OP. The findings offer valuable insights into business leaders, underscoring the critical role of HR analytics in data-driven decision-making, optimizing HR practices and gaining a competitive advantage.

Purpose This study examines the challenges of mandatory sustainability reporting and the perceptions that managers have of integrated reporting (IR) in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in stakeholder and institutional theories, this interpretivist study uses a qualitative methodology employing semi-structured interviews with managers from Indonesian listed companies. This study explores the experiences of managers with mandatory sustainability reporting and analyzes their views using thematic analysis. Findings Our findings extend prior research by identifying four interrelated sustainability reporting challenges: framework proliferation, materiality determination, assurance inadequacies, and resource constraints, forming a self-reinforcing cycle that perpetuates symbolic reporting despite mandatory requirements. Managers expressed a split view on IR, some saw it as a tool to improve communication, while others preferred separation to meet diverse audience needs. The study shows how organizations navigate institutional pressures and stakeholder expectations. These findings have timely implications for regulators, underscoring the need for standardized frameworks, sector guidance, and capacity building for meaningful adoption. Research limitations/implications While this study offers new insights, its focus on managerial perspectives is a limitation. Incorporating views from other stakeholders such as investors and regulators could provide other understandings of sustainability reporting challenges and IR adoption. Originality/value Our contribution lies in explaining how Indonesian listed companies navigate systemic sustainability reporting challenges under POJK51, conceptualizing these challenges as interlinked rather than discrete issues. By focusing on stakeholder and institutional tensions, we offer a grounded theoretical lens that can inform the design of future IR practices in developing countries.

The aim of this research was to identify the gaps in engagement and use among the social actors involved with Integrated Reporting (IR) in Brazil: the companies and professionals responsible for promoting it, the organizations that implement it, and the companies and professionals that use it. In Brazil, private organizations may engage in and use IR via the mechanism of mimetic or normative institutional isomorphism, while public ones do so via the coercive mechanism. In addition to this situation, studies have shown that organizations are still adapting to IR framework 1.0 and that there is a need to discuss improvements relating to its guiding principles, as well as the factors that can contribute to facilitating its adoption by organizations. Besides showing a number of gaps to be mitigated in order to facilitate engagement in and use of IR, the findings indicate that the social actors approach could include a change of organizational culture and not only the principles and methodological elements of IR. This study presents reflections and elements so that the social actors involved with IR can implement actions to accelerate engagement in and use of this initiative in Brazil; that is, which contribute to changing the mental model of managers in relation to the process of value creation, preservation, and erosion over time. This is a qualitative, interpretative, and exploratory study, as it covers a recently addressed topic, both in the international and in the national literature. The data were collected from interviews, documents, and observations of participants and non-participants and interpreted using the template analysis technique. The findings revealed five gaps in engagement and use among the social actors to be overcome in order for this initiative to be more effective: an absence of integrated thinking in organizations; exclusion of IR from corporate governance; an absence of standardization of methodologies for measuring impacts and disclosing risks; a lack of knowledge of the range of IR matters; and controversy between the regulation and self-regulation of IR. Therefore, the study contributes with an empirical investigation that discusses the situation regarding the implementation of IR in Brazil with the protagonists of this initiative. It also presents a conceptual model based on the antecedents and consequences of IR that can be used to develop a measurement scale to be used in countries in a similar situation to that of Brazil.

Over recent years, the Circular Economy (CE) has turned into a debated area worldwide as a way of achieving a more sustainable society. However, little is known about how companies can disclose CE‐related activities in their corporate reporting. This paper aims to explore how and to what extent CE‐related information is included in Integrated Reporting (IR) practices by promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study applies qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis approaches to explore the associations with CE, IR, the six capitals and SDGs. The institutional theory approach has been adopted to justify incorporating CE R‐principles activities into IR practices. Multiple case study findings demonstrate that every case company minimum one time cites the CE R principle, while case companies seen to be more involved in the reduce (R1), reuse (R2) and recycle (R7) are engaged with IR practices and focussing on SDGs. Whereas coercive, normative, and mimetic isomorphism mechanism substantially impacts CE activities concerning IR practices, we can argue that mimetic isomorphisms need further investigation because no structures and frameworks are available. In terms of managerial implications, this study proposed a combined framework of CE and IR that provides a conceptual picture of how CE activities intermesh with the IR framework and the six capitals, both essential for the Sustainable Development (SD) agenda participation and value creation process of companies.

Corporate reporting has undergone many changes. One main reason is that stakeholders see their needs change and evolve, thus making it necessary for them toexpress their various requests for information which, in turn, forces companies to rethink their external reporting practices. Recent studies support the position that the traditional annual report does not provide stakeholders with an adequate picture of the assets and the value created by the company. In response to this, Integrated Reporting (IR) has been adopted as a solution capable of providing both a holistic view of a company’s ability to create value in a sustainable way and an integrated vision of the company from a financial and a non-financial point of view.. Thus, this paper aims to examine the real reasons that have pushed major Italian companies to opt for IR and, especially, to explore the benefits that can now be identified a few years beyond the first publication of an Integrated Report. To investigate this topic, an exploratory field study involving ten Italian companies was conducted. The methodology relied on a qualitative approach, as it allows researchers to deal with complex “how” questions and, at the same time, offers a wide and complete picture of the phenomenon. The paper gives senior managers an overview of Italian companies that have already developed this new form of information reporting while providing valuable insights and an understanding of the perceived organizational benefits of implementing IR requirements. The study also contributes to the debate on managerial motives for producing an Integrated Report and how that may affect future decisions. The findings reveal a common thread among all the study participants, summarized by the completeness and transparency of the results. They also highlight an exhaustive list of benefits reported by these companies, which may serve as an incentive for those that have not yet adopted IR.

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the existing literature by presenting new knowledge about sustainable development goals’ (SDGs) reporting practices through integrated reporting (IR). This paper’s ultimate goal is to dig to light companies’ main approaches to incorporating SDG disclosures into IRs. Design/methodology/approach This study puts forward both deductive content analysis and an inductive thematic analysis on a sample of worldwide leading IR adopters to assess what SDGs they disclose and how they integrate SDGs into the reports. Meaningful narratives and graphical illustrations are selected, categorised and discussed from a symbolic/substantive legitimacy perspective. Findings The results of this study highlighted that although a fair number of leading IR adopters addressed SDG issues, their pathways to disclosure were not uniform. In some cases, SDGs inspired substantive changes to internal management and process, communicated through an integrated approach. However, there was a persistent trend of using SDGs as camouflage and symbolic tool to enhance company’s reputation and obtain a licence to operate. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first study that performed a deductive/inductive thematic analysis to engender insight into the most meaningful patterns followed by leading IR reporters worldwide to disclose their contributions to SDGs and address their legitimacy.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop guidelines of what award winning companies, leading practice in integrated reporting (IR) disclose in their integrated reports about material issues and their materiality determination processes. Also, to provide insight into what they disclose about their perception of materiality.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis was conducted to investigate what the top 10 South African companies of the 2015 Ernst and Young Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards disclosed in their 2014 and 2015 integrated reports about their materiality determination processes, material issues and what materiality means to them. Thematic analyses were conducted in developing guidelines.FindingsAll except one company applied the International Integrated Reporting Framework. The materiality determination processes, material issues and companies’ descriptions of materiality are diverse. Material issues most companies identified relate to employees, social and environmental issues, customers and sustainable performance.Practical implicationsThe proposed guidelines will provide useful strategies for organisations embarking on the IR journey about what issues could be considered as material and therefore included in integrated reports. It also proposes activities companies can undertake to identify, evaluate and prioritise material issues and execute their materiality determination process.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to develop guidelines of material matters and materiality determination processes. It also adds to existing literature on IR practice and the application of materiality.

The paper aims to analyse the existing literature on the role of board diversity on the relationship between corporate governance, human capital and integrated reporting (IR) by using systematic literature review method. The review protocol guideline which is called PRISMA has been used in the study. The PRISMA has identified the accurate related articles and there were four stages in the systematic review process by using main databases (Scopus and WoS), and also one supporting database (Google Scholar). The analysis was based on a thematic analysis that shaped four subjects; to be specific, board diversity, corporate governance components, human capital, and integrated reporting. These main themes have led the author to come across 13 sub-themes. The study will offer a lot of significant contributions towards the body of knowledge to adhere to better reports using IR since it gives more than a few benefits to the company itself.