Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Research Articles

Embracing certainty in uncertain times: Macroeconomic uncertainty, third‐party assurance, and CSR performance

AbstractOur study investigates whether macro‐level uncertainty on the future economic prospects, referred to as macroeconomic uncertainty, affects corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Two competing theories, namely, the real options theory and the risk management theory, offer different perspectives on whether firms would increase or decrease their CSR performance in response to macroeconomic uncertainty. Existing literature documents inconclusive empirical evidence about this matter. Employing a novel and unbiased measure of macroeconomic uncertainty and drawing upon data from U.S. firms between 2006 and 2017, we find that CSR performance is negatively associated with macroeconomic uncertainty. We also document that the negative association between macro uncertainty and CSR performance is attenuated for firms that have their CSR reports independently assured by third‐party experts. The results are robust to controlling for firm characteristics, an alternative measure of macroeconomic uncertainty, and an alternative sample period excluding the 2008–2009 Financial Crisis.

The implications of COVID-19 on ESG performance and financial reporting quality in Egypt

Purpose This examine the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance on financial reporting quality (FRQ) before and during COVID-19 in the Egyptian market. Design/methodology/approach This study uses quarterly data from 2017 to 2021 to draw conclusions, with a sample consisting of 486 firm-year observations for 27 Egyptian companies listed on the Standard and Poor’s/Egyptian Stock Exchange ESG index. This study uses both firms’ ESG scores and the Beneish Model, an earnings detection model, as proxies for FRQ. COVID-19 effects on ESG performance and FRQ were examined by using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and two-stage least squares. Findings COVID-19 has a significant impact on the link between ESG and FRQ. This implies that corporations with high ESG performance are less likely to manipulate earnings (having a low M-score) and thus provide high FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, there is a significant positive relationship between firm size, leverage and M-Score, indicating that large firms typically present a high FRQ. Research limitations/implications The sample size and data availability are the main research limitations. Additionally, this study only considers the effects of firms’ ESG performance on FRQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, future research should consider other factors associated with investors’ corporate social responsibility (CSR). Practical implications This research has practical implications for market regulators seeking to establish a legislative framework and enhance guidance to mandate managers to provide ESG data and CSR reports appropriate for Egypt and other developing economies in times of crisis. Social implications Promoting the adoption of ESG practices in business, particularly during crises, has the potential to effectively provide high-quality and reliable financial reporting required for investment. Originality/value This study aspires to address notable deficiencies in the pertinent literature concerning the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ during COVID-19. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, little is known about how ESG performance changes in response to pandemics in emerging markets. To address this gap, this study examines the effects of COVID-19 on the relationship between ESG performance and FRQ in Egyptian-listed firms from 2017 to 2021.

Sustainable development goals disclosure and analyst forecast quality

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate sustainable development goals (SDGs) disclosure and analyst forecast quality.Design/methodology/approachThe study focuses on a sample of 95 Italian-listed companies preparing the mandatory non-financial declaration (NFD) according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards over a five-year period (2017–2021), corresponding to an unbalanced sample of 438 observations. Analyst forecast quality was proxied by earnings forecast accuracy (FA) and earnings forecast dispersion (FD), built on data retrieved from the Refinitiv database. A manual content analysis was performed on NFDs to derive an SDG disclosure score (SDGD) for each sampled company.FindingsThis study provides empirical evidence suggesting that voluntary SDG disclosure matters to the capital market in that it helps enhance the information environment of companies, evidenced by improved analyst forecast quality. In particular, this study highlighted that SDG disclosure positively influences analyst FA while negatively affecting analyst FD.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on the Italian context, which has idiosyncratic characteristics regarding the structure of the financial market, the composition of corporate ownership and experience in non-financial reporting practices.Practical implicationsThis study indicates to corporate managers that following GRI standards may represent the right way to better integrate SDG disclosure in corporate non-financial reports and increase the relevance of such information for investors and other capital market participants.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that empirically examines the association between SDG disclosure and analyst forecast quality.

EU regulations on reporting sustainable development as a determinant of limiting the environmental pressure of chemical enterprises in Poland

The period of validity of Directive 2014/95/EU, which imposed on enterprises the obligation to present non-financial information in separate non-financial reports, the so-called ESG was aimed to check its effects, complementary regulations and actual actions in the environmental area. Numerous works have analysed various aspects of non-financial reporting in the context of the directive, including several on ESG reporting in relation to air pollution emissions. However, it has not been examined yet whether there is a relationship between the level of reporting and the effects of pro-environmental activities in the context of the impact of regulations on it. A research gap in this area was identified, and therefore, the aim of the paper is to examine how selected chemical companies in Poland adapt to the EU guidelines on ESG reporting in the environmental dimension and whether it has an impact on reducing their pressure on the environment. The research period is 2010-2022, and the three-stage study used a quantitative-qualitative methodological approach. In the first and third stages, descriptive statistics and time series analysis methods were used. The second one includes methods such as content analysis, case analysis, GES Risk Rating, and expert analysis. The research carried out made it possible to conclude on the impact of non-financial reporting regulations on the environmental pressure.

A Review and Prospect of Corporate Text Information Tone Management

With the development of society and technological progress, on the one hand, the academic and practical circles are paying more attention to the text information such as the non-financial report of enterprises. On the other hand, the progress of computer technology has made it possible to obtain and quantify text information. Tone is one of the important characteristics of text information, which refers to the positive or negative emotional tendencies while disclosing text information. Enterprises manipulate text messages for profit through tone management, which has certain economic consequences. This paper systematically reviews the acquisition and measurement methods of text information tone, and reviews the existing literature on the influence factors and economic consequences of tone management, so as to provide direction and reference for future research on text information and tone management.

Research on ESG System Construction and Environmental Accounting Information Disclosure：A Case Study of CITIC Securities

Since the signing of the Paris Agreement, societal concern regarding climate change and sustainable development has grown exponentially. The construction of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) frameworks and the disclosure of environmental accounting information have garnered significant attention. Constructing a financial ESG framework and refining its environmental accounting system holds paramount significance. This study employs a case study approach, using leading Chinese securities firm, CITIC Securities, as a focal point. It elucidates the complementary relationship between ESG frameworks and environmental accounting within financial institutions. Leveraging databases and publicly available information such as CITIC Securities' annual reports and corporate social responsibility report, the study systematically analyzes the development of CITIC Securities' ESG framework and the current status of environmental accounting information disclosure. Based on these findings, the study identifies issues in CITIC Securities' and other financial institutions' information disclosure practices, such as a tendency towards one-sided disclosure or the presence of "greenwashing" phenomena. Finally, the study proposes measures and recommendations in four key areas: standardization, enhanced disclosure, independent verification, and digitization empowerment.

THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION AND CREATIVITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

Sustainable development becomes a strategic goal of modern business organizations and an aspiration to ensure long-term economic growth through the creation of innovative products and services, saving resources and their sustainable use, nurturing the environment, and contributing to the creation of public welfare. It should be noted that communication and creativity constitutes a significant part of the innovation generation and implementation process. Promotion of idea generation, the interpretation of the need for innovation, the provision of opportunities for expressing new ideas, the development of relationships both within the team itself and with stakeholders are important in each phase of communication. The article presents the research, the purpose of which is to determine how creative communication solutions condition the involvement of the organization’s stakeholders, developing sustainability and creating sustainable innovations in Lithuanian business organizations. The applied research method is qualitative content analysis of the web pages of the largest Lithuanian business organizations, seeking to collect data on the essential organization of sustainable innovation development activities, challenges and features of stakeholder involvement. The data required for the research was collected by reviewing the publicly available information of 100 websites of Lithuanian business organizations in order to determine the essential communicated sustainability topics. Documents related to sustainable activities of organizations were also investigated (sustainability performance reports, corporate social responsibility reports, etc.). The results of the study show that Lithuanian business organizations consider the development of a sustainable activity strategy an important priority in the near term. However, although they understand the need for sustainable activities, developing sustainable innovations by involving stakeholders in these activities is difficult due to the lack of such practices and various organizational factors.

Non-Financial Reporting by Banks in the Context of Current Development

Non-Financial Reporting by Banks in the Context of Current Development

Проблемы реализации принципов социальной ответственности бизнеса в России

Business social responsibility is a form of self–regulation of business, which is aimed at achieving social, environmental, and philanthropic goals jointly with society and at the same time contributing to strengthening the brand's reputation. The principles of Business Social responsibility (SOB), or corporate social responsibility of business organizations, are now steadily spreading around the world, involving new countries and organizations - from small enterprises to multinational companies. Although the principles of the SOB are uniform, they acquire the characteristics of the country whose companies implement them in their activities. Priorities in the development of the state, the political structure, the state of the economy in the country, and key global problems leave their mark. In Russia, the concept of CSR has appeared relatively recently, at the moment there is an active process of forming an integrated approach to this phenomenon, which causes the emergence of a significant number of problems related to various aspects of the process under consideration. The purpose of the study is to analyze the dynamics of the development of social responsibility of Russian business through the prism of non–financial reports provided and to formulate the main problems of CSR implementation at the present stage. Research results: the concept, essence and basic principles of corporate social responsibility are considered, the main stages of the formation of CSR principles in Russia are studied. The dynamics of the provision of non-financial reports over the past 10 years has been analyzed, the structure of the submitted reports has been evaluated by industry characteristic of companies and by the share of organizations providing reports on a regular basis. The main disadvantages of the introduction of CSR principles from the point of view of entrepreneurship are studied. The main problems of CSR implementation at the current stage of development of the Russian economy are formulated and disclosed in detail. In the final part of the work, the main advantages of forming an integrated approach to the concept of CSR at the national level are formed, the main advantages of this process are presented.

The evolution of non-financial report quality and visual content: information asymmetry and strategic signalling: a cross-cultural perspective

AbstractThe increasing stakeholders’ scrutiny requires firms to communicate their non-financial performance to signal their commitment to sustainability. Building on the intention-based view and signalling, legitimacy and institutional theories, this study investigates whether corporate efforts to reduce information asymmetry and enhance their legitimacy led to higher quality and more transparent non-financial reporting practices. This study analyses reports from German, UK and Chinese companies over 14 years. It carries out quantitative and qualitative analysis of textual and visual content to evaluate disclosure density and accuracy of non-financial reports. The findings show limited progress in terms of the density and accuracy of the information disclosed by businesses since 2005. Also, they reveal cultural specificities in the reporting and approach to corporate social responsibility, along with a tendency to “create an appearance of legitimacy” by organisations. This study adds to the literature by studying the use of visual elements in non-financial reports. Moreover, it calls for strict policies and guidelines for the reporting of environmental and social issues by organisations. In particular, the inappropriate use of visual contents, the failure to provide quantitative information and managerial orientations show the need for completeness, transparency, and balance of information in reporting guidelines and regulations. The lack of authenticity and quality of the reports jeopardises the very purpose of non-financial reporting eroding trust in the system by all relevant social and economic stakeholders.

International diversification and corporate social responsibility disclosure quality: Employee versus environmental dimensions

AbstractMultinational enterprises (MNEs) face increasing institutional complexity as they expand internationally, which has a significant effect on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. In this study, we investigate an under‐explored difference between MNEs' employee and environmental CSR disclosure quality concerning the extent to which CSR reports are indicative of substantive activities. We propose that as international diversification increases institutional complexity, MNEs lower the disclosure quality of environmental CSR yet improve the disclosure quality of employee CSR due to their different institutional implications. In addition, we examine the effect of MNEs' home country cultural differences regarding uncertainty avoidance on the relationship between international diversification and employee and environmental disclosure quality. Based on a sample of 335 global MNEs from 31 countries, we found general support for our hypotheses.

Cross-cultural Research of Speech Codes: Transitivity Processes in Corporate Social Responsibility Reports

Evolving from ethnographic research that determines what meanings are shared within a culture, studies regarding Speech Codes Theory have been conducted with implications for intercultural communication. Arguing for transitivity as speech codes in diverse cultures, this paper aims to describe and explain the transitivity attributes of English-medium Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports by Chinese and British/American corporations, and the transitivity variances between industries by Chinese corporations. Results reveal that frequencies of transitivity features in the Chinese CSR reports are significantly lower than those in the British/American reports, and that the relational process dominates in the corpus under investigation. Also, cross-industrial comparisons among Chinese corporations show that the mechanical manufacturing enterprises and the iron & steel enterprises share similar transitivity codes, but they differ from the energy enterprises distinctively. The paper concludes that linguistic/cultural contexts, translation strategies, moves in the CSR reports, and industry attributes together contribute to the transitivity codes and communicative conducts in different cultural and industrial backgrounds. This paper might help writers/translators of CSR reports in China better understand lexical and functional conformities and peculiarities reflected in Chinese and British/American CSR reports, enhance their corporate narration in the international communities, and thus reinforce communication with the general public by appropriately expressing and accurately translating transitivity processes.

The use of photography in non-financial reporting as a tool for legitimizing the activities of companies from the food industry in Poland

Purpose: The article aims to determine whether the images presented in the non-financial reports of food companies are used to legitimize their operations.Methodology/approach: A literature analysis and quantitative and qualitative content analysis were used. Findings: The results indicate that the photos presented in the non-financial reports of food companies constitute an element of their legitimization strategy, serving to build the image of a socially responsible organization. This is evidenced by the often-recurring idealized images that present the happiness and contentment of employees and their families, as well as local communities, or depicting nature unspoiled by economic activity. The use of such practices aims to elicit a preconceived impression of the company’s commitment to sustainability among stakeholders. Research limitations/implications: As this is a pilot study and a prelude to further research on information visualization in non-financial reports, the study was limited to eight companies operating in the food industry, one form of information visualization, and one reporting period. Therefore, there is a need for further research to determine whether companies in other industries and regions use photos and other forms of in-formation visualization to gain legitimacy for their operations. Practical implications: The study highlights the significance of the photos included in non-financial reports in establishing the image of companies committed to sustainability. It expands knowledge on the importance of information visualization in a company’s communication with its stakeholders. Originality/value: The article addresses a very topical but insufficiently researched issue in Poland concerning the use of photography for impression management in non-financial reporting. This is the first paper to present an analysis of photographs from the perspective of a company’s message creation for stakeholders to legitimize its activities.

The moral foundations of responsible business: Using computational text analysis to explore the salience of morality in CSR communication

Morality is an integral part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). However, the academic debate so far has mostly stated the importance of morality from a purely theoretical perspective, without empirically assessing it. We, therefore, draw on the moral foundations dictionary to conduct an automated content analysis of corporations’ (N = 277) annual CSR reports (N = 5010) over a period of 22 years. Looking into Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we investigated morality salience, differences across sectors, countries, and over time as well as the association of morality with different stakeholder groups. Results inform the broader debate on CSR and morality and highlight avenues for future research.

A fenntarthatósági jelentéstétel gyakorlatának vizsgálata

The responsibility of companies to reduce the negative effects of climate change is obvious. The transition from a traditional linear economy to a circular economy means an increasing burden on companies. Besides the adequate financial performance, more and more emphasis is being placed on environmental performance. This study examines the non-financial sustainability reporting practices of 20 companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. The analysis used non-financial reports of companies with the highest market capitalization between 2020 and 2022. The analysis results support that the reports of environmentally sensitive companies are more extensive and detailed concerning investigated aspects. The details and length of the companies’ ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) reports increased during the three years examined. The environmental and social aspects of disclosed documents are more detailed for the banks, the oil extraction, and the telecommunication companies. In the company sample examined, it can be observed that most of the reports are prepared according to the GRI regulation. It can also be observed that the companies examined made more detailed and longer reports. The research results also support the fact that the aspects of the ESG report (E, S, G) also depend on the sector in which the companies operate.

ESG performance and disclosure quality: does a well-balanced board of directors matter when impression management occurs?

PurposeThis paper explores how the disclosure quality, measured by the abnormal tone of environmental and social report, may determine the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance of the firm. This study also investigates the impact of the moderator “board of directors” to explore the extent to which a well-balanced board of directors may affect this association within an impression management strategy.Design/methodology/approachThis work uses a sample of 616 firm-year observations using a sample of French firms indexed on SBF120 index from 2010 to 2017. To test the developed hypotheses, the GLS regression is applied and to control for endogeneity issue and sample selection bias, the authors used, respectively, the two stage least square (2SLS) procedure and the Heckman model.FindingsFindings suggest that a well-balanced board of directors moderates the relationship between the ESG performance and the disclosure quality. The positive effect of abnormal tone management on ESG is weakened by the presence of a good structure of the board, attenuating impression management initiatives.Research limitations/implicationsThe research provides evidence of the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting quality, in particular disclosure tone management, on the level of ESG performance in the French context. As the board of directors may have a major impact on weakening impression management strategies in particular tone management practices, in order to improve CSR report quality, the authors recommend French companies to ensure a well-balanced board of directors.Originality/valueThis study helps investors to comprehensively evaluate the information disclosed on CSR reports. It unveils that a strong board composition induces better quality of CSR report and brings better ESG performance. Thus, the study results point to the importance of a well-balanced board of directors and the regulation of the narrative disclosure of CSR information.

Do nonfinancial reporting practices matter in SDG disclosure? An exploratory study

Purpose The Agenda 2030 have drawn a lot of interest in academic studies. This necessitates accounting research on nonfinancial reporting and sustainable development goals (SDG) disclosure in an under-investigated context. The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of nonfinancial reporting practices to SDG disclosure by 120 companies from 12 African nations for the years 2016 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a content analysis to gauge how much information are disclosed on SDG by the selected firms. The authors carried out content analysis using the global reporting initiative frameworks to determine the level of SDG disclosure across the companies by examining the selected nonfinancial reports. Findings Sustainability reports account for 50% of such SDG disclosure making it the highest. This is followed by corporate social responsibility report which accounts for 23%, while environmental reports account for 20% and Chairman’s statement accounts for 7%. The result is expected since corporate sustainability report has been the major channel for disclosing activities relating to social and governance issues in recent times. Practical implications The results of this study demand that corporate entities in Africa take responsibility for their actions and exert significant effort to achieve the SDG. While the government has the main responsibility, corporate entities must support the SDG to be realized. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few studies that examines nonfinancial reporting practices with a focus on SDG disclosure. In addition, this study offers novel insight into how accounting research contributes to nonfinancial reporting practices and SDG disclosure.

The Impact of Tax Avoidance and Environmental Performance on Tax Disclosure in CSR Reports

ABSTRACT This study explores how and why firms voluntarily discuss taxes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. Using a textual analysis approach, we analyze 2,984 CSR reports from 22 countries to identify tax disclosures, including instances of firms explicitly relating taxes to CSR (“socially responsible tax disclosures”). We find that on average firms provide limited tax information and tend to use disclosures portraying tax payments as beneficial for society rather than presenting strategies to ensure socially responsible tax behavior. When examining possible influences on firms’ disclosure decisions, we find robust evidence of a negative association between socially responsible tax disclosures and environmental performance, consistent with firms using the disclosures to build or repair reputational capital. We also find some evidence of a positive association between socially responsible tax disclosures and tax avoidance, particularly among U.S. firms. Our results should be useful for standard setters and readers of CSR reports. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: M41; H26; M14.

Does the Capital Market Value Carbon Emission Reductions? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT: An increasing number of Chinese companies are strengthening their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by reporting their carbon emission reductions. Research suggests that such voluntary environmental disclosures can reduce information asymmetry, decrease the cost of capital, and thus enhance firm value. However, a significant research gap exists because this evidence mainly derives from developed countries, with limited consideration given to emerging countries, where the capital market often lacks robust informational content. To fill this research gap, we endeavor to explore the firm-value effects of the disclosures and the magnitude of carbon reduction in China, the largest emerging market. By manually collecting data on carbon emission reductions from the CSR reports of Chinese listed companies from 2008 to 2013, we employ the balance sheet valuation model and ordinary least squares regression to investigate the firm-value effects of the disclosures and the magnitude of carbon emission reductions. The empirical results show that firm value is positively associated with not only voluntary carbon emission reduction disclosures, but also the magnitude of carbon emission reductions. In our sample, for every additional ton of carbon emission reduction, firm value increases by approximately 340 yuan (equivalent to 44 euros or 52 US dollars). We also find that the firm-value effects of carbon emission reductions are more pronounced in high-pollution industries than those in low-pollution industries. Further channel tests reveal that on average, agency problems, as measured by selling, general, and administrative expenses, are lower in firms that disclose carbon emission reduction information than those that do not. In addition, firms with carbon emission reduction disclosures can obtain more green subsidies than those without such disclosures. To mitigate climate risk, firms should proactively engage in carbon emission reductions, which can potentially receive a positive recognition from the capital market. Our study also provides valuable insights for regulators in terms of establishing and enhancing carbon accounting standards to encourage corporate involvement in carbon reductions.

A Multidimensional Analysis of Leaders’ Messages in Chinese and American Corporate Social Responsibility Reports

A Multidimensional Analysis of Leaders’ Messages in Chinese and American Corporate Social Responsibility Reports