Global Reporting Initiative G4 Research Articles

Disclosure Compliance with Different ESG Reporting Guidelines: The Sustainability Ranking of Selected European and Hungarian Banks in the Socio-Economic Crisis Period

As the relevant European Union directives require in-depth sustainability reporting from large institutions, banks are among the concerned with disclosure obligations. Several institutions prepare self-structured recommendations by which companies are indirectly fostered to make their operation more sustainable through reporting and to help compliance with the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) regulations. However, in the preparation period, differences can be found in the actual sustainability disclosure practices across Europe (primarily by a western–eastern European relation). To examine this issue, this study aimed to investigate if there was any variation in the reporting compliance with aspects (key performance indicators—KPIs) of three reporting guidelines (Global Reporting Initiative—G4, Financial Services Sector Disclosures—GRI; Alliance for Corporate Transparency—ACT; ISO 26000:2010—ISO) between top European and Hungarian banks according to their 2021 sustainability/ESG reports, using content analysis-based disclosure scoring. The results revealed no significant differences among the general (aspect-pooled) scores for different guidelines, while the differences were significant for each guideline between the two bank groups. In the aspect-level evaluation, the European banks had higher scores in most cases, with the Hungarian banks receiving higher scores in 4 of 49 GRI, 1 of 16 ACT, and 2 of 37 ISO aspects. Significant correlations were indicated in disclosure score values between the two bank groups, which suggested similar preferences for the aspects demonstrated; however, elaboration levels differed. These findings showed that the European and Hungarian banks could be differentiated by their sustainability disclosure patterns. The results suggest a better CSRD-level preparedness of the top European banks than of the Hungarian ones, with the latter being introduced as a model group of the region. This reflects the need for more efficient adoption of best practices by financial institutions in the eastern parts of Europe.

Sustainability reporting of major electricity retailers in line with GRI: Australia evidence

PurposeThis paper aims to comprehensively analyse the sustainability reporting practices of Australian electricity retailers in comparison with global sustainability reporting indicators outlined in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework.Design/methodology/approachBased on the GRI G4 sector-specific guidelines, the paper investigated Australian electricity retailers’ reporting in three broad areas of sustainability, namely, economic, environmental and social. The 2018/2019 annual reports along with websites, corporate social responsibility reports and standalone sustainability reports of the major electricity retailers listed on the Australian Energy Regulator were analysed and coded using a content-based technique.FindingsThe findings inform that electricity retailers’ disclosures are substantially varied between and within the three categories of sustainability reporting, and the majority of the retailers have failed to address over two-third of the GRI indicators. This study also shows that positive information is the dominant form of the disclosures, and reporting with declarative information without providing any quantifiable data is a common practice of the retailers who fail to address an indicator that requires information in numerical terms.Originality/valueElectric utilities provide essential services to society and have a significant influence on sustainable development. This study contributes to the social disclosure literature, in particular in a developed countries energy sector context, and captures insights about the sustainability reporting and accountability behaviour of the major electricity retailers operating in Australia.

Determinants of Earnings Management Actions in Indonesian Banking Companies

Objective – This study aims to examine the influence of Investment Opportunity Set and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure through Profitability on Earnings Management. The companies examined are banking companies listed on the LQ45 Index of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Methodology – This study used data sourced from annual financial reports of banking companies on the LQ45 Index of the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2016-2020 periods. This study used descriptive and verification analysis methods with path analysis and hypothesis testing. Investment Opportunity Set is measured by Market Value to Book Value of Assets, Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure is measured by Global Reporting Initiative G4 indicators, Profitability is measured by Return on Assets, and Earnings Management is measured by Discretionary Accruals. Findings – The results indicate that Investment Opportunity Set and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Profitability have no effect on Earnings Management. This implies that Earnings Management actions in companies are more likely to be influenced by other variables which closely related to agency theory and hard to predict the determinants by using only several variables. Novelty - Based on the results of this study, Profitability as an intervening variable does not mediate the effect of Investment Opportunity Set and Corporate Social Responsibility on Earnings Management. This might happens because profitability is quite common for investors and users of financial statements in assessing the company's financial performance so that it is easier for users of financial statements to know the Earnings Management actions done by the company. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: G11, G20. Keywords: Bank; Investment Opportunity Set; Corporate Social Responsibility; Profitability; Earnings Management. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Suryani, Arna. Ariayani. (2022). Determinants of Earnings Management Actions in Indonesian Banking Companies, J. Fin. Bank. Review, 7(1), 39 – 50. https://doi.org/10.35609/jfbr.2022.7.1(2)

The impact of the integrated reporting framework on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures – the case of South African mining companies

PurposeDespite initially being lauded as a revolutionary approach for companies to account to all stakeholders, the shareholder orientation of the international integrated reporting (<IR>) framework gave rise to questions about whether integrated reports would still sufficiently disclose pertinent corporate social responsibility (CSR) information. This paper aims to investigate the extent to which the <IR> framework has impacted the CSR disclosures contained in integrated reports of South African mining companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study deployed a mixed methods research approach, involving thematic content analysis of the CSR disclosures contained in the integrated reports of mining companies with primary listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The resultant qualitative data were subsequently analysed using a T-test of difference.FindingsThe study observes that the release of the <IR> framework appears to have had a limited impact on the CSR disclosures in the integrated reports of most companies included in the study. However, where significant differences were identified, the CSR disclosures of some companies were positively impacted after the release of the <IR> framework, whilst others were negatively impacted.Research limitations/implicationsAs South Africa is acknowledged as a leader in the global <IR> movement, the paper’s observations have global relevance and suggest that the fundamental principles of <IR> should be reconsidered to improve the alignment with stakeholders’ information needs, as originally conceived.Originality/valueDespite the shareholder orientation of the <IR> framework, the global mining industry is acknowledged as being at the forefront of implementing CSR interventions to mitigate the adverse impacts of their operations on stakeholders, supporting a stakeholder orientation. As the adoption of <IR> continues to gain traction around the world, this paper’s contribution is that it represents one of the few papers to use the global reporting initiative G4 indicators to specifically examine the impact of <IR> framework on the CSR disclosures on the South African mining industry, where both <IR> and CSR reporting are quasi-mandatory disclosure requirements.

Voluntary social performance disclosure and firm profitability of South African listed firms: Examining the complementary role of board independence and managerial ownership

Background: There is growing literature promoting corporate governance mechanisms as important elements that could mitigate the inconclusive findings within the corporate social performance and firm profitability research. A key theoretical assumption within the extant literature that provides support for this proposition is that corporate social performance and firm profitability are organisational outcomes in the presence of good corporate governance.Aim: Firstly, the aim is to re-investigate voluntary social performance disclosure (SPD) and long-term profitability association from the perspective of international standards, using the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 guidelines. Secondly, to examine the joint moderating effect of board independence and managerial ownership (MO) on the voluntary SPD and profitability nexus.Setting: The South Africa institutional setting, where recent corporate governance regimes require firms to voluntarily make corporate governance related disclosures on both shareholder-and stakeholder-related information is used as the study context.Method: Utilising manually extracted data of listed firms, over the period 2010 to 2015, the generalised least square regression and seemingly unrelated regression (with a 1-year lag as the main independent variable) are used to examine the stated hypotheses.Results: We found a positive association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. We also found that the presence of non-executive directors positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Thirdly, the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Lastly, the complementary role of the presence of non-executive directors and the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability.Conclusion: This study finds support for scholarly theoretical arguments that organisational outcomes are largely possible in the presence of good corporate governance, which has a long-term implication for firms’ shareholder wealth maximisation. This study contributes to the ongoing research examining the notion of substitutive versus complementary effects of governance mechanisms, and a growing research literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure from the perspective of international standardisation. This study therefore makes far-reaching contributions to the corporate governance and social responsibility literature in an African context.

Вплив розкриття інформації про корпоративну соціальну відповідальність на фінансові показники (емпіричне дослідження на прикладі виробничих компаній цементної промисловості Індонезії)

Today whole society is concerned about the environment pollution and social problems that can be addressed, at least in part, by identifying, measuring, disclosure and assessing the interactions between business and the environment. Doing its business, the company has a responsibility not only to the owners of capital (stockholders), but also has responsibilities to the employees, suppliers, customers, government agencies and other stakeholders. So, the company must always balance the interests of profit with social responsibility. This study aims to analyze and provide empirical evidence about the effect of disclosure of Corporate Social Responsibility on the financial performance of cement sector companies in Indonesia with Good Corporate Governance as a control variable. Corporate Social Responsibility is measured using the 2016 Global Reporting Initiative G4 Corporate Social Responsibility index, while corporate financial performance is measured by Tobin's Q, Return on Assets, Return on Equity and Net Profit Margin. The object in this study is a sample of cement sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with a study time period of 2015-2019. The data used in this study are secondary data obtained through annual reports of public companies. The results showed that Corporate Social Responsibility has a positive effect on the financial performance of cement sector companies in Indonesia. Therefore, companies need to disclosure their performance in in environmental preservation. The community's need for social and environmental responsibility disclosure is a factor that causing a good performance enhancement effect to the cement industry in Indonesia.

Voluntary social performance disclosure and firm profitability of South African listed firms: Examining the complementary role of board independence and managerial ownership

Background: There is growing literature promoting corporate governance mechanisms as important elements that could mitigate the inconclusive findings within the corporate social performance and firm profitability research. A key theoretical assumption within the extant literature that provides support for this proposition is that corporate social performance and firm profitability are organisational outcomes in the presence of good corporate governance. Aim: Firstly, the aim is to re-investigate voluntary social performance disclosure (SPD) and long-term profitability association from the perspective of international standards, using the Global Reporting Initiative G3.1 guidelines. Secondly, to examine the joint moderating effect of board independence and managerial ownership (MO) on the voluntary SPD and profitability nexus. Setting: The South Africa institutional setting, where recent corporate governance regimes require firms to voluntarily make corporate governance related disclosures on both shareholder-and stakeholder-related information is used as the study context. Method: Utilising manually extracted data of listed firms, over the period 2010 to 2015, the generalised least square regression and seemingly unrelated regression (with a 1-year lag as the main independent variable) are used to examine the stated hypotheses. Results: We found a positive association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. We also found that the presence of non-executive directors positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Thirdly, the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Lastly, the complementary role of the presence of non-executive directors and the proportion of MO significantly positively moderates the association between voluntary SPD and long-term profitability. Conclusion: This study finds support for scholarly theoretical arguments that organisational outcomes are largely possible in the presence of good corporate governance, which has a long-term implication for firms’ shareholder wealth maximisation. This study contributes to the ongoing research examining the notion of substitutive versus complementary effects of governance mechanisms, and a growing research literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure from the perspective of international standardisation. This study therefore makes far-reaching contributions to the corporate governance and social responsibility literature in an African context.

Sustainability Reporting in India – A Study of Infosys Sustainability Reports

Sustainability reporting is becoming more prevalent, driven by a growing recognition that sustainability-related issues can materially affect a company’s performance. In India, with the Companies Act 2013 making CSR mandatory in specified areas, more and more companies are undertaking sustainability and CSR initiatives. However, accounting and reporting of these activities are still at a nascent stage, with nearly 40 companies disclosing their sustainability performance. One such Indian company to report on CSR operations is Infosys. Infosys Ltd has proved to be the first IT firm in the globe to publish a sustainability report under the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) G4 framework. This case study aims to explore the reporting methods followed by Infosys and to comprehend the effect it has on the synergy and development of the business. It studies the sustainability report of Infosys for 10 years and tries to understand the reporting policies and practices. Infosys has been one of the pioneers in sustainable development and reporting the same. Sustainability reports help not only to showcase the CSR activities but also serve as an effective medium for reaching nations sustainability goals.

Does Risk Preferences Executive Influence the Relationship betwen Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Tax Avoidance?

&lt;p&gt;This research aims to examine the influence of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure towards the tax avoidance by considering corporate governance which is risk preferences executive. The sample that used in this study are 55 manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2014-2017. The researcher used regression analysis for analyzing the data. The result shows that corporate social responsibility disclosure using the proxy of Global Reporting Initiative G4.0 significantly influences tax avoidance. Risk preferences executive as the indipendent variable and moderating variable between corporate social responsibility disclousre and tax avoidance both has significant influence. The risk preferences executive as moderating variable in this study reveals a positive significant influence that proves the risk preferences executive strengthen the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and tax avoidance.&lt;/p&gt;

Analyzing the quality disclosure of Global Reporting Initiative G4 sustainability report in Indonesian companies

The establishment of a company cannot be separated from its environmental and social factors. Sustainability reports start from those applied to current companies because there are forms of corporate accountability to stakeholders and community considerations of the company to provide social responsibility. This study finds out and empirically proves that there are differences in each Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 indicator in the company’s sustainability report in each industry classification. The authors investigate the dominant indicators in each industry classification based on sustainability reports. The data are obtained from 28 GRI G4-based company sustainability reports in 2016 and 2017. The analytical method in the study is the K-means clustering analysis. The results of study indicate the differences in GRI G4 in 2016 and 2017. The researchers find out that the dominant indicator expressed in the financial industry is an economic indicator. Meanwhile, in the mining, transportation and infrastructure industries, basic and chemical industries etc. the dominant indicators to be disclosed are environmental indicators. This research provides a theoretical basis for sustainability and environmental reporting, particularly in the context of developing countries. It is expected that this study should also inform business practitioners as well as policymakers vis-à-vis sustainability reporting in practice.

Assessing the materiality of university G4-sustainability reports

Purpose Materiality, as a content-selection principle, is an emerging trend in sustainability reporting for making sustainability reports (SRs) more relevant for stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether materiality matters in the reporting practice of universities which have adopted the Global Reporting Initiative G4 Guidelines. Design/methodology/approach Strategic stakeholder theory and sociological institutionalism serve for deriving conflicting expectations about the compliance of universities with the materiality principle. In the empirical section of this paper, content analyses are conducted on the documented material aspects, followed by a correlation analysis for examining to which extent the identified material aspects are reported in the SRs. Findings Although universities document G4-19 stakeholder-material aspects according to different relevance levels and for internal and external stakeholder groups, the identified material aspects are not appropriately reported in the SRs. The adoption of the materiality principle is a superficial one and therefore more in line with the expectations of sociological institutionalism. Research limitations/implications The main limitation for this study is the small number of university SRs available. The chance to make SRs more relevant by focusing on stakeholder-material aspects is not used. Originality/value This paper reports the first study looking at the compliance between the documented material aspects and the content of SRs in a particular challenging organisational field, the university sector. This paper also adds to the emerging theoretical discussion about the extent universities implement materiality in SRs.

Corporate sustainability disclosure’s importance in China: financial analysts’ perception

PurposeCorporate sustainability in China has become a subject of increasing international concern. Corporate sustainability disclosure (CSD) is considered a useful tool to facilitate the empowerment and acknowledgement of stakeholders in the quest for sustainability. However, the degree of cultural and political influences for being sustainably orientated can be significantly different between countries. This study aims to examine the perception of financial analysts, as CSD report users, in China about the level of importance of various indicators of corporate sustainability described in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.Design/methodology/approachA set of questionnaires was developed based on GRI G4 guidelines to measure the perception of financial analysts in China on the level of importance of each sustainability indicator described in the GRI G4. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the report users’ perceptions of each of the indicators.FindingsThe findings of this study increase our understanding of how Chinese CSD report users perceive corporate sustainability differently from the GRI guidelines. The main results show that the environmental aspect of sustainability was seen to be important in China, followed by the social and economic aspects. Indicator-wise, “water”, “effluents and waste”, “emissions”, “compliance” and “energy” were perceived as vital in the environmental category, while “customer health and safety”, “customer privacy” and “compliance” were considered significant in the social category.Originality/valueThis study addresses the need for differing corporate sustainability guidelines for different nations and cultures, specifically within the Chinese context. It also contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by adding to our understanding of how financial analysts in China, as CSD report users, perceive aspects of sustainability.

PENGARUH SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING TERHADAP KINERJA PERUSAHAAN (PADA PERUSAHAAN YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA)

The purpose is to know the influence of sustainability accounting to firm performance in companies which listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange, in 2011-2015. Sustainability accounting use Guidelines Global Reporting Initiative G4. Firm performance use Return on Sales (ROS), and Return on Equity (ROE). This research uses regression method with Program IBM SPSS 23. The finding are sustainability accounting (economic, environment, and social aspects disclosure) didn’t have a significant positive influence to ROS. Economic, and environment aspects disclosure didn’t have a significant positive influence, but social aspects disclosure have a significant positive influence to Return on Equity.

Creating shared value using materiality analysis: Strategies from the mining industry

AbstractMateriality reflects an organization's significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, together with their influence on stakeholders' assessments and decisions. The Global Reporting Initiative's G4 Guidelines describe a four‐step process for an organization to follow to determine the specific content to be included in its social responsibility report. However, there are no recommendations regarding what types of strategies should be used for each social issue depending on their materiality. The main aims of this paper are to explain the material issues and to identify what creating shared value (CSV) strategies can be applied to address each social issue according to a materiality analysis. For this purpose, a sample of 27 mining companies is obtained. Based on secondary sources, a content analysis is prepared. The resulting framework provides CSV theory with a guide to what CSV strategy is recommended according to the location of each social issue in the materiality matrix.

Linking corporate sustainability and innovation in supply chain management – evidence of a Taiwan leading glass recycling company

ABSTRACTThis empirical study presents a combination of insights from corporate sustainability practices, supply chain management, and innovation literature, and a case study to discover new understandings on factors influencing firms to incorporate sustainable innovation initiatives into their supply chain practices. There is an apparent lack of literature in this field due to its modernity and evolving nature. Also, there is a lack of insights into how firms could translate sustainable innovation initiatives into practice. This study addresses this gap by examining a successful glass recycling company through the lenses of sustainable innovation context and the Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guideline framework. Primary data are collected through observations and in-depth interview before it is coded and analysed using nVivo. The findings show that sustainable innovation practices are mainly directed at improving the technological processes, resource sharing, and reduction of production cost among supply chain partners. A conceptual sustainable innovation framework is also proposed. This study contributes to sustainable innovation literature by providing insights into the evaluation of a firm's innovative sustainability efforts.

ANALISIS PENGARUH CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) TERHADAP ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED (EVA) DAN MARKET VALUE ADDED (MVA)

Banyak dari perusahaan yang membuat program Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) hanya untuk kepentingan marketing. Apalagi pelaksanaan program CSR oleh industri rokok yang tidak dapat menanggulangi efek yang terjadi akibat bisnis yang mereka lakukan. Bukannya melakukan usaha untuk mencegah hal tersebut, perusahaan industri rokok justru menghabiskan berapa puluh miliar setiap tahunnya untuk berbagai iklan dan sponsor.&#x0D; Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari program CSR yang diukur dengan CSR Disclosure Index (CSRDI) Global Reporting Initiative G4 (GRI-G4) terhadap nilai perusahaan yang diukur menggunakan Economic Value Added (EVA) dan Market Value Added (MVA).Objek penelitian ini adalah perusahaan industri rokok yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) pada tahun 2012-2016 yang dipilih secara purposive sampling dengan kriteria setiap perusahaan konsisten dalam menerbitkan laporan tahunan hasil audit periode 2012-2016. Pengolahan dan analisis data menggunakan regresi data panel. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah CSR memiliki pengaruh negatif tidak signifikan terhadap EVA dan CSR memiliki pengaruh negatif tidak signifikan terhadap MVA.

Integration Level of Social Environmental Disclosure (SED) Between The Global Reporting Initiative(GRI)- Sustainability Reporting and The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Reporting Among European Companies

This critical approach study examines the social and environmental disclosure (SED) between Sustainability Reporting (SR) and Integrated Reporting (IR) among European companies. The research question is to examine the integration level of SED within SR and IR. Applying the critical text analysis method, the GRI G3 guidelines were used to examine a sample of ten European companies. The reports for the selected companies must incorporate fully applied IR without producing any more SR in order to analyse the validity of the data. This study has discovered that there is less integration of SED in IR than SR. It is apparent that the IR approach is more towards the primary groups (investors) rather than other stakeholders, society and the environment as a whole. Hence, IR is only a mirror of sustainability for business strategy. Therefore, IR needs to engage reports with other stakeholders to sustain long-term growth.

Sustainable public value reporting of electric utilities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the status quo of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-based sustainable public value (SPV) reporting by electric utilities. Furthermore, the study attempts to find out whether a stock exchange listing and/or a public ownership are positively associated with electric utilities’ reporting regarding their contributions to a sustainable development (SD) or not.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical analysis of sustainability reports published by electric utilities from 28 different countries all over the world is carried out. The investigation is based on a documentary analysis of 83 GRI G4 reports.FindingsThe findings show that electric utilities’ coverage of GRI indicators of the electric utilities sector disclosures varies between, as well as within, the different categories of the GRI guidelines and that the coverage of sector-specific indicators is often lacking behind the general coverage rates. Furthermore, the study reveals that a stock exchange listing is positively associated with electric utilities’ GRI-based SPV reporting. In contrast, public ownership does not show a significant association.Originality/valueElectric utilities have a significant influence on SD. They operate in a regulated environment that is targeted at utilizing electric utilities for economic and environmental public policy objectives. Against that background, the study discusses which issues of SPV creation are reported by electric utilities that use the GRI guidelines and therefore brings together the public value (PV) and the sustainability community.

Corporate environmentalism: an assessment of sustainability reporting among firms in Ghana

This article argues that corporate environmentalism and sustainability reporting are key instruments for achieving socio-economic progress in Ghana and the goals of the United Nations post 2030 Development Agenda. To support this argument, the level and quality of sustainability reporting by firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange are critically examined. Using purposive and convenience sampling techniques, 13 of these companies were selected and investigated on their engagement in sustainability reporting using the global reporting initiative (GRI) framework. Data and information gleaned from the annual reports of the sampled firms were studied and subjected to content analysis with the help of GRI G4 reporting analytical benchmark. The results indicate that the quality of sustainability reporting is low though a few of the disclosures made by the firms met the GRI framework requirements. It is recommended that sustainability reporting by firms in Ghana should be made mandatory and not voluntary.

Corporate environmentalism: an assessment of sustainability reporting among firms in Ghana

This article argues that corporate environmentalism and sustainability reporting are key instruments for achieving socio-economic progress in Ghana and the goals of the United Nations post 2030 Development Agenda. To support this argument, the level and quality of sustainability reporting by firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange are critically examined. Using purposive and convenience sampling techniques, 13 of these companies were selected and investigated on their engagement in sustainability reporting using the global reporting initiative (GRI) framework. Data and information gleaned from the annual reports of the sampled firms were studied and subjected to content analysis with the help of GRI G4 reporting analytical benchmark. The results indicate that the quality of sustainability reporting is low though a few of the disclosures made by the firms met the GRI framework requirements. It is recommended that sustainability reporting by firms in Ghana should be made mandatory and not voluntary.