This paper is an exploratory analysis of information overload in a sample of 15 Chinese companies from mining, manufacturing, finance, electricity and information technology industries. Using an adaptation of Dahlsrud's (2008) five dimensional framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) , we develop a longitudinal core information ratio analysis. Our findings suggest that while the length of the reports increased over the ten year period, the CSR information ratio, a measure of the proportion of the report comprising CSR disclosures, did not similarly increase. We argue that the driving force behind lengthy CSR reports is coercive pressure from the government and stock exchanges, and companies' attempts to manage their stakeholders' impressions. The results of this study have important implications for the Chinese government and Chinese stock exchanges as they consider ways to address and improve core CSR disclosures to be of greater value to users, rather than simply lengthier.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of board independence on the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in Jordan over time. The paper also compares this level of influence between the pre- and post-issuance of the Jordanian corporate governance code (JCGC) in 2009. Design/methodology/approach Longitudinal data (panel data) from all non-financial listed companies on the Amman stock exchange for the period 2006-2015 was collected and analysed. The content analysis method was used to assess the CSR reporting evident in the annual reports. An ordinary least square regression was used to investigate the relationship between board independence and the level of CSR reporting. Findings The results revealed that board independence has a positive and significant influence on the level of CSR reporting. This influence became significantly stronger post the issuance of the corporate governance code in Jordan. The findings suggest that the presence of independent directors on the board encourages companies to report additional CSR information as one of the legitimation strategies to manage the expectations of stakeholder groups. Research limitations/implications This study provides motivation for regulators and companies to continue to improve board independence effectiveness. Practical implications The study supported evidence from prior studies, conducted the developed countries, that legitimacy theory is also applicable in Jordanian companies, which is a developing country. This study contributes to the debate and findings of the literature about governance and CSR reporting, specifically in the Middle East, as well as the potential of future studies in developing countries using a legitimacy theory as the basis for their investigations and motivation. This study provides evidence to motivate regulators and companies to improve, further, board independence effectiveness. Originality/value This empirical study has explored the potential influence of board independence on the level of CSR reporting in Jordan for JCGC pre- and post-issuance, which has not been examined previously and the findings for future studies in the Middle East region and other developing countries.

This study investigates the influence of board size, the presence of an audit committee on the board, and CEO duality on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting in Jordan. The longitudinal data (panel data) analysis estimation techniques were used for the period of 2006 to 2015. Content analysis was employed to assess the level of CSR reporting of a different area of disclosure in the annual reports. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the association between governance factors and the level of CSR reporting (Habbash, 2016; Ahmad, Rashid, & Gow, 2017b). The findings reveal that board size and the presence of an audit committee on the board are significantly positive on the level of CSR reporting. These factors play a significant role in enhancing compliance with corporate governance best practices. The role of CEO duality on the board has an insignificant relationship with the level of CSR reporting. These results suggest significant implications for companies and regulators to continue to improve corporate governance best practices in the companies and develop greater awareness of companies CSR reporting. The study contributes to the governance and CSR reporting literature in the Middle East and developing countries using the legitimacy theory approach.

To examine how different ownership structures, varying from diverse ownership bases to narrow ownership bases, influence the extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by companies in emerging market. The motivation for this study is the reported inconsistent results for this association in developing countries and the lack of research in emerging markets. Eight hundred observations of 80 nonfinancial sector listed companies in the Amman Stock Exchange for the period 2006 to 2015 were used for a content analysis to assess the extent of CSR reporting. Ordinary least square multiple regression analysis was undertaken to examine the association between five different ownership structures and their extent of CSR reporting. The results reveal three separate associations between the types of ownership and the extent of CSR reporting. First, the two types of ownership (foreign and government) have a significant and positive influence on the extent of CSR reporting. Second, another two types of ownership (Family and managerial) have a significantly negative association. Finally, institutional ownership has an insignificant and negligible influence on the extent of CSR reporting. These findings provide insights into how ownership structure influences the CSR reporting extent by emerging market companies such as Jordan. These findings suggest that policy makers, regulatory bodies, companies, and investors should increase their awareness about how different concentration of company ownership influences the extent companies voluntarily disclose CSR reporting. The evidence adds to the limited body of knowledge about different ownership groups' influence on the extent of CSR reporting in a developing country because few empirical studies have undertaken such a comprehensive analysis of this association.

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