There is increasing interest in integrated reporting that includes the company's financial, governance, environmental, and social performance. For this reason, the main objective of this investigation is to study why companies are producing integrated reporting, paying special attention to the links with the assurance of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. Based on 7144 worldwide observations, this study identifies the determinants of integrated reporting through a logistic regression model. Our results point out that the likelihood of disclosing an integrated report is positively associated with having the CSR report assured, year, size and supplement industry. Next, we tested if companies that assure their CSR report are also affected by those determining variables. This research is pioneering in analysing the determinants of integrated reporting and as far as we know no existing research has examined the links between integrated reporting and the assurance of CSR reports.

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Spain is one of the European countries that is the most strongly committed to the presentation of non-financial information. In 2017, Spain adapted its legislation to Directive 2014/95/EU through Royal Decree-Law 18/2017, which required Public Interest Entities (PIEs) to provide information in accordance with the requirements of the European Union (EU) Directive, with respect to financial years from 1 January 2017. Our research is focused on Spanish IBEX-351 listed companies and seeks to identify current trends in non-financial reporting. To our knowledge, the present paper is the first study to examine the impact made in Spain by the legislative changes. Our aim is to analyse the publication of non-financial information by Spanish listed companies whose first reports in this regard were made from early 2018. Specifically, we consider the impact of this information disclosure, determining whether the companies in question restrict themselves to meeting regulatory requirements or whether they go further and voluntarily supply additional information. Our findings show that the level of regulatory compliance produced is associated with the business sector in which the company operates. We also show that the highest rates of disclosure of non-financial information correspond to companies that provide this information in the sustainability report.

In the new economic scenario, characterized by a rapidly changing environment, companies are pushed into seeking new responses in order to survive and succeed. Companies are looking for new activities to improve their economic performance. Furthermore, these activities have been focused on innovation and/or socially responsible aspects. This paper analyzes the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), innovation and its effect on performance. Especially, it shows if innovation has a fundamental role in the development of socially responsible practices or if social issues are responsible for practices that lead to greater innovation and, consequently, to greater performance. Data were collected from a sample of 121 Spanish wineries. The results show that CSR and innovation act as a mediator depending on the measurement of performance used. CSR, specifically, acts as a mediator between innovation and objective performance. However, managers perceive that the relationship between CSR and performance improves through innovation activities.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the effect of the current financial crisis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and CSR assurance strategies that companies disclose online to stakeholders, by dividing the time horizon into two periods, before 2008 and from 2008. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes Spanish listed companies, differentiating CSR reporters from non CSR-reporters. Also distinguished in the CSR-reporters sample, are those companies that assure the CSR report from those that do not. The authors contrast whether there is a trend as regards CSR reporting and CSR assurance, depending on whether the crisis has already begun or not. Next the authors focus on companies that change their CSR reporting strategy or change their CSR assurance strategy and see if there is an impact on performance (both from an accounting and from a market perspective). Findings – Even though the financial crisis has raised the question whether assurance of CSR reports could be a threat for business, bearing in mind the generalized initiatives to cut costs, the results show that the number of CSR reports increased significantly with the crisis (indeed, significant differences were found in ROE from CSR adopters to CSR discontinuing companies). Nonetheless, no significant impact was found regarding the changes in assurance strategy, even though there are no grounds to expect cuts in this area because the absolute number of assured reports is increasing, yet not significantly. Practical implications – In spite of the current financial crisis, this study identifies a business in a stage of expansion, not only CSR reporting but also assurance of CSR reports, and confirms the stability in time of the CSR assurance decision by companies as an added-value strategy to CSR reporting. There seems to be an investment view of CSR reporting and CSR assurance, which can help companies differentiate their products or services from the competition and reinforce stakeholders ' trust. Originality/value – This is a pioneering study on the actual effects that the financial crisis has had on CSR reporting and assurance strategies.