A qualitative analysis of GRI principles for defining sustainability report quality: an Australian case from the preparers’ perspective

Safari, Maryam; Areeb, Amreen

doi:10.1080/01559982.2020.1736759

Cited by 60 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…The firm’s ESG reporting quality is measured by its compliance with the GRI framework denoted as GRI_Compliance . The GRI framework is a widely acknowledged ESG reporting framework; researchers and practitioners consider it as a leading source for standardisation of sustainability disclosures (Bebbington et al , 2012; Gray, 2010; Safari and Areeb, 2020). Further, Michelon et al (2015) maintain that CSR disclosures of the firms following the GRI framework are specific, more comparable and balanced.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of audit committee attributes on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures

Arif

Sajjad

Farooq

et al. 2020

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Purpose The purpose of this research is to ascertain the impact of audit committee (AC) activism and independence on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures for energy sector firms in Australia. This paper aims to understand how AC attributes such as meeting frequency, and the number of independent directors influence the compliance with the global reporting initiative (GRI) guidelines and quantity of ESG disclosures. Design/methodology/approach Bloomberg ESG disclosure scores and company reported AC attributes are collected and analysed using the pooled ordinary least square (OLS) regression framework with Petersen’s (2009) technique by using a two-dimensional cluster at the firm and year level. Further, this paper uses a lagged independent variable and two-stage least square approach to address endogeneity concerns. Findings The results show a significant positive effect of AC activism and independence on the level of compliance with the GRI guidelines, indicating the favourable effect of AC attributes on ESG reporting quality. Likewise, AC attributes positively affect the quantity of ESG disclosures. Notably, the impact of AC attributes is more pronounced on environmental disclosures. Originality/value This paper validates the significance of the management control mechanism in improving the quality and quantity of ESG disclosures for an environmentally sensitive sector, hence offering a potential answer to reduce agency and legitimacy issues for the sensitive industry firms.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of audit committee attributes on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures

Arif

Sajjad

Farooq

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In 2016, in order to implement EC Directive 2014/95/EU, the Italian Government approved the Legislative Decree No. 254/2016, introducing the obligation for public interest entities to publish an annual non-financial statement providing sustainability information related to the company's actions and policies [18][19][20]. In this framework, the analysis of the Italian market presents point of interest for advacing the comprehension of the topic under investigation, also by virtue of the fact that non-financial disclosure depends both on institutional national specificities [21,22] relating to the influence of the governmental and legislative structure on sustainability reporting and on cultural factors reflecting territory's specificities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Financial Information Disclosure in Italian Public Interest Companies: A Sustainability Reporting Perspective

et al. 2020

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The paper aims at investigating the impact of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 on Italian “public interest entities” both in term of approaches to non-financial disclosure and on business strategies. The analysis focuses on the investigation of the relationships between the 17 SDGs and the set of non-financial information defined in bont the EU Directive 2014/95/EU and the related Italian L.D. n. 254 of 30 December 2016. SDGs has been significantly analysed in the literature, considering the effects on sustainability policies adopted by the States, but little attention has been paid to the policies adopted by companies. The awareness of companies towards the business implication connected to the achievemt of these goals translate into a new conscientious path, in compliance with sustainability standards. In this framework, the paper investigates the entire population of Italian companies subject to the publishing of non-financial information disclosure, with the exclusion of banks and insurance companies. For each company under investigation, two kinds of analysis are presented: (1) firstly, the company’s level of sustainability derived from the company website; (2) the approach in pursuing the 17 SDGs. The overall results are quite comforting in term of companies’ sustainability aptitude. Over the years, Italian public interest entities have implemented active policies linked to the achievement of some specific goals, in compliance with the Italian legislation, although divergences still emerge among the Italian areas, as a result of cultural differences that still exist and affect companies’ approaches to sustainability issues. In this regard, the results of the analysis are interesting for government authorities to regulat the pursuit of sustainability goals.

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“…Perego and Kolk (2012) even claim that "managerial capture" and "rational myths of certification" are produced, sustained, and become institutionalized over time" (Perego and Kolk 2012, p. 176). Such behavior has long been known and fully falls under the explanation of the legitimacy theory, which claims that many companies, under strong institutional pressure, superficially adopt new practices to increase their social legitimacy (Smith, Haniffa, and Fairbrass 2011;Boiral, Heras-Saizarbitoria, and Brotherton 2019a;Safari and Areeb 2020).…”

Section: Conceptual Background and Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Accountability on Sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe: An Empirical Assessment of Sustainability-Related Assurance

Pasko

Balla

Levytska

et al. 2021

CER

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The paper explores how companies from Central and Eastern Europe adopt assurance practices to provide accountability for sustainability. Drawing on modified coding rules from prior research, a conventional content analysis of 36 assurance statements companies from nine countries was conducted. The results imply differences in the content of reports, processes, and implementation of the standards. Exclusively large and multinational enterprises from the energy sectors domiciled in Poland and Hungary are a typical portrait of a company from the study’s sample, striving to issue and assure sustainability reporting. Of the nine countries represented in the study, sustainability assurance statements of companies from Poland, Hungary, and Romania tend to excel in terms of quality. The vast majority of assurance providers belong to the Big Four, who use ISAE3000 as opposed to AA1100AS. Yet, irrespective of the assurance provider type, stakeholders are neglected. It is argued that just transferring the experience of financial auditing to the field of sustainability, which, by and large, has taken place, is not an option. Authors state that following this route, we are heading in the wrong direction, and in technical terms, the wider proliferation of AA1100AS and its principles, with greater emphasis on reasonable assurance as opposed to the limited and enhanced role of stakeholders, are vital to get back on track. The paper contributes to the emerging literature on accountability standards and stresses the need to enhance sustainability-related assurance.

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A qualitative analysis of GRI principles for defining sustainability report quality: an Australian case from the preparers’ perspective

Cited by 60 publications

References 78 publications

The impact of audit committee attributes on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures

The impact of audit committee attributes on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures

Non-Financial Information Disclosure in Italian Public Interest Companies: A Sustainability Reporting Perspective

Accountability on Sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe: An Empirical Assessment of Sustainability-Related Assurance

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