Integrated reporting in commercial organizations

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the essence of integrated reporting (IR). It shows that the unresolved environmental problems, the growth of the world’s population, the shortage of natural resources result in changes in the information requirements of stakeholders and, as a consequence, to the contents of companies’ reporting. In order to achieve the business goals interested parties need reports that systematically reflects the creation of company value through the complex interconnection of strategy, organizational management, operating, financial and investment activities, as well as the risk environment. Integrated reporting is capable of providing such information, combining financial and non-financial information about the company’s strategy, its achievements and management style. The main purpose of the IR is to summarize retrospective and prospective data demonstrating the process of value creation. The research reveals the problem of the lack of common understanding what IR is and the very idea of generating IR, along with the identity of the concepts of “integrated reporting” and “integrated report”, which does not comply with the International Standard for Integrated Reporting. The results of the research make it possible to determine the place of each type of report in the reporting composition and prove that the published integrated reports of Russian companies are actually integrated reporting, as they include consolidated financial statements and an integrated report, which meets the requirements of the International Integrated Reporting Standard.