scholarly journals Areas of changes in the International Integrated Reporting Framework in the context of substantial changes in the investors' approach to sustainable development issues

2020 ◽  
Vol 108 (164) ◽  
pp. 89-114
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Kobiela-Pionnier

The purpose of the article is to present and evaluate the current activities of the International Integrated Reporting Council to improve the International <IR> Framework, in particular the considerations con-tained in the document Integrated Thinking & Strategy. State of Play Report, as well as the proposed change in the approach to the main user of the integrated report in accordance with Topic Paper 3: Chart-ing a path forward. The context for the evaluation is the profound changes in the approach to non-financial information currently taking place among providers of financial capital. They are not only in-creasingly interested in ESG issues to make investment decisions on this basis, but they also include them in their own business activities. In the course of her argument, the author indicates that the main purpose of the IIRC's activities is the transition from monocapitalism to multi-capitalism as a new economic doctrine for the 21st century, which is to be supported by changes in the <IR> Framework and the design of an improved value creation model. The change of the main user of integrated reporting from the pro-vider of financial capital to providers of all capitals planned by IIRC seems to constitute the first element of the materialization of the concept of multi-capitalism.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estibaliz Goicoechea ◽  
Fernando Gómez-Bezares ◽  
José Ugarte

Integrated reporting is a key instrument used to inform stakeholders about the sustainability issues of a company. Only an assured report can effectively instill confidence in its users regarding the sustainability of the company. Based on the International Integrated Reporting Framework issued by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the authors solicited perceptions from auditors and audit report users about several aspects of integrated reporting assurance. An analysis of the responses suggests that integrated reporting assurance is important, but there are many challenges (both methodological and related to the characteristics of non-financial information) for auditors to overcome. Reporting companies and auditors must work to overcome these problems. The former ones must improve the quality of non-financial information and the later must adapt their audit procedures. This paper provides valuable insights into preferences regarding the form and content of the audit report on integrated reporting. This study is useful to regulators of audit activity, auditors’ corporations, the IIRC, and other international associations, academics, and audit report users, and contributes to the current integrated reporting literature by examining the perceptions of auditors and users regarding the assurance of integrated reporting. Integrated reporting assurance is still an under-explored field of research.


Author(s):  
Akeel Hamza Almagtome ◽  
Ahmed Jassim Al-Yasiri ◽  
Raed Saiad Ali ◽  
Hasan Latif Kadhim ◽  
Heider Nima Bekheet

The financial reporting plays a significant role in sustainable development, as it contributes greatly to providing the information required to assess sustainable development performance. In order to achieve the sustainable development, accurate information should be provided to stakeholders on the energy consumed and the impact of energy consumption on the environment. Information on sustainable energy performance needs providing both of financial and non-financial information. However, the traditional financial reporting system is unable to provide information that helps measure and promote sustainable energy performance, as the current accounting system provides financial information only. It is therefore important to adopt an appropriate reporting framework to support the evaluation of sustainable energy performance. This paper proposes an approach to the measure the sustainable energy performance based on the integrated reporting framework. A unique feature of the approach is the selection of corporate energy performance indicators that cover both financial and non-financial information. This paper therefore sets out indicators for assessing sustainable energy performance based on the Integrated Reporting Framework. Furthermore, the application of the indicators proposed in this paper helps regulators and economic policy makers to develop sustainable development strategies at national level. Moreover, the adoption of the proposed indicators can provide accurate information on the real and future of sustainable energy in the country.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-43
Author(s):  
E. Sheveleva

This paper is devoted to the analysis of value concepts and theories that provided the basis for the integrated reporting development, their implementation, and disclosure in integrated reporting practice. It is widely accepted that traditional financial reporting no longer meets the needs of its users - the analysis of historical financial information is backwards-looking, the emphasis on financial capital is not any more relevant for every company due to the involvement of other capitals that more significantly contribute to the company’s success. Integrated reporting is meant to bridge this reporting gap. The paper also provides a high-level overview of current progress in integrated reporting adoption on the international level.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1319-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne McNally ◽  
Warren Maroun

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge the notion that non-financial reporting is mainly about impression management or is only a superficial response to the hegemonic challenges posed by the sustainability movement. It focuses on the most recent development in sustainability reporting (integrated reporting) as an example of how accounting for financial and non-financial information has the potential to expand the scope of accounting systems, promote meaningful changes to reporting processes and provide a broader perspective on value creation. Design/methodology/approach The research focuses on an African eco-tourism company which has its head office in South Africa. A case study method is used to highlight differences in the presentation of an integrated business model according to the case entity’s integrated reports and how individual preparers interpret the requirement to prepare those reports. Data are collected using detailed interviews with all staff members involved in the preparation process. These are complemented by a review of the minutes of the company’s sustainability workshops and integrated reports. Findings A decision by the case organisation to prepare an integrated report gives rise to different forms of resistance which limits the change potential of the integrated reporting initiative. Resistance does not, however, preclude reform. Even when individual preparers are critical of the changes to the corporate reporting environment, accounting for financial and non-financial information expands the scope of the conventional accounting system which facilitates broader management control and promotes a more integrated conception of “value”. Research limitations/implications Integrated reporting should not be dismissed as only an exercise in corporate reporting and disclosure; it has a transformative potential which, given time, can enable new ways of managing business processes and articulating value creation. Originality/value This study answers the calls for primary evidence on how the requirement or recommendation to prepare an integrated report is being interpreted and applied by individual preparers. The findings add to the limited body of interpretive research on the change potential of new reporting frameworks. In doing so, the research provides theoretical support for developing arguments which challenge the conventional position that integrated reporting is little more than an exercise in impression management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5545
Author(s):  
Maria Federica Izzo ◽  
Alberto Dello Strologo ◽  
Fabrizio Granà

A worldwide debate on the effectiveness of business reporting information has engaged organizations, policy makers, regulators, and members of the capital market. The documents through which organizations disclose their annual performance are being questioned and criticized, as they appear inadequate for responding to stakeholder needs. In 2013, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) launched a project with the aim of redesigning corporate reporting processes and outputs, introducing integrated reporting (IR). At the center of IR are the six capitals defined by the IIRC representing the basis for an innovative form of evaluating and presenting performance. New topics on the global sustainable development agenda are growing in importance, requiring companies to enrich their disclosure and connect business to environment. In this study, we examined how a group of leaders in IR, 134 European companies from the IIRC IR reporters list, are currently disclosing IR capital and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), developing three evaluation scores: Capital Disclosure Index, SDG Disclosure Index, and SDG Compliance Index.


Author(s):  
Anne Carolina dos Santos ◽  
Kelli Juliane Favato ◽  
Marguit Neumann

Abstract The purpose of this article was to propose an agenda for future research on stakeholder management in integrated reporting. Framework 1.0 of integrated reporting addresses the management of stakeholders as a routine in the course of business, without further details. In turn, the academy can contribute in this regard. Integrated reporting is a recent development achieved after 30 years (or more) of attempts to effectively expand accountability to stakeholders. The engagement with stakeholders produces successful results in the long term, highlighting the need to indicate to them the value of using integrated reports. Due to the absence of details in Framework 1.0, it is up to academics to actively and cautiously monitor its development and implementation. This article’s contribution is to raise research to bring the practice of integrated reporting closer, as well as generate discussions to involve academics, the International Integrated Reporting Council, national councils, and report writers. Thus, the integrated report was discussed considering that its framework must be updated (how to do it) to impact the practice (the act of doing it). For this, we used a bibliographic methodology and content analysis. We also used the literature review methodology and content analysis. We mapped 11 factors, established 10 qualitative propositions, and 35 insights for future studies. The results indicate that the stakeholder management may have reached its potential in a ceremonial way, but it lacks definitions. For the academy and the International Integrated Reporting Council, the study contributes by mapping factors and suggesting the implementation of guidelines and debates with local commissions to overcome the deficiencies pointed out by this study.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.M.I. Lakshan ◽  
Mary Low ◽  
Charl de Villiers

Purpose The international integrated reporting framework encourages organisations to disclose material information that affects their ability to create value. This paper aims to investigate the challenges and techniques preparers of integrated reports use to determine the materiality of non-financial information. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses an exploratory interpretive thematic analysis and an archival research approach. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 integrated reporting (IR) preparers in 12 publicly listed companies, supported by the perusal of the companies’ integrated annual reports over a three-year period. Findings IR preparers find materiality determination for non-financial information challenging. This study found that preparers convert challenges into opportunities by using materiality disclosures as image-enhancing marketing tools, which causes concerns regarding weak accountability and a deviation from the International Integrated Reporting Council’s objective of improving information quality. This study found that IR preparers use various techniques in conjunction to determine materiality levels, as well as whether to disclose non-financial information in their integrated reports. The institutional isomorphism lens used in the study highlighted the issues IR preparers faced in their determined efforts of IR materiality levels under mimetic and normative isomorphism pressures. Research limitations/implications The challenges and techniques identified can contribute to the development of a framework for materiality level determination for non-financial information. Practical implications Regulators who are concerned with ensuring sufficient information to improve investor decision-making will be interested in the techniques IR preparers use to determine materiality levels for non-financial information, to improve their regulations and frameworks. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature regarding challenges with materiality level determination in integrated reports and techniques used by IR preparers. The application of an institutional isomorphism lens led to greater insight and understanding of IR preparers’ challenges and techniques in materiality determination. This paper makes a number of significant contributions to the IR literature. First, it identifies the usefulness of material information for decision-making and the influence stakeholders have on the materiality determination of non-financial information, which have not been mentioned in the prior literature. Second, the literature is silent on how organisations relate materiality to value creation for the purposes of determining the materiality content of an integrated report; this research provides empirical evidence of the use of value creation criteria in materiality determination. Third, the study highlights that materiality is a combination of efforts that involves everyone in an organisation. Further, the strategy should be linked to IR and preparers have indicated that integrated thinking is required for materiality determination.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 906-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Adams

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain the complex interrelationships which influence the ability of firms to create value for their providers of finance and other stakeholders (loosely referred to in practice as “integrated thinking”). In doing so it examines the interrelationships between: environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk; delivering on corporate strategy; non-financial corporate reporting; and, board oversight. Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with board chairs and non-executive directors of large listed companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (where Boards are required to have a social and ethics sub-committee and approve integrated reports which have been mandatory since 2010) and the Australian Stock Exchange (where Board directors’ liability legislation results in Boards being reluctant to adopt integrated reporting which is voluntary). Findings The research finds that contemporary reporting processes, and in particular those set out in the King III Code and the International Integrated Reporting Framework, influence cognitive frames enhancing board oversight and assisting organisations in managing complexity. This results in increased awareness of the impact of ESG issues together with a broader view of value creation despite investor disinterest. Research limitations/implications A number of avenues of research are suggested to further examine the interrelationships identified. Practical implications The research assists the development of practice and policy by articulating and enhancing the understanding of linkages, which loosely fall under the vague practitioner term “integrated thinking”. Social implications The conceptualisation can inform national and global discussions on the appropriateness of corporate reporting and governance models to achieve sustainable development and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Originality/value The paper conceptualises emerging and complex interrelationships. The cross-country comparison allows an assessment of the extent to which different national social contexts with differing governance and reporting frameworks lead to different perspectives on, and approaches to, value creation.


2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 410-440
Author(s):  
Mona Othman ◽  
Norida Basnan ◽  
Azlina Ahmad ◽  
Mohd Fairuz Md Salleh

Background and Purpose: The Integrated Reporting framework as emphasised by The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in 2013 (revised 2021), was accepted as one of the mechanisms nationwide to enhance public accountability. However, far fewer studies examined the intersection of the Integrated Reporting (IR) framework and the public sector. Addressing the gap, reviews of the literature were presented synthesising the adoption of the IR framework across public administration.   Methodology: By drawing upon SCOPUS, Science Direct and Mendeley databases were employed to generate academic literature beginning in 2011 through 2020. Following the inclusion and exclusion processes, 23 articles were selected and analysed by using ATLAS.ti 8.   Findings: The findings of the review were discussed qualitatively and quantitatively. Particular discerning were the qualitative findings; the findings outlined insights into key developments on the IR framework across the following groups, namely, ‘Fundamental Concepts’, ‘Guiding Principles’, and ‘Content Elements’. Key aspects of challenges concerning the adoption of existing frameworks in public administration were discussed.   Contributions: Future research might better consider developing a more appropriate IR framework for public administration, a framework that integrates policy and practice. By focusing on the academic literature emphasising the IR framework, academics, regulators, and reporting organisations could formulate appropriate strategies for public administration.   Keywords: Framework, integrated reporting, public sector, thematic review.   Cite as: Othman, M., Basnan, N., Ahmad, A., & Md Salleh, M. F. (2022). The integrated reporting framework across public administration: A thematic review. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(1), 410-440. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss1pp410-440


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihan Liu ◽  
Christine Jubb ◽  
Subhash Abhayawansa

Purpose The integrated reports published by companies vary significantly in quality in spite of them claiming to be compliant with the integrated reporting (IR) Framework issued by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a normative benchmark against which compliance with the IR Framework, and the extent to which integrated reports make visible how organisations create value, can be evaluated. Design/methodology/approach The three pillars of the IR Framework – Capitals, Content Elements and the Guiding Principles – are operationalised by the way of a set of disclosure items that capture the extent to which they manifest within integrated reports. The created disclosure index is applied to analyse reports of five companies that are expected to be superior integrated reporters. Findings The normative benchmark that was created to operationalise the IR Framework identifies a vast amount of potentially communicable information and various degrees to which information may be disclosed. The integrated reports analysed differ significantly in the extent to which value-creation stories are made visible, despite some of the companies promoting to have actively engaged with IR as participants of the IIRC Pilot Program Business Network. All selected companies performed poorly in comparison to the normative benchmark. Originality/value This paper is the first to provide a comprehensive normative benchmark for analysing and evaluating compliance with the IR Framework and the extent to which integrated reports make visible how organisations create value.


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