The influence of board characteristics on sustainability reporting

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed M. Shamil ◽  
Junaid M. Shaikh ◽  
Poh-Ling Ho ◽  
Anbalagan Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics

Purpose – Drawing on agency theory and legitimacy theory perspectives, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of board characteristics on sustainability reporting of listed companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 148 listed companies was drawn from the CSE using stratified random sampling method and data were collected from the 2012 annual reports. The proposed hypotheses were tested using a hierarchical binary logistic regression. Findings – This study documents that board size and dual leadership are positively associated with sustainability reporting and boards with female directors are negatively associated with sustainability reporting. This study also found that sustainability reporting is likely to be influenced by firm size and firm growth. Additionally, the study also reveals that younger firms are likely to adopt sustainability reporting. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine the influence of board characteristics on sustainability reporting in Sri Lanka, considered as a developing economy with an emerging equity market.

How do public companies respond to national challenges through sustainability reporting? – The case of Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinithi Dissanayake ◽  
Carol A. Tilt ◽  
Wei Qian
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
National Level ◽  
National Development ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrative Social Contracts Theory ◽  
Reporting Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainability reporting is shaped by the global influences and particular national context where businesses operate. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses both content analysis of published sustainability information and semi-structured interviews with corporate managers to explore how sustainability reporting is used to address unique social and environmental challenges in a developing country – Sri Lanka. The use of integrative social contracts theory in investigating sustainability reporting offers novel insights into understanding the drivers for sustainability reporting practices in this particular country. Findings The findings reveal that managers’ perceptions about usefulness of sustainability reporting, local contextual challenges and global norms influence the extent to which companies engage in sustainability reporting and the nature of sustainability information reported. In particular, Sri Lankan company managers strive to undertake sustainability projects that are beneficial not only to their companies but also to the development of the country. However, while company managers in Sri Lanka are keen to undertake sustainability reporting, they face different tensions/expectations between global expectations and local contextual factors when undertaking sustainability projects and reporting. This is also showcased in what is ultimately reported in company annual reports, where some aspects of sustainability, e.g. social, tend to focus more on addressing local concerns whereas other disclosures are on issues that may be relevant across many contexts. Research limitations/implications Important insights for government and other regulatory authorities can be drawn from the findings of this study. By capitalising on the strong sense of moral duty felt by company managers, policymakers can involve the business sector more to mitigate the social and environmental issues prevalent in Sri Lanka. The findings can also be used by other developing countries to enable pathways to engage with the corporate sector to contribute to national development agendas through their sustainability initiatives and projects. Originality/value While the usual understanding of developing country’s company managers is that they try to follow global trends, in Sri Lanka, this research shows how managers are trying to align their responsibilities at a national level with global principles regarding sustainability reporting. Therefore, this paper highlights how both hypernorms and microsocial rules can interact to define how company managers undertake sustainability reporting in a developing country.

scholarly journals Board characteristics and earnings management in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18
Author(s):  
Shanmugavel Rajeevan ◽  
Roshan Ajward
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Market Capitalisation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between designated corporate governance attributes and the degree of earnings management in selected quoted companies in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach In total, 70 listed companies in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) were selected based on the highest market capitalisation for the period covering from 2015 to 2017 and representing beverage, food and tobacco, diversified, hotel and travel, manufacturing, oil palms and health care sectors, which accounted for 59.9 per cent of the total market capitalisation of CSE. Findings This study found a positive relationship between CEO-Chair duality and earnings management. Practical implications The insights may also provide investors, economic analysts and regulators with early caution indicators of potential problems in a corporation regarding corporate governance failures and aid stakeholders in assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the board and corporate governance structure and earnings management methods. Originality/value This study extends the extant research on board characteristics and real earnings management by adopting prominent research design and modernised data. This study offers evidence on how selected audit and board committee’s characteristics influence real earnings management practices.

A theoretical and econometric evaluation of corporate governance and capital structure in JSE-listed companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1063-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navitha Singh Sewpersadh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Capital Structure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Director Ownership

PurposeA vital resource for attracting investments and boosting economic growth is compliance with corporate-governance practices. To achieve firm growth, businesses often rely on leverage as a source of finance, which has tax-saving benefits but could attract financial distress costs. In this context, this study aims to examine the relationship between corporate governance and the use of debt financing in Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)-listed companies.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a six-year period to examine 713 annual reports in an unbalanced panel of 130 JSE-listed companies from 2011 to 2016. The empirical econometric methodology used was the two-step difference generalised method of moments estimation model, which is robust in controlling endogeneity and potential bi-directional causality between leverage and corporate governance.FindingsThis study illustrated that corporate governance practices and firm-specific variables such as profitability, firm size and firm age have a significant influence on the capital structure decisions of JSE-listed firms. This study found support for four out of the six hypotheses. CEO duality and director ownership are positively correlated with leverage, whereas audit committee independence and board size are negatively correlated with leverage. This study also found contraventions of board independence, audit committee independence and CEO duality. The technology sector was the least compliant, with only 40 per cent of their boards being independent. The consumer-services sector had the maximum presence of CEO duality (7 per cent). The industrial sector had the highest average director ownership (18 per cent). The heath-care sector had 28 per cent of their audit committees in contravention of the independence rule.Practical implicationsA useful analysis of the theoretical frameworks used by academic writers are provided. This study revealed the governance practices contravened by the relevant sectors, as well as the associations between corporate governance and leverage.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature on capital structure and corporate governance by an emerging economy such as South Africa (SA) which has not been explored. This study’s results have key implications for policy-makers, practitioners, investors and regulatory authorities. This study informs these constituencies about a set of governance attributes that are catalysts and/or inhibitors of leverage.

scholarly journals Impact Of Board Characteristics On Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiz Ur Rehman ◽  
Amir Ikram ◽  
Fizzah Malik
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between corporate governance characteristics and corporate social responsibility disclosure of listed companies in the Pakistan stock Exchange (PSX), Pakistan. A sample of 179 companies from financial and non-financial sectors are studied from 2009 to 2015. The data is collected from their annual reports and websites. Binary logistic regression analysis is employed to test the models. The results reveal that board size, number of meetings and board independence are significant corporate governance characteristics to establish the link with corporate social responsibility disclosure. This study also explore that the trend of CSR disclosure is increasing in financial as well as non-financial sector. Additionally, the companies disclose their CSR activities lead in financial performance as compare to their counterpart. This study adds in the literature to explore the influence of board characteristics on corporate social responsibility disclosure from a developing country’s perspective.

scholarly journals Analyzing Board Characteristics, Ownership Structure and Company Characteristic to CSR Disclosure

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Asyifa Dea Kirana ◽  
Andrian Budi Prasetyo
Keyword(s):  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Board Of Director ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Director Ownership ◽  
Sustainability Report

This study aims to analyze the effect of board characteristics, ownership structure and company characteristics on CSR disclosure. The population of this study are non-financial companies that listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) which issues sustainability reports separately from the annual report for the year 2017-2018. Based on the purposive sampling method as a method of data collection, a total of 20 non-financial companies have published sustainability reports separately from the annual reports for 2017 and 2018 respectively. Multiple regression analysis used to test the research hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that the proportion of women on the board, board of director ownership concentration, profitability and leverage negatively affect the CSR, while the rest of variables does not affect the CSR disclosure. Keywords: CSR disclosure; board characteristics; ownership structure; company characteristics; sustainability report

CSR and sustainability reporting practices in India: an in-depth content analysis of top-listed companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1033-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Aggarwal ◽  
Ajay Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Industry Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively analyze the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability reporting (SR) practices of Indian companies in terms of disclosure quantity and quality, and to investigate the differences in SR practices by SR dimension, industry, ownership structure, firm size and profitability. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from annual reports/business responsibility reports (BRR)/CSR/sustainability reports of 60 top-listed companies in India. A comprehensive sustainability reporting index is developed. Content analysis technique is used. Inter-coder reliability is established. Findings Altogether, 18 items of the index are not disclosed by the majority of companies in India. SR quality is found significantly lower than the SR quantity. Moreover, SR practices significantly differ by dimension/category, industry-type and firm-size but are not influenced by ownership structure. However, the study fails to establish any conclusive relationship between SR and profitability. Practical implications The present study has several implications for corporates, practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders. The findings underscore the need for amendments in the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and BRR framework of the Securities and Exchange Board of India to avoid patchy disclosures and ensure complete reporting by companies. Originality/value This study is among the foremost studies in India evaluating SR practices of top-listed companies in the wake of the mandatory BRR requirement from a quantitative as well as qualitative perspective using a multidimensional index.

The longitudinal study of sufficiency economy philosophy reporting of listed companies in the Stock Exchange of Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-206
Author(s):  
Muttanachai Suttipun
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stock Exchange Of Thailand ◽  
Sufficiency Economy Philosophy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent and pattern of the sufficiency economy philosophy (SEP) reporting of listed companies from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) between 2012 and 2016, and to compare the SEP scores of reporting in the companies’ corporate annual reports during the period studied and between four groups of interest, based on ownership status, country of origin of company, type of auditor and type of industry. Design/methodology/approach Listed companies of the SET were used as the population, whereas a sample of 70 firms was investigated in the study. Content analysis by checklist was used to quantify the extent and pattern of SEP reporting in annual reports. Findings The results showed that the average score for SEP reporting was 44.28 out of a possible 64 categories of reporting included in the checklist. Moreover, there was a significant increase in the SEP reporting score during the period studied. The results also indicated that there was a significant difference in the SEP reporting scores between groups, based on country of origin, auditor type and industry type. Originality/value As the first longitudinal study of SEP reporting in Thailand, the study demonstrated the effective rule of SET to Thai listed companies providing higher voluntary information reporting during period being study.

Factors influencing sustainability reporting by Sri Lankan companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinithi Dissanayake ◽  
Carol Tilt ◽  
Wei Qian
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Company Size ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industry Sector

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the key company characteristics which influence sustainability reporting by publicly listed companies in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach Panel data analysis is conducted to analyse sustainability reporting of 84 publicly listed companies from 2012 to 2015. Findings Company size and usage of the GRI guidelines are found to be the most relevant company characteristics associated with sustainability reporting by listed companies in Sri Lanka. Unexpectedly, ownership and industry sector do not show strong influences on the extent of sustainability reporting over the study period compared with prior studies. Research limitations/implications Large companies which follow the GRI guidelines are more likely to report in an elaborate manner, indicating the influence of standards setting bodies in Sri Lanka. This means Sri Lankan companies pay attention to global business practices, given the current re-development phase Sri Lanka is experiencing after the end of the civil war. Originality This study is one of the few studies that examine sustainability reporting in a country set against a backdrop of war in the South Asian region. Besides this, it extends the previous research on sustainability reporting and variables such as company ownership, GRI usage, company size and industry sector in a developing country context.

New insights into the nexus between board characteristics and intellectual capital disclosure: the case of the emerging economy of Mauritius

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Mooneeapen ◽  
Subhash Abhayawansa ◽  
Dinesh Ramdhony ◽  
Zainab Atchia
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Multiple Directorships ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

PurposeWe investigate the association between intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) and board characteristics in the unique setting of Mauritius, a Small Island Developing State. The uniqueness of the setting stems from the country's corporate governance landscape, where most companies have female directors and a high proportion of directors with multiple directorships, director independence is symbolic and directors come from a close-knit group.Design/methodology/approachWe use 120 firm-year observations from companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius from 2014 to 2017. All data is hand collected from annual reports using content analysis method. Panel multivariate regression is used to test the hypotheses with relevant controls, including intellectual capital performance.FindingsICD is negatively associated with board independence and positively associated with gender diversity of the board. No association is found between ICD and the size of the board, multiple directorships or the average tenure of the board members.Originality/valueThis is the first study investigating the association of board gender diversity, multiple directorship and tenure of board members with ICD in annual reports. The relationships observed between board characteristics and ICD highlight the context-dependent nature of these relationships. This study also overcomes the correlated omitted variable bias likely to have affected the analyses in previous studies examining the nexus between board characteristics and ICD through its control for intellectual capital performance.

Impact of corporate characteristics on human resource disclosures

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 390-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surinder Kaur ◽  
Venkat A. Raman ◽  
Monica Singhania
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Market Capitalisation

Purpose Human resource (HR) disclosures are voluntary in nature in most countries including India. The voluntary nature of HR disclosures results in discrepancy in the HR disclosure practices across companies and industries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent of HR disclosures in annual reports of Indian listed companies and to identify their determinants in a three stage analysis. Design/methodology/approach In the first stage a 16 item human resource disclosure index (HRDI) has been constructed for the set of CNX 200 companies listed on National Stock Exchange. Thereafter the effect of various independent variables on HRDI is analysed descriptively. Finally in the third stage HRDI has been regressed against the independent variables using regression analysis technique to identify key determinants of HRDI. Findings The research reveals that there is high variation among sample companies as regard HRDI. The results of descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis establish that government’s participation in ownership and market capitalisation has positive significant effect on HRDI at 1 per cent, presence of separate HR directors committee, presence of more independent directors on board at 5 per cent and cross-list America and profit after tax at 10 per cent level. Implicitly HRDI is positively affected by size of company as measured by market capitalisation. Though contrary to expectations, other variables leverage, number of employees, assets, ownership concentration, type of auditor, age, complexity of business structure, employee expense to total operating expense ratio, industry affiliation, foreign investment and proportion of non-executive directors on board are found to have moderate though insignificant influence on HRDI. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional design, dependence on annual reports as a primary document for disclosure and subjectivity in HRDI construction are the main limitations of the research. A longitudinal study may be carried to study the pattern of HR disclosures in future. Weighted ranking of different items of disclosures may be studied to improve the understanding of extent of disclosures. Practical implications The HRDI as constructed in the research may be used as a benchmark by companies to improve their HR disclosures. It can also be used by accounting bodies and company regulators while deciding about standards regarding HR disclosures. Investors can also use HR disclosures made by a company as a basis to understand its financial standing and future potentials. Originality/value The study adds to the existing literature by developing 16 item HRDI to measure the extent of disclosures by listed companies in India and thereafter by including some new propositions in the determinants of HRDI have never been tested in the existing studies. These propositions are government’s participation in ownership, separate HR committee of directors, board composition and foreign activity. These propositions have been empirically validated in this research except for foreign activity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document