Corporate social responsibility disclosure and Islamic banks: a case study of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Zafar ◽  
Ahmad Azam Sulaiman

Purpose This paper aims to gauge the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure of Islamic banks of Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach The annual reports of Islamic banks of Pakistan from the year 2003 to 2017 were considered as the source of data. The content analysis method was used to gauge the level of CSR disclosure with the help of the CSR disclosure index. Islamic banks proclaim religiously motivated and ethical institutions; hence, full disclosure was expected from Islamic banks in the domain of CSR. Findings The average level of CSR disclosure of Islamic banks after a one-and-a-half decade of Islamic banking in Pakistan is 31.23%, which is far below the expected level of CSR disclosure and even below the mean level. The mean comparison analyzes show that the level of CSR disclosure differs among the Islamic banks, old and large Islamic banks are disclosing more information, in addition, the local Islamic banks have a relatively high level of CSR disclosure as compare to the foreign Islamic banks. Research limitations/implications The current CSR disclosure policy of the government regarding corporations in Pakistan is insufficient. There is a need to revise this policy which may result in higher CSR disclosure. The results indicate, that there is a difference in CSR disclosure among local and foreign Islamic banks, so this policy must address this aspect as well. Originality/value Islamic banking proclaims a new wave of the corporate that has higher social objectives, but a contradiction exists among the ideology and reality of social responsibility of Islamic banks. Then, this study also supports that the same dilemma of low CSR disclosure also prevails in the Islamic banks of Pakistan.

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Bason ◽  
Christos Anagnostopoulos

Purpose – Under growing public scrutiny of their behaviour, the vast majority of multinational enterprises (MNEs) have been undertaking significant investments through corporate social responsibility (CSR) in order to close legitimacy gaps. The purpose of this paper is to provide a descriptive account of the nature and scope of MNEs’ CSR programmes that have sport at their core. More specifically, the present study addresses the following questions. First, how do Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 firms utilise sport as part of their CSR agendas? Second, how do different industries have different approaches to CSR through sport? And third, can the types of CSR through sport be classified? Design/methodology/approach – Centred on legitimacy theory and exploratory in nature, the study employed a content analysis method, and examined three types of document from each of the FTSE100 firms, namely, annual reports, annual reviews and CSR reports over the ten-year period from 2003 to 2012. In total, 1,473 documents were content analysed, thereby offering a sound representation of CSR disclosure of the FTSE100. Findings – From the analysis, three main streams emerged: “Philanthropy”, “Sponsorships” and “Personnel engagement” with the first showing the smallest growth compared with the other main streams. Findings show the general rise in CSR through sport, thereby demonstrating that the corporate world has practically acknowledged that the sporting context is a powerful vehicle for the employment of CSR. Originality/value – Previous empirical studies have sought to investigate CSR through sport, yet they have generally suffered from sampling limitations which have, in turn, rendered the drawing of reliable conclusions problematic. Particularly, the lack of an explicit focus on longitudinality is a typical limitation, meaning that no conclusions can be made regarding the trend. The study outlined in this paper offers the most comprehensive longitudinal study of CSR through sport to date, and thus contributes to the increasing volume of literature that examines the application of CSR in relation to the sport sector.


2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azlan Amran ◽  
Hasan Fauzi ◽  
Yadi Purwanto ◽  
Faizah Darus ◽  
Haslinda Yusoff ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to explore social responsibility reporting of full-fledged Islamic banks in two developing countries, namely, Indonesia and Malaysia. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an important aspect of business society. As such, companies have shown a growing interest in reporting their social and environmental initiatives. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis of the annual reports for three full-fledged local Islamic banks in Indonesia and three Islamic banks in Malaysia was carried out for the period of 2007-2011. Findings Results of the study revealed that CSR disclosure of Islamic banks has generally grown both in Malaysia and Indonesia. More specifically, it was found that workplace and community dimensions were the most highly disclosed areas by the Islamic banks in both countries. Research limitations/implications The current study provides a cross-cultural perspective on social responsibility disclosure in Islamic banks across two countries. The study is limited by investigating a five-year time frame. Practical implications By discussing the findings according to the stages of growth model for CSR, the authors suggest that Islamic banks can enhance their responsiveness, and transform their role from being CSR reporters of social responsibility to responders. Originality/value While the tenets of CSR have a lot in common with Islamic moral law (Shariah), little is known about CSR disclosure of Islamic banks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Ghareeb M. Almutairi ◽  
Mohammad H. J. Almarri ◽  
Ahmad S. Alsamhan

This paper explores the differences in corporate social responsibility disclosure in the annual reports of Islamic and conventional banks operating in Kuwait. A content analysis of the six banks’ annual reports from 2007 through 2009 was conducted to examine their corporate social responsibility practices in relation to the marketplace, workplace, community, and environment. The results show that both types of banks made certain social disclosures in the years studied. Interestingly, despite Islamic Sharia calls for and emphasizes ethical business behavior, the Islamic banks studied disclosed less corporate social responsibility information as compared with conventional banks. Furthermore, the corporate social responsibility information disclosed by the Islamic banks declined noticeably over time. The conventional banks, however, increased their disclosures during the financial crisis of 2008. By measuring and comparing the volume of corporate social responsibility information disclosed by the three Islamic banks and the three conventional banks in Kuwait the results of this study contribute to the corporate social responsibility literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171
Author(s):  
Arditi Annisa H ◽  
Nuraini Nuraini

Research in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been established yet there are still new dimensions for its discussion within the Islamic perspective. This study undertakes the investigation of CSR within the Islamic banking industry utilizing the Shariah Enterprise Theory (SET). It seeks to identify whether the factors of size, profitability and shariah compliance may play role in the disclosure of CSR by Islamic banks in Indonesia. All registered Islamic banks in Indonesia publishing their annual report for the period of 2011-2016 were employed as samples of this study. The findings demonstrated that some of the sampled banks have provided extensive and informative disclosure of CSR. Simulteanously the three studied variables consisting of size, profitability and shariah compliance were found to influence the CSR disclosure. Nevertheless, partially while bank size and profitability were found to influence the CSR disclosure yet there was no influence of shariah compliance towards CSR disclosure. This gives an interesting insight for further examination in future studies


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belal Fayez Omar ◽  
Hani Alkayed

Purpose This study aims to examine the extent and quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in Jordan for the time periods of 2005–2006 and 2014–2015, ultimately establishing whether there was a change in the extent and quality of disclosure practices before and after the new regulations for CSR. Furthermore, this study additionally seeks to determine if the regulations are a major factor in changing CSR disclosure practices, or whether there are other factors for such a change. Design/methodology/approach The annual reports of 55 manufacturing companies (11 sub-sectors) on the Amman Stock Exchange for the years 2005–2006 and 2014–2015 were selected, and a CSR checklist was measured via the construction an index covering 36 items in 4 themes: environmental; human resources; community; and products and others. The study measures the quantity of CSR via the number of sentences and the quality of CSR by the weighting approach (on a scale of 0–3); furthermore, the paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to establish whether there was a change in the extent and quality of CSR disclosure practices. Findings The results of the study revealed that there being a significant increase in the extent and quality of CSR for the period 2014–2015 compared to that of 2005–2006, the most optimal performance being in 2015, bragging an average of 61,41 total sentences per annual report and an average quality score of 1.423. Moreover, detailed analysis of CSR extent and quality by theme reveals that the highest percentage of CSR extent and quality was within the environmental theme, with an average score 28.6% of total sentences in 2014 (extent) and 1.743 in 2015 of total sentences (quality). Research limitations/implications The current study has some limitations, which have implications for future studies. First, this study examined the extent and quality of CSR for only two time frames: before and after regulation. However, a longitudinal study would have provided a wider scope of study. Second, the study focussed only on the industrial sector, thus limiting the results to only this area. Indeed, the exploration of the CSR extent and quality for other sectors (e.g. financial and services) would generalise the results further, allowing for the making of comparisons compare among different sectors. Moreover, the study at hand has focussed solely on annual reports, which could lead to subjectivity, thus reducing the reliability of results. Future studies should thus focus on other means of disclosure (e.g. websites; environmental reports). Practical implications The current mandatory requirements would suggest Jordanian regulators have begun specifying CSR disclosure requirements in an easier, more user-friendly and traceable format. Indeed, the increase in CSR extent and quality for the post-regulations period would increase the need to organise mandatory requirements in CSR. For managers, on the other hand, the study provides the CSR as a strategic tool for reflecting the actual environmental activities, comparing it with the society’s expectations. Moreover, when budgets are limited, managers prioritise CSR activities that yield a positive impact on financial performance by allocating the limited resources in a broad manner. Social implications The results additionally highlights the ways in which the Jordanian industrial companies increase their levels within the environmental theme in CSR for the post-regulations. It could be argued that a great number of companies in the past decade have started adopting environmentally friendly practices and strategies to protect the natural environment, such as greenhouses, extracting non-renewable resources and reducing amount of industrial waste. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is currently no existing study within Jordan exploring the change of CSR over time – specifically in terms of before and after the regulations. In addition, exploring the quality of CSR using a weighted approach (scale out of 3) is not conducted in Jordanian studies before.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelkader Sadou ◽  
Fardous Alom ◽  
Hayatullah Laluddin

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is any improvement in the extent and quality of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) in Malaysia between 2011 and 2014 and to determine the factors that influence the extent and quality of CSRD in these two years. Also, this study examines the methods of disclosures and the items that largest Malaysian companies addressed. Design/methodology/approach A self-constructed CSR is utilised to measure the extent and quality of CSRD in the annual reports of the top 71 Malaysian companies listed in Bursa Malaysia for the years 2011 and 2014. Multiple regressions along with their associated toolkits for data verification and diagnostic tests are used to assess the improvement in CSRD between 2011 and 2014 and the factors that affect CSRD. Findings Results show a slight increase in the extent and quality of CSRD between 2011 and 2014. With regards to the factors influencing CSRD, only awards are found to be significant in determining the extent and quality of CSRD either in 2011 or in 2014. Board size, ownership concentration, independent non-executives and return on assets influence both the extent and quality of CSRD in 2011. Director ownership and firm size determine the extent and quality of CSRD in 2014. Government ownership only influences the extent of CSRD in 2011. Research limitations/implications Some traditional limitations are found to be considered in future research, such as the use of annual reports as the only source of CSRD information. Results support the legitimacy theory that assumes that Malaysian companies disclose CSR information as a reflection of the incidents that happen in that environment of the firm without ignoring the role of the government in pushing those companies towards being socially responsible by issuing regulations, or in motivating those companies by introducing awards and giving fiscal facilities. Practical implications The results help the policymakers to introduce more awards in some domains that were less addressed by Malaysian companies and also to examine the causes behind the non-influence of the new Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG 2012) on CSRD. Originality/value The study can be considered as one of the limited empirical studies that assess the changes in CSRD before and after the issuance of MCCG 2012 in Malaysia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fitra Roman Cahaya ◽  
Stacey Porter ◽  
Greg Tower ◽  
Alistair Brown

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on corporate social responsibility and workplace well-being by examining Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX)-listed companies’ labour disclosures. Design/methodology/approach – Year-ending 2007 and 2010 annual report disclosures of 31 IDX-listed companies are analysed. The widely acknowledged Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines are used as the disclosure index checklist. Findings – The results reveal that the overall labour disclosure level increases from 21.84 per cent in 2007 to 30.52 per cent in 2010. The levels of four of the five specific labour disclosures also increase with employment being the exception. The results further show that the Indonesian Government does not influence the increase in the levels of the overall labour disclosure or the four categories showing increased disclosure but, surprisingly, does significantly affect the decrease in the level of the employment category. Research limitations/implications – It is implied that the government is at best ambiguous given that, on one side, the government regulates all corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and reporting but appears to coercively pressure companies to hide employment-specific issues. Practical implications – It is implied that Indonesian companies need to have “strong and influential” independent commissioners on the boards to counter any possible pressures from the government resulting in lower disclosure levels. Originality/value – This paper provides insights into the “journey” of labour-related CSR disclosure practices in Indonesia and contributes to the literature by testing one specific variant of isomorphic institutional theory, namely, coercive isomorphism.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 725-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Badrul Muttakin ◽  
Dessalegn Getie Mihret ◽  
Arifur Khan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association of corporate political connection with the level of voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures to determine how the relationships between the state and the corporate sector influence CSR engagement. Design/methodology/approach Based on a neo-pluralist view of legitimacy theory, which conceptualizes the state as a concentration of power amenable to exploitation by the corporate sector, the study develops and empirically tests a hypothesis that CSR disclosures are inversely associated with political connection. A sample of 936 firm-year observations is used with data collected from annual reports of companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange in Bangladesh from 2005 to 2013. Findings Results indicate that corporate political connection is associated with reduced CSR disclosures. This finding suggests that the perceived need for CSR disclosures as a legitimation strategy diminishes for politically connected firms. The finding supports a neo-pluralist argument that political connection could enable firms to eschew stakeholder pressure associated with potential legitimacy threats originating from poor CSR performance. This conclusion challenges the pluralist view of legitimacy theory that considers the state as a neutral arbiter resolving conflict among stakeholder groups in society. Originality/value The study makes a significant contribution to the literature by developing a neo-pluralist theorization of voluntary CSR disclosures within legitimacy theory and empirically testing it. Because prior empirical CSR disclosure research is largely underpinned by the pluralistic conception of society, examining this phenomenon from a neo-pluralist perspective enables a more complete understanding of CSR disclosure behaviors of firms.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Zafar ◽  
Ahmad Azam Sulaiman

Purpose This paper begins with a challenge to explore the scope and dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Islamic banking and design a CSR disclosure index, which may gauge the level of CSR disclosure in Islamic banking. Design/methodology/approach It adopts a two-fold approach to develop the CSR disclosure index for Islamic banking, such as “identification” and “prioritization.” In the ambit of identification, it relies on the existing literature related to CSR and Islamic banking. However, it undertakes analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method for prioritization through the sample of 104 experts related to Islamic banking of Pakistan. Findings It concludes the CSR index for Islamic banking contains five dimensions, including 79 items across 20 sub-dimensions. The results of AHP indicate that the CSR dimensions are important for Shariah governance, employee, community, customer and environment. Moreover, within dimensions, the most important sub-dimensions are Shariah compliance, customer service and quality, green investing/banking, customer relationship, training and development and poverty alleviation. Practical implications The CSR disclosure index of this study has important implications for academicians, such as it paves the ways for further investigations and practical usage of index to gauge the level CSR disclosure of Islamic banking. Moreover, it delineates the spectrum of responsibilities for managers of Islamic banking under the domain of CSR. Originality/value The proposed CSR disclosure index is comprehensive and stresses on the social responsibility of Islamic banking toward stakeholders. In nutshell, this study offers what is expected from the practitioners of Islamic banking in the domain of social responsibility.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Fallah ◽  
Fayegh Mojarrad

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in a sample of 64 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange.Design/methodology/approachThis study opts for a descriptive-correlational method. To measure the extent of CSR disclosure and CG variables, companies’ annual reports and websites during 2014-2015 are content analyzed by applying a 64-item checklist. Boards’ size, age, tenure and independence, CEO duality, audit committee (AC) composition and ownership concentration are considered as CG variables. To ascertain the CG–CSR disclosure relationship, multivariate linear regression analysis is incorporated.FindingsBased on the results, audit committee composition, board tenure and ownership concentration positively influence CSR disclosure level with ownership concentration as the most influential variable, that is, in companies with majority shareholders ownership, managers tend to disclose more CSR information.Research limitations/implicationsOnly annual reports and company websites are analyzed. Researchers are encouraged to apply other methods such as interview and to consider other variables, such as board diversity, proportion of female members and the extent of shareholders activities, to measure CG.Practical implicationsThis paper provides implications at the policy level to identify governance mechanisms to increase CSR awareness of heavy-pollution industries in developing countries.Originality/valueStudies rarely examined CSR reporting in Iran, particularly among heavy-pollution companies. Besides, the paper highlights the role of majority shareholders and non-executive AC members in CSR disclosure.


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