IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/acctfi/v62y2022i2p2401-2437.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Accounting for waste management: a study of the reporting practices of the top listed Indian companies

Author

Listed:
  • Ralph Adler
  • Mansi Mansi
  • Rakesh Pandey

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which India’s leading 30 companies disclose information about the solid and liquid wastes they produce. Guided by a 35‐item waste disclosure index, companies' 2012–2018 annual reports, sustainability reports and business responsibility reports were content analysed. Although a significant increase in reporting occurred, especially following the Indian government’s national waste management campaign in 2014, this increase proceeds from a very low starting point. Over 85 percent of the companies provide limited disclosures. The study’s waste disclosure index should prove valuable to researchers and policymakers wishing to measure firms' waste disclosures at and across points in time.

Suggested Citation

  • Ralph Adler & Mansi Mansi & Rakesh Pandey, 2022. "Accounting for waste management: a study of the reporting practices of the top listed Indian companies," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(2), pages 2401-2437, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:62:y:2022:i:2:p:2401-2437
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.12869
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12869
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/acfi.12869?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Markus Milne & Rob Gray, 2013. "W(h)ither Ecology? The Triple Bottom Line, the Global Reporting Initiative, and Corporate Sustainability Reporting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 13-29, November.
    2. Carlos Larrinaga & Francisco Carrasco & Carmen Correa & Fernando Llena & Jose Moneva, 2002. "Accountability and accounting regulation: the case of the Spanish environmental disclosure standard," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 723-740.
    3. Noemi Sinkovics & Samia Ferdous Hoque & Rudolf R. Sinkovics, 2016. "Rana Plaza collapse aftermath: are CSR compliance and auditing pressures effective?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(4), pages 617-649, May.
    4. Montek S. Ahluwalia, 2019. "India's Economic Reforms: Achievements and Next Steps," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 14(1), pages 46-62, January.
    5. Wei Qian & Roger Burritt & Gary Monroe, 2011. "Environmental management accounting in local government," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(1), pages 93-128, January.
    6. Hopwood, Anthony G., 2009. "Accounting and the environment," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3-4), pages 433-439, April.
    7. Yousuf Kamal & Craig Deegan, 2013. "Corporate Social and Environment-related Governance Disclosure Practices in the Textile and Garment Industry: Evidence from a Developing Country," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 23(2), pages 117-134, June.
    8. Branco, Manuel Castelo & Rodrigues, Lúcia Lima, 2008. "Social responsibility disclosure: A study of proxies for the public visibility of Portuguese banks," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 161-181.
    9. John Dumay & James Guthrie & Federica Farneti, 2010. "Gri Sustainability Reporting Guidelines For Public And Third Sector Organizations," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 531-548, July.
    10. Ingram, Rw & Frazier, Kb, 1980. "Environmental Performance And Corporate Disclosure," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(2), pages 614-622.
    11. Karan Sonpar & Federica Pazzaglia & Jurgita Kornijenko, 2010. "The Paradox and Constraints of Legitimacy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(1), pages 1-21, August.
    12. Font, Xavier & Walmsley, Andreas & Cogotti, Sara & McCombes, Lucy & Häusler, Nicole, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility: The disclosure–performance gap," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1544-1553.
    13. Wiseman, Joanne, 1982. "An evaluation of environmental disclosures made in corporate annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 53-63, January.
    14. Clarkson, Peter M. & Li, Yue & Richardson, Gordon D. & Vasvari, Florin P., 2008. "Revisiting the relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure: An empirical analysis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(4-5), pages 303-327.
    15. Irene Pollach & Arno Scharl & Albert Weichselbraun, 2009. "Web content mining for comparing corporate and third‐party online reporting: a case study on solid waste management," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 137-148, March.
    16. van der Laan Smith, Joyce & Adhikari, Ajay & Tondkar, Rasoul H., 2005. "Exploring differences in social disclosures internationally: A stakeholder perspective," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 123-151.
    17. Camélia Radu & Claude Francoeur, 2017. "Does Innovation Drive Environmental Disclosure? A New Insight into Sustainable Development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(7), pages 893-911, November.
    18. G. F. Dawson & E. J. Probert, 2007. "A sustainable product needing a sustainable procurement commitment: the case of green waste in Wales," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(2), pages 69-82.
    19. Patten, Dennis M., 2002. "The relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure: a research note," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(8), pages 763-773, November.
    20. Roger L. Burritt, 2012. "Environmental performance accountability: planet, people, profits," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(2), pages 370-405, February.
    21. Belal, Ataur Rahman & Cooper, Stuart M. & Khan, Niaz Ahmed, 2015. "Corporate environmental responsibility and accountability: What chance in vulnerable Bangladesh?," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 44-58.
    22. Stacey Cowan & Craig Deegan, 2011. "Corporate disclosure reactions to Australia’s first national emission reporting scheme," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 51(2), pages 409-436, June.
    23. Carol A. Tilt, 2016. "Corporate social responsibility research: the importance of context," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-9, December.
    24. Dima Jamali & Ben Neville, 2011. "Convergence Versus Divergence of CSR in Developing Countries: An Embedded Multi-Layered Institutional Lens," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(4), pages 599-621, September.
    25. Court, Christa D., 2012. "Enhancing U.S. hazardous waste accounting through economic modeling," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 79-89.
    26. Thanh Nguyet Phan & Kevin Baird & Sophia Su, 2018. "Environmental activity management: its use and impact on environmental performance," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(2), pages 651-673, February.
    27. Noel Brown & Craig Deegan, 1998. "The public disclosure of environmental performance information—a dual test of media agenda setting theory and legitimacy theory," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 21-41.
    28. Deegan, Craig & Blomquist, Christopher, 2006. "Stakeholder influence on corporate reporting: An exploration of the interaction between WWF-Australia and the Australian minerals industry," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(4-5), pages 343-372.
    29. Archie B. Carroll, 2016. "Carroll’s pyramid of CSR: taking another look," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-8, December.
    30. Supriti Mishra & Damodar Suar, 2010. "Does Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Firm Performance of Indian Companies?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(4), pages 571-601, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. My Hanh Doan & Remmer Sassen, 2020. "The relationship between environmental performance and environmental disclosure: A meta‐analysis," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(5), pages 1140-1157, October.
    2. Minga Negash & Tesfaye T. Lemma, 2020. "Institutional pressures and the accounting and reporting of environmental liabilities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1941-1960, July.
    3. Jane Andrew & Max Baker, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Last 40 Years and a Path to Sharing Future Insights," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 56(1), pages 35-65, March.
    4. Charles H. Cho & Jonathan Maurice & Emmanuelle Nègre & Marie-Anne Verdier, 2016. "Is environmental disclosure good for the environment? A meta-analysis and research agenda," Post-Print halshs-01369422, HAL.
    5. María Luisa Pajuelo Moreno & Teresa Duarte-Atoche, 2019. "Relationship between Sustainable Disclosure and Performance—An Extension of Ullmann’s Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-33, August.
    6. Guidry, Ronald P. & Patten, Dennis M., 2012. "Voluntary disclosure theory and financial control variables: An assessment of recent environmental disclosure research," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 81-90.
    7. Radhakrishnan, Suresh & Tsang, Albert & Liu, Rubing, 2018. "A Corporate Social Responsibility Framework for Accounting Research," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 274-294.
    8. Michelon, Giovanna & Pilonato, Silvia & Ricceri, Federica, 2015. "CSR reporting practices and the quality of disclosure: An empirical analysis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 59-78.
    9. Fan, Hanlu & Tang, Qingliang & Pan, Lipeng, 2021. "An international study of carbon information asymmetry and independent carbon assurance," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    10. Gary Peters & Andrea Romi, 2014. "Does the Voluntary Adoption of Corporate Governance Mechanisms Improve Environmental Risk Disclosures? Evidence from Greenhouse Gas Emission Accounting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(4), pages 637-666, December.
    11. Kathleen Herbohn & Julie Walker & Huay Yien Monica Loo, 2014. "Corporate Social Responsibility: The Link Between Sustainability Disclosure and Sustainability Performance," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 50(4), pages 422-459, December.
    12. Samira Demaria & Sandra Rigot, 2021. "Corporate environmental reporting: Are French firms compliant with the Task Force on Climate Financial Disclosures' recommendations?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 721-738, January.
    13. Luo, Le & Tang, Qingliang, 2014. "Does voluntary carbon disclosure reflect underlying carbon performance?," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 191-205.
    14. Fatemi, Ali & Glaum, Martin & Kaiser, Stefanie, 2018. "ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 45-64.
    15. Jean-Noël Chauvey & Sophie Giordano-Spring & Charles Cho & Dennis Patten, 2015. "The Normativity and Legitimacy of CSR Disclosure: Evidence from France," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 130(4), pages 789-803, September.
    16. Sónia Maria da Silva Monteiro & Beatriz Aibar‐Guzmán, 2010. "Determinants of environmental disclosure in the annual reports of large companies operating in Portugal," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 185-204, July.
    17. Matthias S. Fifka, 2013. "Corporate Responsibility Reporting and its Determinants in Comparative Perspective – a Review of the Empirical Literature and a Meta‐analysis," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 1-35, January.
    18. Hao Yang & Laura Le Luo & Asit Bhattacharyya, 2021. "Mandatory Environmental Reporting in Australia: An In‐depth Analysis of Quantity and Quality," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(4), pages 737-779, December.
    19. Eliwa, Yasser & Aboud, Ahmed & Saleh, Ahmed, 2021. "ESG practices and the cost of debt: Evidence from EU countries," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Patten, Dennis M., 2005. "The accuracy of financial report projections of future environmental capital expenditures: a research note," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 457-468, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:62:y:2022:i:2:p:2401-2437. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaanzea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.