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Compliance with Mandatory Environmental Reporting in Financial Statements: The Case of Spain (2001–2003)

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  • Irene Criado-Jiménez
  • Manuel Fernández-Chulián
  • Carlos Larrinaga-González
  • Francisco Husillos-Carqués

Abstract

Corporate, Social, Ethical and Environmental Reporting (SEER) should ideally discharge the accountability of an organisation to its stakeholders. Voluntary reporting has been characterised by a dearth of neutral and objective information such that the advocates of SEER recommend that it be made compulsory. Their underlying rationale is that legally specified disclosure requirements and enforcement mechanisms will enhance the quality of such reporting. This paper sets out to explore how realistic this scenario actually is, in view of the conflicting interpretations in the literature on this subject. To that end, a survey of the reporting patterns of 78 of the largest Spanish companies between 2001 and 2003 examines the extent of their compliance with the ICAC-2002 standard, which obliged them to make environmental disclosures in their financial statements. The results suggest that progressive and improved regulation could increase the volume and quality of SEER disclosures. They also suggest, however, that persistent non-compliance means that the problems associated with voluntary disclosure still exist. Finally, through an impression management perspective, the study reveals, the diverse strategies, ranging from dismissal to concealment, that are employed by companies to avoid transparency. As regulation improves and enforcement expectations rise, it becomes more difficult to dismiss compulsory reporting norms. As a result, some firms engage in more complex concealment strategies to attain corporate legitimacy, depriving stakeholders of regulatory information. The latter point serves to reconcile apparently contradictory explanations in the literature as to whether legitimacy theory might explain partial compliance with SEER regulation. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Suggested Citation

  • Irene Criado-Jiménez & Manuel Fernández-Chulián & Carlos Larrinaga-González & Francisco Husillos-Carqués, 2008. "Compliance with Mandatory Environmental Reporting in Financial Statements: The Case of Spain (2001–2003)," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 79(3), pages 245-262, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:79:y:2008:i:3:p:245-262
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-007-9375-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. S. Zeng & X. Xu & H. Yin & C. Tam, 2012. "Factors that Drive Chinese Listed Companies in Voluntary Disclosure of Environmental Information," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 309-321, September.
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    3. Ivan Bozhikin & Nikolay Dentchev, 2018. "Discovering a Wilderness of Regulatory Mechanisms for Corporate Social Responsibility: Literature Review," Economic Alternatives, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria, issue 2, pages 145-174, June.
    4. Maryna Gulenko, 2018. "Mandatory CSR reporting—literature review and future developments in Germany [Nichtfinanzielle Berichterstattungspflicht – Literaturzusammenfassung und Mögliche Entwicklungen in Deutschland]," NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 3-17, December.
    5. Selena Aureli & Mara Del Baldo & Rosa Lombardi & Fabio Nappo, 2020. "Nonfinancial reporting regulation and challenges in sustainability disclosure and corporate governance practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2392-2403, September.
    6. Carlos Larrinaga-Gonzélez & Vincente Pérez-Chamorro, 2008. "Sustainability Accounting and Accountability in Public Water Companies," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(6), pages 337-343, December.
    7. Mohamed Chelli & Sylvain Durocher & Anne Fortin, 2018. "Normativity in Environmental Reporting: A Comparison of Three Regimes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 285-311, May.
    8. Islam, Muhammad Azizul & van Staden, Chris J., 2018. "Social movement NGOs and the comprehensiveness of conflict mineral disclosures: evidence from global companies," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-19.
    9. Cristian R. Loza Adaui, 2020. "Sustainability Reporting Quality of Peruvian Listed Companies and the Impact of Regulatory Requirements of Sustainability Disclosures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-22, February.
    10. Spence, Crawford & Husillos, Javier & Correa-Ruiz, Carmen, 2010. "Cargo cult science and the death of politics: A critical review of social and environmental accounting research," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 76-89.
    11. Etienne Farvaque & Catherine Refait-Alexandre & Dhafer Saïdane, 2011. "Corporate disclosure: A review of its (direct and indirect) benefits and costs," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 128, pages 5-31.
    12. Badrul Muttakin, Mohammad & Chatterjee, Bikram & Khan, Arifur & Getie Mihret, Dessalegn & Roy, Rajat & Yaftian, Ali, 2022. "Corporate political donations, board gender diversity, and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Australia," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 290-299.
    13. Matt Wegener & Fayez A. Elayan & Sandra Felton & Jingyu Li, 2013. "Factors Influencing Corporate Environmental Disclosures," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 53-73, March.
    14. Jing Wei, 2023. "Does the “Greenwashing” and “Brownwashing” of Corporate Environmental Information Affect the Analyst Forecast Accuracy?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-28, July.
    15. Md Ali Arshad Chowdhury & Mohammad Morshedur Rahman & Mouri Dey & Syed Moudud-Ul-Huq & Sk Alamgir Hossain, 2023. "Perceived Pressures and Motivations for Environmental Disclosures: Role of Certification," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    16. Charles H. Cho & Matias Laine & Robin W. Roberts & Michelle Rodrigue, 2018. "The Frontstage and Backstage of Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Bill," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 865-886, October.
    17. Linyan Fan & Sheng Yao, 2022. "Analyst Site Visits and Corporate Environmental Information Disclosure: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-21, December.
    18. 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.
    19. Esben Rahbek Gjerdrum Pedersen & Peter Neergaard & Janni Thusgaard Pedersen & Wencke Gwozdz, 2013. "Conformance and Deviance: Company Responses to Institutional Pressures for Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6), pages 357-373, September.
    20. Martins, Adelaide & Gomes, Delfina & Oliveira, Lídia & Caria, Ana & Parker, Lee, 2020. "Resistance strategies through the CEO communications in the media," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    21. Cecília Carmo & Cristiana Ribeiro, 2022. "Mandatory Non-Financial Information Disclosure under European Directive 95/2014/EU: Evidence from Portuguese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    22. Patricia Milanés Montero & Esteban Pérez Calderón & Ana Isabel Lourenço Dias, 2020. "Transparency of Financial Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emission Allowances: The Influence of Regulation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-25, January.
    23. Fallan, Even & Fallan, Lars, 2019. "Corporate tax behaviour and environmental disclosure: Strategic trade-offs across elements of CSR?," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(3).

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