IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bracre/v40y2008i2p161-181.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social responsibility disclosure: A study of proxies for the public visibility of Portuguese banks

Author

Listed:
  • Branco, Manuel Castelo
  • Rodrigues, Lúcia Lima

Abstract

This study, grounded in legitimacy theory (LT), examines social responsibility disclosure (SRD) on the Internet by Portuguese banks in 2004 and 2005. It compares these disclosures with those made in annual reports in 2003 and 2004. According to LT, companies with a higher public visibility are expected to exhibit greater concern to improve the corporate image through SRD. Size and industry affiliation are two of the most popular proxies for public visibility. By using companies from one industry this study explores size-related measures as proxies for public visibility. It analyses several size-related proxies and proposes a measure which has never been discussed in SRD studies: a spatial competition index based on the number of branches. Results suggest that the perspective adopted explains SRD by Portuguese banks and that the new measure proposed should be explored further in SRD empirical research.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:40:y:2008:i:2:p:161-181
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2008.02.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890838908000255
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bar.2008.02.004?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blake E. Ashforth & Barrie W. Gibbs, 1990. "The Double-Edge of Organizational Legitimation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(2), pages 177-194, May.
    2. Rob Gray & Mohammed Javad & David M. Power & C. Donald Sinclair, 2001. "Social and Environmental Disclosure and Corporate Characteristics: A Research Note and Extension," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3‐4), pages 327-356, April.
    3. Haniffa, R.M. & Cooke, T.E., 2005. "The impact of culture and governance on corporate social reporting," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 391-430.
    4. Isabelle Maignan & David A Ralston, 2002. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and the U.S.: Insights from Businesses' Self-presentations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(3), pages 497-514, September.
    5. Canhoto, Ana & Dermine, Jean, 2003. "A note on banking efficiency in Portugal, New vs. Old banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(11), pages 2087-2098, November.
    6. Cowen, Scott S. & Ferreri, Linda B. & Parker, Lee D., 1987. "The impact of corporate characteristics on social responsibility disclosure: A typology and frequency-based analysis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 111-122, March.
    7. David Campbell & Geoff Moore & Philip Shrives, 2006. "Cross-sectional effects in community disclosure," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(1), pages 96-114, January.
    8. Victor Mendes & João Rebelo, 2003. "Structure and performance in the Portuguese banking industry in the nineties," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 2(1), pages 53-68, April.
    9. 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.
    10. Craig Deegan & Michaela Rankin & Peter Voght, 2000. "Firms' Disclosure Reactions to Major Social Incidents: Australian Evidence," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 101-130, March.
    11. Trotman, Ken T. & Bradley, Graham W., 1981. "Associations between social responsibility disclosure and characteristics of companies," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 355-362, October.
    12. David Campbell & Geoff Moore & Philip Shrives, 2006. "Cross-sectional effects in community disclosure," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(6), pages 96-114, November.
    13. Neu, D. & Warsame, H. & Pedwell, K., 1998. "Managing public impressions: environmental disclosures in annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 265-282, April.
    14. Darrell, W. & Schwartz, Bill N., 1997. "Environmental disclosures and public policy pressure," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 125-154.
    15. Patten, Dennis M., 1992. "Intra-industry environmental disclosures in response to the Alaskan oil spill: A note on legitimacy theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 471-475, July.
    16. Geoff Frost & Stewart Jones & Janice Loftus & Sandra Laan, 2005. "A Survey of Sustainability Reporting Practices of Australian Reporting Entities," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 15(35), pages 89-96, March.
    17. Canhoto, Ana, 2004. "Portuguese banking: A structural model of competition in the deposits market," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1-2), pages 41-63.
    18. Frances E. Bowen, 2000. "Environmental visibility: a trigger of green organizational response?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(2), pages 92-107, March.
    19. Bert Scholtens, 2006. "Finance as a Driver of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 68(1), pages 19-33, September.
    20. Patten, Dennis M., 1991. "Exposure, legitimacy, and social disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 297-308.
    21. Brammer, Stephen & Pavelin, Stephen, 2004. "Building a Good Reputation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 704-713, December.
    22. Adams, Carol A. & Harte, George, 1998. "The changing portrayal of the employment of women in British banks' and retail companies' corporate annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(8), pages 781-812, November.
    23. Rob Gray & Mohammed Javad & David M. Power & C. Donald Sinclair, 2001. "Social and Environmental Disclosure and Corporate Characteristics: A Research Note and Extension," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3-4), pages 327-356.
    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. Vanessa Magness, 2006. "Strategic posture, financial performance and environmental disclosure: An empirical test of legitimacy theory," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(4), pages 540-563, July.
    2. Giovanna Michelon & Antonio Parbonetti, 2012. "The effect of corporate governance on sustainability disclosure," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(3), pages 477-509, August.
    3. Emerald Edem Welbeck & Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu & Rita Amoah Bekoe & John Amoah Kusi, 2017. "Determinants of environmental disclosures of listed firms in Ghana," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Maria Baldini & Lorenzo Dal Maso & Giovanni Liberatore & Francesco Mazzi & Simone Terzani, 2018. "Role of Country- and Firm-Level Determinants in Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosure," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 79-98, June.
    5. Rodríguez-Ariza, Lázaro & Frías Aceituno, José V. & García Rubio, Raquel, 2014. "El consejo de administración y las memorias de sostenibilidad," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 5-16.
    6. Stephen Brammer & Stephen Pavelin, 2006. "Voluntary Environmental Disclosures by Large UK Companies," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(7‐8), pages 1168-1188, September.
    7. Florence Depoers & Tiphaine Jérôme, 2017. "Environmental expenditure disclosure strategies in a regulated context [Stratégies de publication des dépenses environnementales dans un cadre réglementaire]," Post-Print hal-01576195, HAL.
    8. Aerts, Walter & Cormier, Denis, 2009. "Media legitimacy and corporate environmental communication," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-27, January.
    9. Stewart Jones & Geoff Frost & Janice Loftus & Sandra Laan, 2007. "An Empirical Examination of the Market Returns and Financial Performance of Entities Engaged in Sustainability Reporting," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 17(41), pages 78-87, March.
    10. 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.
    11. Toms, Steven, 2008. "Asymmetric Response: Explaining Corporate Social Disclosure by Multi-National Firms in Environmentally Sensitive Industries," The York Management School Working Papers 42, The York Management School, University of York.
    12. 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.
    13. Manuel Branco & Lúcia Rodrigues, 2008. "Factors Influencing Social Responsibility Disclosure by Portuguese Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 685-701, December.
    14. Torbjörn Tagesson & Veronica Blank & Pernilla Broberg & Sven‐Olof Collin, 2009. "What explains the extent and content of social and environmental disclosures on corporate websites: a study of social and environmental reporting in Swedish listed corporations," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(6), pages 352-364, November.
    15. Denis Cormier & Michel Magnan, 2015. "The Economic Relevance of Environmental Disclosure and its Impact on Corporate Legitimacy: An Empirical Investigation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 431-450, September.
    16. Amel Ben Rhouma & Marie-José Scotto, 2011. "Implications du principe de matérialité sur le contenu du reporting Développement Durable," Post-Print hal-00646525, HAL.
    17. Salma Damak Ayadi, 2004. "Determinants of the corporate decision to disclose stakeholders' reports in France," Post-Print halshs-00154181, HAL.
    18. Isabel Ma García‐Sánchez, 2008. "Corporate social reporting: segmentation and characterization of Spanish companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(4), pages 187-198, July.
    19. Muttakin, Mohammad Badrul & Khan, Arifur, 2014. "Determinants of corporate social disclosure: Empirical evidence from Bangladesh," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 168-175.
    20. 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.

    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:eee:bracre:v:40:y:2008:i:2:p:161-181. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-british-accounting-review .

    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.