National governance effectiveness and corporate decent work agenda under SDG 8: evidence from Asian emerging markets

PurposeThis study examines corporate disclosure of decent work practices under SDG 8 (DW_SDG8) in emerging Asian economies and investigates how national governance quality (NGQ) and its dimensions shape such disclosures. It further explores whether the relationship between governance and disclosure differs across countries with varying levels of socio-economic development and labour productivity.Design/methodology/approachUsing 1,800 firm-year observations from five emerging Asian nations over 2017–2022, DW_SDG 8 disclosure scores are developed through content analysis of corporate reports, mapped against GRI indicators. A random-effects Tobit model is used as the main estimator, with robustness checks via instrumental variable two-stage least squares and fixed-effects models. Additional analyses split the sample by Human Development Index (HDI) and labour productivity rate (LPR).FindingsResults show a steady rise in DW_SDG8 disclosures since 2017, with target 8.6 (youth employment) receiving the greatest attention. NGQ and its six components positively influence disclosure. However, the effects are stronger in high-HDI and high-LPR contexts, where institutional capacity and stakeholder expectations reinforce disclosure practices.Practical implicationsFindings suggest policymakers should strengthen governance systems and institutional capacity to promote credible reporting. Regulators should also issue target-level disclosure guidelines to ensure balanced attention across all DW_SDG8 goals, while accounting for country-level development and productivity contexts.Originality/valueThis study extends sustainability disclosure research by focusing specifically on DW_SDG8 and by highlighting how socioeconomic and productivity conditions moderate the governance-disclosure nexus in emerging Asia.