IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/snbeco/v1y2021i12d10.1007_s43546-021-00167-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate governance and voluntary disclosure of sustainability performance: the case of Jordan

Author

Listed:
  • Hamzeh Al Amosh

    (Ministry of Education and Higher Education Qatar)

  • Saleh F. A. Khatib

    (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia)

Abstract

Non-financial information is subject to development based on the expectations of stakeholders. As the financial information alone no longer satisfies their desires, this has contributed to improving the phenomenon of disclosure for many countries, especially in issues related to sustainability. In Jordan, disclosure practices are still emerging and voluntary. This study, therefore, investigates the level of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure in the published annual reports of industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange and examines several factors related to corporate governance mechanisms and their impact on the level of disclosure. The current study used content analysis to determine the level of disclosure. The results showed that the level of disclosure on ESG performance is still weak. Still, it is developing over time in response to the pressure of stakeholders. The results also revealed a significant impact of the board size and board meetings on the ESG performance. In contrast, the results were disappointing concerning the rest of the proposed factors (non-executive directors, audit committee, auditor type, and board compensation). It did not play any role in explaining the practices of companies in the disclosure of ESG. The case study results help shed light on the interaction of the Jordanian industrial companies listed on sustainability issues. They are considered of interest to various stakeholders, regulators, and relevant government agencies and provide recent evidence of disclosure literature in emerging countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamzeh Al Amosh & Saleh F. A. Khatib, 2021. "Corporate governance and voluntary disclosure of sustainability performance: the case of Jordan," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(12), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:snbeco:v:1:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1007_s43546-021-00167-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s43546-021-00167-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43546-021-00167-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43546-021-00167-1?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. Qiang Li & Tian Li & Hongtao Chen & Erwei Xiang & Wenjuan Ruan, 2019. "Executives' excess compensation, legitimacy, and environmental information disclosure in Chinese heavily polluting companies: The moderating role of media pressure," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 248-256, January.
    2. Nguyen, Thi Hong Hanh & Ntim, Collins G. & Malagila, John K., 2020. "Women on corporate boards and corporate financial and non-financial performance: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Waris Ali & Jedrzej George Frynas & Zeeshan Mahmood, 2017. "Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Disclosure in Developed and Developing Countries: A Literature Review," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(4), pages 273-294, July.
    4. Shan, Yuan George, 2019. "Do corporate governance and disclosure tone drive voluntary disclosure of related-party transactions in China?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 30-48.
    5. Belen Fernandez‐Feijoo & Silvia Romero & Silvia Ruiz, 2018. "Financial Auditor and Sustainability Reporting: Does it matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(3), pages 209-224, May.
    6. Marco Fasan & Chiara Mio, 2017. "Fostering Stakeholder Engagement: The Role of Materiality Disclosure in Integrated Reporting," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 288-305, March.
    7. N. Rowbottom & A. Lymer, 2010. "Exploring the use and users of narrative reporting in the online annual report," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(2), pages 90-108, September.
    8. Karl Widerquist, 2018. "The Bottom Line," Exploring the Basic Income Guarantee, in: A Critical Analysis of Basic Income Experiments for Researchers, Policymakers, and Citizens, chapter 0, pages 93-98, Palgrave Macmillan.
    9. Shiwei Xu & Mingzhe Qiao & Bin Che & Peng Tong, 2019. "Regional Anti-Corruption and CSR Disclosure in a Transition Economy: The Contingent Effects of Ownership and Political Connection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-14, April.
    10. Anis Chariri & Indira Januarti & Etna Nur Afri Yuyetta, 2017. "Firm Characteristics, Audit Committee, and Environmental Performance: Insights from Indonesian Companies," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 7(6), pages 19-26.
    11. Zeeshan Mahmood & Rehana Kouser & Waris Ali & Zubair Ahmad & Tahira Salman, 2018. "Does Corporate Governance Affect Sustainability Disclosure? A Mixed Methods Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-20, January.
    12. Dominik Dienes & Patrick Velte, 2016. "The Impact of Supervisory Board Composition on CSR Reporting. Evidence from the German Two-Tier System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-20, January.
    13. Nazim Hussain & Ugo Rigoni & René P. Orij, 2018. "Corporate Governance and Sustainability Performance: Analysis of Triple Bottom Line Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 411-432, May.
    14. Hamzeh Al Amosh & Noorhayati Mansor, 2021. "Disclosure of integrated reporting elements by industrial companies: evidence from Jordan," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(1), pages 121-145, March.
    15. Roberto Barontini & Stefano Bozzi, 2011. "Board compensation and ownership structure: empirical evidence for Italian listed companies," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 15(1), pages 59-89, February.
    16. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    17. Murya Habbash & Khaled Hussainey & Awad Elsayed Awad, 2016. "The determinants of voluntary disclosure in Saudi Arabia: an empirical study," International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(3), pages 213-236.
    18. Francisco Bravo & Nuria Reguera‐Alvarado, 2019. "Sustainable development disclosure: Environmental, social, and governance reporting and gender diversity in the audit committee," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 418-429, February.
    19. Collins E. Okafor & Nacasius U. Ujah, 2020. "Executive compensation and corporate social responsibility: does a golden parachute matter?," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(5), pages 575-598, April.
    20. Afzalur Rashid, 2018. "The influence of corporate governance practices on corporate social responsibility reporting," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 14(1), pages 20-39, March.
    21. Mohammad Bassam Abu Qa’dan & Mishiel Said Suwaidan, 2018. "Board composition, ownership structure and corporate social responsibility disclosure: the case of Jordan," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(1), pages 28-46, October.
    22. Joseph E. Coombs & K. Matthew Gilley, 2005. "Stakeholder management as a predictor of CEO compensation: main effects and interactions with financial performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(9), pages 827-840, September.
    23. Chao Zhou, 2019. "Effects of corporate governance on the decision to voluntarily disclose corporate social responsibility reports: evidence from China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(55), pages 5900-5910, November.
    24. Meibo Hu & Lawrence Loh, 2018. "Board Governance and Sustainability Disclosure: A Cross-Sectional Study of Singapore-Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    25. Mohammed M. Elgammal & Khaled Hussainey & Fatma Ahmed, 2018. "Corporate governance and voluntary risk and forward-looking disclosures," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 19(4), pages 592-607, November.
    26. Abdelkader Sadou & Fardous Alom & Hayatullah Laluddin, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility disclosures in Malaysia: evidence from large companies," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(1), pages 177-202, March.
    27. Cristina Abad & Francisco Bravo, 2018. "Audit committee accounting expertise and forward-looking disclosures," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(2), pages 166-185, March.
    28. Pamela Kent & Reza Monem, 2008. "What Drives TBL Reporting: Good Governance or Threat to Legitimacy?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 18(4), pages 297-309, December.
    29. Richard D. Morris & Per Christen Tronnes, 2018. "The determinants of voluntary strategy disclosure: an international comparison," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(3), pages 423-441, September.
    30. Bryan Hong & Zhichuan Li & Dylan Minor, 2016. "Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation for Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 199-213, June.
    31. Nooraisah Katmon & Zam Zuriyati Mohamad & Norlia Mat Norwani & Omar Al Farooque, 2019. "Comprehensive Board Diversity and Quality of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from an Emerging Market," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 447-481, June.
    32. Muhammad Safdar Sial & Chunmei Zheng & Nguyen Vinh Khuong & Tehmina Khan & Muhammad Usman, 2018. "Does Firm Performance Influence Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting of Chinese Listed Companies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-12, June.
    33. Samaha, Khaled & Khlif, Hichem & Hussainey, Khaled, 2015. "The impact of board and audit committee characteristics on voluntary disclosure: A meta-analysis," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 13-28.
    34. Mohammad Jizi, 2017. "The Influence of Board Composition on Sustainable Development Disclosure," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 640-655, July.
    35. Yanhong Tang & Yanling Ma & Christina W.Y. Wong & Xin Miao, 2018. "Evolution of Government Policies on Guiding Corporate Social Responsibility in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    36. Mohammad Ali Fallah & Fayegh Mojarrad, 2018. "Corporate governance effects on corporate social responsibility disclosure: empirical evidence from heavy-pollution industries in Iran," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 208-225, October.
    37. Frank Sampong & Na Song & Kingsley Osei Boahene & Kwame Ansong Wadie, 2018. "Disclosure of CSR Performance and Firm Value: New Evidence from South Africa on the Basis of the GRI Guidelines for Sustainability Disclosure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-28, November.
    38. Yaseen Al-Janadi & Rashidah Abdul Rahman & Abdulsamad Alazzani, 2016. "Does government ownership affect corporate governance and corporate disclosure?: Evidence from Saudi Arabia," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 31(8/9), pages 871-890, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hamzeh Al Amosh & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Khaled Hussainey, 2022. "The Financial Determinants of Integrated Reporting Disclosure by Jordanian Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Hamzeh Al Amosh & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Husam Ananzeh, 2024. "Terrorist attacks and environmental social and governance performance: Evidence from cross‐country panel data," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 210-223, January.
    3. Rezvan Pourmansouri & Amir Mehdiabadi & Vahid Shahabi & Cristi Spulbar & Ramona Birau, 2022. "An Investigation of the Link between Major Shareholders’ Behavior and Corporate Governance Performance before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the Companies Listed on the Iranian Stock," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-30, April.
    4. Remo-Diez, Nieves & Mendaña-Cuervo, Cristina & Arenas-Parra, Mar, 2023. "Exploring the asymmetric impact of sustainability reporting on financial performance in the utilities sector: A longitudinal comparative analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    5. Saddam A. Hazaea & Ebrahim Mohammed Al-Matari & Khaled Zedan & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Jinyu Zhu & Hamzeh Al Amosh, 2022. "Green Purchasing: Past, Present and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-28, April.
    6. Saleh F. A. Khatib & Hamzeh Al Amosh & Husam Ananzeh, 2023. "Board Compensation in Financial Sectors: A Systematic Review of Twenty-Four Years of Research," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-22, July.

    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. María del Mar Miras-Rodríguez & Domingo Martínez-Martínez & Bernabé Escobar-Pérez, 2018. "Which Corporate Governance Mechanisms Drive CSR Disclosure Practices in Emerging Countries?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Abdulsalam Alquhaif & Ameen Qasem & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Murad Thomran & Shaker Dahan Al-Duais & Siti Norwahida Shukeri & Hytham M. A. Khojally, 2022. "Corporate Governance Mechanisms and ESG Reporting: Evidence from the Saudi Stock Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Emmanuel Anyigbah & Yusheng Kong & Bless Kofi Edziah & Ahotovi Thomas Ahoto & Wilhelmina Seyome Ahiaku, 2023. "Board Characteristics and Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    4. Ameen Qasem & Shaker Dahan AL-Duais & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Abdulsalam Alquhaif & Murad Thomran, 2022. "Institutional Ownership Types and ESG Reporting: The Case of Saudi Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    5. Hidaya Lawati & Khaled Hussainey & Roza Sagitova, 2021. "Disclosure quality vis-à-vis disclosure quantity: Does audit committee matter in Omani financial institutions?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 557-594, August.
    6. Giuliana Birindelli & Stefano Dell’Atti & Antonia Patrizia Iannuzzi & Marco Savioli, 2018. "Composition and Activity of the Board of Directors: Impact on ESG Performance in the Banking System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, December.
    7. Ali Shariff Kabara & Dewi Fariha Abdullah & Saleh F. A. Khatib & Ayman Hassan Bazhair & Hamzeh Al Amosh, 2023. "Moderating Role of Governance Regulatory Compliance on Board Diversity and Voluntary Disclosure of Non-Financial Firms in a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, March.
    8. Julija Winschel & Martin Stawinoga, 2019. "Determinants and effects of sustainable CEO compensation: a structured literature review of empirical evidence," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 69(3), pages 265-328, September.
    9. Eugenio Zubeltzu‐Jaka & Igor Álvarez‐Etxeberria & Eduardo Ortas, 2020. "The effect of the size of the board of directors on corporate social performance: A meta‐analytic approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1361-1374, May.
    10. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & R. M. Ammar Zahid & Adil Saleem & Judit Sági, 2021. "Board Composition and Social & Environmental Accountability: A Dynamic Model Analysis of Chinese Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    11. Ali Uyar & Cemil Kuzey & Merve Kilic & Abdullah S. Karaman, 2021. "Board structure, financial performance, corporate social responsibility performance, CSR committee, and CEO duality: Disentangling the connection in healthcare," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1730-1748, November.
    12. Kaouther Chebbi & Mohammed Abdullah Ammer, 2022. "Board Composition and ESG Disclosure in Saudi Arabia: The Moderating Role of Corporate Governance Reforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-25, September.
    13. Camélia Radu & Nadia Smaili, 2022. "Alignment Versus Monitoring: An Examination of the Effect of the CSR Committee and CSR-Linked Executive Compensation on CSR Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 145-163, September.
    14. Camélia Radu & Nadia Smaili, 2021. "Corporate performance patterns of Canadian listed firms: Balancing financial and corporate social responsibility outcomes," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3344-3359, November.
    15. Tang, Pengcheng & Yang, Shuxiang & Yang, Shuwang, 2020. "How to design corporate governance structures to enhance corporate social responsibility in China's mining state-owned enterprises?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    16. Renata Konadu & Gabriel Sam Ahinful & Samuel Owusu-Agyei, 2021. "Corporate governance pillars and business sustainability: does stakeholder engagement matter?," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(3), pages 269-289, September.
    17. Rania Béji & Ouidad Yousfi & Abdelwahed Omri, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance: A cognitive approach," Post-Print hal-03144756, HAL.
    18. Cheng Guping & Muhammad Safdar Sial & Peng Wan & Alina Badulescu & Daniel Badulescu & Talles Vianna Brugni, 2020. "Do Board Gender Diversity and Non-Executive Directors Affect CSR Reporting? Insight from Agency Theory Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-25, October.
    19. Mariasole Bannò & Emilia Filippi & Sandro Trento, 2023. "Women in top echelon positions and their effects on sustainability: a review, synthesis and future research agenda," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 27(1), pages 181-251, March.
    20. Eduardo Ortas & Igor Álvarez & Eugenio Zubeltzu, 2017. "Firms’ Board Independence and Corporate Social Performance: A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-26, June.

    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:spr:snbeco:v:1:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1007_s43546-021-00167-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.