Integrated Reporting of corporate financial and nonfinancial data: Delivering on its promise to contribute to sustainable development?

A critical analysis

Master's Thesis , 2012 , 91 Pages

Economics - Other

There is wide-spread awareness about the fact that business has caused or aggravated many significant global crises, calling into question the sustainability of our current economy. Proponents of the emerging concept of Integrated Reporting, however, argue that corporations can reverse this trend by reporting their financial information together with information measured in CSR reports about at what costs to environment and society, also called footprint, a corporation has achieved its profits. Such opening up to disclosure, so the argument, creates incentives for corporations to reduce their footprint; and reputation and capital allocation will then reward well-performing, sustainable corporations leading to a dynamic mechanism that will contribute to sustainable development.

Such an argumentation is simplistic and does not hold. Property economics establishes that within a property-based economy, corporations are faced with specific economic requirements as a result of the capitalization process, namely requirements to grow and secure profitability across time and competition. Such requirements leave corporations with no option than to subdue social and environmental considerations to their pursuit of profitability. The latter, in return, dictates that corporations use strategies like Integrated Reporting, arguing for voluntary corporate self-regulation in regards to costs imposed on society and environment, in order to shape a regulatory framework that accommodates their ability to respond to economic requirements. Corporations are moreover not likely to voluntarily report on any measure that will threaten their profitability.

The concept of Integrated Reporting can not simultaneously be a corporate tool for shaping a specific legal framework that subdues environmental and social considerations; as well as a contribution to sustainable development, at least not as long as the latter is analyzed from an eco-social perspective that requires that economic interests be subdued to social and environmental considerations. Integrated Reporting can, however, play a role in informing society about the footprint of a given corporation if regulation establishes what is to be measured by corporations when disclosing their footprint.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• INTRODUCTION
• THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN SOCIETY AND THE EMERGENCE OF CSR
• FROM SMITH TO LIPPMANN
• THE BEGINNINGS OF CSR
• CORPORATE SCANDALS AND MATURING OF CSR
• CONTEMPORARY CSR
• CSR AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• CONTEMPORARY CSR DEFINED
• CSR IN PRACTICE: MEASUREMENT OF CORPORATE FOOTPRINT
• CSR AND INTEGRATED REPORTING
• THE EMERGENCE OF A CONCEPT
• INTEGRATED REPORTING AND ITS RELATION TO CSR
• KEY CONCEPTS OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• THE CONTENT OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• THE MEASUREMENT OF NONFINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
• THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• THE DESIRED EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• NEOLIBERAL PROPERTY ECONOMY: INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS, ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES AND INSTRUMENTALITY OF CSR
• INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE ECONOMY
• ECONOMIC IMPERATIVES OF PROPERTY REGIMES
• REGULATION AND CORPORATE INTERESTS IN PROPERTY REGIMES
• A BRIEF HISTORY OF MNC REGULATION
• (SELF-) REGULATION AND CSR
• (SELF-) REGULATION AND INTEGRATED REPORTING
• INSTITUTIONAL LIMITS OF CSR AND INTEGRATED REPORTING
• INTEGRATED REPORTING FOR "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT"? A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF ITS CHANCES AND LIMITATIONS
• WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN LINE WITH CAPITALIST RATIONALE
• ECO-SOCIAL VIEW OF Sustainable DEVELOPMENT
• CSR, INTEGRATED REPORTING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
• The LIMITATIONS OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• FAILURE TO CRITICALLY ASSESS THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF SUSTAINABILITY CRISES
• FAILURE TO ASSESS UNDERLYING INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS OF THE NEOLIBERAL, PROPERTY-BASED ECONOMIC SYSTEM
• FAILURE TO ACCURATELY MEASURE THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF CORPORATE ACTION
• FAILURE TO CRITICALLY ASSESS THE CAPACITY OF THE MARKET ECONOMY TO SOLVE SUSTAINABILITY CRISES
• THE CHANCES OF INTEGRATED REPORTING
• CONCLUSIONS

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master's thesis critically analyzes the concept of Integrated Reporting and its potential to contribute to sustainable development. The thesis argues that while Integrated Reporting aims to promote corporate accountability and sustainability by integrating financial and non-financial information, it fails to address the underlying systemic constraints of the neoliberal, property-based economic system. The key themes explored in the thesis include: * The role of business in society and the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). * The emergence and development of Integrated Reporting and its relationship to CSR. * The institutional foundations of the neoliberal property economy and its economic imperatives. * The limitations and chances of Integrated Reporting in addressing sustainability challenges. * The contrasting perspectives on sustainable development, including the capitalist rationale and the eco-social view.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of Integrated Reporting as a response to public concerns about the sustainability of the current economic and financial system. It highlights the growing awareness of the social and environmental costs imposed by corporations, and how corporations have responded through CSR strategies. The introduction emphasizes the absence of mandatory disclosures regarding the environmental and social impacts of corporate activities.

Chapter 1: The Role of Business in Society and the Emergence of CSR: This chapter traces the historical evolution of the relationship between business and society, starting with Adam Smith's ideas about the invisible hand and progressing to Walter Lippmann's critique of the role of corporations in modern society. It delves into the origins of CSR and its development in response to corporate scandals and public pressure. The chapter examines the contemporary understanding of CSR, including its connection to sustainable development and its practical implementation through the measurement of corporate footprints.

Chapter 2: CSR and Integrated Reporting: This chapter examines the emergence of Integrated Reporting as a concept and its relationship to CSR. It explores the key concepts of Integrated Reporting, including its content, the measurement of non-financial performance, and its implementation. The chapter also discusses the desired effects of Integrated Reporting, which aims to enhance corporate transparency and accountability for social and environmental performance.

Chapter 3: Neoliberal Property Economy: Institutional Foundations, Economic Imperatives, and Instrumentality of CSR: This chapter investigates the institutional foundations of the neoliberal property economy and its economic imperatives. It argues that corporations are driven by a need to grow and secure profitability within a competitive environment, which often leads to prioritizing economic interests over social and environmental considerations. The chapter explores the role of regulation and corporate interests in shaping the regulatory framework, highlighting the potential for corporations to instrumentally engage in CSR strategies to shape favorable regulations.

Chapter 4: Integrated Reporting for "Sustainable Development"? A Critical Appraisal of its Chances and Limitations: This chapter examines the potential of Integrated Reporting to contribute to sustainable development, critically assessing its limitations and chances. It explores different perspectives on sustainable development, contrasting the capitalist rationale with the eco-social view. The chapter analyzes the shortcomings of Integrated Reporting, such as its failure to address systemic constraints, accurately measure environmental and social impacts, and critically assess the market economy's capacity to address sustainability crises. It also outlines the potential benefits of Integrated Reporting, including its ability to enhance transparency and provide information about corporate footprints.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Integrated Reporting, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainable development, neoliberal property economy, corporate accountability, non-financial performance, environmental footprint, social footprint, institutional constraints, market economy, eco-social perspective, capitalism, regulation, corporate interests.

• College: The Graduate Institute
• Author: David Leicht (Author)
• Publication Year: 2012
• Pages: 91
• Catalog Number: V202502
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656296720
• ISBN (Book): 9783656296973
• Language: English
• Tags: Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Corporate Responsibility, Integrated Reporting, Nonfinancial Performance, ESG Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, Corporate Reporting, One Report, Robert Eccles, IIRC, King Code, King III, Sustainability, Business Reporting, Reporting, Business, Nachhaltigkeit, Soutenabilité, Durabilité, Nachhaltige Entwicklung, CSR Criticism, Property Economics, Hernando de Soto, Georgescu Roegen, William Kapp, Thorstein Veblen, Accounting for Sustainability, Carroll, Corporate Scandals, Neoliberalism, Neoliberal Economy, Property Economy, Rolf Steppacher, Griethuysen, GRI, Global Reporting Initiative, Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation