The focus on value creation in many companies creates not only adverse economic, but also negative environmental and social externalities. Financial reporting (FR) is seen as one of the roots of this vicious cycle, and the recent trend towards sustainability reporting (SR) does not represent more than an enhanced collection of sustainability information. Thus, integrated reporting (IR), which creates a link between both types of information and aims to promote companies to develop strategies that recognise sustainability aspects as significant drivers for financial performance, can be regarded as a promising innovation. However, IR is far from becoming the norm and the absence of IR standards and limited understanding of IR assurance present key barriers for widespread adoption. This thesis represents a significant effort to close the large gap in research on IR assurance.
It is the first study investigating the determinants of assurance decisions in IR. Additionally, it represents the only study focusing on South Africa, the first and only country to enforce a mandatory IR disclosure regime globally.
Building on the findings of previous studies on the determinants of voluntary assurance, there are three research questions investigated in the thesis. First, what are the determinants of a firm’s decision (not) to adopt IR assurance? Second, given that firms have adopted IR assurance, what are the determinants for choosing a particular type of assurer? Third, given that firms have mandated a particular type of assurer, what are the determinants for choosing higher levels of assurance?
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Introduction to Integrated Reporting and Assurance
- Definition of Integrated Reporting
- Development of Non-Financial Reporting
- Development of Sustainability Reporting
- Development of Integrated Reporting
- Development of Integrated Reporting in South Africa
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Integrated Reporting
- Assurance of Integrated Reports
- Literature Review and Hypotheses Development
- Previous Research on the Determinants of Assurance
- Methodological Approach
- Country-level Variables
- Industry-level Variables
- Corporate Governance Variables
- Financial Variables
- Hypotheses Development
- Research Questions and Independent Variables
- Board Structure
- Diversity of Board Members
- Professional Background of Board Members
- Shareholder Structure
- Additional Hypotheses
- Previous Research on the Determinants of Assurance
- Methodology and Data
- Data Collection and Sampling
- Model Specification and Variable Measurement
- Multiple Imputation of Missing Data
- Results
- Descriptive Statistics
- Means, Standard Deviations, Minimums, and Maximums
- Development of Assurance Characteristics across Industries
- Correlation Analysis on Textual Quality
- Multicollinearity Tests
- Multivariate Results
- Decision to Adopt External Assurance
- Decision to Mandate an Assurer from the Accounting Profession
- Decision to Mandate Higher Levels of Assurance
- Descriptive Statistics
- Conclusion and Discussion
- Main findings
- Implications for the Main Constituents in Integrated Reporting
- Limitations and Avenues for Future Research
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis investigates the determinants of assurance decisions in Integrated Reporting (IR), particularly focusing on South Africa's mandatory IR disclosure regime. It aims to contribute to the limited research on IR assurance and provide valuable insights for companies, investors, and regulators.
- The development and evolution of integrated reporting
- The factors influencing the decision to adopt external assurance for integrated reports
- The role of corporate governance in integrated reporting assurance
- The implications of mandatory integrated reporting regimes
- The future of integrated reporting and assurance
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter sets the stage for the thesis by introducing the concept of integrated reporting and its relevance in the context of corporate sustainability and long-term value creation. It highlights the limitations of traditional financial reporting and the emerging role of integrated reporting in addressing these limitations.
- Introduction to Integrated Reporting and Assurance: This chapter delves into the definition, development, and rationale behind integrated reporting. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of integrated reporting, including the role of assurance in enhancing its credibility and reliability.
- Literature Review and Hypotheses Development: This chapter reviews existing research on the determinants of assurance in various contexts and develops hypotheses specifically for the context of integrated reporting. The chapter explores various factors that could influence the decision to adopt assurance, including corporate governance structures, industry characteristics, and financial variables.
- Methodology and Data: This chapter outlines the research methodology used in the thesis. It describes the data collection process, the sample selection criteria, and the statistical methods employed for data analysis. It also defines the variables and their measurement scales used in the study.
- Results: This chapter presents the findings of the empirical analysis. It provides descriptive statistics to understand the characteristics of the sample and explores the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. The chapter also discusses the results of multivariate analysis, examining the impact of different factors on assurance decisions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research focuses on the determinants of assurance decisions in integrated reporting, particularly in the South African context. Key themes include corporate governance, sustainability reporting, financial performance, and assurance quality. The study employs empirical analysis to investigate the relationship between various company characteristics and the adoption of assurance for integrated reports.
- Quote paper
- Gian Marco Brizzolara (Author), 2018, Assurance decisions in integrated reporting in South Africa, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/458066
