Evangeline Elijido-Ten

Extending the application of stakeholder influence strategies to environmental disclosures: An exploratory study from a developing country

Purpose - This paper aims to provide insights into stakeholder expectations regarding the types of disclosures a firm should make, and if dissatisfied with the disclosure policy, whether it will use different intervention strategies in an attempt to induce the desired disclosure outcome. Design/methodology/approach - An inductive qualitative framework is used in the study. In-depth interviews, triangulated against relevant web site and media releases, are used to identify the salient stakeholders and the major environmental issues in Malaysia. Then an experimental approach is used based on role-playing whereby experienced participants are introduced to hypothetical vignettes that relate to environmental issues identified. Findings - The results indicate that the preferred form of disclosure is for the firms to “defend” the reasons behind the environmental event and/or explain what has been done to rectify the situation. With relatively few exceptions, the preferred strategies chosen by various participants align well with the influence strategies identified by Frooman. The findings confirm that although Froomans model is useful in predicting stakeholder influence strategies, its effectiveness is tempered by the level of significance placed on the event by the stakeholders. Research limitations/implications - Although based on a small sample, the results suggest that stakeholder theory has much to offer in terms of understanding management/stakeholder behaviour and corporate environmental disclosures. Originality/value - The paper extends the application of stakeholder influence strategies in the “environmental reporting” domain. Likewise, it attempts to address the scarcity of literature taking the view of a wide array of stakeholders and how they choose to influence the firm. Finally, it confirms that stakeholder theory can be extended to aid the understanding of events in non-western developing economies such as Malaysia.

Media coverage and voluntary environmental disclosures: A developing country exploratory experiment

Abstract This research extends the developing-country environmental disclosure literature by exploring managerial perceptions of different environmental events and the impact of media coverage on managements decision to provide annual report environmental disclosure (ARED) voluntarily. Using the broad lens of stakeholder theory in conjunction with media agenda setting theory, a Malaysian experiment is initiated to gain insights into the type of ARED strategy preferred by management. The study also examines whether these preferences are affected by such factors as: (1) the stakeholders perceived significance of the environmental event; (2) the stakeholders threat/cooperation potential; and (3) the impact of media publicity on the featured event. The results suggest that the influence of media coverage on managements preferred ARED strategy is most pronounced when the event is of a negative nature and is generally ‘unobtrusive’, such that the stakeholders concerned have less direct experience on the issue.

Determinants of carbon management strategy adoption: Evidence from Australia’s top 200 publicly listed firms

Purpose - – The purpose of this longitudinal study is to examine the determinants of carbon management strategy (CMS) adoption among Australia’s top 200 listed firms. Design/methodology/approach - – A legitimacy theory framework is adopted to investigate whether any significant relationship exists between a firm’s decision to adopt CMS and internal organisational factors, such as the presence of an environmental management system (EMS), as well as corporate governance factors like having an environmental committee, board size and board independence. Content analysis of Carbon Disclosure Project data and other publicly available information sourced from firm websites, annual reports and stand-alone sustainability reports is conducted, covering the period from 2008 to 2012. Findings - – Logistic regression analyses confirm that firms adopting CMS are more likely to have an EMS, an environmental committee, larger board size and greater board independence. The study also finds significant association between CMS adoption, firm size, leverage and environmental sensitivity of the firm’s industry. Originality/value - – The study shows that internal organisational factors and corporate governance attributes play a vital role in maintaining organisational legitimacy through CMS adoption. The findings of this study should be of interest to report providers (i.e. reporting firms), report users (such as investors and consumers) and policymakers.

Experiential learning in accounting work-integrated learning: a three-way partnership

Purpose – Work-integrated learning (WIL) helps improve the work readiness of accounting graduates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by large and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers in providing experiential learning opportunities to accounting students in an Australian higher education context. Design/methodology/approach – Case-study data for this research were collected from the case university’s processes, semi-structured in-depth interviews with employer representatives and online survey with WIL students. Findings – The analysis reveals that both SMEs and large firms provide good training opportunities that enhance the student’s experiential learning particularly when proper WIL structures for pre-placement processes, training, supervision and performance reviews are in place. The results also confirm that WIL is seen as a positive experience by employers and students alike. Originality/value – There is a three-way partnership between the university, employers and studen...