Purpose This paper aims to examine how and why integrated reporting (IR) as a managerial technology is diffused in Sri Lanka, an emerging South Asian (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nation, from an expansion diffusion perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study followed two analytical steps. First, the adopter groups of IR of the country’s stock exchange were identified based on their annual reports. Second, the key stakeholders (both internal and external) in the process of IR diffusion in the country were interviewed. Thereafter, a content analysis of these semi-structured interviews was carried out based on the demand-pull and supply-push sides of the diffusion theory of innovation. Findings The temporal trend of IR suggests that the country is currently in the diffusion stage with many first time adopters are likely to join the bandwagon of IR. In the primary stage, its early adoption has been driven by the efficient-choice perspective. However, in the diffusion stage, most of the adopters are driven by fashion setting, which is mainly attributable to the active propagators in the supply side of IR diffusion. IR has been mainly a transition evolving through the incremental changes in sustainability reporting. Many firms have not internalized the IR principles with the danger of IR becoming a mere reporting mechanism. Originality/value The application of both demand-pull and supply-push sides of the diffusion theory of innovation is still limited, particularly in the case of new reporting mechanisms. The study provides new insights into how these two forces contribute to creating a “practice-reporting portrayal gap” in IR.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the development and implementation of Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) and environmental management at the level of a firm in the hotel sector in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach – Case study method was used in the study. The primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews supported by observations of various facility centers (on-site assessment). Accounting records such as the Green Book, daily and monthly material and energy records, online resources and various other documents were content analyzed as sources of secondary data. Findings – The study observed that the hotel had reinvigorated some of its environmental management and EMA practices in an urgent, cost-saving bid when faced with a financial crisis. Having realized their cost-saving potential and strategic benefits, the management developed these selective practices over time into comprehensive practices that are integrated into the daily management process supported by all stakeholders. The development stages of EMA reflect how the hotel moved from a survival phase to an integration phase. Originality/value – The paper attempts to apply an integrated eco-control approach in an emerging South Asian country, Sri Lanka. Because eco-control of EMA is a new approach in developing countries, this paper provides important insights into the development of eco-control and EMA.

This study investigates the implementation of environmental management accounting in translating environmental management strategy into organizational performance. Further, the study identifies the influence of institutional pressures on environmental management strategy and environmental management accounting to provide a better description of the impact of the institutional environment on corporate environmental practices. The data were collected from 144 business entities in Sri Lanka using a web‐based survey and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. We found statistically significant evidence to state that the environmental management strategy is positively associated with the environmental and economic performance of organizations, whereas environmental management accounting mediates this relationship. Further, a firm's institutional environment positively affects both environmental management strategies and environmental management accounting. This study emphasizes that the organizational information systems such as environmental management accounting are useful in providing information on environmental costs and monitoring environmental and financial performance when implementing environmental management strategies in the pursuit of corporate sustainable development.

This study examines how governance mechanisms affect the quality of integrated reporting (IR), which is fast emerging both as a tool to help firms understand their value creation process and to communicate effectively with external stakeholders. This study first developed an index to assess the quality of integrated reports. Subsequently, 132 integrated reports of Sri Lankan public listed companies selected over a three-year period were content analysed. The hypotheses formulated on the relationship between corporate governance and the quality of IR based on the agency theory were analysed using multivariate linear regression and panel regression. The results show that there is limited support from the corporate governance system for providing quality information to stakeholders on the value creation process through IR, except for board size and the availability of a separate risk management committee. This is the result of the heavy emphasis of corporate governance requirements and the resulting mechanisms of Sri Lankan companies on mandatory corporate reporting requirements compared to a voluntary reporting model such as IR. Since many corporate governance aspects are meant to fulfill mandatory reporting requirements, the results imply that the directors have given limited attention to providing quality information through voluntary disclosure practices such as IR, although they use resources to prepare integrated reports.

Purpose-This paper examines how corporate environmental management strategies at different environmental management maturity (EMM) stages are influenced by institutional forces in the service sector organizations of a developing country. Design/methodology/approach-We used a multiple case study approach in this study. Institutional isomorphic pressures (coercive, mimetic and normative) at different EMM stages were used as the analytical framework. Findings-The study finds coercive pressures largely shape the corporate environmental management strategies at the reactive stage while mimetic pressures have the greatest influence on the internal integration stage. Combined mimetic and normative pressures influence the environmental strategies at the external integration stage. Further, it emphasizes the importance of various institutional pressures in propelling the organizations in the developing countries to benefit from higher levels of EMM. Originality/value-This paper offers a new theoretical approach that highlights the importance of considering the institutional influence of the top-down process of diffusion and simultaneous counter-process of invention by which the lower level organizational actors shape and change their environmental management practices for corporate EMM.

This study examines the effects of green or eco-friendly certificates and awards on consumers’ perceived value within the hotel industry, and the roles of consumers’ perceived value in predicting satisfaction, intention to revisit, and intention to pay a green premium. The results of partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis from a sample of 250 guests in Sri Lankan hotels showed that our unified model includes a satisfactory level of prediction power to test the hypothesized relationships. Green certificates and green awards positively affect consumers’ perceived value within the hotel industry. The findings also supported the relationship between consumers’ perceived value and satisfaction, intention to revisit, and intention to pay a green premium. The empirical findings in the context of Sri Lanka provide another important insight which confirms the positive effects of green certification and green awards on consumers’ perceived value and behavioral intentions, such as their intention to revisit and to pay a premium.

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