This study examines determinants of materiality disclosure quality (MDQ) in integrated reporting (IR) in an international setting. To this purpose, we constructed a novel, hand-collected MDQ score in line with the guiding principles introduced by the International Integrated Reporting Council. On the basis of a cross-national sample consisting of 359 firm-year observations between 2013 and 2016, we find that MDQ is positively associated with learning effects, gender diversity, and the assurance of nonfinancial information in the integrated report. On the other hand, we find that IR readability, listing in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and earnings management do not affect MDQ. Our results are robust to different statistical models.We expand on earlier empirical findings on IR disclosure quality and provide valuable insights for research, practice, and standard setting.

In light of current climate change discussions, this paper analyzes the effect of ownership structure on a firm’s environmental performance with a subsequent focus on corporate emission reduction. Based on a cross-national European sample consisting of 7384 firm-year observations between 2008 and 2017, this study explores the relationship between sustainable institutional investors and environmental performance. In line with prior research and embedded in an agency theoretical framework, the nature of institutional investors may act as a stimulating driver towards green business practices. Sustainable institutional investors are defined based on their signatory status to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and their (long-term) investment horizons. The first classification stems from a content-driven sustainability perspective, while the second is derived from temporal sustainability. The results indicate that sustainable institutional ownership is positively associated with a firm’s environmental performance. Further investigations reveal that sustainable institutional investor ownership is also positively associated with firms’ willingness to respond to the Carbon Disclosure Project. These results indicate a higher carbon-risk awareness in firms with greater sustainable institutional investor ownership. Our paper significantly contributes to prior empirical research on institutional ownership and environmental performance and offers useful theoretical and practical implications. It focusses on a still-underdeveloped research area, namely organizations and their relationships with the natural environment, including institutional equity ownership as a driver towards greener practices on a corporate level.

This article investigates the association between CSR and marginal credit costs of European companies. We provide instance for a negative association based on a variety of model specifications and fine-grained measures for CSR. These results can be explained in light of the increasing relevance of socially responsible investors for financing costs of companies. We further apply the risk management perspective on CSR to the credit market and show that the insurance-like property of CSR is especially relevant for companies in relative financial distress as measured by the interest coverage ratio. This study also examines the association between CSR assurance and credit costs and provides evidence that creditors reward non-financial insurance by reduced required rate of returns. Finally, we contribute to the corporate governance literature by modelling the association between different board characteristics and credit costs.

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Purpose Although principal–agent theory has gained a prominent place in research, its negative image of self-serving managers is frequently criticized. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine how existing theories of agency and stewardship can be combined by using behavioral characteristics. Design/methodology/approach This study reviewed articles on the behavior of agents and stewards from the domains of finance, economics, management, corporate governance and organizational research. Additional theoretical and meta-analytical empirical literature from the fields of psychology and sociology was used to account for general patterns of human behavior. Findings The results indicate that goal congruency and the perception of fairness can serve as moderators distinguishing agency theory and stewardship theory. Goal congruency can be achieved by stipulating psychological ownership. The perception of distributive and procedural fairness is demonstrated by two major corporate governance mechanisms: performance-based compensation and board monitoring. The results are summarized in six hypotheses that allow a situational, customized corporate governance. These hypotheses can be tested in future research. Originality/value Prior work either focused on the merits of principal-agent theory or advocates the utilization of positive management theories, such as stewardship theory. However, little work has been done on bridging the gap between both constructs and develop a more extensive view of management theory.

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PurposeThis empirical study aims to examine the association between gender-diverse boards and corporate carbon emissions and estimates the effect of board gender diversity on stock price reactions to climate activism. This study contributes to the inconclusive literature on the link between gender-diverse boards and firms' financial performance by examining a single and plausibly isolated channel of association (i.e. attention to climate change).Design/methodology/approachThe authors use parametric and non-parametric panel data techniques to examine the association between gender-diverse boards to corporate carbon emission. The system generalized methods of moments (SYS-GMM) estimator is used to address endogeneity concerns. The authors use the event study methodology to examine difference in stock price reactions to climate activism.FindingsThe results show that high board gender diversity is associated with lower corporate carbon emissions and higher stock returns to climate activism.Originality/valueThis is the first study to isolate public attention to climate change as a relevant channel through which gender-diverse boards have an impact of firms' financial performance. This study is timely and important due to the immediate threat of global warming and the recent introduction of mandatory board gender quotas in many countries around the world.