A Bird’s Eye View: Uncovering the Impact of Stakeholder Pressure on Sustainable Development Goal Disclosure

Abstract

Grounded in stakeholder theory, we examine the impact of secondary stakeholder pressure on SDG disclosure. We verify the SDG disclosure of 1831 companies based in nine countries for the period of 2016–2019, considering as secondary stakeholders the government, society, unions, and the media. The results are mixed, with some indication that the pressure exerted by society and the media is important for companies in environmentally sensitive sectors to have better disclosure of the SDGs. Our results also reveal that financial performance and the adoption of the Global Compact by organizations are antecedents of greater engagement in SDG disclosure. Considering the stakeholder theory, our findings offer insights that point to the importance of dialogue between companies and stakeholders globally, not only those from the country in which the company is based. Stakeholders can work as a complement to the actions of companies in relation to social and environmental issues. Based on our results, we encourage managers to develop strategies to achieve the interests of their secondary stakeholders.