Systematic review of integrated reporting: recent trend and future research agenda

Abstract

Purpose Integrated reporting (<IR>) promotes transparency in corporate reporting and communicate detailed information on how a firm creates value in the short, medium and long-term. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review <IR> to provide insights into theories, determinants, consequences, contingent variables and methods that have been used in previous studies. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on a systematic review of 17 articles published between 2017 and 2020. Findings Nine theories were used in prior studies. Board size, diversity, independence, level of activity of the board, the establishment of Higher Education Institutions (before or after 1992), adoption of IR framework, size, institutional ownership, sustainability committee and the use of non-financial performance measures in executives’ compensation contracts and separate risk management committees are determinants of <IR>. Further, the positive impact of <IR> on information asymmetry, market valuation of environmental, social and governance performance, financial performance, intellectual capital, sustainability embeddedness and organisational change, external sense of legitimacy and reputation, revenue growth, corporate environmental performance and circular economy-related information, with mixed findings for analyst earnings forecast accuracy, company value and market value. Only three studies used moderating and mediating variables to examine <IR>. Quantitative research approach and secondary data are most preferred by <IR> scholars. Research limitations/implications Some papers may have been omitted unintentionally, although the author did his best to include most of the prior published articles using a rigorous methodology. Practical implications This paper set out future research agenda on how <IR> research could be enhanced. Originality/value Contrary to prior systematic reviews that consider individual constructs/concept, the review herein adopts a comprehensive approach and considers moderating and mediating variables aside from theories, effects and determinants of integrated reporting.

Institutional antecedents of integrated reporting quality: The moderating role of board independence

“…The findings indicate that both institutional theory and agency theory can also be used to explain IRQ determinants. Thus, the results support the proposition in recent literature that a multitheoretical approach should be adopted to explain companies' motivation to enhance IRQ (Nwachukwu, 2021;Velte, 2021).…”

Mapping the environmental, social and governance literature: a bibliometric and content analysis

“…Table 1 shows a list of review studies in the domain. Most of the reviews focus on a particular theme, such as ESG investing (Daugaard, 2019), ESG risks (Gallucci et al ., 2022), Integrated reporting (Nwachukwu, 2021), the impact of ESG on firm performance (Khan, 2022), an association between corporate governance and ESG (Lagasio and Cucari, 2019). Alshater et al .…”

“…Table 1 shows a list of review studies in the domain. Most of the reviews focus on a particular theme, such as ESG investing (Daugaard, 2019), ESG risks (Gallucci et al, 2022), Integrated reporting (Nwachukwu, 2021), the impact of ESG on firm performance (Khan, 2022), an association between corporate governance and ESG (Lagasio and Cucari, 2019). Alshater et al (2021) summarized and content analyzed the literature published in the Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment (JSFI), which is the most productive journal in terms of publishing ESG research (see Table 2).…”

Managerial competences and integrated reporting practices: perception-based evidence from Uganda

“…Nwachukwu, 2021). As can be seen from Nwachukwu (2021), existing studies on IR practices are largely in developed nations JAEE 14,1 such as North America, Europe, Asia and Australia with very few in Africa, especially outside South Africa.…”