Drivers and consequences of sustainability committee existence? Evidence from the hospitality and tourism industry

• Published in: International journal of hospitality management 2021-01, Vol.92, p.102753, Article 102753
• Main Authors: Kılıç, Merve, Uyar, Ali, Kuzey, Cemil, Karaman, Abdullah S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Board characteristics; External assurance; Global reporting initiative framework; Sustainability committee; Sustainability report
• ISSN: 0278-4319; 1873-4693
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102753

•Board size is a significant predictor of sustainability committee establishment.•Board gender diversity and board independence are not significant predictors of sustainability committees.•Sustainability committees are positively related with CSR reporting in the H&T sector. This study's objective is twofold: (1) to investigate whether board characteristics predict the existence of a sustainability committee, and (2) to examine whether the establishment of sustainability committees stimulates sustainability reporting, external assurance, and the adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework in hospitality and tourism (H&T) firms. For this purpose, the data was derived from the Thomson Reuters Eikon database for publicly traded H&T firms from 2013 to 2018. The results indicate that while board size is a significant predictor of sustainability committee establishment, female and independent directors are not. Furthermore, the H&T firms with a sustainability committee are more likely to issue a sustainability report, to get an independent assurance statement on sustainability reporting, and to follow GRI guidelines in configuring sustainability report content and structure. Overall, the results suggest important implications to help H&T firms achieve sustainable goals and to design their boards accordingly.