Determinants/Motivations of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in Developing Economies: A Survey of the Extant Literature

• Published in: Sustainability 2022-03, Vol.14 (6), p.3474
• Main Authors: Ali, Waris, Wilson, Jeffrey, Husnain, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business schools; Corporate governance; Corporate social responsibility; Developing countries; Environmental information; External pressure; Financial disclosure; International regulations; LDCs; Literature reviews; Social aspects; Social responsibility; Surveys; Sustainability; Systematic review
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su14063474

The main purpose of this study is to systematically analyse and synthesise the empirical literature on the drivers and motivations of CSR disclosure in developing countries. Previous studies on CSR disclosure have primarily investigated the accuracy of disclosure claims, impact on various actors, and the factors deriving CSR disclosure. While literature on CSR disclosure dates back to 1983, the number of studies have increased substantially in recent years, with 86% of studies being published in the last decade and a half. The results revealed that both internal and external factors influence the disclosure of CSR information. Internal factors influencing CSR disclosure include company characteristics such as size, industry, financial performance, corporate governance elements such as board size and board independence, and types of ownership. In addition, corporate polices and concerns also influence the disclosure of CSR-related information. External category factors influencing CSR disclosure include, regulatory pressures, government pressure, media concerns, social-cultural factors, and industry-level factors such as the level of industry competition, customers’ concerns, and multiple listing of a firm. Furthermore, global value chains, international buyers, international NGOs, and international regulatory bodies pressure companies in developing countries to disclose social and environmental information. In terms of motivations, companies disclose CSR information to improve their corporate reputation, improve their financial performance, access investment opportunities, and manage key stakeholders. The dominant theoretical frameworks used to explain the determinants of CSR disclosure include legitimacy theory and stakeholder theory.