Corporate social reporting—Shareholder perception and its determinants

In: Corporate social responsibility and environmental management, Band 27, Heft 6, S. 3034-3046

Abstract

AbstractCorporate Social Report brings out how ethically the surplus fund is utilized for the betterment of the society. Perception on the importance of this report may not be homogenous among shareholders. A study has been taken up to examine the perception of shareholders on corporate social reporting, under Indian context. Using a structured questionnaire, data have been collected from 300 shareholders, adopting convenience sampling method. Friedman's Rank Test, used to examine the importance attached to items disclosed in Corporate Social Reports, shows that shareholders give greater importance to employee health and safety‐related information. They are equally concerned about details on product quality control. Therefore, companies, while drafting the reports, should focus more on these elements. Determinants of shareholder perception, examined through regression analysis, shows that perception is highly influenced by the importance shareholders attach to Corporate Social Report.