Environmental engagements through the lens of disclosure practices: A Malaysian story

Asian Review of Accounting

Volumn 14, Issue 1-2, 2006, Pages 122-148

  Yusoff, Haslinda ^a   Lehman, Glen ^a   Mohd Nasir, Noraini ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

^b UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA   (Malaysia)

Author keywords

Annual reports; Corporate social responsibility; Disclosure; Environmental management; Malaysia

Indexed keywords

EID: 84986145225     PISSN: 13217348     EISSN: 17588863     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1108/13217340610729509     Document Type: Article

References (96)

1. Al-Tuwaijri, S., Christensen, A.T.E. and Hughes, K.E. (2004), “The relations among environmental disclosure, environmental performance and economic performance: a simultaneous equations approach”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 29 Nos 5-6, pp. 447-71.
2. Anderson, J. and Frankle, A. (1980), “Voluntary social reporting: an ISO beta portfolio analysis”, The Accounting Review, Vol. 55 No. 3, pp. 467-79.
3. Ann, G.H., Zailani, S. and Abd Wahid, N. (2006), “A study on the impact of environmental management system (EMS) certification towards firms' performance in Malaysia”, Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 73-93.
4. Banerjee, S.B. (2002), “Corporate environmentalism: the construct and its measurement”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 55 No. 3, pp. 177-91.
5. Barth, M.E., McNichols, M.F. and Wilson, G.P. (1997), “Factors influencing firms' disclosures about environmental liabilities”, Review in Accounting Studies, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 35-65.
6. Bebbington, J. (1997), “Engagement, education and sustainability: a review essay on environmental accounting”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 365-81.
7. Belkaoui, A. (1976), “The impact of the disclosure of the environmental effects of organizational behaviour on the market”, Financial Management, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 26-31.
8. Belkaoui, A. and Karpik, P.G. (1989), “Determinants of the corporate decision to disclose social information”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 36-51.
9. Berger, P. and Luckman, T. (1967), The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge, Penguin, Harmondsworth.
10. Bewley, K. and Li, Y. (2000), “Disclosure of environmental information by Canadian manufacturing companies: a voluntary disclosure perspective”, Advances in Environmental Accounting and Management, Vol. 1, pp. 201-26.
11. Blancconiere, W.G. and Patten, D.M. (1994), “Environmental disclosures, regulatory costs and changes in firm value”, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 357-77.
12. Buysse, K. and Verbeke, A. (2003), “Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective”, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24, May, pp. 453-70.
13. Choi, J.-S. (1998), “An evaluation of the voluntary corporate environmental disclosures: a Korean evidence”, Social and Environmental Accounting, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 2-8.
14. Clarkson, M.E. (1995), “A stakeholder framework for analyzing and evaluating corporate social performance”, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 92-117.
15. Commission of the European Communities (2001), Commission Recommendation on the Recognition, Measurement and Disclosure of Environmental Issues in Annual Accounts and Annual Reports of Companies, Office of the European Communities, Brussels, May.
16. Corbett, C.J., Luca, A.M. and Pan, J. (2003), “Global perspective on global standards: a 15-economy survey of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000”, ISO Management Systems, January-February, pp. 31-40.
17. Cormier, D. and Magnan, M. (1999), “Corporate environmental disclosure strategies: determinants, costs and benefits”, Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 429-51.
18. Cowen, S.S., Ferreri, L.B. and Parker, L.D. (1987), “The impact of corporate characteristics on social responsibility disclosure: a typology and frequency-based analysis”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 111-22.
19. Deegan, C. (2000), Financial Accounting Theory, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Sydney.
20. Deegan, C. (2002), “The legitimising effect of social and environmental disclosures – a theoretical foundation”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 282-311.
21. Deegan, C. and Blomquist, C. (2001), “Stakeholder influence on corporate reporting: an exploration of the interaction between the World Wide Fund for nature and the Australian minerals industry”, paper presented at the Third Asian Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting Conference. Adelaide, July.
22. Deegan, C. and Gordon, B. (1996), “A study of the environmental disclosure practices of Australian corporations”, Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 187-99.
23. Deegan, C. and Rankin, M. (1996), “Do Australian companies report environmental news objectively? An analysis of environmental disclosures by firms prosecuted successfully by the EPA”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 50-67.
24. Deegan, C. and Rankin, M. (1999), “The environmental reporting expectation gap: Australian evidence”, British Accounting Review, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 313-46.
25. Deegan, C., Rankin, M. and Tobin, J. (2002), “An examination of the corporate social and environmental disclosures of BHP from 1983-1997: a test of legitimacy theory”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 312-43.
26. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International (1993), Coming Clean – Corporate Environmental Reporting, Opening up for Sustainable Development, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu International, London.
27. Donaldson, T. and Preston, L.E. (1995), “The stakeholder theory of the corporation: concepts, evidence and implications”, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 65-91.
28. Dowling, J. and Pfeffer, J. (1975), “Organizational legitimacy: social values and organizational behavior”, Pacific Sociological Review, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 122-36.
29. Edaran Otomobil Nasional (EON) Bhd (2003), Annual Report, EON Bhd, Shah Alam.
30. (The) Edge (2004), “Management trends in environmental reporting”, July, available at: http://theedgesingapore.com/articles/2004/07.html.
31. EPA (1995), Environmental Accounting Case Studies: Green Accounting at AT&T, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
32. Fairclough, N. (1989), Language and Power, Longman, Harlow.
33. Fairclough, N. (1992), Discourse and Social Change, Polity Press, Cambridge.
34. Fairclough, N. (2001), “The dialectics of discourse”, Textus, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 231-42.
35. Frost, G.R. and Wilmshurst, T.D. (2000), “The adoption of environmental-related management accounting: an analysis of corporate environmental sensitivity”, Accounting Forum, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 344-65.
36. Golden Hope Plantations Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Golden Hope Plantations Bhd, Kuala Lumpur.
37. Gray, R. (2001), “Thirty years of social accounting, reporting and auditing: what (if anything) have we learnt?”, Business Ethics: A European Review, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 9-15.
38. Gray, R. (2006), “Social, environmental and sustainability reporting and organisational value creation? Whose value? Whose creation?”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 793-819.
39. Gray, R., Bebbington, J. and Walden, W.D. (1993), Accounting for the Environment: The Greening of Accountancy – Part II, Paul Chapman, London.
40. Gray, R., Kouhy, R. and Lavers, S. (1995a), “Corporate social and environmental reporting: a review of the literature and a longitudinal study of UK disclosure”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 47-77.
41. Gray, R., Kouhy, R. and Lavers, S. (1995b), “Constructing a research database of social and environmental reporting by UK companies”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 78-101.
42. Gray, R., Owen, D. and Adams, C. (1996), Accounting and Accountability: Changes and Challenges in Corporate Social and Environmental Reporting, Prentice-Hall, London.
43. Gray, R., Bebbington, J., Collison, D.J., Kouhy, R., Lyon, B., Reid, C., Russell, A. and Stevenson, L. (1998), The Valuation of Assets and Liabilities: Environmental Law and the Impact of the Environment Agenda for Business, ICAS, Edinburgh.
44. Guthrie, J.E. and Parker, L.D. (1989), “Corporate social reporting: a rebuttal of legitimacy theory”, Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 9 No. 76, pp. 343-52.
45. Guthrie, J.E. and Parker, L.D. (1990), “Corporate social disclosure practice: a comparative international analysis”, Advances in Public Interest Accounting, Vol. 3, pp. 159-75.
46. Hackston, D. and Milne, M.J. (1996), “Some determinants of social and environmental disclosures in New Zealand companies”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 77-108.
47. Halme, M. and Huse, M. (1997), “The influence of corporate governance, industry and country factors on environmental reporting”, Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 137-57.
48. Henriques, I. and Sadorsky, P. (1996), “The determinants of an environmentally responsive firm: an empirical approach”, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 381-95.
49. Hughes, S.B., Anderson, A. and Goldenc, S. (2001), “Corporate environmental disclosures: are they useful in determining environmental performance?”, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 217-40.
50. Husseini, A. (2001), “Industrial environmental standards and their implementation in the world”, paper presented at the National Environmental Management Seminar (EM 2001), Kuala Lumpur.
51. Jaggi, B. and Freedman, M. (1982), “An analysis of the informational content of pollution disclosures”, The Financial Review, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 142-52.
52. Kolk, A., Walhain, S. and van der Wateringen, S. (2001), “Environmental reporting by the Fortune global 250: exploring the influence of nationality and sector”, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 15-28.
53. KPMG (2005), KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility 2005, KPMG International, Amsterdam.
54. Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, Kuala Lumpur.
55. Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Lafarge Malayan Cement Bhd, Shah Alam.
56. Lehman, G. (1995), “A legitimate concern for environmental accounting”, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 6 No. 5, pp. 393-412.
57. Lehman, G. (1996), “Environmental accounting: pollution permits or selling the environment”, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 7 No. 6, pp. 667-76.
58. Li, Y. and McConomy, B.J. (1999), “An empirical examination of factors affecting the timing of environmental accounting standard adoption and the impact on corporate valuation”, Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 279-313.
59. Lindblom, C.K. (1994), “The implications of organizational legitimacy for corporate social performance and disclosure”, paper presented at the Critical Perspective on Accounting Conference. New York, NY, 16-18 April.
60. McGowan, S., Lehman, G. and Smith, M. (2000), “Stakeholder accountability and corporate environmental perspectives”, Accounting, Accountability and Performance, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 63-88.
61. Margolis, J.D. and Walsh, J.P. (2003), “Misery loves companies: rethinking social initiatives by business”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 268-305.
62. Murray, A., Sinclair, D., Power, D. and Gray, R. (2006), “Do financial markets care about social and environmental disclosure? Further evidence and exploration from the UK”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 228-55.
63. Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd, Selangor.
64. Neu, D., Warsame, H. and Pedwell, K. (1998), “Managing public impressions: environmental disclosures in annual reports”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 265-82.
65. O'Donovan, G. (1999), “Managing legitimacy through increased corporate reporting: an exploratory study”, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 63-99.
66. O'Donovan, G. (2002), “Environmental disclosures in the annual report: extending the applicability and predictive power of legitimacy theory”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 344-71.
67. O'Dwyer, B. (2003), “Conceptions of corporate social responsibility: the nature of managerial capture”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 523-57.
68. Owen, D., Gray, R. and Bebbington, J. (1997), “Green accounting: cosmetic irrelevance or radical agenda for change?”, Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 175-98.
69. Patten, D.M. (1991), “Exposure, legitimacy, and social disclosure”, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 297-308.
70. Patten, D.M. (1992), “Intra-industry environmental disclosures in response to the Alaskan oil spill: a note on legitimacy theory”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 471-5.
71. Perry, M. and Singh, S. (2001), “Corporate environmental responsibility in Singapore and Malaysia”, Technology, Business and Society Programme paper, No. 3, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), New York, NY.
72. Road Builder Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Road Builder Holdings Bhd, Kuala Lumpur.
73. Roberts, R.W. (1992), “Determinants of corporate social responsibility disclosure: an application of stakeholder theory”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 17 No. 6, pp. 595-612.
74. Skillius, A. and Wennberg, U. (1998), Continuity, Credibility and Comparability: Key Challenges for Corporate Environmental Performance Measurement and Communication, a report commissioned by the European Environmental Agency, European Environmental Agency, Copenhagen.
75. Suchman, M.C. (1995), “Managing legitimacy: strategic and institutional approaches”, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 571-610.
76. Sulaiman, M. and Nik Ahmad, N.N. (2002), “Environmental management systems: perceptions of ISO 14001 certified sites”, Akauntan Nasional, pp. 22-5.
77. Sunderland, T.J. (1997), “Environmental management standards and certification: do they add value?”, in Sheldon, C. (Ed.), ISO 14000 and Beyond: Environmental Management Systems in the Real World, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, pp. 127-40.
78. Tanjong Bhd (2003), Annual Report, Tanjong Bhd, Wilayah Persekutuan.
79. Ullman, A.E. (1985), “Data in search of a theory: a critical examination of the relationships among social performance, social disclosure and economic performance of US firms”, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 540-57.
80. UMW Holdings Bhd (2003), Annual Report, UMW Holdings Bhd, Kuala Lumpur.
81. Unerman, J. and Bennet, M. (2004), “Increased stakeholder dialogue and the internet: towards greater corporate accountability or reinforcing capitalist hegemony?”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 29 No. 7, pp. 685-707.
82. Walden, W.D. and Schwartz, B.N. (1997), “Environmental disclosures and public policy pressure”, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 125-54.
83. Williams, P.F. (1987), “The legitimate concern with fairness”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 168-98.
84. Williams, S.M. (1999), “Voluntary environmental and social accounting disclosure practices in the Asia-Pacific region: an international empirical test of political economy theory”, The International Journal of Accounting, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 209-38.
85. Wilmshurst, T.D. and Frost, G.R. (2000), “Corporate environmental reporting: a test of legitimacy theory”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 10-26.
86. Wiseman, J. (1982), “An evaluation of environmental disclosures made in corporate annual reports”, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 53-63.
87. Banerjee, S.B., Iyer, E.S. and Kashyap, R.K. (2003), “Corporate environmentalism: antecedents and influence of industry type”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 67 No. 2, pp. 106-22.
88. Cormier, D. and Gordon, I.M. (2001), “An examination of social and environmental reporting strategies”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 587-617.
89. DRB-Hicom Bhd (2003), Annual Report, DRB-Hicom Bhd, Shah Alam.
90. Fowler, R. (1991), Language in the News: Discourse and Ideology in the Press, Routledge, London.
91. Gallhofer, S. and Haslam, J. (1997), “The direction of green accounting policy: critical reflections”, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 148-74.
92. Gamble, G.O. and Hsu, K. (1995), “Environmental disclosures in annual reports and 10ks: an examination”, Accounting Horizons, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 34-54.
93. Jantadej, P. and Kent, P. (1999), “Corporate environmental disclosure in response to public awareness of OK Tedi Copper Mine disaster: a legitimacy perspective”, Accounting Research Journal, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 72-88.
94. Lehman, G. (2006), “Perspectives on language, accountability and critical accounting: an interpretative perspective”, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 17, pp. 755-79.
95. Owen, D.L., Swift, T. and Hunt, K. (2001), “Questioning the role of stakeholder engagement in social and ethical accounting, auditing and reporting”, Accounting Forum, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 264-82.
96. YTL Corporation Bhd (2003), Annual Report, YTL Corporation Bhd, Kuala Lumpur.