Mapping sustainability reporting using indicator attributes
Ramona Zharfpeykan, Paul RousePurpose
This study aims to examine how the attributes of reported sustainability indicators can be used to infer the reporting strategies organisations adopt.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on institutional, stakeholder and legitimacy theories, we reviewed the sustainability reporting literature to identify key reporting strategies and related indicator attributes, including reporting frequency, stakeholder focus and the direction and sensitivity of information. These attributes informed a global reporting initiative (GRI)-based coding framework, which we applied to 2,184 GRI-based sustainability reports from 364 US-listed firms in the Forbes Global 2000 between 2018 and 2023. Frequency data were analysed quantitatively, while the remaining attributes were independently coded and mapped to GRI performance indicators. Descriptive trend analysis, comparative distribution analysis and regression models were then used to examine how disclosure profiles differed across reporting groups and evolved over time. The framework was subsequently applied across the sample to identify and compare firms’ reporting strategies.
Findings
Indicator attributes reveal strategic differences not visible from disclosure counts alone. Firms with similar disclosure volumes may allocate reporting attention very differently across indicators, stakeholders and disclosure types, while firms with differing disclosure volumes may exhibit similar reporting profiles. The findings show that increases in disclosure volume do not necessarily correspond to broader disclosure coverage or more inclusive reporting strategies. Although reporting levels generally increased over time, disclosure profiles changed only modestly, with firms largely maintaining similar reporting orientations across the study period. A firm’s reporting approach may also appear broader under one theoretical lens but selective or concentrated under another, highlighting the importance of using multiple perspectives when assessing sustainability disclosure strategies.
Originality/value
The study shows the value of examining sustainability reports through multiple theoretical perspectives and introduces a structured, theory-informed approach for analysing reporting content.