THE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE OF SUSTAINABLE INFORMATION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SPANISH AND BRAZILIAN COMPANIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/rco.v7i17.56690Keywords:
CSR, Institutional theory, Brazil, Spain, GRIAbstract
The current importance of sustainability in the corporate field has made CSR practices a key aspect to achieve social legitimacy and fulfil social expectations. In this context, disclosure is considered as a tool to inform stakeholders about the activities undertaken and thereby attaining social conformity. Nevertheless, the different economic and social contexts may lead to differences both in the practices and in the disclosure, according to the Institutional Theory. This study focuses on the potential differences that may arise among companies from Brazil and Spain, concerning the disclosure of information about CSR. Moreover, we analyze the influence of some factors on the disclosure, such as corporate size, profitability and growth opportunities. Our evidence is in line with the Institutional Theory, obtaining significant differences among Brazilian and Spanish companies, as for the disclosure of CSR practices. Also, our findings emphasize the role played by public visibility in the development of higher-quality information.
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