Untangling sustainability reporting: theoretical approaches informing non-financial disclosure

Abstract

This study analyses different theoretical frameworks used in the literature to explain corporate social and environmental sustainability (SES) reporting.

A systematic literature review of 232 scientific articles published in top-tier journals was performed through bibliometric visualizations, quantitative statistics and narrative analyses.

Results highlight that legitimacy, institutional, and stakeholder theories most commonly inform studies on SES reporting. Recent works also show the use of theoretical approaches less frequently employed in accounting and management that usually distinguish other research fields, such as sociology, psychology, and communication, highlighting cross-fertilization among different research areas.

This systematic literature review specifically focuses on the many theories related to SES reporting and offers an extensive overview of theoretical frameworks underpinning thirty years of studies on non-financial disclosure. Moreover, encourages scholars to engage with critical and emerging theories in the study of SES reporting following multidimensional and multidisciplinary perspectives.