Flying toward transparency: revealing circular economy disclosure drivers in the airline industry

Abstract

Purpose

Although there is a growing body of literature on circular economy disclosure (CED), certain sectors, including the airline industry, remain underexplored despite the particular relevance of circular models in this field. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the dissemination of circular economy (CE) information by airlines through their website and investigating the factors influencing the level of CED. Specifically, this study focuses on the characteristics of the board of directors, given its central role in shaping disclosure practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs manual content analysis to measure the extent of CE information disclosed by 105 international airlines through their website. It then conducts a regression analysis to examine the influence of board characteristics on the level of online CED.

Findings

The results suggest that airlines with larger, more active and more independent boards of directors tend to be more inclined to disseminate CE information through their website. Furthermore, they demonstrate that board gender diversity does not significantly affect the extent of CE information disseminated.

Originality/value

The study offers valuable contributions by extending CED research to the airline industry and exploring new channels for CE information dissemination. Additionally, it highlights the role of the board of directors in shaping CED practices and confirms the effectiveness of the stakeholder-agency theory in explaining this relationship.

Citation

L'Abate, V., Esposito, B., Raimo, N., Sica, D. and Vitolla, F. (2024), "Flying toward transparency: revealing circular economy disclosure drivers in the airline industry", The TQM Journal, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-05-2024-0202