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This study aims to investigate if “corporate governance practices” have any influence on firm corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting by listed firms in Bangladesh.

This study uses a content analysis to examine specific corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related attributes from 101 publicly listed non-financial firms in Bangladesh. Using various attributes of social and environmental reporting, a disclosure index is also constructed.

The finding of this study is that corporate governance practices do not have any influence on firm CSR reporting. The findings, in particular, show that CSR disclosure by firms is not responsive to new corporate governance regulations.

This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process.

The implication of this study is that firm CSR practices are legitimization exercises and firms will not make increased disclosure due to regulator’s quest for institutionalisation of corporate governance practices.

This study contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of developing countries following regulator’s quest for institutionalisation of corporate governance practices.

This study aims to examine the influence of institutional shareholding on a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Bangladesh.

This study uses a content analysis to capture a firm’s CSR practices, based on various attributes of social and environmental reporting made by the firm. Based on these attributes, a corporate social responsibility reporting index (CSRI) is constructed. To examine the causal relationship between institutional shareholding and firm CSR practices, this study uses a simultaneous equations approach to control the endogeneity problem.

The finding of this study is that both CSR reporting and institutional shareholding negatively influence each other.

This study is subject to some limitations such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process.

If the institutional investors are not concerned with its environmental and societal issues, there will be a sustainability issue for the business because companies will continue ignoring the employee health and hygiene, education, training and welfare. Their ignorance of these societal issues will lead to compromising the quality of living for important stakeholders within the society.

This study contributes the literature on CSR reporting.

This study aims to examine the association between board independence and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and the moderating role of stakeholder power on the association between board independence and CSR reporting.

Using a sample of 707 Bangladeshi firm-year observations, this study uses a content analysis technique to develop a 24-item of CSR reporting index. This study uses the ordinary least squares regression method to examine the relationship between board independence and CSR reporting.

The study finds that board independence does not influence CSR activities and relevant reporting in general. However, the non-influence of board independence and CSR reporting is offset by stakeholder power. Insider ownership, firm age, firm size, growth opportunities and market capitalisation have a positive influence on such reporting.

While this study suggests that stakeholders’ influence is an important factor in determining the firms’ incentives to disclose CSR information, this finding creates a new debate on the efficacy of independent directors and whether they are good monitors and are able to fulfil all the stakeholders’ expectations.

This study makes an important contribution to the literature on CSR practices by documenting that firms having powerful stakeholders induce the board and management to make more CSR reporting practices in the context of emerging economies.

This study aims to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting adds any value to the firm.

This study uses content analysis to capture the specific CSR-related attributes and to construct a CSR reporting index. The data is manually collected from 115 publicly listed firms on the Dhaka Stock Exchange. The companies audited financial statements were the source of data. This study uses an ordinary least square regression analysis to examine the relationship between CSR reporting and firm performance.

The results of this study show that firms’ involvement in CSR activities and related reporting has a significant positive influence on firm performance only under an accounting-based performance measure. However, firms’ involvement in CSR activities and related reporting has a significant negative influence on firm performance under a market-based performance measure.

This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process.

The findings of this study imply that firms may be involved in CSR reporting to meet the stakeholders’ expectations, CSR reporting does not necessarily increase the intrinsic value of the firm.

This study supports the stakeholder theory and contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of developing countries.

This study aims to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) and relevant reporting enhances firms’ economic performance among the listed firms in Bangladesh.

This study uses a content analysis to examine specific CSR-related attributes from 115 non-financial publicly listed firms in Bangladesh. Firm CSR reporting is evaluated against accounting and market performance measures, with a simultaneous equation approach used to control the potential endogeneity problem.

This study finds that CSR reporting significantly influences firm performance under both performance measures, although a firm’s economic performance does not influence CSR reporting.

This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process.

The findings imply that although CSR reporting by firms in Bangladesh is discretionary in nature, the ones that report add value to their firm.

This study contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of the developing countries.

This study examines the association between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) power and the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure, as well as the moderating role of stakeholder influence on this association.

Using a sample of 986 Bangladeshi firm-year observations, this study uses a content analysis technique to develop a 24-item CSR disclosure index. The ordinary least squares regression method is used to estimate the research models, controlling for firm-specific factors that potentially affect the levels of CSR disclosure.

The study findings indicate that CEO power is negatively associated with the level of CSR disclosure, and that the negative effects of CEO power on the level of CSR disclosure are attenuated by stakeholder influence. CEO power is documented as reducing the positive impact of CSR disclosure on a firm’s financial performance, with this negative impact attenuated if stakeholders have greater influence on the firm.

This study suggests that CEO power and stakeholder influence are important factors in determining firms’ incentives to disclose CSR information. Both CEO power and stakeholder influence need to be considered in the CSR – firm performance nexus, given the mixed findings documented in the literature.

This study makes a significant contribution to the literature on CSR practices by documenting that firms with a powerful CEO have lower levels of CSR disclosure, and that stakeholder influence affects CSR disclosure in the emerging economy context.

This paper aims to examine the influence of firm characteristics on harmonisation of companies listed on the Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia Stock Exchanges.

This study uses a checklist based mainly on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The findings of the study are 6that the level of compliance with IFRS was higher in 2010 than in 2005. Multiple regression analysis indicates that the level of compliance with IFRS increases with company size, institutional ownership, industry and language of disclosure.

The findings of this study suggest that both institutional- and firm-level forces influence the harmonisation process.

This study contributes to the literature on accounting harmonisation in the context of North Africa.

This paper examines the evolution and determinants of the extent and quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in a developing country (Mauritius).

CSR disclosures from annual reports of all listed companies were hand-collected for a 12-year period (2007–2018). The extent of disclosure was measured using a dichotomous index (41 items) while the quality of each disclosure item was assessed on a three-point scale. We rely on organisational legitimacy and resource dependence theories to investigate (1) trends in CSR disclosure extent and quality (2) the role of selected board and firm characteristics, namely the business qualifications of board members, extent of cross-directorships and the firm’s use of employee volunteering scheme, on CSR disclosure.

CSR disclosure extent, notably in relation to environment and human resources, gradually increased to an overall score of 45%. Comparatively, the quality of disclosures was low, with an average score of 20%. The proportion of business-qualified directors is only positively associated with CSR disclosure extent. The extent of cross-directorships is negatively associated with CSR disclosure quality while employee volunteering is positively associated with disclosure extent and quality.

The findings reveal the relatively low quality of information being disclosed, and in spite of CSR and governance reforms, there seems to be limited influence from the board of directors and their networks; prompting a call to foster greater board engagement on CSR matters. The results also highlight the need for a multi-dimensional assessment of CSR disclosure.

This study aims to examine whether lenders’ power and other attributes influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in Bangladesh.

This study uses content analysis to examine specific CSR-related attributes from 115 publicly listed firms in Bangladesh. By using various attributes of social and environmental reporting a disclosure index is also constructed. This study uses an Ordinary Lease Square Regression analysis to examine the relationship between stakeholders’ power and CSR reporting.

The finding is that lenders’ power, or the extent of borrowing, does not influence CSR exposure. However, lenders’ cost of monitoring and ability to monitor significantly and positively influence CSR exposure.

This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process.

The implication of this study is that, when multiple borrowing creates “claim-dilution” problems, lenders are found to influence CSR activity.

This study also supports the stakeholder theory and contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of developing countries.

Purpose – This study aims at presenting an overview, development, and process of current corporate governance practices in Bangladesh.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Based on New Institutional Sociology (NIS) as a theoretical framework and by using archival data, this study highlights the roles of key institutional forces in reinforcing the existing corporate governance practices in Bangladesh.

Findings – This study notes that corporate governance practices in Bangladesh are still at infancy. While Bangladesh is trying to adopt many international corporate governance best practices for institutional legitimacy, the weak institutional enforcement regime, along with the absence of an effective check and balance, poses serious challenges to the firm-level good corporate governance practices in Bangladesh. The absence of isomorphic pressures to regulate the firms leads to many incidences of noncompliance.

Practical implications – This study takes part in the following global debate: whether corporate governance in an emerging economy is a reality or an illusion.

Originality/Value – This study seeks to contribute to the increasing literature by recognizing the interest of readers, academics, practitioners, and regulators to gain more insight and understanding of corporate governance practices in an emerging economy, such as Bangladesh.