Conclusion and future research
Today, CSR information is a major component of companies’ corporate disclosure. It is considered to mirror companies’ CSR performance as a response to increasing stakeholder requirements and legitimate business operations. The growing interest in sustainability topics has also motivated many researchers to examine CSR disclosure. Prior research revealed a number of internal and external influential factors along with a number of benefits that companies gain from compiling and publishing CSR information.
The aim of this research study is to extend the knowledge of so far unobserved internal determinants of CSR disclosure. In summary, the results of this study suggest three major findings. First, characteristics of corporate identity are related to the development stage of a firm’s CSR concept. Corporate identity dimensions that indicate a mature CSR concept are positively associated with companies’ CSR disclosure. Firms that remain in an early phase of CSR development or that have a superficial CSR model disclose significantly less CSR information. This finding is in line with voluntary disclosure theory. Second, introversive corporate identity dimensions are more pronounced in a firm with low level CSR engagement. Value chain and future-oriented dimensions are more pronounced in a firm with high level CSR engagement. Third, the perceived need for legitimacy influences the degree of a firm’s CSR disclosure. Companies that historically possess a corporate identity of strong attitude awareness and employee integration report less CSR information because they do not detect the need for legitimacy.
