INTEGRATED REPORTING AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE IN EMERGING ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIAN LISTED CONSUMER GOODS FIRMS

Abstract

This study examines the impact of quality of integrated reporting on social performance of listed consumer goods manufacturing companies in Nigeria, during the year 2015-2024. Previous research in Nigeria and other emerging markets has primarily considered the financial and market impact of the integrated reporting, and there is little evidence to show whether reporting quality can be converted into real stakeholder-oriented investments. This paper fills this gap by connecting integrated reporting with monetary aspects of social performance such as employee training, employee welfare and corporate social responsibility spending. An index of integrated reporting quality was developed based on the content analysis of annual reports of firms to get panel data. The results show that an integrated reporting positively and significantly influences social performance, which implies that the higher the quality of reporting, the higher the social investment. Social performance is also boosted by profitability, though leverage and size of the firm do not have significant impacts. The findings suggest that integrated reporting has the potential to be a powerful tool of enhancing accountability and high achievable social outcomes in manufacturing companies in emerging markets.