Individual Research Article Review Assignment ACCT1110 Contemporary Financial & Integrated Reporting Assessment item 1(a) - Individual Research Article Review Assignment Choose any one of the...

“Exploring the implications of integrated reporting for social investment (disclosures) by Carol A. Adams, Brad Potter Prakash J. Singh and Jodi York”
The article highlights the contents of the study conducted on the four multi-national corporations i.e., Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), Heineken, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Unilever.
The report and integrated reporting-
The report highlights how these four major multi-national corporations have adopted their reporting towards more integrated approaches. It further emphasis on how is the connectivity between Social, Environmental and social issues and its impact on the integrated thinking. The GAAP based conventional accounting does not clearly state the value of social investment and that is where the need for aid such as integrated accounting arises.
How the report is of my keen interest-
The study of this article is very interesting for me as a student. I could get the useful insights about the integrated reporting by business from this study. It further made me understand how things are being done in these major and big corporations. The value of social investment and accounting has been given due focus along with the impact of environmental factors in the business accounting.
Technical issues discussed in the report-
The following technical issues have been discussed in this report:
· The disclosure practices adopted by the corporations relating to non-financial information and voluntary information.
· The concept of Stewardship theory that in implicit in IIRC framework.
· How institutional theory has generally been helpful for making and clearing our understanding of the accounting and reporting of the requirements of the companies
· Isomorphism and Isopraxism theory have been discussed in this report.
Research Objectives of the study-
The key objective for this research study, the report has used a subjective 'case study' supported by thematic analysis of the content (referring Beattie, McInnes and Fearnley, 2004) has been the used as the important method for the collection and analysis of the information. In doing this, authors had an idea of the troubles of indisputably archiving the expansion in detailing towards more integrated reporting and methodologies. With that concern, the authors did a careful analysis of the various accounts and parts contained in the whole report    , giving a cautious reflection to their thoughts of the idea of social investment and its inclination with the corporation’s procedures to create value. They likewise looked into the relative emphasis, in parlance, allocation of space and the noticeable quality of arrangement of data identified with social investment and the degree to which the reports showed the mix of social investment data with customary ideas of significant value creation, for example, short to medium term budgetary achievement, risks and business technique.
Methodology used in the report-
The authors observe that much analysis has been done using the theoretical approaches by analyzing the reporting done by these corporations and in the similar way their annual reports has been analyzed and compared with the reporting criteria set by the standards of integrated reporting and accounting.
The institutional theory adopted by the business has also been able to help the authors in developing the understanding and adoption of the range of accounting and reporting techniques. The concepts of isomorphism and isopraxism have helped the authors to gain an understanding of how the reporting by the corporates can be converged and the role of Integrated Reporting over time.
Major findings in the report-
The report highlights that the reporting with respect to social and environmental factors by the corporates has increased over time. In this report the authors have reported about the subjective analysis of disclosures and aftereffects of this investigation against Guidelines issued by the PSIS.
As appeared in Table 3 (annexed with actual report) every one of the four organizations appears to have implemented new ways and procedures of how their social investment and the ecological parameters find place in their annual and other reports issued by them over a period of years. The authors have taken account of the developments that have happen over each year in those four organizations, and would not clearly be determined by participation in any pilot or any other campaign lead by IIRC or the UNGC. Major deviation has been in case of NAB during the given period, taken after nearly by Heineken. Now that has given some broad setting to the more inside and out analysis of the disclosures by each organization.
Discussion, Understanding and Analysis-
The research shows both homogeneity and heterogeneity in disclosures done by the example organizations. Concerning, the Unilever and NAB reports obviously look to exhibit integration with social investment and practices of sustainability with key arranging to such an extent that such methods have been implanted as a way to progress instead of an impediment. The said approach is reliable with the framework issued internationally since the two organizations are in correlation with the pilot of IIRC. So when particular disclosures contrast over organizations, this improved mix is precisely what is stated by the theories of isomorphism in International Framework.
The study further demonstrates that in the sample organizations, there has been an identifiable move in giving an account of social investment. This is need of the hour since there has to be a shift by the corporates towards sustainability reporting and social accounting. While there is more prominent spotlight on showing links amongst different (e.g. environmental, social and financial) measurements of their exercises, the disclosures are both same as well as different from each other (i.e., both homogeneity and heterogeneity). The findings recommend that isomorphism and isopraxism are both very much pertinent, yet our confirmation is preparatory, as announcing are perplexing and area particular. We trust this would be an essential commitment to the writing. In this investigation is that the weights for more noteworthy combination of various measurements of organization execution were deciphered and connected by organizations in various routes bringing about recognizable changes to announcing which contrasted in their detail. So, that is how the report has laid down the core focus on how integrated accounting has increased its corporate followers and how this shift has been taking place.
References:
Adams, C.A., Potter, B., Singh, P.J. and York, J. (2016) ‘Exploring the implications of integrated reporting for social investment (disclosures)’, The British Accounting Review, 48, pp. 283-296.