Corrupt practice and sustainability reporting: Lifecycle perspective

Abstract

The study employs a lifecycle perspective to investigate the relationship between corrupt practices and sustainability reporting. The final sample is composed of 1388 firms from four European countries, namely France, Germany, UK, and Sweden. Data were retrieved from the Thomson Reuters database from 2015 to 2022. The findings revealed that corruption significantly reduces sustainability disclosure across different life cycle stages, albeit with varying magnitudes, perhaps due to the misallocation of resources and lack of incentives. The findings also showed that the detrimental effects of corruption on sustainability reporting is most profound during the “Shake-Out” stage of a company life cycle. By adopting a lifecycle perspective, the research offers a new and in-depth understanding of corruption's impact on environmental disclosure, offering policymakers and regulators valuable insights into enhancing environmental and sustainability practices.