The Integrated Reporting Movement: Meaning, Momentum, Motives, and Materiality(Wiley Corporate F&A)

An in-depth, enlightening look at the integrated reporting movement The Integrated Reporting Movement explores the meaning of the concept, explains the forces that provide momentum to the associated movement, and examines the motives of the actors involved. The book posits integrated reporting as a key mechanism by which companies can ensure their own long-term sustainability by contributing to a sustainable society. Although integrated reporting has seen substantial development due to the support of companies, investors, and the initiatives of a number of NGOs, widespread regulatory intervention has yet to materialize. Outside of South Africa, adoption remains voluntary, accomplished via social movement abetted, to varying degrees, by market forces. In considering integrated reporting’s current state of play, the authors provide guidance to ensure wider adoption of the practice and success of the movement, starting with how companies can improve their own reporting processes. But the support of investors, regulators, and NGOs is also important. All will benefit, as will society as a whole. Readers will learn how integrated reporting has evolved over the years, where frameworks and standards are today, and the practices that help ensure effective implementation—including, but not limited to an extensive discussion of information technology’s role in reporting and the importance of corporate reporting websites. The authors introduce the concepts of an annual board of directors' "Statement of Significant Audiences and Materiality" and a "Sustainable Value Matrix" tool that translates the statement into management decisions. The book argues that the appropriate combination of market and regulatory forces to speed adoption will vary by country, concluding with four specific recommendations about what must be done to accelerate high quality adoption of integrated reporting around the world.

Table of Contents:
Foreword ix Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1: South Africa 1 The Uniqueness of South Africa 2 South Africa’s Journey to Integrated Reporting 3 South African Assessment of the South African Experience 10 Our Reflections on the South African Experience 18 Notes 18 Chapter 2: Meaning 31 Company Experimentation: Examples from the First Integrated Reports 32 Expert Commentary: The First Reflections on Integrated Reporting 40 Codification: Creating Common Meaning 44 Notes 51 Chapter 3: Momentum 59 Adoption 61 Accelerators 63 Awareness 78 Notes 80 Chapter 4: Motives 97 Companies 98 Audience 102 Supporting Organizations and Initiatives 106 Regulators 107 Service Providers 109 Notes 111 Chapter 5: Materiality 119 The Social Construction of Materiality 120 Materiality in Environmental Reporting 122 Comparing Different Definitions of Materiality 123 Audience 127 Governance 129 Materiality for Integrated Reporting 132 Notes 134 Chapter 6: The Sustainable Value Matrix 147 A Short History of the Materiality Matrix 147 Issues with the Matrix 150 The Current State of Materiality Matrices 152 From the Materiality Matrix to the Sustainable Value Matrix 157 Notes 165 Appendix 6A: Comparing the Ford and Daimler Materiality Matrices 173 Notes 177 Appendix 6B: Methodology for the Materiality Matrices Review 179 Note 189 Chapter 7: Report Quality 191 The Six Capitals 192 Content Elements 194 Special Factors 200 Assurance 207 Notes 209 Appendix 7A: Methodology for Analyzing 124 Company Integrated Reports 221 Notes 223 Chapter 8: Reporting Websites 225 Methodology 226 Website Category Analysis 227 Website Feature Analysis 233 Three Examples 241 Notes 246 Appendix 8A: Methodology for Website Coding 253 Chapter 9: Information Technology 261 Integrated Reporting Processes 262 Four IT Trends 265 Contextual Reporting 269 (World Market Basket) 271 Notes 274 Chapter 10: Four Recommendations 281 A Very Brief History of Financial Reporting 282 Balancing Experimentation and Codification 283 Balancing Market and Regulatory Forces 285 Greater Advocacy from the Accounting Community 287 Achieving Clarity Regarding the Roles of Key Organizations 289 A Possible Scenario 290 Final Reflection 292 Notes 292 About the Authors 299 Index 301

About the Author :
ROBERT G. ECCLES is a Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School. He has written four books on corporate reporting. He has also written over 25 articles and 20 teaching cases on integrated reporting and sustainability. MICHAEL P. KRZUS is an independent integrated reporting consultant and researcher. He has provided advisory services to participants in the International Integrated Reporting Council Pilot Program, companies exploring the adoption of integrated reporting, and consulting organizations seeking to enhance integrated reporting capabilities for clients.